"If that is all," said the lad, "one of my dogs can go up there."

The giant laughed in his false heart when he heard that, for what he
wanted was that the lad should send away his dogs. The lad told
Hold-fast to go for the wine, and the giant gave him a large jug. The
dog went, but one might see that he did so very unwillingly.

Time went on and on, but the dog did not come back. After some time the
giant said--

"I wonder why the dog is so long away. It might, perhaps, be as well to
let another dog go to help him. He has to go a long distance, and the
jug is a heavy one to carry."

The lad, suspecting no trickery, fell in with the giant's suggestion,
and told Tear to go and see why Hold-fast did not come. The dog wagged
his tail and did not want to leave his master, but he noticed it, and
drove him off to the spring. The giant laughed to himself, and the
princess wept, but the lad did not mark it, being very merry, jested
with his entertainer, and did not dream of any danger.

A long time passed, but neither the wine nor the dogs appeared.

"I can well see," said the giant, "that your dogs do not do what you
tell them, or we should not sit here thirsty. It seems to me it would be
best to send Quick-ear to ascertain why they don't come back."

The lad was nettled at that, and ordered his third dog to go in haste to
the spring. Quick-ear did not want to go, but whined and crept to his