his mind. Up at
the farm there was a great feast got ready for the _Princesses_, and
much was made of them, but they wouldn't stop there.

"No, we want to go down to your father and mother," they said to
_Halvor_; "and so we'll go out now and look about us."

So he went down with them, and they came to a great lake just outside
the farm. Close by the water was such a lovely green bank; here the
_Princesses_ said they would sit and rest a while; they thought it so
sweet to sit down and look over the water.

So they sat down there, and when they had sat a while the youngest
_Princess_ said:

"I may as well comb your hair a little, _Halvor_."

Well, _Halvor_ laid his head on her lap, and she combed his bonny
locks, and it wasn't long before _Halvor_ fell fast asleep. Then she
took the ring from his finger, and put another in its stead; and she
said:

"Now hold me all together! and now would we were all in _Soria Moria
Castle_."

So when _Halvor_ woke up, he could very well tell that he had lost the
_Princesses_, and began to weep and wail; and he was so downcast, they
couldn't comfort him at all. In spite of all his father and mother
said, he wouldn't stop there, but took farewell of them, and said he
was safe not to see them again; for if he couldn't find the
_Princesses_ again, he thought it not worth while to live.

Well, he had still about sixty pounds left, so he put them into his
pocket, and set out on his way. So, when he had walked a while, he met
a man with a tidy horse, and he wanted to buy it, and began to chaffer
with the man.

"Aye," said the man, "to tell the truth, I never thought of selling
him; but if we could strike a bargain perhaps--"

"What do you want for him?" asked _Halvor_.

"I didn't give much for him, nor is he worth much; he's a brave horse
to ride, but he can't draw at all; still he's strong enough to carry
your knapsack and you too, turn and turn about," said the man.

At last they agreed on the price, and _Halvor_ laid the knapsack on
him, and so he walked a bit, and rode a bit, turn and turn about. At
night he came to a green plain where stood a great tree, at the roots
of which he sat down. There he let the horse loose, but he didn't lie
down to sleep, but opened his knapsack and took a meal. At peep of day
off he set again, for he could take no rest. So he rode and walked
and walked and rode the whole day through the wide wood, where there
were so many green spots and glad