"Well," said Robin of the Wood, "every day a champion comes to battle
with the giant, and the giant, before he begins the fight, puts a branch
of berries in the iron belt that's around his waist, so that when he
feels tired or thirsty he can refresh himself, and there is just a bare
chance, while he is fighting, of picking one of the berries from the
branch; but if his breath fall on you it is certain death."

"I will take the chance," said Rosaleen's robin.

"Very well," said the other. And the two birds flew through the wood
until they came within sight of the fairy tree. The giant was lying
stretched at the foot of it, eating the berries; but it was not long
until a warrior came, who challenged him to battle. The giant jumped up,
and plucking a branch from the tree stuck it in his belt, and swinging
his iron club above his head strode towards the warrior, and the fight
began. The robin perched on a tree behind the giant, and watched and
waited for his chance; but it was a long time coming, for the berries
were in front of the giant's belt. At last the giant, with one great
blow, struck the warrior down, but as he did so he stumbled and fell
upon him, and before he had time to recover himself the little robin
darted towards him like a flash and picked off one of the berries, and
then, as fast as wings could carry him, he flew towards home, and on his
way he passed over a troop of warriors on snow-white steeds. All the
horsemen except one wore silver helmets and shining mantles of green
silk, fastened by brooches of red gold, but the chief, who rode at the
head of the troop, wore a golden helmet, and his mantle was of yellow
silk, and he looked by far the noblest of them all. When the robin had
left the horsemen far behind him he spied Rosaleen sitting outside the
palace gates bemoaning her fate. The robin perched upon her shoulder,
and almost before she knew he was there he put the berry between her
lips, and the taste was so delicious that Rosaleen ate it at once, and
that very moment the witch's withering spell passed away from her, and
she became as lovely as the flower of beauty. Just then the warriors on
the snow-white steeds came up, and the chief with the mantle of yellow
silk and the golden helmet leaped from his horse, and bending his knee
before her, said:

"Fairest of all fair maidens, you are surely the daughter of the king of
these realms, even though you are without the palace gates, unattended,
an