art going
about in!'

Halvor still begged for leave, and at last got it, but he was to come
back at once if the wind began to rise.

So he went on shore, and it was a delightful country; whithersoever he
went there were wide plains with fields and meadows, but as for people,
there were none to be seen. The wind began to rise, but Halvor thought
that he had not seen enough yet, and that he would like to walk about a
little longer, to try if he could not meet somebody. So after a while he
came to a great highway, which was so smooth that an egg might have been
rolled along it without breaking. Halvor followed this, and when evening
drew near he saw a big castle far away in the distance, and there were
lights in it. So as he had now been walking the whole day and had
not brought anything to eat away with him, he was frightfully hungry.
Nevertheless, the nearer he came to the castle the more afraid he was.

A fire was burning in the castle, and Halvor went into the kitchen,
which was more magnificent than any kitchen he had ever yet beheld.
There were vessels of gold and silver, but not one human being was to
be seen. When Halvor had stood there for some time, and no one had come
out, he went in and opened a door, and inside a Princess was sitting at
her wheel spinning.

'Nay!' she cried, 'can Christian folk dare to come hither? But the best
thing that you can do is to go away again, for if not the Troll will
devour you. A Troll with three heads lives here.'

'I should have been just as well pleased if he had had four heads more,
for I should have enjoyed seeing the fellow,' said the youth; 'and I
won't go away, for I have done no harm, but you must give me something
to eat, for I am frightfully hungry.'

When Halvor had eaten his fill, the Princess told him to try if he could
wield the sword which was hanging on the wall, but he could not wield
it, nor could he even lift it up.

'Well, then, you must take a drink out of that bottle which is hanging
by its side, for that's what the Troll does whenever he goes out and
wants to use the sword,' said the Princess.

Halvor took a draught, and in a moment he was able to swing the sword
about with perfect ease. And now he thought it was high time for the
Troll to make his appearance, and at that very moment he came, panting
for breath.

Halvor got behind the door.

'Hutetu!' said the Troll as he put his head in at the door. 'It smells
just as if there were Christian m