had his dinner off the seven bullocks, and then he
got up to fight. "What weapons will you fight with?" he says, throwing
down a brace of swords. "Is it one of these you will have?" "It is not,"
said the soldier; "but the little rusty sword that is behind the door."

'So he went in and got that; and the giant began to hit and to strike at
him; and he began to tickle the giant's ankles and his calves. And at
last the giant stooped down to scratch his ankle; and when he did, the
soldier struck off his head.

'He let the princess out then, and bade her to go where the little man
was waiting at the bottom of the hole, till he would come to her.'

'He went then to the second castle, that had a silver crown over the
door; and then he went on to the third castle, that had a golden crown
over the door; and the same thing happened as before, except that the
second giant had fourteen bullocks and third giant twenty-one bullocks
for his dinner.

'Then he brought the third princess back to the house, at the bottom of
the hole, where the little man was sitting. And the little man gave him
a whistle, and he blew it; and his comrades came and called down the
hole that they were at the top, and he bade them to let the bucket down.
And when they did, he put the first of the three princesses in it. They
drew her up then; and when they saw so nice a girl come up, they began
to quarrel which of them would have her for his wife. "Oh, don't quarrel
about me," says she; "for there is a girl much handsomer than myself
below yet." So they let the bucket down again, and she made off.

'Then the second princess came up in the bucket, and they began to
quarrel for her, and she said: "You may let me go, for I am nothing at
all beside the girl that is below in the hole yet."

'So they let her go; and then the third princess that was the most
beautiful came up, and they began to quarrel for her. "You need not be
quarrelling for me," says she; "for it is your comrade that is at the
bottom of the hole yet, I am going to marry."

'So when they heard that, they let the bucket down again. But when the
soldier below was going to get into it, the little man said: "Don't get
in," he said; "but put stones in it; for your comrades will cut the rope
when it is half way up."

'So he filled it with stones, and sure enough, when it was half way up,
his comrades cut the rope, and the bucket fell to the bottom.'

('Oh! oh! oh!' There were indignant murmurs