Den unge kæmpe


The young giant


Der var engang en bonde, som havde en søn, der ikke var større end en tommelfinger, og han voksede i løbet af flere år ikke så meget som en hårsbredde. En dag, da bonden ville ud på marken og pløje, sagde den lille fyr: "Må jeg komme med, far." - "Vil du med?" sagde faderen. "Bliv du hellere hjemme. Du kan dog ikke gøre nogen verdens nytte, og du kunne også let blive borte for mig." Men da gav han sig til at græde, og for at få ro for ham, stak faderen ham i lommen, og gik derud. På marken tog han ham op igen, og satte ham i en nypløjet fure. Mens han sad der, kom en vældig kæmpe gående over bjerget. "Kan du se den store bussemand," sagde faderen og ville gøre den lille bange for at få ham til at være artig, " han kommer og tager dig." Da kæmpen havde gået et par skridt på sine lange ben var han henne ved furen, tog forsigtigt den lille fyr mellem to fingre, så på ham og gik bort med ham uden at sige et ord. Faderen stod ved siden af og var så bange, at han ikke kunne få en lyd frem. Han troede, at han for bestandig havde mistet sit barn og aldrig mere skulle se det for sine øjne.
Kæmpen tog imidlertid drengen med sig hjem, gav ham die så han voksede og blev stor og stærk som en kæmpe. Efter to års forløb ville den gamle prøve hans kræfter og tog ham med ud i skoven: "Træk det ris op," sagde han, og drengen var allerede så stærk, at han rev et ungt træ op med rode. "Det skal blive bedre endnu," sagde kæmpen, tog ham med sig hjem og gav ham die i to år. Så var han blevet så stærk, at han kunne rykke et gammelt træ op. Men kæmpen syntes endnu ikke, det var nok og gav ham die endnu i to år. Så gik de ud i skoven igen, og han sagde til drengen: "Tag nu et ordentligt ris," og med et brag rev drengen det tykkeste egetræ op, og det gik for ham som en leg. "Nu er det nok," sagde kæmpen, "nu er du udlært." Derpå gik han med ham hen på den mark, hvor han havde hentet ham. Faderen gik bagved ploven, og den unge kæmpe gik hen til ham og sagde: "Goddag, far. Der kan du se, hvad for en mand, din søn er blevet." Bonden blev forfærdet. "Du er ikke min søn," sagde han, "jeg vil ikke vide noget af dig, gå din vej." - "Vist er jeg din søn. Lad mig hjælpe dig. Jeg kan pløje lige så godt som du og bedre." - "Nej, du er ikke min søn, og du kan heller ikke pløje. Gå din vej." Men da han var bange for den store mand, gik han bort fra ploven og satte sig et stykke borte. Drengen trykkede nu blot med den ene hånd på den, men så kraftigt var trykket, at ploven sank helt ned i jorden. Det kunne bonden ikke tie stille til og råbte: "Hvis du vil pløje, må du ikke trykke så hårdt. Det duer ikke." Drengen spændte nu hestene fra og trak selv ploven. "Gå kun hjem, far," sagde han, "og lad mor koge et stort fad mad. Så skal jeg imidlertid blive færdig med marken." Bonden gik hjem og bad sin kone lave maden, og drengen pløjede ganske alene marken, som var to tønder land stor, spændte sig selv for harven og harvede med to på en gang. Da han var færdig gik han ind i skoven, rev to egetræer op, lagde dem over skulderen og hængte en hest og en harve for og en bag og bar det hjem til sine forældres hus, så let som det var et knippe halm. Da han kom ind i gården, kunne hans mor ikke kende ham igen, og spurgte: "Hvem er den forfærdelig store mand?" - "Det er vores søn," svarede bonden. "Aldrig i livet," sagde hun, "det var jo en ganske lille fyr. Gå din vej," råbte hun til ham, "vi vil ikke have noget med dig at bestille." Han sagde ikke noget, satte hestene ind i stalden, gav dem havre og hø og gik så ind i stuen. "Er maden snart færdig, mor," spurgte han og satte sig på bænken. Hun sagde ja og kom med to store fade, som ville have slået til i otte dage til hende og hendes mand. Drengen spiste det ganske alene og spurgte, om hun ikke havde mere. "Det er alt, hvad her er," svarede hun. "Det er jo bare en mundsmag, jeg må have mere." Hun turde ikke gøre vrøvl, satte en kedel med svinekød over ilden, og da det var mørt, satte hun det for ham. "Endelig får jeg da et par bidder," sagde han, spiste det altsammen og var dog ikke mæt. "Jeg ser nok, at I ikke kan skaffe mig, hvad jeg kan spise," sagde han, "kan du give mig en jernstav som er så stærk, at jeg ikke kan brække den over mit knæ, så drager jeg ud i den vide verden." Bonden blev glad, spændte hestene forvognen, kørte hen til smeden og fik en stav, der var så tung, som hestene på nogen måde kunne slæbe. Men drengen satte den for knæet, og knæk, brækkede han den så let som en pind, og kastede den fra sig. Faderen spændte nu fire heste for vognen og hentede en stav så stor, som de kunne slæbe den. Men sønnen knækkede også denne og sagde: "Den kan jeg ikke bruge, far, du må skaffe mig en bedre." Bonden spændte nu otte heste for og hentede en stang så stor, som de kunne slæbe. Men da kæmpen tog den i hånden gik straks det øverste stykke af. "Du kan nok ikke skaffe mig en stav, som jeg kan bruge," sagde han, "men nu vil jeg ikke blive her længere."
Han drog så af sted og udgav sig for smedesvend. Nogen tid efter kom han til en landsby, hvor der boede en smed, som var en rigtig gniepind og ikke undte noget menneske en smule, men ville have alting for sin egen mund. Til ham gik kæmpen ind og spurgte, om han ikke havde brug for en svend. Smeden så på ham og tænkte: "Han ser ud til at være en dygtig karl, som kan slå ordentlig løs og gøre nytte for føden." Han sagde derfor ja og spurgte, hvad han ville have i løn. "Jeg vil slet ingen løn have," svarede han, "men hver fjortende dag, når de andre svende får deres løn, vil jeg have lov til at give dig to slag. Det må du finde dig i." Den gerrige smed var henrykt og tænkte, at han kunne spare en mængde penge. Næste morgen skulle den fremmede svend slå det første slag, men da smeden bragte en glødende stang, slog kæmpen så hårdt på den, at den gik itu, og ambolten sank så dybt ned i jorden, at man slet ikke kunne få den op igen. Da blev den gerrige smed vred og sagde: "Dig kan jeg ikke bruge, du er alt for voldsom. Hvad vil du have for det ene slag?" - "Jeg vil bare have lov til at give dig et ganske lille tjat," svarede kæmpen, "andet forlanger jeg ikke." Derpå gav han ham et spark, så han fløj henover fire læs hø, tog den tykkeste jernstang, han kunne finde i smedjen, i hånden som en stok og gik sin vej.
Da han havde vandret i nogen tid, kom han til en avlsgård og spurgte forvalteren, om han ikke havde brug for en forkarl. "Jo, jeg kan jo nok bruge en," svarede forvalteren, "og du ser jo ud til at være en flink fyr. Hvor meget vil du have om året?" Han svarede igen, at han ikke brød sig om nogen løn. Han ville kun hvert år give ham tre slag, og det måtte han finde sig i. Det var forpagteren velfornøjet med, for han var også en gniepind. Næste morgen skulle de ud i skoven, og de andre karle var oppe for længe siden, men han lå endnu i sengen. "Nu må du se at komme op," råbte en af dem, "vi skal ud i skoven, og du skal med." - "Gå I kun," svarede han barsk, "jeg kommer dog alligevel før nogen af jer andre." Karlen gik nu hen og fortalte forvalteren, at forkarlen lå i sengen endnu og ville ikke med i skoven. Forvalteren sagde, at de skulle kalde på ham igen og sige, at han skulle spænde for. Men kæmpen svarede: "Gå I kun, jeg kommer dog først." Han blev liggende endnu i to timer, så kom han endelig ud af fjerene. Så hentede han to skovlfulde ærter oppe på loftet, kogte grød og spiste den i ro og mag, og da det var besørget, spændte han hestene for og kørte ud i skoven. Lige ved skoven måtte han gennem en hulvej. Han lod først vognen og hestene køre igennem og gik så tilbage, rev træer og buske op og lavede en forhugning, så det var umuligt for nogen hest at komme frem. Da han kom ud til skoven kom de andre kørende med deres belæssede vogne. "Kør I bare," sagde han, "jeg kommer dog før hjem, end I." Han kørte et lille stykke ind i skoven, rev to af de største træer op, lagde dem på vognen og vendte om. Da han kom til forhugningen holdt de andre der og kunne ikke komme videre. "Der kan I se," sagde han, "hvis I var blevet hos mig, var I kommet akkurat ligeså hurtigt hjem, og havde oven i købet kunnet sove en time længere. Han ville nu køre til, men hestene kunne ikke komme frem. Han spændte dem da fra, lagde dem på vognen, tog vognstangen i hånden og trak det hele så let som en fjer. "Der kan I bare se, jeg kommer først hjem," sagde han til de andre, da han var sluppet over, og de måtte blive, hvor de var. Da han kom ind i gården, tog han det ene træ i hånden og sagde til forvalteren: "Er det ikke noget pænt favnebrænde." - "Det er alligevel en flink karl," sagde forvalteren til sin kone, "selv om han sover længe, kommer han dog hjem før de andre."
Kæmpen tjente nu et år hos forvalteren, og da det var gået, og de andre karle fik deres penge, sagde han, at nu ville han også gerne have sin løn. Men forvalteren rystede ved tanken om de prygl, han skulle have og bad indtrængende, om han måtte slippe fri, han ville så hellere selv blive forkarl og lade karlen blive forvalter. "Det går jeg ikke ind på," svarede kæmpen, "jeg er forkarl, og det vil jeg blive ved med at være, men jeg vil have betingelserne opfyldt." Forvalteren tilbød at give ham, alt hvad han ville have, men han sagde nej til det altsammen. Forvalteren vidste nu slet ikke, hvad han skulle gøre, og bad om fjorten dages frist, så han kunne tænke sig om. Det tilstod forkarlen ham, og forvalteren kaldte på alle sine skrivere og sagde, de skulle tænke sig godt om og give ham et råd. De spekulerede længe og til sidst sagde de, at intet menneske var sikker for forkarlen, han slog folk ihjel, som om de var fluer. Forvalteren skulle befale ham at gå ned i brønden og rense den, og når han var dernede, skulle de kaste en møllesten ned i hovedet på ham, så kom han aldrig mere for dagens lys. Forvalteren syntes godt om forslaget, og forkarlen var villig til at gå ned i brønden. Da han stod nede på bunden, kastede de den allerstørste møllesten derned og tænkte, hans hovede var knust. "Tag de høns væk," hørte de ham så råbe, "de løber og kaster sand i øjnene på mig, så jeg ikke kan se." Forvalteren lod da, som om han kyste hønsene bort, og da forkarlen var færdig med sit arbejde kom han op med møllestenen om halsen. "Er det ikke et pænt halsbånd?" sagde han. Han forlangte nu sin løn, men forvalteren bad om fjorten dages betænkningstid. Så kaldte han igen sine skrivere sammen, og de rådede ham til at sende karlen ind i den forheksede mølle og male korn. Endnu aldrig var noget menneske sluppet levende derfra. Forvalteren besluttede at følge rådet, kaldte på forkarlen og befalede ham at køre otte mål korn hen til møllen og male det om natten, for de skulle bruge det. Kæmpen gik nu op på loftet, puttede to mål i den højre lomme og to i den venstre, fire tog han over ryggen i en tværsæk, og således belæsset gik han hen til den fortryllede mølle. Mølleren sagde til ham, at om dagen kunne han meget godt male der, men om natten var møllen forhekset, og alle, der var gået derind, havde ligget døde om morgenen. "Jeg skal nok slippe helskindet fra det," svarede kæmpen, "gå I bare hjem og sov på jeres grønne ører." Derpå gik han ind i møllen og rystede kornet ud. Henimod klokken elleve gik han ind i stuen og satte sig på bænken. Da han havde siddet der i nogen tid gik døren op og et vældigt stort bord kom spadserende ind. Vin og steg og mange gode ting kom ind og stillede sig på det, og det kom altsammen alene, der var ingen, som bar det. Stolene flyttede sig nu sammen om bordet, men der kom ingen mennesker, indtil han så en finger, der brugte kniv og gaffel og lagde mad på en tallerken, men det var det eneste, han kunne se. Da han var sulten, satte han sig til bords og tog for sig af retterne. Da han var mæt og de andre også havde tømt fadene, hørte han ganske tydeligt, at lysene blev pustet ud, og da der var bælgmørkt, mærkede han pludselig et slag midt i ansigtet. "Hvis der sker sådan noget en gang til, så slår jeg igen," sagde han. Og da han fik endnu en ørefigen, slog han omkring sig. Sådan gik det hele natten. Han gav igen, hvad han fik, og slog ordentlig løs, og ved daggry hørte det hele op. Da mølleren var stået op ville han ind og se til ham og var meget forundret ved at finde ham i live. "Jeg har spist mig mæt," sagde han, "og så har jeg fået ørefigener, men jeg har også givet igen." Mølleren var meget glad, for nu var møllen løst af trolddommen, og ville gerne give ham en belønning. "Jeg har penge nok," sagde forkarlen tog melet på ryggen og gik hjem og sagde til forvalteren, at nu havde han gjort sit arbejde og ville fordre sin løn. Da forvalteren hørte det blev han angst og bange og gik hvileløs op og ned ad gulvet mens sveden perlede på hans pande. For at få frisk luft lukkede han vinduet op, og inden han fik tid til at se sig om, gav forkarlen ham et spark, så han fløj ud gennem vinduet op i luften, langt bort/ så man ikke kunne øjne ham. "Hvis han ikke kommer igen, må I tage det andet slag på jer," sagde karlen til forvalterens kone. "Nej, jeg kan ikke holde det ud," råbte hun og lukkede det andet vindue op, for sveden perlede på hendes pande. Da gav kæmpen hende et spark, så hun også fløj op, og da hun var meget lettere end manden, fløj hun meget højere. "Kom hen til mig," råbte manden. "Jeg kan ikke," svarede hun, "kom du hen til mig." Der svævede de rundt i luften uden at kunne komme hen til hinanden. Om de flyver der endnu, ved jeg ikke, men den unge kæmpe tog sin jernstok og gik videre.
Once on a time a countryman had a son who was as big as a thumb, and did not become any bigger, and during several years did not grow one hair's breadth. Once when the father was going out to plough, the little one said, "Father, I will go out with you." - "Thou wouldst go out with me?" said the father. "Stay here, thou wilt be of no use out there, besides thou mightest get lost!" Then Thumbling began to cry, and for the sake of peace his father put him in his pocket, and took him with him. When he was outside in the field, he took him out again, and set him in a freshly-cut furrow. Whilst he was there, a great giant came over the hill. "Do thou see that great bogie?" said the father, for he wanted to frighten the little fellow to make him good; "he is coming to fetch thee." The giant, however, had scarcely taken two steps with his long legs before he was in the furrow. He took up little Thumbling carefully with two fingers, examined him, and without saying one word went away with him. His father stood by, but could not utter a sound for terror, and he thought nothing else but that his child was lost, and that as long as he lived he should never set eyes on him again.
The giant, however, carried him home, suckled him, and Thumbling grew and became tall and strong after the manner of giants. When two years had passed, the old giant took him into the forest, wanted to try him, and said, "Pull up a stick for thyself." Then the boy was already so strong that he tore up a young tree out of the earth by the roots. But the giant thought, "We must do better than that," took him back again, and suckled him two years longer. When he tried him, his strength had increased so much that he could tear an old tree out of the ground. That was still not enough for the giant; he again suckled him for two years, and when he then went with him into the forest and said, "Now just tear up a proper stick for me," the boy tore up the strongest oak-tree from the earth, so that it split, and that was a mere trifle to him. "Now that will do," said the giant, "thou art perfect," and took him back to the field from whence he had brought him. His father was there following the plough. The young giant went up to him, and said, "Does my father see what a fine man his son has grown into?"
The farmer was alarmed, and said, "No, thou art not my son; I don't want thee leave me!" - "Truly I am your son; allow me to do your work, I can plough as well as you, nay better." - "No, no, thou art not my son; and thou canst not plough go away!" However, as he was afraid of this great man, he left go of the plough, stepped back and stood at one side of the piece of land. Then the youth took the plough, and just pressed it with one hand, but his grasp was so strong that the plough went deep into the earth. The farmer could not bear to see that, and called to him, "If thou art determined to plough, thou must not press so hard on it, that makes bad work." The youth, however, unharnessed the horses, and drew the plough himself, saying, "Just go home, father, and bid my mother make ready a large dish of food, and in the meantime I will go over the field." Then the farmer went home, and ordered his wife to prepare the food; but the youth ploughed the field which was two acres large, quite alone, and then he harnessed himself to the harrow, and harrowed the whole of the land, using two harrows at once. When he had done it, he went into the forest, and pulled up two oak-trees, laid them across his shoulders, and hung on them one harrow behind and one before, and also one horse behind and one before, and carried all as if it had been a bundle of straw, to his parents' house. When he entered the yard, his mother did not recognize him, and asked, "Who is that horrible tall man?" The farmer said, "That is our son." She said, "No that cannot be our son, we never had such a tall one, ours was a little thing." She called to him, "Go away, we do not want thee!" The youth was silent, but led his horses to the stable, gave them some oats and hay, and all that they wanted. When he had done this, he went into the parlour, sat down on the bench and said, "Mother, now I should like something to eat, will it soon be ready?" Then she said, "Yes," and brought in two immense dishes full of food, which would have been enough to satisfy herself and her husband for a week. The youth, however, ate the whole of it himself, and asked if she had nothing more to set before him. "No," she replied, "that is all we have." - "But that was only a taste, I must have more." She did not dare to oppose him, and went and put a huge caldron full of food on the fire, and when it was ready, carried it in. "At length come a few crumbs," said he, and ate all there was, but it was still not sufficient to appease his hunger. Then said he, "Father, I see well that with you I shall never have food enough; if you will get me an iron staff which is strong, and which I cannot break against my knees, I will go out into the world." The farmer was glad, put his two horses in his cart, and fetched from the smith a staff so large and thick, that the two horses could only just bring it away. The youth laid it across his knees, and snap! he broke it in two in the middle like a bean-stalk, and threw it away. The father then harnessed four horses, and brought a bar which was so long and thick, that the four horses could only just drag it. The son snapped this also in twain against his knees, threw it away, and said, "Father, this can be of no use to me, you must harness more horses, and bring a stronger staff." So the father harnessed eight horses, and brought one which was so long and thick, that the eight horses could only just carry it. When the son took it in his hand, he broke off a bit from the top of it also, and said, "Father, I see that you will not be able to procure me any such staff as I want, I will remain no longer with you."
So he went away, and gave out that he was a smith's apprentice. He arrived at a village, wherein lived a smith who was a greedy fellow, who never did a kindness to any one, but wanted everything for himself. The youth went into the smithy and asked if he needed a journeyman. "Yes," said the smith, and looked at him, and thought, "That is a strong fellow who will strike out well, and earn his bread." So he asked, "How much wages dost thou want?" - "I don't want any at all," he replied, "only every fortnight, when the other journeymen are paid, I will give thee two blows, and thou must bear them." The miser was heartily satisfied, and thought he would thus save much money. Next morning, the strange journeyman was to begin to work, but when the master brought the glowing bar, and the youth struck his first blow, the iron flew asunder, and the anvil sank so deep into the earth, that there was no bringing it out again. Then the miser grew angry, and said, "Oh, but I can't make any use of you, you strike far too powerfully; what will you have for the one blow?"
Then said he, "I will only give you quite a small blow, that's all." And he raised his foot, and gave him such a kick that he flew away over four loads of hay. Then he sought out the thickest iron bar in the smithy for himself, took it as a stick in his hand and went onwards.
When he had walked for some time, he came to a small farm, and asked the bailiff if he did not require a head-servant. "Yes," said the bailiff, "I can make use of one; you look a strong fellow who can do something, how much a year do you want as wages?" He again replied that he wanted no wages at all, but that every year he would give him three blows, which he must bear. Then the bailiff was satisfied, for he, too, was a covetous fellow. Next morning all the servants were to go into the wood, and the others were already up, but the head-servant was still in bed. Then one of them called to him, "Get up, it is time; we are going into the wood, and thou must go with us." - "Ah," said he quite roughly and surlily, "you may just go, then; I shall be back again before any of you." Then the others went to the bailiff, and told him that the head-man was still lying in bed, and would not go into the wood with them. The bailiff said they were to awaken him again, and tell him to harness the horses. The head-man, however, said as before, "Just go there, I shall be back again before any of you." And then he stayed in bed two hours longer. At length he arose from the feathers, but first he got himself two bushels of peas from the loft, made himself some broth with them, ate it at his leisure, and when that was done, went and harnessed the horses, and drove into the wood. Not far from the wood was a ravine through which he had to pass, so he first drove the horses on, and then stopped them, and went behind the cart, took trees and brushwood, and made a great barricade, so that no horse could get through. When he was entering the wood, the others were just driving out of it with their loaded carts to go home; then said he to them, "Drive on, I will still get home before you do." He did not drive far into the wood, but at once tore two of the very largest trees of all out of the earth, threw them on his cart, and turned round. When he came to the barricade, the others were still standing there, not able to get through. "Don't you see," said he, "that if you had stayed with me, you would have got home just as quickly, and would have had another hour's sleep?" He now wanted to drive on, but his horeses could not work their way through, so he unharnessed them, laid them on the top of the cart, took the shafts in his own hands, and pulled it all through, and he did this just as easily as if it had been laden with feathers. When he was over, he said to the others, "There, you see, I have got over quicker than you," and drove on, and the others had to stay where they were. In the yard, however, he took a tree in his hand, showed it to the bailiff, and said, "Isn't that a fine bundle of wood?" Then said the bailiff to his wife, "The servant is a good one, if he does sleep long, he is still home before the others." So he served the bailiff for a year, and when that was over, and the other servants were getting their wages, he said it was time for him to take his too. The bailiff, however, was afraid of the blows which he was to receive, and earnestly entreated him to excuse him from having them; for rather than that, he himself would be head-servant, and the youth should be bailiff. "No," said he, "I will not be a bailiff, I am head-servant, and will remain so, but I will administer that which we agreed on." The bailiff was willing to give him whatsoever he demanded, but it was of no use, the head-servant said no to everything. Then the bailiff did not know what to do, and begged for a fortnight's delay, for he wanted to find some way of escape. The head-servant consented to this delay. The bailiff summoned all his clerks together, and they were to think the matter over, and give him advice. The clerks pondered for a long time, but at last they said that no one was sure of his life with the head-servant, for he could kill a man as easily as a midge, and that the bailiff ought to make him get into the well and clean it, and when he was down below, they would roll up one of the mill-stones which was lying there, and throw it on his head; and then he would never return to daylight. The advice pleased the bailiff, and the head-servant was quite willing to go down the well. When he was standing down below at the bottom, they rolled down the largest mill-stone and thought they had broken his skull, but he cried, "Chase away those hens from the well, they are scratching in the sand up there, and throwing the grains into my eyes, so that I can't see." So the bailiff cried, "Sh-sh," and pretended to frighten the hens away. When the head-servant had finished his work, he climbed up and said, "Just look what a beautiful neck-tie I have on," and behold it was the mill-stone which he was wearing round his neck. The head-servant now wanted to take his reward, but the bailiff again begged for a fortnight's delay. The clerks met together and advised him to send the head-servant to the haunted mill to grind corn by night, for from thence as yet no man had ever returned in the morning alive. The proposal pleased the bailiff, he called the head-servant that very evening, and ordered him to take eight bushels of corn to the mill, and grind it that night, for it was wanted. So the head-servant went to the loft, and put two bushels in his right pocket, and two in his left, and took four in a wallet, half on his back, and half on his breast, and thus laden went to the haunted mill. The miller told him that he could grind there very well by day, but not by night, for the mill was haunted, and that up to the present time whosoever had gone into it at night had been found in the morning lying dead inside. He said, "I will manage it, just you go away to bed." Then he went into the mill, and poured out the corn. About eleven o'clock he went into the miller's room, and sat down on the bench. When he had sat there a while, a door suddenly opened, and a large table came in, and on the table, wine and roasted meats placed themselves, and much good food besides, but everything came of itself, for no one was there to carry it. After this the chairs pushed themselves up, but no people came, until all at once he beheld fingers, which handled knives and forks, and laid food on the plates, but with this exception he saw nothing. As he was hungry, and saw the food, he, too, place himself at the table, ate with those who were eating and enjoyed it. When he had had enough, and the others also had quite emptied their dishes, he distinctly heard all the candles being suddenly snuffed out, and as it was now pitch dark, he felt something like a box on the ear. Then he said, "If anything of that kind comes again, I shall strike out in return." And when he had received a second box on the ear, he, too struck out. And so it continued the whole night. He took nothing without returning it, but repaid everything with interest, and did not lay about him in vain. At daybreak, however, everything ceased. When the miller had got up, he wanted to look after him, and wondered if he were still alive. Then the youth said, "I have eaten my fill, have received some boxes on the ears, but I have given some in return." The miller rejoiced, and said that the mill was now released from the spell, and wanted to give him much money as a reward. But he said, "Money, I will not have, I have enough of it." So he took his meal on his back, went home, and told the bailiff that he had done what he had been told to do, and would now have the reward agreed on. When the bailiff heard that, he was seriously alarmed and quite beside himself; he walked backwards and forwards in the room, and drops of perspiration ran down from his forehead. Then he opened the window to get some fresh air, but before he was aware, the head-servant had given him such a kick that he flew through the window out into the air, and so far away that no one ever saw him again. Then said the head-servant to the bailiff's wife, "If he does not come back, you must take the other blow." She cried, "No, no I cannot bear it," and opened the other window, because drops of perspiration were running down her forehead. Then he gave her such a kick that she, too, flew out, and as she was lighter she went much higher than her husband. Her husband cried, "Do come to me," but she replied, "Come thou to me, I cannot come to thee." And they hovered about there in the air, and could not get to each other, and whether they are still hovering about, or not, I do not know, but the young giant took up his iron bar, and went on his way.