fell to the bottom
with such a crash that the pieces flew about his ears.

"Now we are rid of him," they said, and threatened the _Princesses_
with their life if they did not say that it was they who had saved
them from the trolls. They were forced to agree to this, much against
their will, and especially the youngest _Princess_; but life was
precious, and so the two who were strongest had their way.

When the captain and lieutenant got home with the _Princesses_ you may
be sure there were great rejoicings at the palace. The _King_ was so
glad he didn't know which leg to stand on; he brought out his best
wine from his cupboard and wished the two officers welcome. If they
had never been honoured before they were honoured now in full measure,
and no mistake. They walked and strutted about the whole of the day,
as if they were the cocks of the walk, since they were now going to
have the _King_ for father-in-law. For it was understood they should
each have whichever of the _Princesses_ they liked and half the
kingdom between them. They both wanted the youngest _Princess_, but
for all they prayed and threatened her it was of no use; she would not
hear or listen to either.

They then asked the _King_ if they might have twelve men to watch over
her; she was so sad and melancholy since she had been in the mountain
that they were afraid she might do something to herself.

Yes, that they might have, and the _King_ himself told the watch they
must look well after her and follow her wherever she went and stood.

They then began to prepare for the wedding of the two eldest
sisters; it should be such a wedding as never was heard or spoken
of before, and there was no end to the brewing and the baking and the
slaughtering.

In the meantime the soldier walked and strolled about down in the
other world. He thought it was hard that he should see neither people
nor daylight any more; but he would have to do something, he thought,
and so for many days he went about from room to room and opened all
the drawers and cupboards and searched about on the shelves and looked
at all the fine things that were there. At last he came to a drawer in
a table, in which there lay a golden key; he tried this key to all the
locks he could find, but there was none it fitted till he came to a
little cupboard over the bed, and in that he found an old rusty
whistle. "I wonder if there is any sound in it," he thought, and put
it to his mouth. No sooner ha