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“That is too heavy for you, good mother,” said the soldier; and he raised and adjusted it for her.

“Have you just come here?” muttered the old crone; “then the best thanks I can give you is to bid you get away as fast as you can.”

“I never retreated yet, dame,” said the soldier, and on he went.

Presently he met with a giant, who was strolling along by the edge of the wood, knocking the cones off the tops of the fir-trees with his finger-nails. He was an ill-favoured-looking monster, but he said, civilly enough, “You look in want of employment, comrade. Will you take service with me?”

“I must first know two things,” answered the soldier; “my work and my wages.”

“Your work,” said the giant, “is to cut a path through this wood to the other side. But then you shall have a year and a day to do it in. If you do it within the time, you will find at the other end a magpie’s nest, in which is the ring of which you are in search. The nest also contains the crown jewels which have been stolen, and if you take these to the king, you will need no further reward. But, on the other hand, if the work is not done within the time, you will thenceforth be my servant without wages.”

“It is a hard bargain,” said the soldier, “but need knows no law, and I agree to the conditions.”

When he came into the giant’s abode, he was greatly astonished to see the little weazened old woman. She showed no sign of recognizing him, however, and the soldier observed a like discretion. He soon discovered that she was the giant’s wife, and much in dread of her husband, who treated her with great cruelty.

“To-morrow you shall begin to work,” said the giant.

“If you please,” said the soldier, and before he went to bed he carried in water and wood for the old woman.

“There’s a kinship in trouble,” said he.

Next morning the giant led him to a certain place on the outskirts of the forest, and giving him an axe, said, “The sooner you begin, the better, and you may see that it is not difficult.” Saying which, he took hold of one of the trees by the middle, and snapped it off as one might pluck a flower.

“Thus to thee, but how to me?” said the soldier; and when the giant departed he set to work. But although he was so strong, and worked willingly, the trees seemed almost as hard as stone, and he made little progress. When he returned at night the giant asked him how he got on.

“The trees are very hard,” said he.

“So they always say,” replied the giant; “I have always had idle servants.”

“I will not be called idle a second time,” thought the soldier, and next day he went early and worked his utmost. But the result was very small. And when he came home, looking weary and disappointed, he could not fail to perceive that this gave great satisfaction to the giant.

Matters had gone on thus for some time, when one morning, as he went to work, he found the little old woman gathering sticks as before.

“Listen,” said she. “He shall not treat you as he has treated others. Count seventy to the left from where you are working, and begin again. But do not let him know that you have made a fresh start. And do a little at the old place from time to time, as a blind.” And before he could thank her, the old woman was gone. Without more ado, however, he counted seventy from the old place, and hit the seventieth tree such a blow with his axe, that it came crashing down then and there. And he found that, one after another, the trees yielded to his blows as if they were touch-wood. He did a good day’s work, gave a few strokes in the old spot, and came home, taking care to look as gloomy as before.