“Alas!” cried Mansur, “if he returns he will kill me in the twinkling of an eye. I must try to get out, I must try.”
He saw a heavy curtain at the end of the room. He drew it aside and saw that it hid a great door. Our brave little hero opened the door and saw a long flight of stairs, which he began to climb as fast as he could. Higher and higher he went. It seemed as if they would never end; but at last he reached the very top and saw a great iron door. He opened it quickly and found himself in the giants’ treasure room filled with gold and silver.
“Where can I go now?” exclaimed Mansur, looking in vain for a door.
“Here,” said a voice, and Mansur turned and beheld a beautiful fairy.
She touched the wall and it suddenly opened and the boy was safe.
He was in a beautiful room and the fairy said: “The purple-haired giant does not know of this room, so he can never find you here.”
“I thank you, beautiful fairy,” said Mansur, and he dropped on his knee like the brave knight that he was.
“Arise,” said the fairy; “you deserve all help, because you always try, and are brave and honest. But you are not yet out of danger,” she continued. “This purple-haired giant is such a powerful monster that no one has ever escaped him. Kings and brave knights have come to fight him with wonderful swords and battle axes only to meet defeat.”
Mansur pointed to his own trusty sword and said: “Yet I have had success with this.”
“That is true,” said the fairy; “but you must know that no sword or instrument of any kind can kill this monster, and when he has discovered that his brothers are dead he will tear you to pieces if he sees you.”