Page:The Allies Fairy Book.djvu/51

 in his power to put it back again—and he would have wished this pretty place to be in the pretty little green hollow that was opposite his father’s house; but, at one glance, he sees a great giant coming towards him.

“Bad’s the place where thou hast built thy house, king’s son,” says the giant. “Yes, but it is not here I would wish it to be, though it happened to be here by mishap,” says the king’s son. “What’s the reward thou wouldst give me for putting it back in the bundle as it was before?” “What’s the reward thou wouldst ask? ” says the king’s son. “If thou wilt give me the first son thou hast when he is seven years of age,” says the giant. “Thou wilt get that if I have a son,” said the king’s son.

In a twinkling the giant put each garden, and orchard, and castle in the bundle as they were before. “Now,” says the giant, “take thou thine own road, and I will take my road; but mind thy promise, and though thou shouldst forget, I will remember.”

The king’s son took to the road, and at the end of a few days he reached the place he was fondest of. He loosed the bundle, and the same place was just as it was before. And when he opened the castle door he sees the handsomest maiden he ever cast eye upon. “Advance, king’s son,” said the pretty maid; “everything is in order for thee, if thou wilt marry me this very night.” “It’s I am the man that is willing,” said the king’s son. And on the same night they married.

But at the end of a day and seven years, what great man is seen coming to the castle but the giant. The king s son, who had now succeeded his father, minded his promise to the giant, and till now he had not told his promise to the queen. “Leave thou the matter between me and the giant,” says the queen.

“Turn out thy son,” says the giant; “mind your promise.” “Thou wilt get that,” says the king, “when his