a strange coast, which none of them knew anything
about.

Well, as there was just no wind at all, they stayed lying wind-bound
there, and _Halvor_ asked the skipper's leave to go on shore and look
about him; he would sooner go, he said, than lie there and sleep.

"Do you think now you're fit to show yourself before folk," said the
skipper, "why, you've no clothes but those rags you stand in?"

But _Halvor_ stuck to his own, and so at last he got leave, but he was
to be sure and come back as soon as ever it began to blow. So off he
went and found a lovely land; wherever he came there were fine large
flat cornfields and rich meads, but he couldn't catch a glimpse of a
living soul. Well, it began to blow, but _Halvor_ thought he hadn't
seen enough yet, and he wanted to walk a little farther just to see if
he couldn't meet any folk. So after a while he came to a broad high
road, so smooth and even, you might easily roll an egg along it.
_Halvor_ followed this, and when evening drew on he saw a great castle
ever so far off, from which the sunbeams shone. So as he had now
walked the whole day and hadn't taken a bit to eat with him, he was as
hungry as a hunter, but still the nearer he came to the castle, the
more afraid he got.

In the castle kitchen a great fire was blazing, and _Halvor_ went into
it, but such a kitchen he had never seen in all his born days. It was
so grand and fine; there were vessels of silver and vessels of gold,
but still never a living soul. So when _Halvor_ had stood there a
while and no one came out, he went and opened a door, and there inside
sat a _Princess_ who span upon a spinning-wheel.

"Nay, nay, now!" she called out, "dare Christian folk come hither? But
now you'd best be off about your business, if you don't want the
_Troll_ to gobble you up; for here lives a _Troll_ with three heads."

"All one to me," said the lad, "I'd be just as glad to hear he had
four heads beside; I'd like to see what kind of fellow he is. As for
going, I won't go at all. I've done no harm; but meat you must get me,
for I'm almost starved to death."

When _Halvor_ had eaten his fill, the _Princess_ told him to try if he
could brandish the sword that hung against the wall; no, he couldn't
brandish it, he couldn't even lift it up.

"Oh!" said the _Princess_, "now you must go and take a pull of that
flask that hangs by its side; that's what the _Troll_ does every time
he goes out to use the sword."

So _Halvo