After travelling about a good while he came one day to a large city, where he saw a great crowd gathered [[62]]about a man who held an iron pike in his hand, and every now and then squeezed drops of water out of the iron. Whilst the people watched, wondering and admiring his great strength, Peppercorn went up and asked him, “Do you think there is any man in the world stronger than yourself?”
“There is only one man alive who is stronger than myself, and that one is a certain person called Peppercorn,” answered he. “Peppercorn can receive a mace on his head without being hurt.”
Thereupon Peppercorn told the man who he was, and proposed to him that they should travel about the world together.
“That will I right gladly,” said the Pikeman. “How can I help being glad to go with a trusty fellow like you!”
Travelling together they came one day to a certain city, and, finding a concourse of people assembled, they went to see what was the matter. They found a man sitting on the bank of a river turning the wheels of nine mills with his little finger. So they said to him, “Is there anyone stronger than you in the world?”
And he answered them, “There are only two men stronger than I am—a certain person named Peppercorn and a certain Pikeman.” Hearing this, Peppercorn and the Pikeman told him who they were, and proposed that he should join them in their travels about the world.
The Mill-turner very gladly accepted the offer, and so all three continued their journey together.
After travelling some time they came to a city where [[63]]they found all the people greatly excited because some one had stolen the three daughters of the king, and, notwithstanding the immense rewards his majesty had offered, no one had as yet dared to go out to look for the princesses. As soon as Peppercorn and his two comrades heard this they went to the king and offered to search for his three daughters. But in order to accomplish the task they demanded that the king should give them a hundred thousand loads of wood. The king gave them what they wanted, and they made a fence all around the city with the timber. This done they began to watch.
The first morning they prepared a whole ox for their dinners, and discussed the question which of the three should stay behind to mind the meat whilst the other two watched the fence. The Pikeman said, “I think I will stay here and take care of the meat, and I will have dinner ready for you when you come back from looking after the fence.” So it was thus settled. Just, however, as the Pikeman thought the ox was well roasted he was frightened by the sudden approach of a man with a forehead a yard high and a beard a span long. This man said to the Pikeman, “Good morning!” but the latter ran away instead of answering, he was so shocked by the strange appearance of the man.
Yard-high-forehead-and-span-long-beard was quite content at this, and, sitting down, soon finished the whole ox. When he had ended his dinner he got up and went away. [[64]]