Halvor still begged for leave, and at last got it, but he was to
come back at once if the wind began to rise.

So he went on shore, and it was a delightful country;
whithersoever he went there were wide plains with fields and meadows,
but as for people, there were none to be seen. The wind began to
rise, but Halvor thought that he had not seen enough yet, and that
he would like to walk about a little longer, to try if he could not
meet somebody. So after a while he came to a great highway, which
was so smooth that an egg might have been rolled along it without
breaking. Halvor followed this, and when evening drew near he
saw a big castle far away in the distance, and there were lights in
it. So as he had now been walking the whole day and had not
brought anything to eat away with him, he was frightfully hungry.
Nevertheless, the nearer he came to the castle the more afraid
he was.

A fire was burning in the castle, and Halvor went into the kitchen,
which was more magnificent than any kitchen he had ever yet beheld.
There were vessels of gold and silver, but not one human
being was to be seen. When Halvor had stood there for some time,
and no one had come out, he went in and opened a door, and inside
a Princess was sitting at her wheel spinning.

`Nay!' she cried, `can Christian folk dare to come hither? But
the best thing that you can do is to go away again, for if not the
Troll will devour you. A Troll with three heads lives here.'

`I should have been just as well pleased if he had had four heads
more, for I should have enjoyed seeing the fellow,' said the youth;