christen the boy till the king came back, and she said, "We will just
call him _Nix Nought Nothing_ until his father comes home." But
it was long before he came home, and the boy had grown a nice little
laddie. At length the king was on his way back; but he had a big river
to cross, and there was a whirlpool, and he could not get over the
water. But a giant came up to him, and said "I'll carry you over." But
the king said: "What's your pay?" "O give me Nix, Nought, Nothing, and
I will carry you over the water on my back." The king had never heard
that his son was called Nix Nought Nothing, and so he said: "O, I'll
give you that and my thanks into the bargain." When the king got home
again, he was very happy to see his wife again, and his young son. She
told him that she had not given the child any name, but just Nix
Nought Nothing, until he should come home again himself. The poor king
was in a terrible case. He said: "What have I done? I promised to give
the giant who carried me over the river on his back, Nix Nought
Nothing." The king and the queen were sad and sorry, but they said:
"When the giant comes we will give him the hen-wife's boy; he will
never know the difference." The next day the giant came to claim the
king's promise, and he sent for the hen-wife's boy; and the giant went
away with the boy on his back. He travelled till he came to a big
stone, and there he sat down to rest. He said,

"Hidge, Hodge, on my back, what time of day is that?"

The poor little boy said: "It is the time that my mother, the hen-
wife, takes up the eggs for the queen's breakfast."

The Giant was very angry, and dashed the boy's head on the stone and
killed him.