till she was in the greatest strait ever mortal was in the world, and
that would bring her out of it. Again she was lifted on the Bull's back,
and after she had ridden far, and farther than I can tell, they came in
sight of a far bonnier castle, and far farther away than the last. Says
the Bull to her: "Yonder we must be this night, for my second brother
lives yonder;" and they were at the place directly. They lifted her down
and took her in, and sent the Bull to the field for the night. In the
morning they took the lady into a fine and rich room, and gave her the
finest pear she had ever seen, bidding her not to break it till she was
in the greatest strait ever mortal could be in, and that would get her
out of it. Again she was lifted and set on his back, and away they went.
And long they rode, and hard they rode, till they came in sight of the
far biggest castle and far farthest off, they had yet seen. "We must be
yonder to-night," says the Bull, "for my young brother lives yonder;"
and they were there directly. They lifted her down, took her in, and
sent the Bull to the field for the night. In the morning they took her
into a room, the finest of all, and gave her a plum, telling her not to
break it till she was in the greatest strait mortal could be in, and
that would get her out of it. Presently they brought home the Bull, set
the lady on his back, and away they went.

And aye they rode, and on they rode, till they came to a dark and ugsome
glen, where they stopped, and the lady lighted down. Says the Bull to
her: "Here you must stay till I go and fight the Old One. You must seat
yourself on that stone, and move neither hand nor foot till I come back,
else I'll never find you again. And if everything round about you turns
blue, I have beaten the Old One; but should all things turn red, he'll
have conquered me." She set herself down on the stone, and by-and-by all
round her turned blue. Overcome with joy, she lifted one of her feet,
and crossed it over the other, so glad was she that her companion was