Notwithstanding this, Peppercorn went resolutely down the ravine, calling aloud upon his sister by name. When she heard this she was exceedingly surprised, and said to herself, ‘Who can this be calling me by name, now that all my brothers are killed? I have no other relations to come and look for me!’ Then she went to the entrance of the cave and called out, ‘Who is it that calls me; I have no longer any brothers?’
Peppercorn said to her, ‘I am your brother who was born after you left home, and my name is Peppercorn!’
On hearing this, his sister led him into the palace, but he had hardly had time to say a few words to her before a loud whirring was heard in the air, and the giant’s mace fell to the ground. For a moment Peppercorn was terrified at this, but he recovered himself quickly, and, pulling the mace out of the ground, flung it back to the giant, who, in astonishment, said to himself, ‘Who is this who throws my mace back to me? Methinks I have at last found someone able to fight with me!’
When the giant came home, he immediately asked his wife who had been in the cave, and she answered him, ‘It is my youngest brother!’ Thereupon the giant ordered the shepherd to bring the largest sheep in his flock. When this was brought, the giant killed it himself, and, whilst preparing it for roasting, said to Peppercorn, ‘Will you turn the meat, or will you take care of the fire?’ Peppercorn said he would rather gather wood and make the fire; so he went out and tumbled down some large trees with his mace. These he carried to the mouth of the cave, and made a large fire ready for the meat.
When the sheep was roasted, the giant cut it in two parts, and gave one half to Peppercorn, saying, ‘Take this half, and if you eat it before I eat my half you are free to kill me; but if you don’t, I shall surely kill you!’ So Peppercorn and the giant began to eat as fast as they could, swallowing down large pieces of meat, and, in their haste, almost choking themselves. At last, Peppercorn, by trickery, managed to get rid of his share of the sheep, and, according to the arrangement, killed the giant. This done, with the help of his sister, he collected all the treasures the giant had heaped up in his palace, and, taking them with him, returned home with his sister, to the great joy of their parents.
Peppercorn remained some time after this with his father, mother, and sister, and they lived very merrily on the treasures he had brought from the giant’s cave. At length, however, he saw that the riches were coming to an end, so he resolved to go into the world to seek his fortune.
After travelling about a good while he came one day to a large city where he saw a great crowd gathered 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!’