words he said were:

'Have you brought my horse down from the hill?'

'Yes, master, that I have', said the Prince; 'and a better horse I
never bestrode; but for all that I rode him straight home, and put
him up safe and sound.'

'I'll soon see to that', said the Giant, and ran out to the stable,
and there stood the horse just as the Prince had said.

'You've talked to my Mastermaid, I'll be bound, for you haven't
sucked this out of your own breast', said the Giant again.

'Yesterday master talked of this Mastermaid, and to-day it's the same
story', said the Prince, who pretended to be silly and stupid. 'Bless
you, master! why don't you show me the thing at once? I should so
like to see it only once in my life.'

'Oh, if that's all', said the Giant, 'you'll see her soon enough.'

The third day, at dawn, the Giant went off to the wood again with his
goats; but before he went he said to the Prince:

'To-day you must go to Hell and fetch my fire-tax. When you have done
that you can rest yourself all day, for you must know it is an easy
master you have come to'; and with that off he went.

'Easy master, indeed!' said the Prince. 'You may be easy, but you set
me hard tasks all the same. But I may as well see if I can find your