he burst.

When they came to land, the youngster sent word that the king must come
and fetch the sword. He sent four horses, but no, they could not move
it; he sent eight, and he sent twelve; but the sword remained where it
was. They were not able to stir it from the spot. But the youngster took
it and carried it up to the palace alone.

The king could not believe his eyes when he saw the youngster back
again. He appeared, however, to be pleased to see him, and promised him
land and riches. When the youngster wanted more work, the king said he
might set out for an enchanted castle he had, where no one dared to
live, and he would have to stop there till he had built a bridge over
the sound, so that people could get across to the castle.

If he was able to do this he would reward him handsomely, yes, he would
even give him his daughter in marriage, said he.

"Well, I think I can do it," said the youngster.

No one had ever got away alive; those who had got as far as the castle,
lay there killed and torn to pieces as small as barley, and the king
thought he should never see him any more if he would go thither.

But the youngster started on his expedition; he took with him the bag of
food, a crooked, twisted block of a fir tree, an axe, a wedge, and some
chips of the fir root, and the small pauper boy at the palace.

When he came to the sound, he found the river full of ice, and the
current ran as strong as in a waterfall; but he stuck his legs to the
bottom of the river and waded until he got safe across.

When he had warmed himself and had something to eat, he wanted to go to
sleep; but before long he heard such a terrible noise, as if they were
turning the castle upside down. The door burst wide open, and he saw
nothing but a gaping jaw extending from the threshold up to the lintel.

"There is a mouthful for you," said the youngster and threw the pauper
boy into the swallow: "taste that! But let me see now who you are!
Perhaps you are an old acquaintance?"

And so it was; it was the devil who was about again.

They began to play cards, for the devil wanted to try and win back some
of the ground-rent which the youngster had got out of his mother by
threats, when he was sent by the king to collect it; but the youngster
was always the fortunate one, for he put a cross on the back of all the
good cards, and when he had won all the money which the devil had upon
him, the devil had to pay him out of the gold and sil