an's blood here!'

'Yes, you shall learn that there is!' said Halvor, and cut off all his
heads.

The Princess was so rejoiced to be free that she danced and sang, but
then she remembered her sisters, and said: 'If my sisters were but free
too!'

'Where are they?' asked Halvor.

So she told him where they were. One of them had been taken away by a
Troll to his castle, which was six miles off, and the other had been
carried off to a castle which was nine miles farther off still.

'But now,' said she, 'you must first help me to get this dead body away
from here.'

Halvor was so strong that he cleared everything away, and made all clean
and tidy very quickly. So then they ate and drank, and were happy, and
next morning he set off in the grey light of dawn. He gave himself no
rest, but walked or ran the livelong day. When he came in sight of the
castle he was again just a little afraid. It was much more splendid
than the other, but here too there was not a human being to be seen. So
Halvor went into the kitchen, and did not linger there either, but went
straight in.

'Nay! do Christian folk dare to come here?' cried the second Princess.
'I know not how long it is since I myself came, but during all that time
I have never seen a Christian man. It will be better for you to depart
at once, for a Troll lives here who has six heads.'

'No, I shall not go,' said Halvor; 'even if he had six more I would
not.'

'He will swallow you up alive,' said the Princess.

But she spoke to no purpose, for Halvor would not go; he was not afraid
of the Troll, but he wanted some meat and drink, for he was hungry after
his journey. So she gave him as much as he would have, and then she once
more tried to make him go away.

'No,' said Halvor, 'I will not go, for I have not done anything wrong,
and I have no reason to be afraid.'

'He won't ask any questions about that,' said the Princess, 'for he will
take you without leave or right; but as you will not go, try if you can
wield that sword which the Troll uses in battle.'

He could not brandish the sword; so the Princess said that he was to
take a draught from the flask which hung by its side, and when he had
done that he could wield the sword.

Soon afterwards the Troll came, and he was so large and stout that he
was forced to go sideways to get through the door. When the Troll got
his first head in he cried: 'Hutetu! It smells of a Christian man's
blood here!'

With that Halv