’The soldier set out then; and after he had gone a hundred miles in a straight line, he came to the first castle, and there was a copper crown over it.’ (At this, we all looked up at the whitewashed boards of the shed, as if we expected to see the copper crown.) ’And there was a young lady looking out of the window, and she saw him coming.  “You’d best not come here,” she said:  “or the giant that owns the castle will make an end of you.”  “It’s to make an end of himself, I am come,” says he, “and to set you free.”  “And do you think the like of you could stand against him?” says she; “it’s what he’s gone out for now,” says she, “is for seven bullocks to make his dinner of.”  “I’m ready for him whenever he comes,” says the soldier.

’Presently the giant came back, bringing the seven bullocks on his back.  “It is to fight me you are come,” says he.  “Wait till I have my dinner eat, and I’ll make a quick end of you.”

’So he sat down and had his dinner off the seven bullocks, and then he got up to fight.  “What weapons will you fight with?” he says, throwing down a brace of swords.  “Is it one of these you will have?” “It is not,” said the soldier; “but the little rusty sword that is behind the door.”

’So he went in and got that; and the giant began to hit and to strike at him; and he began to tickle the giant’s ankles and his calves.  And at last the giant stooped down to scratch his ankle; and when he did, the soldier struck off his head.

’He let the princess out then, and bade her to go where the little man was waiting at the bottom of the hole, till he would come to her.’

’He went then to the second castle, that had a silver crown over the door; and then he went on to the third castle, that had a golden crown over the door; and the same thing happened as before, except that the second giant had fourteen bullocks and third giant twenty-one bullocks for his dinner.

’Then he brought the third princess back to the house, at the bottom of the hole, where the little man was sitting.  And the little man gave him a whistle, and he blew it; and his comrades came and called down the hole that they were at the top, and he bade them to let the bucket down.  And when they did, he put the first of the three princesses in it.  They drew her up then; and when they saw so nice a girl come up, they began to quarrel which of them would have her for his wife.  “Oh, don’t quarrel about me,” says she; “for there is a girl much handsomer than myself below yet.”  So they let the bucket down again, and she made off.

’Then the second princess came up in the bucket, and they began to quarrel for her, and she said:  “You may let me go, for I am nothing at all beside the girl that is below in the hole yet.”

’So they let her go; and then the third princess that was the most beautiful came up, and they began to quarrel for her.  “You need not be quarrelling for me,” says she; “for it is your comrade that is at the bottom of the hole yet, I am going to marry.”