r_ took a pull, and in the twinkling of an eye he could
brandish the sword like nothing; and now he thought it high time the
_Troll_ came; and lo! just then up came the _Troll_ puffing and
blowing. _Halvor_ jumped behind the door.

"HUTETU," said the _Troll_, as he put his head in at the door, "what a
smell of Christian man's blood!"

"Aye," said _Halvor_, "you'll soon know that to your cost," and with
that he hewed off all his heads.

Now the _Princess_ was so glad that she was free, she both danced and
sang, but then all at once she called her sisters to mind, and so she
said:

"Would my sisters were free too!"

"Where are they?" asked _Halvor_.

Well, she told him all about it; one was taken away by a _Troll_ to
his Castle which lay fifty miles off, and the other by another _Troll_
to his Castle which was fifty miles further still.

"But now," she said, "you must first help me to get this ugly carcass
out of the house."

Yes, _Halvor_ was so strong he swept everything away, and made it all
clean and tidy in no time. So they had a good and happy time of it,
and next morning he set off at peep of grey dawn; he could take no
rest by the way, but ran and walked the whole day. When he first saw
the Castle he got a little afraid; it was far grander than the first,
but here too there wasn't a living soul to be seen. So _Halvor_ went
into the kitchen, and didn't stop there either, but went straight
further on into the house.

"Nay, nay," called out the _Princess_, "dare Christian folk come
hither? I don't know I'm sure how long it is since I came here, but in
all that time I haven't seen a Christian man. 'Twere best you saw how
to get away as fast as you came; for here lives a _Troll_ who has six
heads."

"I shan't go," said _Halvor_, "if he has six heads besides."

"He'll take you up and swallow you down alive," said the _Princess_.

But it was no good, _Halvor_ wouldn't go; he wasn't at all afraid of
the _Troll_, but meat and drink he must have, for he was half starved
after his long journey. Well, he got as much of that as he wished, but
then the _Princess_ wanted him to be off again.

"No," said _Halvor_, "I won't go, I've done no harm, and I've nothing
to be afraid about."

"He won't stay to ask that," said the _Princess_, "for he'll take you
without law or leave; but as you won't go, just try if you can
brandish that sword yonder, which the _Troll_ wields in war."

He couldn't brandish it, and then