world.  When he travels he flings himself forward on a staff of fifty ells’ length, with a pace as swift as a bird’s flight.  Once when my father was out hunting he was charmed by an ogress who lived in a cave under a waterfall, and with her he begat this bugbear.  The island is one-third of my father’s realm, but his son finds it too small for him.  My father had a ring the greatest gem, which each of us would have, sister and brother, but I got it, wherefore he has been my enemy ever since.  Now I will write him a letter and send him the ring in the hope that that will soften him and turn him in our favour.  You shall make ready to go to him, with a splendid suite, and when you come to his palace-door you shall take off your crown and creep bareheaded over the floor up to his throne.  Then you shall kiss his right foot and give him the letter and the ring.  And if he orders you to stand up, you have succeeded in your task; if not, you have failed.”

So he did everything that he was bidden by the queen, and when he appeared before the one-eyed king he was stupefied at his tremendous ugliness and his bugbear appearance; but he plucked up courage as best he could and gave him the letter and the ring.  When the king saw the letter and the ring his face brightened up, and he said, “Surely my sister finds herself in straits now, as she sends me this ring.”  And when he had read the letter he bade the king, his brother-in-law, stand up, and declared that he was ready to comply with his sister’s wish and to go off at once without delay.  He seized his staff and started away, but stopped now and then for his brother-in-law and his suite, to whom he gave a good chiding for their slowness.[FN#423] They continued thus their march until they came to the palace of the queen, the ugly king’s sister; but when they arrived there the one-eyed king cried with a roaring voice to his sister, and asked her what she wished, as she had troubled him to come so far from home.  She then told him all the matter as it really was and begged him to help her husband out of the trial put before him.  He said he was ready to do so, but would brook no delay.

Now both kings went off, and nothing is told of their journey until they came to the old king.  The young king announced to his father his coming and that he brought with him what he had ordered last year.  He wished his father to call together a ting[FN#424] in order that he might show openly how he had performed his tasks.  This was done, and the king and the queen and other great folk were assembled.  First the tent was put forward and nobody could find fault with it.  Secondly the young king gave the wondrous healing water to his father.  The queen was prayed to taste it and see if it was the right water, taken at the right time.  She said that both things were as they should be.  Then said the old king, “Now the third and heaviest of all the tasks is left:  come, and have it off your hands quickly.”