The next day when they marched out the youth was still sitting there, and they again laughed and jeered at him; but no sooner had they all passed by than he ran again to the linden, and everything took place as on the previous day.  Every one wondered who the stranger warrior was who had fought for them; but no one approached him so near that he could speak to him:  of course no one ever imagined that it was the youth.

When they returned in the evening and saw him and his old jade still sticking fast in the swamp, they again made a jest of him; one shot an arrow at him and wounded him in the leg, and he began to cry and moan so that it was sad to hear, whereupon the king threw him his handkerchief that he might bind it about his leg.  When they marched forth the third morning there sat the youth calling to his horse, “Hie! wilt thou go? hie! wilt thou go?” “No, no! he will stay there till he starves,” said the king’s men as they passed by, and laughed so heartily at him that they nearly fell from their horses.  When they had all passed, he again ran to the linden, and came to the battle just at the right moment.  That day he killed the enemy’s king, and thus the war was at an end.

When the fighting was over, the king observed his handkerchief tied round the leg of the strange warrior, and by this he easily knew him.  They received him with great joy, and carried him with them up to the royal palace, and the princess, who saw them from her window, was so delighted no one could tell.  “There comes my beloved also,” said she.  He then took the pot of ointment and rubbed his leg, and afterward all the wounded, so that they were all well again in a moment.

After this the king gave him the princess to wife.  On the day of his marriage he went down into the stable to see the horse, and found him dull, hanging his ears and refusing to eat.  When the young king—­for he was now king, having obtained the half of the realm—­spoke to him and asked him what he wanted, the horse said, “I have now helped thee forward in the world, and I will live no longer:  thou must take thy sword, and cut my head off.”  “No, that I will not do,” said the young king:  “thou shalt have whatever thou wilt, and always live without working.”  “If thou wilt not do as I say,” answered the horse, “I shall find a way of killing thee.”

The king was then obliged to slay him; but when he raised the sword to give the stroke he was so distressed that he turned his face away; but no sooner had he struck his head off than there stood before him a handsome prince in the place of the horse.

“Whence in the name of Heaven didst thou come?” asked the king.  “It was I who was the horse,” answered the prince.  “Formerly I was king of the country whose sovereign you slew yesterday; it was he who cast over me a horse’s semblance, and sold me to the Troll.  As he is killed, I shall recover my kingdom, and you and I shall be neighboring kings; but we will never go to war with each other.”