On and on they went.  Cadmus thought the cow would never stop, and other people who had heard the strange story began to follow too, and they were all very tired and very far away from home when at last the cow lay down.  His companions were delighted and began to cut down wood to make a fire, and some ran to a stream to get water.  Cadmus lay down to rest close beside the cow.  He was wishing that his mother and brothers and Theseus had been with him now, when suddenly he was startled by cries and shouts and screams.

He ran towards the stream, and there he saw the head of a big serpent or dragon, with fiery eyes and with wide open jaws which showed rows and rows of horrible sharp teeth.  Before Cadmus could reach it, the monster had killed all his poor companions and was busy devouring them.  The stream was an enchanted one, and the dragon had been told to guard it so that no mortal might ever touch the water, and the people round about knew this, so that for a hundred years none of them had ever come near the spot.

The dragon had been asleep and was very hungry, and when he saw Cadmus he opened his huge jaws again, ready to devour him too.  But Cadmus was very angry at the death of all his companions, and drawing his sword he rushed at the monster.  With one big bound he leaped right into the dragon’s mouth, so far down that the two rows of terrible teeth could not close on him or do him any harm.  The dragon lashed with his tail furiously, but Cadmus stabbed him again and again, and in a short time the great monster lay dead.

“What shall I do now?” he said aloud.  All his companions were dead, and he was alone once more.  “Cadmus,” said a voice, “pluck out the dragon’s teeth and plant them in the earth.”

Cadmus looked round and there was nobody to be seen.  But he set to work and cut out the huge teeth with his sword, and then he made little holes in the ground and planted the teeth.  In a few minutes the earth was covered with rows of armed men, fierce-looking soldiers with swords and helmets who stood looking at Cadmus in silence.

“Throw a stone among these men,” came the voice again, and Cadmus obeyed.  At once all the men began to fight, and they cut and stabbed each other so furiously that in a short time only five remained alive out of all the hundreds that had stood before him.  “Cadmus,” said the voice once more, “tell these men to stop fighting and help you to build a palace.”  And as soon as Cadmus spoke, the five big men sheathed their swords, and they began to carry stones, and to carve these for Cadmus, as if they had never thought of such a thing as fighting each other!

They built a house for each of themselves, and there was a beautiful palace for Cadmus made of marble, and of fine kinds of red and green stone, and there was a high tower with a flag floating from a tall gold flag-post.

When everything was ready, Cadmus went to take possession of his new house, and, as he entered the great hall, he saw a lady coming slowly towards him.  She was very lovely and she wore a royal robe which shone like sunbeams, with a crown of stars on her golden hair, and round her neck was a string of the fairest pearls.