‘We must go up here,’ said Snati.
‘I don’t think that will be child’s play,’ said the Prince.
‘Hold fast by my tail,’ said Snati; and in this way he pulled Ring up on the lowest shelf of the rock. The Prince began to get giddy, but up went Snati on to the second shelf. Ring was nearly swooning by this time, but Snati made a third effort and reached the top of the cliff, where the Prince fell down in a faint. After a little, however, he recovered again, and they went a short distance along a level plain, until they came to a cave. This was on Christmas Eve. They went up above the cave, and found a window in it, through which they looked, and saw four trolls lying asleep beside the fire, over which a large porridge-pot was hanging.
‘Now you must empty all the salt into the porridge-pot,’ said Snati.
Ring did so, and soon the trolls wakened up. The old hag, who was the most frightful of them all, went first to taste the porridge.
‘How comes this?’ she said; ‘the porridge is salt! I got the milk by witchcraft yesterday out of four kingdoms, and now it is salt!’
All the others then came to taste the porridge, and thought it nice, but after they had finished it the old hag grew so thirsty that she could stand it no longer, and asked her daughter to go out and bring her some water from the river that ran near by.
‘I won’t go,’ said she, ‘unless you lend me your bright gold piece.’
‘Though I should die you shan’t have that,’ said the hag.