th was born, there was only half of him.

By-and-by they all grew into men, and one day they told their father it
was high time he found wives for them. 'I have a brother,' he answered,
'who lives away in the East, and he has twelve daughters; go and marry
them.' So the twelve sons saddled their horses and rode for twelve days,
till they met an old woman.

'Good greeting to you, young men!' said she, 'we have waited long for
you, your uncle and I. The girls have become women, and are sought, in
marriage by many, but I knew you would come one day, and I have kept
them for you. Follow me into my house.'

And the twelve brothers followed her gladly, and their father's brother
stood at the door, and gave them meat and drink. But at night, when
every one was asleep, Halfman crept softly to his brothers, and said to
them, 'Listen, all of you! This man is no uncle of ours, but an ogre.'

'Nonsense; of course he is our uncle,' answered they.

'Well, this very night you will see!' said Halfman. And he did not go to
bed, but hid himself and watched.

Now in a little while he saw the wife of the ogre steal into the room
on tiptoe and spread a red cloth over the brothers and then go and cover
her daughters with a white cloth. After that she lay down and was soon
snoring loudly. When Halfman was quite sure she was sound asleep, he
took the red cloth from his brothers and put it on the girls, and laid
their white cloth over his brothers. Next he drew their scarlet caps
from their heads and exchanged them for the veils which the ogre's
daughters were wearing. This was hardly done when he heard steps coming
along the floor, so he hid himself quickly in the folds of a curtain.
There was only half of him!

The ogress came slowly and gently along, stretching out her hands before
her, so that she might not fall against anything unawares, for she had
only a tiny lantern slung at her waist, which did not give much light.
And when she reached the place where the sisters were lying, she stooped
down and held a corner of the cloth up to the lantern. Yes! it certainly
was red! Still, to make sure that there was no mistake, she passed her
hands lightly over their heads, and felt the caps that covered them.
Then she was quite certain the brothers lay sleeping before her, and
began to kill them one by one. And Halfman whispered to his brothers,
'Get up and run for your lives, as the ogress is killing her daughters.'
The brothers needed no se