by a war he was carrying on with a neighbouring
prince, that he could only spare a very few men, to attempt the capture
of their stronghold. Upon these the giants issued in the night, and slew
every man of them. And now, grown bolder by success and impunity, they
no longer confined their depredations to property, but began to seize
the persons of their distinguished neighbours, knights and ladies, and
hold them in durance, the misery of which was heightened by all
manner of indignity, until they were redeemed by their friends, at an
exorbitant ransom. Many knights have adventured their overthrow, but to
their own instead; for they have all been slain, or captured, or forced
to make a hasty retreat. To crown their enormities, if any man now
attempts their destruction, they, immediately upon his defeat, put one
or more of their captives to a shameful death, on a turret in sight of
all passers-by; so that they have been much less molested of late;
and we, although we have burned, for years, to attack these demons
and destroy them, dared not, for the sake of their captives, risk the
adventure, before we should have reached at least our earliest manhood.
Now, however, we are preparing for the attempt; and the grounds of
this preparation are these. Having only the resolution, and not the
experience necessary for the undertaking, we went and consulted a lonely
woman of wisdom, who lives not very far from here, in the direction of
the quarter from which you have come. She received us most kindly, and
gave us what seems to us the best of advice. She first inquired what
experience we had had in arms. We told her we had been well exercised
from our boyhood, and for some years had kept ourselves in constant
practice, with a view to this necessity.

"'But you have not actually fought for life and death?' said she.

"We were forced to confess we had not.

"'So much the better in some respects,' she replied. 'Now listen to me.
Go first and work with an armourer, for as long time as you find needful
to obtain a knowledge of his craft; which will not be long, seeing your
hearts will be all in the work. Then go to some lonely tower, you two
alone. Receive no visits from man or woman. There forge for yourselves
every piece of armour that you wish to wear, or to use, in your coming
encounter. And keep up your exercises. As, however, two of you can be no
match for the three giants, I will find you, if I can, a third brother,
who will tak