e whose name is Galifron, who once wanted to marry me,
but when I refused he uttered the most terrible threats against me, and
vowed that he would lay waste my country. But what could I do? I could
not marry a frightful giant as tall as a tower, who eats up people as
a monkey eats chestnuts, and who talks so loud that anybody who has to
listen to him becomes quite deaf. Nevertheless, he does not cease to
persecute me and to kill my subjects. So before I can listen to your
proposal you must kill him and bring me his head."

Charming was rather dismayed at this command, but he answered:

"Very well, Princess, I will fight this Galifron; I believe that he will
kill me, but at any rate I shall die in your defense."

Then the Princess was frightened and said everything she could think of
to prevent Charming from fighting the giant, but it was of no use, and
he went out to arm himself suitably, and then, taking little Frisk with
him, he mounted his horse and set out for Galifron's country. Everyone
he met told him what a terrible giant Galifron was, and that nobody
dared go near him; and the more he heard, the more frightened he grew.
Frisk tried to encourage him by saying: "While you are fighting the
giant, dear master, I will go and bite his heels, and when he stoops
down to look at me you can kill him."

Charming praised his little dog's plan, but knew that this help would
not do much good.

At last he drew near the giant's castle, and saw to his horror that
every path that led to it was strewn with bones. Before long he saw
Galifron coming. His head was higher than the tallest trees, and he sang
in a terrible voice:

"Bring out your little boys and girls,
Pray do not stay to do their curls,
For I shall eat so very many,
I shall not know if they have any."

Thereupon Charming sang out as loud as he could to the same tune:

"Come out and meet the valiant Charming
Who finds you not at all alarming;
Although he is not very tall,
He's big enough to make you fall."

The rhymes were not very correct, but you see he had made them up so
quickly that it is a miracle that they were not worse; especially as he
was horribly frightened all the time. When Galifron heard these words he
looked all about him, and saw Charming standing, sword in hand this put
the giant into a terrible rage, and he aimed a blow at Charming with his
huge iron club, which would certainly have killed him if it had reached
him, b