travelled all
night in a light as bright as day; and when the wood gave out, the
peasants tore down their cottages, and threw them on the flames.

As they proceeded, the professors of music composed marches, and when
one was finished, they gave the manuscript to the Head-man, who,
commanding silence, blew the tune on his horn, and then the whole army
struck up and played it grandly. Of these, the "Giant's Grand March" was
the best. It was what might be called good, loud music. If it had
thundered, it is not likely that it would have been heard in the grand
final burst, when all the drums and trumpets beat and blew their very
loudest.

The Giant himself played in this march; for some of those who marched
near him, seeing that he had no instrument, asked him if he would not
like to play upon something. To which he replied that he did not care if
he did. So they got for him the largest bass-drum. He was much pleased
at this, and handing his club to two hundred porters, who accompanied
the expedition, he beat away upon his drum in good style. This
performance did not last long, however; for the first time they played
the grand final burst, he beat on both drum-heads at the same time, and
of course there was no more music from him. The people around him were
very glad of this; for while he played, he became so much excited that
he did not see where he was walking, and was continually treading upon
some one. So they journeyed with joy and gladness until they reached the
city of the mighty King, and all the people who had been left behind
came out to meet them. Bells were rung, and all kinds of music played,
and the people shouted, so that the oldest inhabitant never knew such a
noise and excitement before. They entered the city, and the procession
halted at the palace. Here the Princess, after embracing the Prince, was
conducted to the ladies' apartments, where her friends were so overjoyed
at seeing her again, that one would have thought that they would never
have got over it. The Prince, Trumkard, and the Giant were each shown to
sumptuous apartments, and that night everybody in the palace had as much
of everything good as they could eat.

Twelve o'clock of the next day was the time appointed for the Princess
to make trial of the magical music. The great hall of the palace was
fitted up most magnificently, and with the utmost rapidity, for this
great occasion. The chairs of the judges were covered with new velvet,
and no