but that did not
content her. She got up, shook out the pillow-cases one by one, and
began to count the feathers that were in each. 'If one is missing I will
have your head,' said she, and at that the young man drew the feather
from his pocket and thrust it up her nose, crying 'If you want your
feather, here it is.'

'You did not sort those feathers alone,' answered the ogress calmly;
'however, this time I will let that pass.'

That night the young man slept soundly in his corner, and in the morning
the ogress told him that his work that day would be to slay one of her
great oxen, to cook its heart, and to make drinking cups of its horns,
before she returned home 'There are fifty oxen,' added she, 'and
you must guess which of the herd I want killed. If you guess right,
to-morrow you shall be free to go where you will, and you shall choose
besides three things as a reward for your service. But if you slay the
wrong ox your head shall pay for it.'

Left alone, the young man stood thinking for a little. Then he called:
'Tritill, Litill, come to my help!'

In a moment he saw them, far away, driving the biggest ox the youth had
ever seen. When they drew near, Tritill killed it, Litill took out its
heart for the young man to cook, and both began quickly to turn the
horns into drinking cups. The work went merrily on, and they talked
gaily, and the young man told his friends of the payment promised him
by the ogress if he had done her bidding. The old men warned him that
he must ask her for the chest which stood at the foot of her bed, for
whatever lay on the top of the bed, and for what lay under the side of
the cave. The young man thanked them for their counsel, and Tritill and
Litill then took leave of him, saying that for the present he would need
them no more.

Scarcely had they disappeared when the ogress came back, and found
everything ready just as she had ordered. Before she sat down to eat the
bullock's heart she turned to the young man, and said: 'You did not do
that all alone, my friend; but, nevertheless, I will keep my word, and
to-morrow you shall go your way.' So they went to bed and slept till
dawn.

When the sun rose the ogress awoke the young man, and called to him to
choose any three things out of her house.

'I choose,' answered he, 'the chest which stands at the foot of your
bed; whatever lies on the top of the bed, and whatever is under the side
of the cave.'

'You did not choose those things