The Story of the Three Dogs - Part Eight

 

The boy boldly came forward. “I was the one who broke your granite door.”

The giant angrily came forward, but the boy immediately turned to his dogs. “Hold on, hold the giant. Tear, tear the giant into little bits.” The boy had not even finished speaking the word when the dogs rushed forward and threw themselves upon the giant. 

The dogs tore the giant into countless pieces.

The princess was stunned when she saw what happened. 

“I am saved!” She exclaimed and threw her arms around the young man and kissed him. 

However, the boy did not remain in the mountain for long, and he found the horse of the giant and loaded it with all the gold that he could find in the mountain and he galloped away with the first princess.

They had travelled for a long time together. 

During this time, the boy waited upon the princess with all humility and modesty as was fit for a grand lady. 

It was at this time that List came back and told the boy about how he had been to a high mountain nearby and he had heard the second princess sitting near a golden thread and the second princess had been talking about the giant not being at home.

The boy hastily went towards the mountain and as soon as they came there, List turned to the Boy. “The giant is only 50 miles away, and I can hear how the golden shoes of the giant's horse clink on the stones of the road.” 

The boy then commanded his dogs to break down the mountain door and once they went inside, the boy found a beautiful girl sitting in a vaulted hall and she was winding golden threads on a reel of gold. 

The second princess also became very frightened when she saw the boy because she had not seen anyone else other than a giant for the seven years that she had been here. 

This time too the giant returned as the boy and the princess were talking and the two dogs threw themselves on the giant, at the boy's command and tore the giant to shreds.

This way, the boy freed the second princess too

Adapted from Swedish Fairy Tales

The Story of the Three Dogs - Part Seven

 

The boy went through many kingdoms, and through all of that his three dogs followed him. List, the first dog would run before all of them to listen if anything was heard in the neighbourhood. The second dog Hold On carried the provision wallet in its mouth. Tear was the strongest among the three dogs and when the boy was very tired, he sometimes rode on Tear.

Once List hastily came back and told his master something important. List had been close to a very high mountain, and List had heard one of the royal maidens, who was spinning, telling another maiden that the giant ogre was not at home.

The boy realised that he was on the right track and he went towards the mountain with his three dogs following him.

The mountain had doors below and suddenly List turned to its master. “We cannot waste any more time. I can hear the ogre who is only sixty miles away. In fact, I can even hear the clink of the golden shoes of the ogre’s horse against the road.”

Then, the boy ordered his dogs to batter down the doors of the mountain.

Inside the boy found a beautiful maiden who was in a vaulted hall and she was spinning gold thread on a spindle of gold.

However, the girl was frightened when she saw him. “For seven long years, I have never seen another human being. But please leave before the ogre returns home or the ogre will kill you!”

However, the boy was not afraid. He smiled at the princess. “I want to stay here until the giant comes back.”

Before the girl could say anything else, the ogre came back and the ogre was furious when he saw that the granite door of his palace was open.

Adapted from Swedish Fairy Tales