The horse and the boy rode on till the heard loud neighing of a full grown horse and it was so loud that the boy thought that the very hills had shattered.
Then Dapplegrim gave the boy the final piece of instruction. “We are very close to the other horse. Get down and climb the tall spruce tree. Before that give me all the spiked oxen because it will act as a shield when I fight the other horse. He will fight me, because that is when he will be now and this horse can breathe fire through his nose. So throw the tar and watch the fire which will envelope us when we fight. If the fire from the tar goes up that means I am winning and if the fire goes down, that means I am losing.” Dapplegrim studied the boy grimly. “If I am winning, take my bridle and throw it on the other horse. That is the only way that the other horse can be calmed. Once that is done, the other horse will be very gentle.”
Things went exactly as Dapplegrim had said and soon the boy saw the fire around the two horses which fought ferociously.
Some time later, the boy saw the fire climb up and pulled the bridle of Dapplegrim and threw it on the other horse.
Once the boy had done this, everything stopped - the fire and the fight.
The other horse became so gentle that even a thin string could be used to lead him anywhere.
Adapted from Norwegian Folktales
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