merve/folk-mythology-tales · Datasets at Hugging Face

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"It's I that am willing," said the king's son. And on the same day they
married.

But at the end of a day and seven years, who should be seen coming to
the castle but the giant. The king's son was reminded of his promise to
the giant, and till now he had not told his promise to the queen.

"Leave the matter between me and the giant," says the queen.

"Turn out your son," says the giant; "mind your promise."

"You shall have him," says the king, "when his mother puts him in order
for his journey."

The queen dressed up the cook's son, and she gave him to the giant by
the hand. The giant went away with him; but he had not gone far when he
put a rod in the hand of the little laddie. The giant asked him--

"If thy father had that rod what would he do with it?"

"If my father had that rod he would beat the dogs and the cats, so that
they shouldn't be going near the king's meat," said the little laddie.

"Thou'rt the cook's son," said the giant. He catches him by the two
small ankles and knocks him against the stone that was beside him. The
giant turned back to the castle in rage and madness, and he said that
if they did not send out the king's son to him, the highest stone of
the castle would be the lowest.

Said the queen to the king, "We'll try it yet; the butler's son is of
the same age as our son."

She dressed up the butler's son, and she gives him to the giant by the
hand. The giant had not gone far when he put the rod in his hand.

"If thy father had that rod," says the giant, "what would he do with
it?"

"He would beat the dogs and the cats when they would be coming near the
king's bottles and glasses."

"Thou art the son of the butler," says the giant and dashed his brains
out too. The giant returned in a very great rage and anger. The earth
shook under the sole of his feet, and the castle shook and all that was
in it.

"OUT HERE WITH THY SON," says the giant, "or in a twinkling the stone
that is highest in the dwelling will be the lowest." So they had to
give the king's son to the giant.

When they were gone a little bit from the earth, the giant showed him
the rod that was in his hand and said: "What would thy father do with
this rod if he had it?"

The king's son said: "My father has a braver rod than that."

And the giant asked him, "Where is thy father when he has that brave
rod?"

And the king's son said: "He will be sitting in his kingly chair."

Then the giant understood that he had the right one.

The giant took him to his own house, and he reared him as his own son.
On a day of days when the giant was from home, the lad heard the
sweetest music he ever heard in a room at the top of the giant's house.
At a glance he saw the finest face he had ever seen. She beckoned to
him to come a bit nearer to her, and she said her name was Auburn Mary
but she told him to go this time, but to be sure to be at the same
place about that dead midnight.

And as he promised he did. The giant's daughter was at his side in a
twinkling, and she said, "To-morrow you will get the choice of my two
sisters to marry; but say that you will not take either, but me. My
father wants me to marry the son of the king of the Green City, but I
don't like him." On the morrow the giant took out his three daughters,
and he said:

"Now, son of the king of Tethertown, thou hast not lost by living with
me so long. Thou wilt get to wife one of the two eldest of my
daughters, and with her leave to go home with her the day after the
wedding."

"If you will give me this pretty little one," says the king's son, "I
will take you at your word."

The giant's wrath kindled, and he said: "Before thou gett'st her thou
must do the three things that I ask thee to do."

"Say on," says the king's son.

The giant took him to the byre.

"Now," says the giant, "a hundred cattle are stabled here, and it has
not been cleansed for seven years. I am going from home to-day, and if
this byre is not cleaned before night comes, so clean that a golden
apple will run from end to end of it, not only thou shalt not get my
daughter, but 'tis only a drink of thy fresh, goodly, beautiful blood
that will quench my thirst this night."

"It's I that am willing," said the king's son. And on the same day they

married.

But at the end of a day and seven years, who should be seen coming to

the castle but the giant. The king's son was reminded of his promise to

the giant, and till now he had not told his promise to the queen.

"Leave the matter between me and the giant," says the queen.

"Turn out your son," says the giant; "mind your promise."

"You shall have him," says the king, "when his mother puts him in order

for his journey."

The queen dressed up the cook's son, and she gave him to the giant by

the hand. The giant went away with him; but he had not gone far when he

put a rod in the hand of the little laddie. The giant asked him--

"If thy father had that rod what would he do with it?"

"If my father had that rod he would beat the dogs and the cats, so that

they shouldn't be going near the king's meat," said the little laddie.

"Thou'rt the cook's son," said the giant. He catches him by the two

small ankles and knocks him against the stone that was beside him. The

giant turned back to the castle in rage and madness, and he said that

if they did not send out the king's son to him, the highest stone of

the castle would be the lowest.

Said the queen to the king, "We'll try it yet; the butler's son is of

the same age as our son."

She dressed up the butler's son, and she gives him to the giant by the

hand. The giant had not gone far when he put the rod in his hand.

"If thy father had that rod," says the giant, "what would he do with

it?"

"He would beat the dogs and the cats when they would be coming near the

king's bottles and glasses."

"Thou art the son of the butler," says the giant and dashed his brains

out too. The giant returned in a very great rage and anger. The earth

shook under the sole of his feet, and the castle shook and all that was

in it.

"OUT HERE WITH THY SON," says the giant, "or in a twinkling the stone

that is highest in the dwelling will be the lowest." So they had to

give the king's son to the giant.

When they were gone a little bit from the earth, the giant showed him

the rod that was in his hand and said: "What would thy father do with

this rod if he had it?"

The king's son said: "My father has a braver rod than that."

And the giant asked him, "Where is thy father when he has that brave

rod?"

And the king's son said: "He will be sitting in his kingly chair."

Then the giant understood that he had the right one.

The giant took him to his own house, and he reared him as his own son.

On a day of days when the giant was from home, the lad heard the

sweetest music he ever heard in a room at the top of the giant's house.

At a glance he saw the finest face he had ever seen. She beckoned to

him to come a bit nearer to her, and she said her name was Auburn Mary

but she told him to go this time, but to be sure to be at the same

place about that dead midnight.

And as he promised he did. The giant's daughter was at his side in a

twinkling, and she said, "To-morrow you will get the choice of my two

sisters to marry; but say that you will not take either, but me. My

father wants me to marry the son of the king of the Green City, but I

don't like him." On the morrow the giant took out his three daughters,

and he said:

"Now, son of the king of Tethertown, thou hast not lost by living with

me so long. Thou wilt get to wife one of the two eldest of my

daughters, and with her leave to go home with her the day after the

wedding."

"If you will give me this pretty little one," says the king's son, "I

will take you at your word."

The giant's wrath kindled, and he said: "Before thou gett'st her thou

must do the three things that I ask thee to do."

"Say on," says the king's son.

The giant took him to the byre.

"Now," says the giant, "a hundred cattle are stabled here, and it has

not been cleansed for seven years. I am going from home to-day, and if

this byre is not cleaned before night comes, so clean that a golden

apple will run from end to end of it, not only thou shalt not get my

daughter, but 'tis only a drink of thy fresh, goodly, beautiful blood

that will quench my thirst this night."