"I will do as you say," says he.

Then she made a swan of herself, and said, "Leap up on my back and put
your hands under my neck, and keep a hard hold."

He did so, and she shook her wings, and off and away with her over hills
and over glens, over sea and over mountains, until she came to earth as
the sun was going under. Then she said to him, "Do you see that great
house yonder? That is my father's house. Farewell. Any time that you are
in danger I shall be at your side." Then she went from him.

The King's son went to the house and went in, and who should he see
sitting in a golden chair but the grey old man who had played the cards
and the ball with him.

"King's son," said he, "I see that you have found me out before the day
and the year. How long since you left home?"

"This morning, when I was rising out of my bed, I saw a rainbow. I gave
a leap, spread my two legs on it, and slid as far as this."

"By my hand, it was a great feat you performed," said the old King.

"I could do a more wonderful thing than that if I chose," said the
King's son.

"I have three things for you to do," says the old King, "and if you are
able to do them, you shall have the choice of my three daughters for
wife, and unless you are able to do them, you shall lose your head, as a
good many other young men have lost it before you."

"Then," he said, "there be's neither eating nor drinking in my house
except once in the week, and we had it this morning."

"It's all one to me," said the King's son. "I could fast for a month if
I were on a pinch."

"No doubt you can go without sleep also," says the old King.

"I can, without doubt," said the King's son.

"You shall have a hard bed to-night, then," says the old King. "Come
with me till I show it to you." He brought him out then and showed him a
great tree with a fork in it, and said, "Get up there and sleep in the
fork, and be ready with the rise of the sun."

He went up into the fork, but as soon as the old King was asleep the
young daughter came and brought him into a fine room, and kept him there
until the old King was about to rise. Then she put him out again into
the fork of the tree.

With the rise of the sun the old King came to him, and said, "Come down
now and come with me until I show you the thing that you have to do
to-day."

He brought the King's son to the brink of a lake and showed him an old
castle, and said to him, "Throw every stone in that castle out into