MASTER-MAID

There was once a king and a queen and they had a bonny boy whom they
loved beyond anything. Now when he was grown up into a fine young
prince, the King, his father, went a-hunting one day and lost his way
in the forest, and when he came through it he found a raging stream
between him and his palace. He did not know how to get home, when
suddenly a huge giant came out of the forest and said:

"What would you give if I carried you across?"

"Anything, anything," said the King.

"Will you give me the first thing that meets you as you come to the
palace gate?"

The King thought for a while and then remembered that whenever he came
to the gate of the palace his favourite deerhound Bevis always came to
greet him. So, though he was sorry to lose him, he thought it was
worth while, and agreed with the giant.

Thereupon the giant took the King upon his shoulders and wading across
the raging stream landed him on the farther bank and saying to him,
"Remember what you have promised," went back again to the other side.

The King soon found his way towards the palace, but as he came to the
palace gate it happened that his son Prince Edgar was standing there,
and before Bevis the hound could dash out to greet his master, Prince
Edgar had rushed towards his father and caught him by the hand. The
King was rather startled but thought to himself:

"Oh, how will the giant know who met me? After all I intended to give
him Bevis, and that's what I'll do when he comes."

The next day the giant came to the castle gates and asked to see the
King, and when he was admitted to his presence he said:

"I come for your promise."

"Bring Bevis the hound," said the King to his attendants.

But the giant said: "I want no hound; give me your Prince."

The King was alarmed at finding that the giant knew who had met him;
but he told him that the Prince was away, but he would send and summon
him. Then he called his High Steward and told him to dress up the
herd-boy of the palace in some of the Prince's clothes. And when this
was done he gave him to the giant, who hoisted him on his shoulder and
strode off with him.

When they had gone a little way along the herd-boy in the Prince's
suit called out:

"Stop, stop, I am hungry; this is the time the herd rests and I have
my luncheon."

Then the giant knew that he had been deceived and went back to the
King's palace and said to him:

"Take your herd-boy and give me the Princ