When Niels left the castle, he shut the door behind him, and it closed with such a bang that the porter woke up.He could scarcely believe his eyes when he saw the three headless giants lying in a heap in the courtyard, and could not imagine what had taken place.
The whole castle was soon aroused, and then everybody wondered at the affair: it was soon seen that the bodies were those of the king's great enemies, but how they came to be there and in that condition was a perfect mystery.Then it was noticed that the drinking-horn was empty and the sword gone, while the princess reported that half of her handkerchief and one of her slippers had been taken away.How the giants had been killed seemed a little clearer now, but who had done it was as great a puzzle as before.
The old knight who had charge of the castle said that in his opinion it must have been some young knight, who had immediately set off to the king to claim the hand of the princess.This sounded likely, but the messenger who was sent to the Court returned with the news that no one there knew anything about the matter.
'We must find him, however,' said the princess; 'for if he is willing to marry me I cannot in honour refuse him, after what my father put on the horn.' She took council with her father's wisest men as to what ought to be done, and among other things they advised her to build a house beside the highway, and put over the door this inscription:--'Whoever will tell the story of his life, may stay here three nights for nothing.' This was done, and many strange tales were told to the princess, but none of the travellers said a word about the three giants.
In the meantime Niels and the others tramped on towards Rome.
Autumn passed, and winter was just beginning when they came to the foot of a great range of mountains, towering up to the sky.
'Must we go over these?' said they.'We shall be frozen to death or buried in the snow.'
'Here comes a man,' said Niels; 'let us ask him the way to Rome.'
They did so, and were told that there was no other way.
'And is it far yet?' said the old people, who were beginning to be worn out by the long journey.The man held up his foot so that they could see the sole of his shoe; it was worn as thin as paper, and there was a hole in the middle of it.
'These shoes were quite new when I left Rome,' he said, 'and look at them now; that will tell you whether you are far from it or not.'
This discouraged the old people so much that they gave up all thought of finishing the journey, and only wished to get back to Denmark as quickly as they could.What with the winter and bad roads they took longer to return than they had taken to go, but in the end they found themselves in sight of the forest where they had slept before.
'What's this?' said Rasmus.'Here's a big house built since we passed this way before.'
'So it is,' said Peter; 'let's stay all night in it.'
'No, we can't afford that,' said the old people; 'it will be too dear for the like of us.'
However, when they saw what was written above the door, they were all well pleased to get a night's lodging for nothing.They were well received, and had so much attention given to them, that the old people were quite put out by it.After they had got time to rest themselves, the princess's steward came to hear their story.
'You saw what was written above the door,' he said to the father.
'Tell me who you are and what your history has been.'
