"God keep thee, Great Drinker!"

"On what journey art thou, renowned Kiss Miklos?"

"On what journey? Haho! better thou hadst not asked. I am going for the Green Daughter of the Green King. Hast thou heard of her?"

"I have not, in truth," answered Great Drinker; "I speak not of that, but of this: take me with thee, for mayhap thou 'It get good of me".

"Well, come on thy own legs, if it please thee".

So there were three of them, and they travelled and journeyed after that till they saw a man running on the plain towards cattle, and he thrust the beautiful bullocks one by one into his mouth as I would a piece of bread, and swallowed them, hide and horns, one after the other; and even when he had swallowed all the standing herd of three hundred and sixty-six bullocks, he called out unceasingly: "Oh, I am hungry! Oh, I am hungry!" This was Great Eater who, when he saw Miklos, went to him and said: "God give thee a good-day, renowned Kiss Miklos; for in my world-beautiful life I have ever heard thy fame".

"God keep thee, Great Eater!"

"What journey art thou on, renowned Kiss Miklos?"

"Better thou hadst not asked. I am going for the Green Daughter of the Green King. Hast thou heard of her?"

"I have not heard, in truth," answered Great Eater; "but take me with thee, mayhap thou 'It get good of me.

"Well, come on thy own legs, if it please thee".

Now there were four of them, and they travelled and journeyed till one day they struck upon a man whose bolster was the glowing coals, whose pillow was the burning fire, and whose blanket was the flaming blaze; he had nine pairs of boots on his feet, nine pairs of drawers and nine shirts on his body, nine neckcloths on his neck, nine sheep-skin caps on his head, nine pairs of trousers, nine vests on his body, and nine sheepskin overcoats hung from his shoulders, but even then he did nothing but cry out unceasingly: "Oh, I 'm freezing! Oh, I 'm freezing!' When he saw Kiss Miklos, he stood before him and said: "God give thee a good-day, renowned Kiss Miklos; for in my world-beautiful life I have ever heard thy fame".

"God guard thee, Great Freezer!"

"What journey art thou on, renowned Kiss Miklos?"

"Ah, comrade, thou shouldst not have asked. Hast thou heard of the fame of the Green Daughter of the Green King?"

"I have not heard of it".

"Well, if thou hast not, hear now; for I am going to her as a wooer".

"Take me with thee, mayhap thou wilt get good of me".

"Well, come on thy own legs, if it please thee".

There were five of them now. They journeyed and travelled after that till they came upon a man who was looking around unceasingly. In one twinkle, in the turn of an eye, he saw the round earth, and in another turn of the eye he looked through the deep sea; and he saw Miklos and his comrades thirty-five miles off.

This was Far Seer, who stood before Miklos and said: "God give thee a good-day, renowned Kiss Miklos".

"God keep thee, Far Seer!"

"On what journey art thou, renowned Kiss Miklos?"

"Haho! good friend Far Seer, perhaps thou hast heard of the Green Daughter of the Green King".

"I have not"

"Well then, hear now, for I am going to woo her".

"Take me with .thee, mayhap thou 'It get good of me".

Now there were six of them, and they journeyed and travelled after that, across forty-nine kingdoms and farther, till they came upon a man who threw a seven-hundred-pound iron club thirty-five miles as easily as I could throw a small stone a few yards This was Far Caster, who, when he saw Kiss Miklos and his comrades, came and said: "God give thee a good-day, renowned Kiss Miklos; for in my world-beautiful life I have ever heard thy fame".

"God guard thee, Far Caster!"

"What journey art thou on?"

"Better thou hadst not asked. Hast thou heard of the Green King?"

"I have not".

"Well, I am going to woo his daughter".

"Take me with thee, mayhap thou 'It get good of me".

"Come on thy own legs, if it please thee".

Like the seven deadly sins, they were seven now. They journeyed and travelled till they came to the castle of the Green King. Kiss Miklos stood before the king and said: "God give a good-day to thy Highness".

"God keep thee, renowned Kiss Miklos; for in my world-beautiful life I have ever heard thy fame. What journey art thou, on?"

"In my journeys and travels I have heard that thy Highness has a charming, love-pervaded, beautiful flower-stalk. What is the use in delay and denial? I have come for her".

"Haho! my good friend, the Green Daughter of the Green King is not so easily taken, for there are three tests before thee; if thou stand these tests, I will give thee my most beloved, my truly one and only daughter. The first test will be this: Thou hast a swift runner and so have I. They are making for my daughter at present a wedding dress at Pluto's, or perhaps it's ready this moment. If thy swift runner will bring that dress here, all right, - I care not: let the Green Daughter of the Green King be thine. My swift runner and thine will start to-morrow about four o'clock in the morning. But if I have not told thee, know now the thick end of the business, I will bring you all to the stake, if thy swift runner comes second".

But the Green King deceived; for that evening after sunset he sent off his swift runner, who was no other than his own old mother, who, let it be said meanwhile, was a witch, and a big one at that. Next morning at four o'clock, as had been agreed, Miklos started his own swift runner on the road so as to bring the wedding dress.

Swift Runner moved on, and he saw that the old mother of the Green King was a good way ahead, for she was just on the point of going in at Pluto's gate. Nothing more was needed. He rushed at her and she saw trouble soon, for he came up just as she had taken hold of the key; Swift Runner was not slow. He caught her by the jacket, hurled her back, ran in at the gate himself, and did not stop till he stood before his Highness, Pluto, told why he had come, and asked for the wedding dress. The dainty dress was nicely packed already in a box, and they gave it to him. Swift Runner hurried homeward, but the old mother of the Green King waited for him, and said: "Hear me, Swift Runner! Now thou art the victor, run not so fast; let us go home in pleasant quiet together".