the _Princess_ said he must take a
pull at the flask which hung by its side, and when he had done that he
could brandish it.

Just then back came the _Troll_, and he was both stout and big, so
that he had to go sideways to get through the door. When the _Troll_
got his first head in he called out:

"HUTETU, what a smell of Christian man's blood!"

But that very moment _Halvor_ hewed off his first head, and so on all
the rest as they popped in. The _Princess_ was overjoyed, but just
then she came to think of her sisters, and wished out loud they were
free. _Halvor_ thought that might easily be done, and wanted to be off
at once; but first he had to help the _Princess_ to get the _Troll's_
carcass out of the way, and so he could only set out next morning.

It was a long way to the Castle, and he had to walk fast and run hard
to reach it in time; but about nightfall he saw the Castle, which was
far finer and grander than either of the others. This time he wasn't
the least afraid, but walked straight through the kitchen, and into
the Castle. There sat a _Princess_ who was so pretty, there was no end
to her loveliness. She too like the others told him there hadn't been
Christian folk there ever since she came thither, and bade him go away
again, else the _Troll_ would swallow him alive, and do you know, she
said, he has nine heads.

"Aye, aye," said _Halvor_, "if he had nine other heads, and nine other
heads still, I won't go away," and so he stood fast before the stove.
The _Princess_ kept on begging him so prettily to go away, lest the
_Troll_ should gobble him up, but _Halvor_ said:

"Let him come as soon as he likes."

So she gave him the _Troll's_ sword, and bade him take a pull at the
flask, that he might be able to brandish and wield it.

Just then back came the _Troll_ puffing and blowing and tearing along.
He was far bigger and stouter than the other two, and he too had to go
on one side to get through the door. So when he got his first head in,
he said as the others had said:

"HUTETU, what a smell of Christian man's blood!"

That very moment _Halvor_ hewed off the first head and then all the
rest; but the last was the toughest of them all, and it was the
hardest bit of work _Halvor_ had to do, to get it hewn off, although
he knew very well he had strength enough to do it.

So all the _Princesses_ came together to that Castle, which was called
_Soria Moria Castle_, and they were glad and happy as they