Hans, brandishing in one hand a piece of his
broken chain of great weight, broke the skull of the foremost, the back
of the second, the ribs of the third, and the shins of the fourth.

Some few others now attempted to seize Hans, but there was something so
terrible in his aspect as he furiously fought his way through the crowd,
knocking down one with his fist and another with his chain, that they
prudently drew back, and every spectator took refuge in flight before
the ungovernable fury of Hans.

Then the Princess Bertha, making herself again visible, ordered Hans to
carry her to her two sisters, who had just recovered consciousness.
Standing upright in the palm of her husband's hand, she addressed them
thus:

"Are ye not ashamed of yourselves to treat a brave knight in this
spiteful manner? Mean spirits that ye are; but ye are rightly served.
Nor is this all; there is more in store for ye. Your ambitious scheming
is seen through, and the good powers protect the right. Ye shall live
yet to see me crowned, together with this man, whom I now declare to be
my husband. The coronation will take place to-morrow, in spite of all
your puny schemes. Farewell!"

The two princesses were so enraged at the words and bearing of their
little sister whom they had persecuted, that they knew not what to
reply, but turned red and pale by turns, stamped their feet, bit their
hands, tore their hair, and screamed.

"Let us go to the arch-priest," said Bertha, to her spouse. "Go just as
thou art, half-naked and bleeding. All the world shall know how these
princesses treat brave knights."

So saying, the Princess Bertha left the amphitheatre in the hand of her
gigantic husband, leaving her two envious sisters behind, foaming with
rage.

Hans hastened through the streets, his back covered with weals and
streaming with blood, towards the palace of the arch-priest. The people
recognised him as the knight who had vanquished the champions of the
twin princesses on the day before, and asked him how he came in such
plight.

Then Hans, being instructed by Bertha, answered thus:

"Good people, you all see in me the champion of the Princess Bertha, who
is ready to shed his last drop of blood for her sake; and these wounds
that you see have not been inflicted in a fair fight, but by treachery.
After I vanquished the two champions of the twin princesses several
lords of the court came forward to congratulate me on my success, and
invited me i