for the boy, and then the King's son (who had now become a king
himself) told his wife about his promise. "Leave that to me and
the Giant," said the Queen. So she dressed the cook's son (who
was the right age) in fine clothes, and gave him to the Giant;
but the Giant gave the boy a rod, and asked him, "If thy father
had that rod, what would he do with it?" "He would beat the dogs
if they went near the King's meat," said the boy. Then Said the
Giant, "Thou art the cook's son," and he killed him. Then the
Giant went back, very angry, and the Queen gave him the butler's
son; and the Giant gave him the rod, and asked him the same
question, "My father would beat the dogs if they came near the
King's glasses," said the boy. "Thou art the butler's son," said
the Giant; and he killed him. Now the Giant went back the third
time, and made a dreadful noise. "Out here _thy_ son," he said,
"or the stone that is highest in thy dwelling shall be the
lowest." So they gave him the King's son, and the Giant took him
to his own house, and he stayed there a long while. One day the
youth heard sweet music at the top of the Giant's house, and he
saw a sweet face. It was the Giant's youngest daughter; and she
said to him, "My father wants you to marry one of my sisters,
and he wants me to marry the King of the Green City, but I will
not. So when he asks, say thou wilt take me." Next day the Giant
gave the King's son choice of his two eldest daughters; but the
Prince said, "Give me this pretty little one?" and then the
Giant was angry, and said that before he had her he must do
three things. The first of these was to clean out a byre or
cattle place, where there was the dung of a hundred cattle, and
it had not been cleaned for seven years. He tried to do it, and
worked till noon, but the filth was as bad as ever. Then the
Giant's youngest daughter came, and bid him sleep, and she