had charge of the castle said that in his opinion
it must have been some young knight, who had immediately set off to the
king to claim the hand of the princess. This sounded likely, but the
messenger who was sent to the Court returned with the news that no one
there knew anything about the matter.

'We must find him, however,' said the princess; 'for if he is willing to
marry me I cannot in honour refuse him, after what my father put on the
horn.' She took council with her father's wisest men as to what ought to
be done, and among other things they advised her to build a house beside
the highway, and put over the door this inscription:--'Whoever will tell
the story of his life, may stay here three nights for nothing.' This was
done, and many strange tales were told to the princess, but none of the
travellers said a word about the three giants.

In the meantime Niels and the others tramped on towards Rome. Autumn
passed, and winter was just beginning when they came to the foot of
a great range of mountains, towering up to the sky. 'Must we go over
these?' said they. 'We shall be frozen to death or buried in the snow.'

'Here comes a man,' said Niels; 'let us ask him the way to Rome.' They
did so, and were told that there was no other way.

'And is it far yet?' said the old people, who were beginning to be worn
out by the long journey. The man held up his foot so that they could see
the sole of his shoe; it was worn as thin as paper, and there was a hole
in the middle of it.

'These shoes were quite new when I left Rome,' he said, 'and look at
them now; that will tell you whether you are far from it or not.'

This discouraged the old people so much that they gave up all thought of
finishing the journey, and only wished to get back to Denmark as quickly
as they could. What with the winter and bad roads they took longer to
return than they had taken to go, but in the end they found themselves
in sight of the forest where they had slept before.

'What's this?' said Rasmus. 'Here's a big house built since we passed
this way before.'

'So it is,' said Peter; 'let's stay all night in it.'

'No, we can't afford that,' said the old people; 'it will be too dear
for the like of us.'

However, when they saw what was written above the door, they were
all well pleased to get a night's lodging for nothing. They were well
received, and had so much attention given to them, that the old people
were quite put out by it. After