He did not look up or down, to right or left, but walked down the mountain, and the youth, sitting flat upon the ice, slid into the open tree. Down, down he went! And then suddenly he found himself in a big room, in one corner of which was a huge bed, in another a big stove, in another a big chair and table, and in the fourth corner stood a large sword so tall that the peasant could easily hide behind it. And lucky it was for him that it was big, for at that moment in came the three-headed troll and rolled all six of his eyes about the room. “He, hi, ho, hun! I smell the flesh of a mortal son,” he said. “You cannot escape me, so come out from wherever you are hiding!” The frightened youth was trembling so that the sword tipped over, and there he stood before[Pg 23] the three-headed troll, who jumped to catch him. [Pg 23] But though he had three heads, he had only two feet, and, tripping over the sword, he fell sprawling on the floor. Now his three heads were so heavy that, once he was down, it was hard work to get up, and while he struggled his belt became unfastened and lay under him on the floor. The peasant saw this and, knowing he was in danger anyway, thought he would risk a little more. So he ran over to the troll and with both hands tugged at the belt, and as the troll rolled over out from under him it came. Quickly as he could he put the belt about his waist, and, to his surprise, he felt so strong that the size of the sword on the floor seemed no longer to frighten him. He picked it up and found that it was as light as a tin one, and then the troll, rolling over again, saw his belt around the peasant’s waist and his sword in his hand, and he cried out, “My power is gone!” as he tried to crawl away. “Tell me how to get a pear from the tree and I will spare your life,” said the peasant. [Pg 24] [Pg 24] The troll managed to get upon his feet, but he was no longer the powerful creature he had been a few moments before.
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