hat his hands and knees smarted worse
than ever.

'This is no time for stopping,' said the voice of the giant's daughter,
as he leant against the trunk to recover his breath.

'Alas! I am no sooner up than down,' answered he.

'Try once more,' said she, and she laid a finger against the tree and
bade him put his foot on it. Then she placed another finger a little
higher up, and so on till he reached the top, where the magpie had built
her nest.

'Make haste now with the nest,' she cried, 'for my father's breath is
burning my back,' and down he scrambled as fast as he could, but the
girl's little finger had caught in a branch at the top, and she was
obliged to leave it there. But she was too busy to pay heed to this, for
the sun was getting high over the hills.

'Listen to me,' she said. 'This night my two sisters and I will be
dressed in the same garments, and you will not know me. But when my
father says 'Go to thy wife, king's son,' come to the one whose right
hand has no little finger.'

So he went and gave the eggs to the giant, who nodded his head.

'Make ready for thy marriage,' cried he, 'for the wedding shall take
place this very night, and I will summon thy bride to greet thee.' Then
his three daughters were sent for, and they all entered dressed in green
silk of the same fashion, and with golden circlets round their heads.
The king's son looked from one to another. _Which_ was the youngest?
Suddenly his eyes fell on the hand of the middle one, and there was no
little finger.

'Thou hast aimed well this time too,' said the giant, as the king's son
laid his hand on her shoulder, 'but perhaps we may meet some other way;'
and though he pretended to laugh, the bride saw a gleam in his eye which
warned her of danger.

The wedding took place that very night, and the hall was filled with
giants and gentlemen, and they danced till the house shook from top to
bottom. At last everyone grew tired, and the guests went away, and the
king's son and his bride were left alone.

'If we stay here till dawn my father will kill thee,' she whispered,
'but thou art my husband and I will save thee, as I did before,' and she
cut an apple into nine pieces, and put two pieces at the head of the
bed, and two pieces at the foot, and two pieces at the door of the
kitchen, and two at the big door, and one outside the house. And when
this was done, and she heard the giant snoring, she and the king's son
crept out softly and stol