you had best give up your foolish
notion."

Boots, under the bed, heard every word; and the next morning, after the
Giant had set out, he, too, started, whistling to the Wolf, who came at
once. Boots told him that he wished to go to the church that stood on
the high hill in the forest; and the Wolf said: "I know just where the
place is. Jump on my back, and we will be there in no time."

So Boots jumped upon the Wolf's back, and they set off through the
forest, and soon came to the church on the high hill. But the great
doors were locked, and it was not possible for Boots to break them down,
though he tried hard enough.

"Now," said the Wolf, "we must call the Raven."

So they called the Raven, and he came and flew up over the top of the
church, and into the belfry, and down into the porter's room, and caught
up the keys of the church, and in a moment he was back with them. Then
Boots opened the doors and he and the Wolf and the Raven entered; and in
the church they found a well, as the Giant had said, and on the water in
the well there was a duck swimming backward and forward. Then Boots
caught up the duck in his hands, and thought that now he had the Giant's
heart, when suddenly the duck let the egg drop into the water.

"Now," said the Wolf, "we must call the Salmon."

So they called the Salmon, and he swam down into the water and brought
up the egg in his mouth, and Boots caught up the egg in his hand and
squeezed it hard, and at once the Giant far off in the forest cried out.

"Squeeze it harder," cried the Salmon, "and I shall be free."

But the Giant far off in the woods begged hard for his life, and the
Wolf said: "Tell him that if he would have you spare his life he must at
once set free your brothers and their brides and their retainers," said
the Wolf.

So Boots cried aloud this message to the Giant, squeezing the heart
which he held in his hand as he did so; and the Giant called to him from
far off in the forest that he had already done this, even as Boots had
asked him, and now would he please let his heart sink back into the
water.

"No," said the Raven, "squeeze it but a little harder, and I shall be
free!"

So Boots squeezed the heart harder and harder, until at last it was
squeezed quite in two, and what was his surprise to see standing beside
him two young Princes, fair, almost, as the fair Princess in the Giant's
castle, who Boots knew was the most beautiful in all the seven kingdoms.