There was once upon a time a king who had a great forest near hispalace, full of all kinds of wild animals. One day he sent out ahuntsman to shoot him a roe, but he did not come back. «Perhaps someaccident has befallen him,» said the king, and the next day he sentout two more huntsmen who were to search for him, but they too stayedaway. Then on the third day, he sent for all his huntsmen, and said:«Scour the whole forest through, and do not give up until you havefound all three.» But of these also, none came home again, none wereseen again. From that time forth, no one would any longer ventureinto the forest, and it lay there in deep stillness and solitude,and nothing was seen of it, but sometimes an eagle or a hawk flyingover it. This lasted for many years, when an unknown huntsmanannounced himself to the king as seeking a situation, and offered to gointo the dangerous forest. The king, however, would not give hisconsent, and said: «It is not safe in there; I fear it would fare withyou no better than with the others, and you would never come outagain.» The huntsman replied: «Lord, I will venture it at my own risk,of fear I know nothing.»
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