The next morning all they found were the girl’s bones and the lizard, covered with blood.  Because of their vast wealth the parents were able to pay off the relatives of the dead girl, thus stilling the scandal.

The monster, however, demanded another bride, and the parents duly sought a girl from a different town.  Once again a fine wedding was celebrated, and once again the monster devoured the bride on her wedding night.  This went on and on until no towns were left in which people had not heard of the monster.

The lizard insisted that his parents bring him yet another girl.  This time they sought one from the poorest ranks.  They approached a man who had too many children to feed and asked if he would give his daughter in marriage to the lizard.  The girl, seeing the plight of her brothers and sisters, consented to the marriage so her family would not starve.

She then consulted a witch who told her to insist that the monster lie down first when they went to bed, and not to look upon it once they had entered the nuptial chamber.  In this way, said the witch, the girl could escape the fate of her predecessors.

When they were alone in the bedroom, the girl made the lizard lie down first after it had blown out the candle.  She then heard a noise that aroused her curiosity and, against the advice of the witch,she relit the candle. Instead of the lizard she saw a handsome young man with red hair.  As she watched, he began to dissolve into wind that passed through the cracks of the roof, leaving her alone in the room.

After that, the rich parents accepted the girl as their heiress.  Yet no children were ever born in that house.  Also, the people of the countryside said to one another that after she died the lizard’s mother would suckle a serpent at one breast and a toad at the other as punishment for having appeased the lizard’s inhuman appetites.