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
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