“I’m in dread to go out. I will not go unless you take the head off the serpent.”
Arthur swept the head off the serpent. The girl ran after the people, and brought them back. Arthur piled all the wood near the castle. The king’s son was delighted to have so much fuel, and was so glad that he took Arthur to his bed to sleep that night with him.
“It’s a wonder,” said Arthur, “such a good king’s son as you to be without a wife.”
“I had a wife,” said the king’s son; “but the giant with five heads, five necks, and five lumps on his heads, came and took her to the Eastern World.”
“Why did you not take her from him?”
“Neither I, nor you, nor all that ever came before us could do that.”
On the following morning Arthur rose, washed his face, rubbed his eyes, and said to the king’s son, “I am going to the Eastern World to bring back your wife.” Away he went; but the king’s son would not believe that any man living could bring back the wife.
When Arthur came to the castle of the giant in the Eastern World, the giant himself was not in it, only the wife of the King of Lochlin’s son, who said, “There is no use in your delaying in this place; you’ll be killed, if you stay till the giant comes home.”
“I’ll never leave this castle till I see the giant; and when I go home you’ll go with me.”