, his
mother, fell ill and died, and the king, who loved her dearly, built a
splendid monument to his wife's memory, and day after day he sat by it
and bewailed his sad loss.

One morning, as he sat by the grave, he noticed a richly dressed lady
close to him. He asked her name and she answered that it was Ingiborg,
and seemed surprised to see the king there all alone. Then he told her
how he had lost his queen, and how he came daily to weep at her grave.
In return, the lady informed him that she had lately lost her husband,
and suggested that they might both find it a comfort if they made
friends.

This pleased the king so much that he invited her to his palace, where
they saw each other often; and after a time he married her.

After the wedding was over he soon regained his good spirits, and used
to ride out hunting as in old days; but Sigurd, who was very fond of his
stepmother, always stayed at home with her.

One evening Ingiborg said to Sigurd: 'To-morrow your father is going out
hunting, and you must go with him.' But Sigurd said he would much rather
stay at home, and the next day when the king rode off Sigurd refused to
accompany him. The stepmother was very angry, but he would not listen,
and at last she assured him that he would be sorry for his disobedience,
and that in future he had better do as he was told.

After the hunting party had started she hid Sigurd under her bed, and
bade him be sure to lie there till she called him.

Sigurd lay very still for a long while, and was just thinking it was no
good staying there any more, when he felt the floor shake under him as
if there were an earthquake, and peeping out he saw a great giantess
wading along ankle deep through the ground and ploughing it up as she
walked.

'Good morning, Sister Ingiborg,' cried she as she entered the room, 'is
Prince Sigurd at home?'

'No,' said Ingiborg; 'he rode off to the forest with his father this
morning.' And she laid the table for her sister and set food before her.
After they had both done eating the giantess said: 'Thank you, sister,
for your good dinner--the best lamb, the best can of beer and the best
drink I have ever had; but--is not Prince Sigurd at home?'

Ingiborg again said 'No'; and the giantess took leave of her and went
away. When she was quite out of sight Ingiborg told Sigurd to come out
of his hiding-place.

The king returned home at night, but his wife told him nothing of what
had happened, and th