“Oh,” said the king, “you are the hero that I am waiting for this long time. A fine part of my kingdom is that island beyond; but ’tis taken by a giant who holds it with an army of hirelings. Clear that island of the giant and his men, bring me his head, and you’ll have the apples.”
Shawn went to the old man, then to the mare, and told her.
“You can do that without trouble,” said she; “you have the power needed to do it.”
Shawn took his breakfast, then sat on the mare, and rode toward the island. Just before the mare touched the land, Shawn sounded the whistle; and every one who heard it was asleep the next instant. Shawn took his sword then, swept the head off the giant, and before evening there wasn’t a man alive on the island except Shawn himself. He tied the giant’s head to the saddle-bow, mounted the mare, and was ready to start, when she spoke to him: “Be careful not to look back toward the island till you come down from my back.” With that she swept on, and soon they were nearing the castle. While crossing the yard, Shawn thought, “I have the island cleared; the head is safe on me; and the apples are mine.” With that he forgot the mare’s words, and turned to look back at the island; but as he did, he fell from the saddle, and where should he fall but down on a dust-heap. A son of the comb woman, a youth who fed dogs and small animals, was lying there at the time, and he sickly and full of sores. Shawn’s cloak slipped from his shoulders, and fell on this dirty, foul fellow; that moment he sprang up the finest-looking man in the kingdom. He fastened the cloak on his shoulders, mounted the white mare, and rode to the castle. The king was that glad when he looked at the head of the giant that he didn’t know where to put the counterfeit hero who brought it.
“How did you clear the island?” asked the king; “and was it a hard task to take the head off the giant?”
“Oh, then,” said the dog-feeder, “there was never such a battle in the world as the battle to-day on that island between myself and the giant with his forces; and ’tis well I earned what will come to me.”
“You’ll get good pay,” said the king; “I promised you apples from my white orchard; but I’ll give you more, I’ll give you my youngest daughter in marriage, and that island for her portion. My daughter will not be of age to marry for a year and a day. Till that time is out, you’ll live with me here in the castle.”
Believe me, the dog-feeder was a great man in his own mind that evening.
There was one woman in the yard who saw the deception, and that was the henwife. She knew well what the dog-feeder was, and ’tis often she said, “He’s the greatest liar on earth, and kind mother for him.” She drew Shawn into her own house, and he sick and full of sores, just like the dog-feeder, not a man in the world would have known him. She nursed and tended Shawn. On the sixth day he was able to speak; but he lay in great weakness, and covered with sores.
“How am I to be cured?” asked he of the henwife.