r's son; 'tis I myself am pleased to see thee;
great is the honour for this kingdom, for thy like to be come into
it--thy coming in is fame for this little bothy; go in first; honour to
the gentles; go on, and take breath."

"In before me, thou crone; I like not flattery out of doors; go in and
let's hear thy speech." In went the crone, and when her back was to him
he drew his sword and whips her head off; but the sword flew out of his
hand. And swift the crone gripped her head with both hands, and puts it
on her neck as it was before. The dog sprung on the crone, and she
struck the generous dog with the club of magic; and there he lay. But
the herd struggled for a hold of the club of magic, and with one blow
on the top of the head she was on earth in the twinkling of an eye. He
went forward, up a little, and there was spoil! Gold and silver, and
each thing more precious than another, in the crone's castle. He went
back to the king's house, and then there was rejoicing.

He followed herding in this way for a time; but one night after he came
home, instead of getting "All hail" and "Good luck" from the dairymaid,
all were at crying and woe.

He asked what cause of woe there was that night. The dairymaid said
"There is a great beast with three heads in the loch, and it must get
some one every year, and the lot had come this year on the king's
daughter, and at midday to-morrow she is to meet the Laidly Beast at
the upper end of the loch, but there is a great suitor yonder who is
going to rescue her."

"What suitor is that?" said the herd. "Oh, he is a great General of
arms," said the dairymaid, "and when he kills the beast, he will marry
the king's daughter, for the king has said that he who could save his
daughter should get her to marry."

But on the morrow, when the time grew near, the king's daughter and
this hero of arms went to give a meeting to the beast, and they reached
the black rock, at the upper end of the loch. They were but a short
time there when the beast stirred in the midst of the loch; but when
the General saw this terror of a beast with three heads, he took
fright, and he slunk away, and he hid himself. And the king's daughter
was under fear and under trembling, with no one at all to save her.
Suddenly she sees a doughty handsome youth, riding a black horse, and
coming where she was. He was marvellously arrayed and full armed, and
his black dog moved after him. "There is gloom on your face, girl,"