Let's peek into a world where a young fellow, who was wonderfully clever with his hands and could make all sorts of tricky things, decided one day, "Hmm, I think I'll try being a hunter!"

So, off he went into the woods. After a while, he met three giants. They weren't scary giants, just very, very tall ones. "Well, hello there, little fellow!" rumbled one. "Want to be a hunter, do you? Let's see what you can do."
The biggest giant pointed to a tall tree. "See those nine birds sitting on that top branch? If you can shoot all nine with one shot, and then bring us their hearts and livers for our supper, we'll know you're good."

The young man took aim with his gun. Bang! All nine birds tumbled down. He carefully climbed the tree, then neatly took out their tiny hearts and livers. But one little heart, he thought, looked extra special. He popped it into his pocket without the giants seeing. He gave the rest to the giants.

"Amazing!" they boomed. "You truly are skillful!"
Because he was so clever, they decided to give him gifts.
The first giant gave him a cloak. "Put this on," he said, "and you'll become invisible!"
The second giant gave him a purse. "Whenever you wish for something," he explained, "just reach into this purse, and it will be there!"
The third giant gave him his own special gun. "This gun," he announced proudly, "will never, ever miss its target!"

With his new treasures, the hunter walked on until he came to a big, gloomy castle. Everyone looked worried. "What's wrong?" he asked a guard.
"Oh, it's terrible!" sighed the guard. "A dreadful dragon with seven heads lives nearby, and it demands our beautiful princess! The King has promised that whoever defeats the dragon can marry her."

"This sounds like a job for me!" thought the hunter.
He put on his invisible cloak. Shhh! No one could see him. He crept close to the dragon’s lair. The dragon was huge, with seven snorting, fiery heads!
The hunter took out his magic gun. Bang! Bang! Bang! Three perfect shots, right into the dragon’s main heart. The mighty dragon roared its last roar and fell down, still.
Quickly, the hunter took out his knife and cut out all seven of the dragon's tongues. He tucked them safely into his bag.

Just then, the princess, who had been watching fearfully from a tower, ran out. "You saved me!" she cried, and she was so grateful that she gave him a beautiful, sparkling ring. The hunter promised to come to the castle soon.

But before he could, the King's Marshal, a rather boastful man, arrived with his soldiers. They saw the dead dragon. "Aha!" cried the Marshal. "We have defeated the beast!" He cut off the dragon's seven heads and took them to the King.
"I will marry the princess!" he declared.
The King, seeing the heads, believed him. A wedding was planned, though the princess was very sad. She knew the Marshal wasn't the real hero.

On the wedding day, the hunter, still invisible in his cloak, went to the feast. He sat near the princess.
Using his magic purse, he whispered, "I wish for a piece of fresh bread." Poof! A piece of bread appeared on his plate. The princess saw it and was puzzled.
Then he whispered, "I wish for a slice of tasty roast meat." Poof! Meat appeared.
Finally, he whispered, "I wish for a goblet of sweet juice." Poof! Juice appeared.
The princess was amazed. "Who is doing this?" she wondered.

Then, the hunter whispered his biggest wish yet, "I wish for the ring the princess gave me to be on my finger." And there it was, sparkling on his hand!
The princess gasped. "That ring! I gave that ring to the brave man who truly saved me from the dragon!"
The hunter smiled and took off his invisible cloak. "That was me, Your Highness," he said. "And to prove it, here are the dragon's seven tongues!" He pulled them from his bag.
The Marshal stood there with his dragon heads, but of course, they had no tongues.

The King was very angry with the lying Marshal and sent him away.
And the skillful hunter? He married the joyful princess, and they lived happily, with many more exciting adventures to come, you can be sure!

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