uch fury that they tore up
trees by their roots to use for weapons against each other, so that at
last they both of them lay dead upon the ground. And now the little
tailor got down.

"Another piece of luck!" said he,--"that the tree I was sitting in did
not get torn up too, or else I should have had to jump like a squirrel
from one tree to another."

Then he drew his sword and gave each of the giants a few hacks in the
breast, and went back to the horsemen and said,

"The deed is done, I have made an end of both of them: but it went hard
with me, in the struggle they rooted up trees to defend themselves, but
it was of no use, they had to do with a man who can kill seven at one
blow."

"Then are you not wounded?" asked the horsemen.

"Nothing of the sort!" answered the tailor, "I have not turned a hair."

The horsemen still would not believe it, and rode into the wood to see,
and there they found the giants wallowing in their blood, and all about
them lying the uprooted trees.

The little tailor then claimed the promised boon, but the King repented
him of his offer, and he sought again how to rid himself of the hero.

"Before you can possess my daughter and the half of my kingdom," said he
to the tailor, "you must perform another heroic act. In the wood lives a
unicorn who does great damage; you must secure him."

"A unicorn does not strike more terror into me than two giants. Seven at
one blow!--that is my way," was the tailor's answer.

So, taking a rope and an axe with him, he went out into the wood, and
told those who were ordered to attend him to wait outside. He had not
far to seek, the unicorn soon came out and sprang at him, as if he would
make an end of him without delay. "Softly, softly," said he, "most
haste, worst speed," and remained standing until the animal came quite
near, then he slipped quietly behind a tree. The unicorn ran with all
his might against the tree and stuck his horn so deep into the trunk
that he could not get it out again, and so was taken.

"Now I have you," said the tailor, coming out from behind the tree, and,
putting the rope round the unicorn's neck, he took the axe, set free the
horn, and when all his party were assembled he led forth the animal and
brought it to the King.

The King did not yet wish to give him the promised reward, and set him a
third task to do. Before the wedding could take place the tailor was to
secure a wild boar which had done a great deal of dam