Plumed Serpent
"Said the dragon, 'Many knights have left their lives here, I shall soon have an end to you,
too,' and he breathed fire out of seven jaws." - The Two Brothers
"The Two Brothers" tells the tale of two young men who part ways on their quest for their
fortune. While the tale takes many twists and turns, in a certain passage one brother finds
himself face to face with a dragon.
The younger comes to a town where a dragon has eaten every young maiden except the
princess, who is to be eaten the next day. The next morning, the princess is brought to the hill,
and the seven-headed dragon breathes fire, setting the grass ablaze. The huntsman cuts off six
of its heads and its tail and has his animal friends stomp out the flames and tear the beast to
bits. The princess distributes her necklace among the animals and gives the huntsman her knife,
with which he cuts off the dragon's tongues.
Like the episode "Plumed Serpent," this story follows the standard formula of a princess held
captive by a dragon and the noble fighter who must kill the dragon and bring the princess to
safety. While this story has been told in many iterations, it's noteworthy that "The Two
Brothers" is one of the original tales collected by the Brothers Grimm.
