fear. He had suddenly appeared at a distant part of the kingdom--having
come, it was said, from a country over the sea named 'Norrowa'--and had
laid it waste, for though he did not actually kill or devour, he tore
down trees, trampled crops, and terrified every one that came in his
way, as the king had said. And when begged to have mercy and to return
to his own country, he roared out with a voice between the voice of a
man and the bellow of a bull, that he would leave them in peace once the
king gave him his daughter in marriage.

"Messenger after messenger had been sent to the palace to entreat for
assistance. Soldiers in numbers had been despatched to seize the monster
and imprison him. But it was no use--he was not to be caught. Nothing
would content him but the promise of the Princess; and as it was of
course plain that he was not a common bull, but a creature endowed with
magical power, the country-people's fear of him was unbounded. They
threatened to rise in revolution unless some means were found of ridding
them of their terrible visitor. Then the king called together the wisest
of his counsellors, and finding force of no avail, they determined to
try cunning. The giving the Princess was not to be thought of, but a
pretty girl about her age and size--the gardener's daughter, the same
whom the Princess had found weeping over her fate--was chosen, dressed
in one of her royal mistress's beautiful robes, and a message sent to
the bull that his request was to be granted. He came. All round, the
castle was protected by soldiers, though they well knew their power
against him was nothing. The king and queen, feigning to weep over the
loss of their daughter, themselves presented to him the false Princess.

"She was mounted on his back, and off he rushed with her--up hill, down
dale, by rocky ground and smooth, across rivers and through forests he
rushed, said the girl, faster and faster, till at last, as evening fell,
he came to a stand and spoke to her for the first time.

"'What time of day must it be by this, king's daughter?' he said.

"The girl considered for a moment. Then, forgetting her pretended
position, she replied thoughtlessly,

"'It must be getting late. About the time that my father gathers the
flowers to adorn the king's and queen's supper table.'

"'Throw thee once, throw thee twice, throw thee _thrice_,' roared the
bull, each time shaking the girl roughly, and the last time flinging her
off his ba