[3] A king owns a poison tree, and whoever eats a fruit from it will vanish underground.

They find a castle with no one in it but food set out, so they watch and then eat, and agree to draw lots; one will stay and make camp while the other two will search.

Blamed for his wrongdoing, the gnome is forced to apologize, promising to show him how to rescue the king's daughters.

The eldest and next both try to be lowered, but panic; the youngest goes down and finds the king's daughters being held captive, one by a dragon with nine heads, one by one with five, one by one with four.

Then he puts in a rock; his brothers cut the rope and take the princesses back to the king.