When this was done to his liking he took it home
under his arm.

* * * * *

Very early on the third morning the two young men started on their
journey, and on the fourth day they reached the giant's cave before he
was out of bed. Hearing the sound of footsteps, the giant got up and
went to the entrance to see who was coming, and Rosald, expecting
something of the sort, struck him such a blow on the forehead that he
fell to the ground. Then, before he could rise to his feet again,
Rosald drew out his sword and cut off his head.

'It was not so difficult after all, you see,' he said, turning to
Geirald. And placing the giant's head in a leathern wallet which was
slung over his back, they began their journey to the castle.

As they drew near the gates, Rosald took the head from the wallet and
handed it to Geirald, whom he followed into the king's presence.

'The giant will trouble you no more,' said Geirald, holding out the
head. And the king fell on his neck and kissed him, and cried joyfully
that he was the bravest knight in all the world, and that a feast
should be made for him and Rosald, and that the great deed should be
proclaimed throughout the kingdom. And Geirald's heart swelled with
pride, and he almost forgot that it was Rosald and not he, who had
slain the giant.

By-and-by a whisper went round that a beautiful lady who lived in the
castle would be present at the feast, with twenty-four lovely maidens,
her attendants. The lady was the queen of her own country, but as her
father and mother had died when she was a little girl, she had been
left in the care of this king who was her uncle.

She was now old enough to govern her own kingdom, but her subjects did
not like being ruled by a woman, and said that she must find a husband
to help her in managing her affairs. Prince after prince had offered
himself, but the young queen would have nothing to say to any of them,
and at last told her ministers that if she was to have a husband at
all she must choose him for herself, as she would certainly not marry
any of those whom they had selected for her. The ministers replied
that in that case she had better manage her kingdom alone, and the
queen, who knew nothing about business, got things into such a
confusion that at last she threw them up altogether, and went off to
her uncle.

Now when she heard how the two young men had slain the giant, her
heart was filled with admiration of