me, thou crone; I like not flattery out of doors; go in and
let's hear thy speech." In went the crone, and when her back was to
him he drew his sword and whips off her head; but the sword flew out
of his hand. And swift the crone gripped her head with both hands, and
put it on her neck as it was before. The dog sprang on the crone, and
she struck the generous dog with the club of magic; and there he lay.
But the herd struggled for a hold of the club of magic, and with one
blow on the top of the head she was on earth in the twinkling of an
eye. He went forward, up a little, and there was spoil! Gold and
silver, and each thing more precious than another, in the crone's
castle. He went back to the king's house, and there was rejoicing.

He followed herding in this way for a time; but one night after he
came home, instead of getting "All hail!" and "Good luck!" from the
dairymaid, all were at crying and woe.

He asked what cause of woe there was that night. The dairymaid said,
"There is a great beast with three heads in the loch, and it must get
someone every year, and the lot had come this year on the king's
daughter, and at midday to-morrow she is to meet the Laidly Beast at
the upper end of the loch, but there is a great suitor yonder who is
going to rescue her."

"What suitor is that?" said the herd. "Oh, he is a great general of
arms," said the dairymaid, "and when he kills the beast, he will marry
the king's daughter, for the king has said that he who could save his
daughter should get her to marry."

But on the morrow, when the time grew near, the king's daughter and
this hero of arms went to give a meeting to the beast, and they
reached the black rock at the upper end of the loch. They were but a
short time there when the beast stirred in the midst of the loch; but
when the general saw this terror of a beast with three heads, he took
fright, and he slunk away, and he hid himself. And the king's
daughter was under fear and under trembling, with no one at all to
save her. Suddenly she sees a doughty, handsome youth, riding a black
horse, and coming where she was. He was marvellously arrayed and full
armed, and his black dog moved after him. "There is gloom on your
face, girl," said the youth; "what do you here?"

"Oh! that's no matter," said the king's daughter. "It's not long I'll
be here at all events."

"I say not that," said he.

"A champion fled as likely as you, and not long since," said she.

"He is a