“That is a brave fellow.  He drinks up the whole brook and still says he is thirsty,” said the youth.

“I am no brave fellow.  He who has pierced a steel shield with a steel spear is a brave fellow,” said the thirsty man.

“I am he.  Let us be brothers.”

The six journeyed on together.  They went on and on and saw a shepherd who was playing the pipes, and mountains and valleys, fields and forests, men and animals, danced to the music.

“That seems to me to be a brave fellow.  He makes mountains and valleys dance,” said the youth.

“I am no brave fellow.  He who has pierced a steel shield with a steel spear is a brave fellow,” said the musical man.

“I am he.  Let us be brothers,” said the youth.

The seven journeyed on together.

“Brother who hast pierced a steel shield with a steel spear, whither is God leading us?”

“We are going to get the daughter of the King of the West,” said the youth.

“Only you can marry her,” said they all.

They went on till they came to the King’s castle, but when they asked for the daughter the King would not let her go, but called his people together and said:  “They have come after the bride.  They are not very hungry, perhaps they will eat only a bite or two.  Let one-and-twenty ovens be filled with bread and make one-and-twenty kettles of soup.  If they eat all this I will give them my daughter; otherwise, I will not.”

The seven brothers were in a distant room.  He who listened with his ear to the ground heard what the King commanded, and said: 

“Brother who hast pierced a steel shield with a steel spear, do you understand what the King said?”

“Rascal! how can I know what he says when I am not in the same room with him?  What did he say?”

“He has commanded them to bake bread in one-and-twenty ovens and to make one-and-twenty kettles of soup.  If we eat it all, we can take his daughter; otherwise, not.”

The brother who devoured all the meal that seven millstones, ground said:  “Fear not, I will eat everything that comes to hand, and then cry, ‘Little father, I die of hunger.’”

When the King saw the hungry man eat he screamed:  “May he perish!  I shall certainly meet defeat at his hands.”

Again he called his people to him and said, “Kindle a great fire, strew it with ashes and cover it with blankets.  When they come in in the evening they will be consumed, all seven of them.”

The brother with the sharp ears said:  “Brother who hast pierced a steel shield with a steel spear, do you understand what the King said?”

“No; how can I know what he said?”

“He said, ’Kindle a fire, strew it with ashes, and cover it with blankets, and when they come in in the evening they will be consumed, all seven of them.’”

Then said the brother who drank up the brook:  “I will drink all I can and go in before you.  I will spit it all out and turn the whole house into a sea.”