Blaiman followed the advice of the robin. The two combatants kept at each other; but the giant was blinded by the sun, for he had to bend himself often to look at his foe. One time, when he stretched forward, his helmet was lifted a little, Blaiman got a glimpse of his neck, near the ear. That instant he stabbed him. The giant was bleeding till he lost the last of his blood. Then Blaiman cut the three heads off him, and carried them home on the pommel of his saddle. When he was passing, Hung Up Naked begged for release; but Blaiman refused and went on. Hung Up Naked praised him for his deeds, and continued to praise. On second thought, Blaiman turned back, and began to release Hung Up Naked; but if he did, as fast as he loosened one bond, two squeezed on himself, in such fashion that when he had Hung Up Naked unbound, he was himself doubly bound; he had the binding of five men hard and tough on his body. Hung Up Naked was free now; he mounted Blaiman’s steed, and rode to the king’s castle. He threw down the giant’s heads, and never stopped nor stayed till he went to where the king’s daughter was, put a finger under her girdle, bore her out of the castle, and rode away swiftly.
Blaiman remained bound for two days to the tree. The king’s swine-herd came the way, and saw Blaiman bound in the tree. “Ah, my boy,” said he, “you are bound there, and Hung Up Naked is freed by you; and if you had passed him as you did twice before, you need not be where you are now.”
“It cannot be helped,” said Blaiman; “I must suffer.”
“Oh, then,” said the swine-herd, “it is a pity to have you there and me here; I will never leave you till I free you.”
Up went the swine-herd, and began to loosen Blaiman; and it happened to him as to Blaiman himself: the bonds that had been on Blaiman were now on the swine-herd.
“I have heard always that strength is more powerful than magic,” said Blaiman. He went at the tree, and pulled it up by the roots; then, taking his sword, he made small pieces of the tree, and freed the swine-herd.
Blaiman and the swine-herd then went to the castle. They found the king sitting by the table, with his head on his hand, and a stream of tears flowing from his eyes to the table, and from the table to the floor.
“What is your trouble?” asked Blaiman.
“Hung Up Naked came, and said that it was himself who killed the giant; and he took my daughter.”