ou here?"

"Boast not," replied the prince, "you are in my power. Your glance has
already lost its magic charm, and you will soon have to die by this
sword. But first tell me who you are."

"It is true, prince, I am in your hands, but be generous, I deserve
your pity. I am a knight of the race of giants, and if it were not for
the wickedness of my brother I should have lived in peace. He is the
horrible dwarf with the great hump and the beard seven feet long. He
was jealous of my fine figure, and tried to do me an injury. You must
know that all his strength, which is extraordinary, lies in his beard,
and it can only be cut off by the sword you hold in your hand. One day
he came to me and said, 'Dear brother, I pray you help me to discover
the sharp smiting sword that has been hidden in the earth by a
magician. He is our enemy, and he alone can destroy us both.' Fool
that I was, I believed him, and by means of a large oak tree, raked up
the mountain and found the sword. Then we disputed as to which of us
should have it, and at last my brother suggested that we should cease
quarrelling and decide by lot. 'Let us each put an ear to the ground,
and the sword shall belong to him who first hears the bells of yonder
church,' said he. I placed my ear to the ground at once, and my
brother treacherously cut off my head with the sword. My body, left
unburied, became a great mountain, which is now overgrown with
forests. As for my head, it is full of a life and strength proof
against all dangers, and has remained here ever since to frighten all
who attempt to take away the sword. Now, prince, I beg of you, use the
sword to cut off the beard of my wicked brother; kill him, and return
here to put an end to me: I shall die happy if I die avenged."

"That you shall be, and very soon, I promise you," replied his
listener.

The prince bade the Dappled Horse with Golden Mane carry him to the
kingdom of the Dwarf with the Long Beard. They reached the garden gate
at the very moment when the dwarf had caught sight of Princess
Pietnotka and was running after her. The war-trumpet, challenging him
to fight, had obliged him to leave her, which he did, having first put
on her head the invisible cap.

While the prince was awaiting the answer to his challenge he heard a
great noise in the clouds, and looking up saw the dwarf preparing to
aim at him from a great height. But he missed his aim and fell to the
ground so heavily that his body was