it thus for a long time, and about the mouth of night he
cut another head off the beast. He put it on the knot and gave it to
her. She gave him one of her earrings, and he leaped on the black
horse, and he betook himself to the herding. The king's daughter went
home with the heads. The General met her, and took the heads from her,
and he said to her, that she must tell that it was he who took the head
off the beast this time also. "Who else took the head off the beast but
you?" said she. They reached the king's house with the heads. Then
there was joy and gladness.

About the same time on the morrow, the two went away. The officer hid
himself as he usually did. The king's daughter betook herself to the
bank of the loch. The hero of the black horse came, and if roaring and
raving were on the beast on the days that were passed, this day it was
horrible. But no matter, he took the third head off the beast, and drew
it through the knot, and gave it to her. She gave him her other
earring, and then she went home with the heads. When they reached the
king's house, all were full of smiles, and the General was to marry the
king's daughter the next day. The wedding was going on, and every one
about the castle longing till the priest should come. But when the
priest came, she would marry only the one who could take the heads off
the knot without cutting it. "Who should take the heads off the knot
but the man that put the heads on?" said the king.

The General tried them; but he could not loose them; and at last there
was no one about the house but had tried to take the heads off the
knot, but they could not. The king asked if there were any one else
about the house that would try to take the heads off the knot. They
said that the herd had not tried them yet. Word went for the herd; and
he was not long throwing them hither and thither. "But stop a bit, my
lad," said the king's daughter; "the man that took the heads off the
beast, he has my ring and my two earrings." The herd put his hand in
his pocket, and he threw them on the board. "Thou art my man," said the
king's daughter. The king was not so pleased when he saw that it was a
herd who was to marry his daughter, but he ordered that he should be
put in a better dress; but his daughter spoke, and she said that he had
a dress as fine as any that ever was in his castle; and thus it
happened. The herd put on the giant's golden dress, and they married
that same day.

They were no