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On the wedding…day； however； the Princess begged that she might
have the little boy who was in the kitchen； and carried wood and
water for the kitchen…maid； to fill the wine…cups at the wedding feast。
‘Oh； what can you want with that dirty； ragged boy； in here？'
said Ritter Red； but the Princess said that she insisted on having
him as cup…bearer and would have no one else； and at last she got
leave； and then everything was done as had been agreed on between
the Princess and Minnikin。 He spilt a drop on Ritter Red's plate
but none upon hers； and each time that he did it Ritter Red fell
into a rage and struck him。 At the first blow all the ragged
garments which he had worn in the kitchen fell from off Minnikin；
at the second blow the brass garments fell off； and at the third
the silver raiment； and there he stood in the golden raiment； which
was so bright and splendid that light flashed from it。
Then the King's daughter said： ‘Shame on you thus to smite
the beloved of my heart。 It is he who delivered me from the Troll；
and he is the one whom I will have。'
Ritter Red swore that he was the man who had saved her； but
the King said： ‘He who delivered my daughter must have some
token in proof of it。'
So Ritter Red ran off at once for his handkerchief with the lungs
and tongue； and Minnikin went and brought all the gold and silver
and precious things which he had taken out of the Trolls' ships；
and they each of them laid these tokens before the King。
‘He who has such precious things in gold and silver and
diamonds；' said the King； ‘must be the one who killed the Troll；
for such things are not to be had anywhere else。' So Ritter Red
was thrown into the snake…pit； and Minnikin was to have the
Princess； and half the kingdom。
One day the King went out walking with Minnikin； and
Minnikin asked him if he had never had any other children。
‘Yes；' said the King； ‘I had another daughter； but the Troll
carried her away because there was no one who could deliver her。
You are going to have one daughter of mine； but if you can set free
the other； who has been taken by the Troll； you shall willingly
have her too； and the other half of the kingdom as well。'
‘I may as well make the attempt；' said Minnikin； ‘but I must
have an iron rope which is five hundred ells long； and then I must
have five hundred men with me； and provisions for five weeks； for
I have a long voyage before me。'
So the King said he should have these things； but the King was
afraid that he had no ship large enough to carry them all。
‘But I have a ship of my own；' said Minnikin； and he took
the one which the old woman had given him out of his pocket。
The King laughed at him and thought that it was only one of his
jokes； but Minnikin begged him just to give him what he had
asked for； and then he should see something。 Then all that
Minnikin had asked for was brought； and first he ordered them to
lay the cable in the ship； but there was no one who was able to
lift it； and there was only room for one or two men at a time in
the little bit of a ship。 Then Minnikin himself took hold of the
cable； and laid one or two links of it into the ship； and as he threw
the links into it the ship grew bigger and bigger； and at last it was so
large that the cable； and the five hundred men； and provisions； and
Minnikin himself； had room enough。
‘Now go over fresh water and salt water； over hill and dale；
and do not stop until thou comest to where the King's daughter
is；' said Minnikin to the ship； and off it went in a moment
over land and water till the wind whistled and moaned all round
about it。
When they had sailed thus a long； long way； the ship stopped
short in the middle of the sea。
‘Ah； now we have got there；' said Minnikin； ‘but how we
are to get back again is a very different thing。'
Then he took the cable and tied one end of it round his body。
‘Now I must go to the bottom；' he said； ‘but when I give a good
jerk to the cable and want to come up again； you must all pull
like one man； or there will be an end of all life both for you and
for me。' So saying he sprang into the water； and yellow bubbles
rose up all around him。 He sank lower and lower； and at last he
came to the bottom。 There he saw a large hill with a door in it；
and in he went。 When he had got inside he found the other
Princess sitting sewing； but when she saw Minnikin she clapped
her hands。
‘Ah； heaven be praised！' she cried； ‘I have not seen a
Christian man since I came here。'
‘I have come for you；' said Minnikin。
‘Alas！ you will not be able to get me；' said the King's daughter。
‘It is no use even to think of that； if the Troll catches sight of
you he will take your life。'
‘You had better tell me about him；' said Minnikin。 ‘Where is
he gone？ It would be amusing to see him。'
So the King's daughter told Minnikin that the Troll was out
trying to get hold of someone who could brew a hundred lasts of
malt at one brewing； for there was to be a feast at the Troll's； at
which less than that would not be drunk。
‘I can do that；' said Minnikin。
‘Ah！ if only the Troll were not so quick…tempered I might have
told him that；' answered the Princess； ‘but he is so ill…natured
that he will tear you to pieces； I fear； as soon as he comes in。 But
I will try to find some way of doing it。 Can you hide yourself
here in the cupboard？ and then we will see what happens。'
Minnikin did this； and almost before he had crept into the cupboard
and hidden himself； came the Troll。
‘Huf！ What a smell of Christian man's blood！' said the Troll。
‘Yes； a bird flew over the roof with a Christian man's bone in
his bill； and let it fall down our chimney；' answered the Princess。
‘I made haste enough to get it away again； but it must be that
which smells so； notwithstanding。'
‘Yes； it must be that；' said the Troll。
Then the Princess asked if he had got hold of anyone who could
brew a hundred lasts of malt at one brewing。
‘No； there is no one who can do it；' said the Troll。
‘A short time since there was a man here who said he could do
it；' said the King's daughter。
‘How clever you always are！' said the Troll。 ‘How could
you let him go away？ You must have known that I was just
wanting a man of that kind。'
‘Well； but I didn't let him go； after all；' said the Princess；
‘but father is so quick…tempered； so I hid him in the cupboard； but
if father has not found any one then the man is still here。'
‘Let him come in；' said the Troll。
When Minnikin came； the Troll asked if it were true that he
could brew a hundred lasts of malt at one brewing。
‘Yes；' said Minnikin； ‘it is。'
‘It is well then that I have lighted on thee；' said the Troll。
‘Fall to work this very minute； but Heaven help thee if thou dost
not brew the ale strong。'
‘Oh； it shall taste well；' said Minnikin； and at once set himself
to work to brew。
‘But I must have more trolls to help to carry what is wanted；'
said Minnikin； ‘these that I have are good for nothing。'
So he got more and so many that there was a swarm of them；
and then the brewing went on。 When the sweet…wort was ready
they were all； as a matter of course； anxious to taste it； first the
Troll himself and then the others； but Minnikin had brewed the
wort so strong that they all fell down dead like so many flies as
soon as they had drunk any of it。 At last there was no one left
but one wretched old hag who was lying behind the stove。
‘Oh； poor old creature！' said Minnikin； ‘you shall have a taste
of the wort too like the rest。' So he went away and scooped up a
little from the bottom of the brewing vat in a milk pan； and gave
it to her； and then he was quit of the whole of them。
While Minnikin was now standing there looking about him； he
cast his eye on a large chest。 This he took and filled it with gold
and silver； and then he tied the cable round himself and the
Princess and the chest； and tugged at the rope with all his might；
whereupon his men drew them up safe and sound。
As soon as Minnikin had got safely on his ship again； he said：
‘Now go over salt water and fresh water； over hill and dale； and do
not stop until thou comest unto the King's palace。' And in a
moment the ship went off so fast that the yellow foam rose up all
round about it。
When those who were in the King's palace saw the ship； they
lost no time in going to meet him with song and music； and thus
they marched up towards Minnikin with great rejoicings； but
the gladdest of all was the King； for now he had got his other
daughter back again。
But now Minnikin was not happy； for both the Princesses
wanted to have him； and he wanted to have none other than the
one whom he had first saved； and she was the younger。 For this
cause he was continually walking backwards and forwards； thinking
how he c