champion who stands the war," said the youth. And to meet the
beast he went with his sword and his dog. But there was a spluttering
and a splashing between himself and the beast! The dog kept doing all
he might, and the king's daughter was palsied by fear of the noise of
the beast! One of them would now be under, and now above. But at last
he cut one of the heads off it. It gave one roar, and the son of
earth, echo of the rocks, called to its screech, and it drove the loch
in spindrift from end to end, and in a twinkling it went out of sight.

"Good luck and victory follow you, lad!" said the king's daughter. "I
am safe for one night, but the beast will come again and again, until
the other two heads come off it." He caught the beast's head, and he
drew a knot through it, and he told her to bring it with her there
to-morrow. She gave him a gold ring, and went home with the head on
her shoulder, and the herd betook himself to the cows. But she had not
gone far when this great general saw her, and he said to her, "I will
kill you if you do not say 't was I took the head off the beast."
"Oh!" says she, "'t is I will say it; who else took the head off the
beast but you!" They reached the king's house, and the head was on the
general's shoulder. But here was rejoicing, that she should come home
alive and whole, and this great captain with the beast's head full of
blood in hand. On the morrow they went away, and there was no
question at all but that this hero would save the king's daughter.

They reached the same place, and they were not long there when the
fearful Laidly Beast stirred in the midst of the loch, and the hero
slunk away as he did on yesterday: but it was not long after this when
the man of the black horse came, with another dress on. No matter; she
knew that it was the very same lad. "It is I am pleased to see you,"
said she. "I am in hopes you will handle your great sword to-day as
you did yesterday. Come up and take breath." But they were not long
there when they saw the beast steaming in the midst of the loch.

At once he went to meet the beast, but _there_ was Cloopersteich and
Clapersteich, spluttering, splashing, raving, and roaring on the
beast! They kept at it thus for a long time, and about the mouth of
the night he cut another head off the beast. He put it on the knot and
gave it to her. She gave him one of her earrings, and he leaped on the
black horse, and he betook himself to the herding. The kin