. I, too, think
of that."

As for _Halvor_, he had no rest, and wanted to be off at once, but the
old wife said there was no hurry.

"Lie down on the bench with you and sleep a bit, for we've no bed to
offer you, and I'll watch and wake you when the West Wind comes."

So after a while up came the West Wind, roaring and howling along till
the walls creaked and groaned again.

Out ran the old wife.

"THOU WEST WIND, THOU WEST WIND! Canst thou tell me the way to _Soria
Moria Castle_? Here's one who wants to get thither."

"Yes, I know it very well," said the West Wind, "and now I'm just off
thither to dry clothes for the wedding that's to be; if he's swift of
foot he can go along with me."

Out ran _Halvor_.

"You'll have to stretch your legs if you mean to keep up," said the
West Wind.

So off he set over field and hedge, and hill and fell, and _Halvor_
had hard work to keep up.

"Well," said the West Wind, "now I've no time to stay with you any
longer, for I've got to go away yonder and tear down a strip of spruce
wood first before I go to the bleaching-ground to dry the clothes; but
if you go alongside the hill you'll come to a lot of lassies standing
washing clothes, and then you've not far to go to _Soria Moria
Castle_."

In a little while _Halvor_ came upon the lassies who stood washing,
and they asked if he had seen anything of the West Wind who was to
come and dry the clothes for the wedding.

"Aye, aye, that I have," said _Halvor_, "he's only gone to tear down a
strip of spruce wood. It'll not be long before he's here," and then he
asked them the way to _Soria Moria Castle_.

So they put him into the right way, and when he got to the Castle it
was full of folk and horses; so full it made one giddy to look at
them. But _Halvor_ was so ragged and torn from having followed the
West Wind through bush and brier and bog, that he kept on one side,
and wouldn't show himself till the last day when the bridal feast was
to be.

So when all, as was then right and fitting, were to drink the bride
and bridegroom's health and wish them luck, and when the cupbearer was
to drink to them all again, both knights and squires, last of all he
came in turn to _Halvor_. He drank their health, but let the ring
which the _Princess_ had put upon his finger as he lay by the lake
fall into the glass, and bade the cupbearer go and greet the bride and
hand her the glass.

Then up rose the _Princess_ from the board at once.