David said:  “What insolent people live here!  They will not wait till morning, but say, ‘Arise, destroy the city and be off!’”

Gorgis arose and looked out of the window and said, “These are women, not men,” and they opened the door.

Chandud-Chanum came to David and said:  “You kissed me first for the fatigue of your journey, a second time for yourself, and a third time for God’s sake.  Why did you kiss me a fourth time?  You are the son of your father and I am the daughter of mine.  It has been said:  Take to yourself a wife that you may have a son who is like his uncle.  Do you think you have brought me the heads of the giants Hamsa of Lori and Schibikan of Chorassan, that you kiss me a fourth time?”

David’s heart softened and he said:  “If that is so I will go out at daybreak and bring you their heads.”  Then he added:  “Very well, I go; if they are stronger than I they will kill me.  For God’s sake come and seek my body.  On the right hand I have a birth-mark—­a cross—­by that you shall know me.  Bring my body back and bury it.”

So David set out.  The giants perceived a rider coming, for the dust from his horse’s hoofs rose to heaven:  “This rider comes to fight with us.  Perhaps he is of the race of Sergo."[28]

[28] Sergo-Sarkus (Sergius) so the Kurds called the Christians, regarding them as descendants of St. Sergius, who is very popular among the Armenians of Wan and Musch.

They called to him, saying:  “Ho, fellow! who are you, and whence come you?  Do you know Chandud-Chanum?  Will you take this ring to her?”

David said:  “Certainly I know her, but I have come to take your heads to the Princess Chandud.  I know nothing about your rings!”

The eyebrows of Schibikan of Chorassan hung down over his breast and he fastened them across his back.  Hamsa of Lori had an underlip so long that it reached the ground and swept it.

David and the giants began to hack and hew each other and they fought with clubs and bows until night.  David cried:  “I believe in the high and holy cross of Maratuk,” and took his sword and cut both their heads off.  He bound their hair together and hung them across his horse like saddle bags and their tongues furrowed the ground like a plough.

David rode away with their heads and had already traversed half the way when he saw approaching him, riding between heaven and earth, a rider, who called out to him!  “Do you think you have conquered the giants Schibikan and Hamsa?” The rider sprang behind David and struck at him with a club.  He crawled under the saddle and the club struck the stirrup and tore it loose, and it fell to the ground.  David sprang out from under the saddle and cried:  “Bread and wine, as the Lord liveth!” and swung his club over his enemy.  The enemy dodged the blow, but his hair fell away from his face.  David looked and recognized Chandud-Chanum; she had disguised herself and had come to meet him.