Page:The Allies Fairy Book.djvu/59

 is no time for stopping,” says the giant’s daughter. She thrust finger after finger into the tree, till she made a ladder for the king’s son to go up to the magpie’s nest. When he was at the nest, she said: “Make haste now with the eggs, for my father’s breath is burning my back.” In her hurry she left her little finger in the top of the tree. “Now,” says she, “thou wilt go home with the eggs quickly, and thou wilt get me to marry to-night if thou canst know me. I and my two sisters will be arrayed in the same garments, and made like each other, but look at me when my father says, ‘Go to thy wife, king’s son,’ and thou wilt see a hand without a little finger.” He gave the eggs to the giant. “Yes, yes!” says the giant, “be making ready for thy marriage.”

Then indeed there was a wedding, and it “was” a wedding! Giants and gentlemen, and the son of the King of the Green City was in the midst of them. They were married, and the dancing began, and that was a dance! The giant’s house was shaking from top to bottom. But bedtime came, and the giant said: “It is time for thee to go to rest, son of the King of Tethertown; take thy bride with thee from amidst those.”

She put out the hand off which the little finger was, and he caught her by the hand.

“Thou hast aimed well this time too; but there is no knowing but we may meet thee another way,” said the giant.

But to rest they went. “Now,” says she, “sleep not, or else thou diest. We must fly quick, quick, or for certain my father will kill thee.”

Out they went, and on the blue-grey filly in the stable they mounted. “Stop a while,” says she, “and I will play a trick on the old hero.” She jumped down, and cut an apple into nine shares, and she put two shares at the head of the bed, and two shares at the foot of the bed, and two shares