among the old men at this.)

'The soldier did not know then what way he would make his escape. But
the little old man took his whistle, and blew on it; and presently a
great big eagle came down the hole.

'The little man bade the soldier get on its back till it would bring him
across the world; and he put seven bullocks on its back along with him.

'They set out then; and the soldier was cutting a bit off the bullocks
and putting it into the eagle's beak whenever he would say "Quawk." But
they were only a third of the way when all was gone, and they had to
turn back again.

'He took fourteen bullocks the next time, but they gave out. But the
third time the little old man gave twenty-one bullocks.

'So this time the eagle brought him to Spain, and left him down there.
And at that time the King of Spain was making a great feast for the
marriage of his eldest daughter that was the most beautiful. And when
the soldier saw her, he knew she was the third of the princesses he had
set free from the giant, and the other two were her two sisters.

'It was given out then that the princess would not marry anyone but the
man that would bring her a golden crown, the same as the one that was
hung over the castle where the giant had kept her. And all the
goldsmiths were very busy, everyone employing them to make crowns. But
they could not make the right one.

'Now the little man had given the soldier a ring before they parted, and
had bade him rub it if he would want anything from him. So he rubbed it
and a genii appeared before him. "Master, master, best master, what is
your will?" "Bring me the golden crown from the third castle where I
killed the giant," says the soldier.

'So the genii brought it; and Jack went to the king's court and put it
down; and the princess said it was just the very same crown that was
over the castle; and she knew it was the soldier had freed her, and she
was willing to marry him.

'But the king was not pleased to see such a poor-looking husband coming
for his daughter; and he said he would give her to no one but a man that
would bring a coach for her.

'So the soldier went away, and he rubbed the ring, and the genii
appeared; and it is what he bade him, to get him a coach that would be
filled full up of mud. So the coach went up to the king's door, and the
king himself came out to open it; and when he did, out came all the mud
over him that he was near choked. And he filled it a second and a thi