er the little gold ring, and proposed that they should
have a game. The little girl was delighted, for she had no brothers or
sisters, and they played together all the rest of the day.

When evening came Sigurd asked leave to go home with her, but Helga at
first forbade him, as no stranger had ever managed to enter their house
without being found out by her father, who was a very fierce giant.

However, Sigurd persisted, and at length she gave way; but when they
came near the door she held her glove over him and Sigurd was at once
transformed into a bundle of wool. Helga tucked the bundle under her arm
and threw it on the bed in her room.

Almost at the same moment her father rushed in and hunted round in every
corner, crying out: 'This place smells of men. What's that you threw on
the bed, Helga?'

'A bundle of wool,' said she.

'Oh, well, perhaps it was that I smelt,' said the old man, and troubled
himself no more.

The following day Helga went out to play and took the bundle of wool
with her under her arm. When she reached the lake she held her glove
over it again and Sigurd resumed his own shape.

They played the whole day, and Sigurd taught Helga all sorts of games
she had never even heard of. As they walked home in the evening she
said: 'We shall be able to play better still to-morrow, for my father
will have to go to the town, so we can stay at home.'

When they were near the house Helga again held her glove over Sigurd,
and once more he was turned into a bundle of wool, and she carried him
in without his being seen.

Very early next morning Helga's father went to the town, and as soon
as he was well out of the way the girl held up her glove and Sigurd was
himself again. Then she took him all over the house to amuse him, and
opened every room, for her father had given her the keys before he left;
but when they came to the last room Sigurd noticed one key on the bunch
which had not been used and asked which room it belonged to.'

Helga grew red and did not answer.

'I suppose you don't mind my seeing the room which it opens?' asked
Sigurd, and as he spoke he saw a heavy iron door and begged Helga to
unlock it for him. But she told him she dared not do so, at least if she
did open the door it must only be a very tiny chink; and Sigurd declared
that would do quite well.

The door was so heavy, that it took Helga some time to open it, and
Sigurd grew so impatient that he pushed it wide open and walked i