you ask of me," says the grey old
man.
"I'm satisfied," says the King's son.
They played the game, and the King's son beat the grey old man. Then he
said, "What would you like me to do for you, King's son?"
"I won't ask you to do anything for me," says the King's son. "I think
that you are not able to do much."
"Don't mind that," said the old man. "You must ask me to do something. I
never lost a bet yet that I wasn't able to pay it."
As I said, the King's son thought that it was a silly old man that was
in it, and to satisfy him he said to him, "Take the head off my
stepmother and put a goat's head on her for a week."
"I'll do that for you," said the grey old man. The King's son went
a-riding on his horse--
His hound at his foot,
His hawk on his hand--
and he faced for another place, and never thought more about the grey
old man until he came home.
He found a cry and great grief in the castle. The servants told him that
an enchanter had come into the room where the Queen was, and had put a
goat's head on her in place of her own head.
"By my hand, but that's a wonderful thing," says the King's son. "If I
had been at home I'd have whipt the head off him with my sword."
There was great grief on the King, and he sent for a wise councillor,
and asked him did he know how the thing happened to the Queen.
"Indeed, I cannot tell you that," said he; "it's a work of enchantment."
The King's son did not let on that he had any knowledge of the matter,
but on the morrow morning he went out--
His hound at his foot,
His hawk on his hand,
And his fine black horse to bear him--
and he never drew rein until he came as far as the big bush on the brink
of the glen. The grey old man was sitting there under the bush, and
said, "King's son, will you have a game to-day?" The King's son got down
and said, "I will." With that he threw bridle over branch and sat down
by the side of the old man. He drew out the cards and asked the King's
son did he get the thing he had won yesterday.
"That's all right," said the King's son.
"We'll play for the same bet to-day," says the grey old man.
"I'm satisfied," said the King's son.
They played--the King's son won. "What would you like me to do for you
this time?" says the grey old man. The King's son thought and said to
himself, "I'll give him a hard job this time." Then he said, "There's a
field of seven acres at the back of my father's castle; let it be
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