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them how he had got there； but he begged very earnestly and
prettily for a place in the King's palace。 If there was nothing else
for him to do； he said he would fetch wood and water for the
kitchen…maid； and that he obtained leave to do。
When Minnikin went up to the King's palace he saw that
everything there was hung with black both outside and inside； from
the bottom to the top； so he asked the kitchen…maid what that
meant。
‘Oh； I will tell you that；' answered the kitchen…maid。 ‘The
King's daughter was long ago promised away to three Trolls； and
next Thursday evening one of them is to come to fetch her。 Ritter
Red has said that he will be able to set her free； but who knows
whether he will be able to do it？ so you may easily imagine what
grief and distress we are in here。'
So when Thursday evening came； Ritter Red accompanied the
Princess to the sea…shore； for there she was to meet the Troll； and
Ritter Red was to stay with her and protect her。 He； however； was
very unlikely to do the Troll much injury； for no sooner had the
Princess seated herself by the sea…shore than Ritter Red climbed
up into a great tree which was standing there； and hid himself as
well as he could among the branches。
The Princess wept； and begged him most earnestly not to go and
leave her； but Ritter Red did not concern himself about that。 ‘It
is better that one should die than two；' said he。
In the meantime Minnikin begged the kitchen…maid very prettily
to give him leave to go down to the strand for a short time。
‘Oh； what could you do down at the strand？' said the kitchen…
maid。 ‘You have nothing to do there。'
‘Oh yes； my dear； just let me go；' said Minnikin。 ‘I should
so like to go and amuse myself with the other children。'
‘Well； well； go then！' said the kitchen…maid； ‘but don't let me
find you staying there over the time when the pan has to be set on
the fire for supper； and the roast put on the spit； and mind you
bring back a good big armful of wood for the kitchen。'
Minnikin promised this； and ran down to the sea…shore。
Just as he got to the place where the King's daughter was
sitting； the Troll came rushing up with a great whistling and
whirring； and he was so big and stout that he was terrible to see； and
he had five heads。
‘Fire！' screeched the Troll。
‘Fire yourself！' said Minnikin。
‘Can you fight？' roared the Troll。
‘If not； I can learn；' said Minnikin。
So the Troll struck at him with a great thick iron bar which he
had in his fist； till the sods flew five yards up into the air。
‘Fie！' said Minnikin。 ‘That was not much of a blow。 Now
you shall see one of mine。'
So he grasped the sword which he had got from the old crook…
backed woman； and slashed at the Troll so that all five heads went
flying away over the sands。
When the Princess saw that she was delivered she was so
delighted that she did not know what she was doing； and skipped
and danced。
‘Come and sleep a bit with your head in my lap；' she said to
Minnikin； and as he slept she put a golden dress on him。
But when Ritter Red saw that there was no longer any danger
afoot； he lost no time in creeping down from the tree。 He then
threatened the Princess； until at length she was forced to promise
to say that it was he who had rescued her； for he told her that if
she did not he would kill her。 Then he took the Troll's lungs and
tongue and put them in his pocket…handkerchief； and led the
Princess back to the King's palace； and whatsoever had been
lacking to him in the way of honour before was lacking no longer；
for the King did not know how to exalt him enough； and always
set him on his own right hand at table。
As for Minnikin； first he went out on the Troll's ship and took
a great quantity of gold and silver hoops away with him； and then
he trotted back to the King's palace。
When the kitchen…maid caught sight of all this gold and silver
she was quite amazed； and said： ‘My dear friend Minnikin； where
have you got all that from？' for she was half afraid that he had
not come by it honestly。
‘Oh；' answered Minnikin； ‘I have been home a while； and these
hoops had fallen off some of our buckets； so I brought them away
with me for you。'
So when the kitchen…maid heard that they were for her； she
asked no more questions about the matter。 She thanked Minnikin；
and everything was right again at once。
Next Thursday evening all went just the same； and everyone
was full of grief and affliction； but Ritter Red said that he had been
able to deliver the King's daughter from one Troll； so that he could
very easily deliver her from another； and he led her down to the
sea…shore。 But he did not do much harm to this Troll either； for
when the time came when the Troll might be expected； he said as
he had said before： ‘It is better that one should die than two；' and
then climbed up into the tree again。
Minnikin once more begged the cook's leave to go down to the
sea…shore for a short time。
‘Oh； what can you do there？' said the cook。
‘My dear； do let me go！' said Minnikin； ‘I should so like to go
down there and amuse myself a little with the other children。'
So this time also she said that he should have leave to go； but
he must first promise that he would be back by the time the joint
was turned and that he would bring a great armful of wood with
him。
No sooner had Minnikin got down to the strand than the Troll
came rushing along with a great whistling and whirring； and he
was twice as big as the first Troll； and he had ten heads。
‘Fire！' shrieked the Troll。
‘Fire yourself！' said Minnikin。
‘Can you fight？' roared the Troll。
‘If not； I can learn；' said Minnikin。
So the Troll struck at him with his iron clubwhich was still
bigger than that which the first Troll had hadso that the earth
flew ten yards up in the air。
‘Fie！' said Minnikin。 ‘That was not much of a blow。 Now
you shall see one of my blows。'
Then he grasped his sword and struck at the Troll； so that all his
ten heads danced away over the sands。
And again the King's daughter said to him； ‘Sleep a while on my
lap；' and while Minnikin lay there she drew some silver raiment
over him。
As soon as Ritter Red saw that there was no longer any danger
afoot； he crept down from the tree and threatened the Princess；
until at last she was again forced to promise to say that it was he
who had rescued her； after which he took the tongue and the lungs
of the Troll and put them in his pocket…handkerchief； and then
he conducted the Princess back to the palace。 There was joy
and gladness in the palace； as may be imagined； and the King
did not know how to show enough honour and respect to Ritter Red。
Minnikin； however； took home with him an armful of gold and
silver hoops from the Troll's ship。 When he came back to the
King's palace the kitchen…maid clapped her hands