g's daughter
went home with the heads. The general met her, and took the heads from
her, and he said to her that she must tell that it was he who took the
head off of the beast this time also. "Who else took the head off the
beast but you?" said she. They reached the king's house with the
heads. Then there was joy and gladness.

About the same time on the morrow, the two went away. The officer hid
himself as he usually did. The king's daughter betook herself to the
bank of the loch. The hero of the black horse came, and if roaring and
raving were on the beast on the days that were passed, this day it was
horrible. But no matter, he took the third head off the beast, and
drew it through the knot, and gave it to her. She gave him her other
earring, and then she went home with the heads. When they reached the
king's house, all were full of smiles, and the general was to marry
the king's daughter the next day. The wedding was going on, and
everyone about the castle longing till the priest should come. But
when the priest came, she would marry only the one who could take the
heads off the knot without cutting it. "Who should take the heads off
the knot but the man that put the heads on?" said the king.

The general tried them, but he could not loose them, and at last there
was no one about the house but had tried to take the heads off the
knot, but they could not. The king asked if there was anyone else
about the house that would try to take the heads off the knot. They
said that the herd had not tried them yet. Word went for the herd; and
he was not long throwing them hither and thither. "But stop a bit, my
lad," said the king's daughter; "the man that took the heads off the
beast, he has my ring and my two earrings." The herd put his hand in
his pocket, and he threw them on the board. "Thou art my man," said
the king's daughter. The king was not so pleased when he saw that it
was a herd who was to marry his daughter, and he ordered that he
should be put in a better dress; but his daughter spoke, and she said
that he had a dress as fine as any that ever was in his castle; and
thus it happened. The herd put on the giant's golden dress, and they
were married that same day.

They were now married, and everything went on well. But one day, and
it was the namesake of the day when his father had promised him to the
sea-maiden, they were sauntering by the side of the loch, and lo, and
behold! she came and took him away to the l