e silver-studded belt from me."

"Speak up and deny what he says," said the King to the Cook's son.

But when the Cook's son tried to speak he stuttered and stammered and
his knees began to knock together and his hands went shaking. And when
the company looked at him there was not one there who believed he had
fought the Red Champion. And when the Cook's son looked round and saw
there was not one there who believed in him he gathered the
supper-things of the table like an attendant and went out of the room.

"And now," said the King to Mell, the Hen-wife's son, "since there is
no doubt but it was you who conquered the champion to you I give my
daughter's hand. Take her now for your wife and take half of my
kingdom with her."

Then Bright Brow lifted her face to him and she put her hands in his
hands.

"Mell," said she, "Mell the Hen-wife's son, I knew for long that you
would come to me like this. Forgive me and love me," said she, "and I
will love you from this night."

And so Mell the Hen-wife's son and the King's daughter, Princess
Bright Brow, came together again. He married her and came to rule
over half her father's kingdom. They lived happy ever afterwards, of
course. And Mell brought his mother out of the hut beside the
poultry-coop and he took her to live in the Castle. And in the end his
mother married the Steward who had become a widower and she became the
most respected dame in and about the King's Castle. And as for the
Cook's son he is still in the Cook-house amongst the pots and the
pans, the lids and the ladles.

[Illustration]

[Illustration: The Giant and the Birds]

The Giant and the Birds

[Illustration]

The Cock scraped and the Hens scraped and when the Hens went away the
Cock scraped by himself. He called the Hens back, and they all scraped
deeper and deeper. Then something was shown; it was bright and round,
and the Cock and the three Hens scraped until the whole of it was to
be seen. It was a great ring of brass.

"Tell us how you knew the bright thing was there, Hero-son of my
heart?" said the Little Slate-colored Hen that was the Cock's mother.

"Do, do," said the Feather-legged Hen.

"Tell us, Top of Wisdom," said the Blue Hen.

"You all know," said the Cock, "that the earth rocks underneath the
place where I crow in the morning."

"We know, O Unvanquishable," said the three Hens.

"The earth never rocked here," said the Cock, "hence I knew that
something power