The Story of the Three Dogs - Part Ten

The boy and the giant had eaten to their fill. The boy then nodded at the giant. “Give me something for my thirst.”

The giant pretended to frown. “At the top of this mountain there is a spring that gives the purest wine ever. But I have no one in the castle who can go and bring it.”

The boy waved that away. “Is that all? One of my dogs can bring the wine.”

On hearing this, the giant was glad because the giant wanted nothing more than for the boy to send his dogs away.

The boy ordered Hold On to go to the spring and fetch some wine. The giant gave a huge jar to the dog. The dog left to bring the wine, but it was obvious that the dog did not want to do this.

Though the boy and the giant waited for a long time, the dog did not return.

The giant frowned some more. “I do not know why it is taking so long for the dog. I think it would be best if you send another dog to go and help Hold On. The jar is probably too heavy for one dog to carry.”

The boy did not suspect anything and he asked Tear to go and see why Hold On did not return.

Tear did not want to leave his master. But the boy did not listen and drove the dog off to the spring. 

The giant laughed silently and the princess wept, but the boy did not pay attention to it, for he was in high spirits and did not think he was in danger at all.

When they did not hear anything of the wine or the dogs, the giant then convinced the boy to send the third dog too.

The boy asked List to go to the spring, but the dog did not obey the boy. 

Then the boy became angry and drove the dog away with blows.

Then, List also ran up the mountain.

On top of the mountain, the giant had used sorcery to create a huge wall to trap the dogs. 

Just like what had happened to the first two dogs, List also became a captive of the giant, as a high wall rose around the dog.

Adapted fromSwedish Folk Stories