“But remember,” said the maiden, “when he asks how much you want, you are to say: ‘As much as I can carry.’”
The Prince promised to do as she said, and they sat down close together and talked until the evening of what they would do when they escaped from the Giant and went home to get married.
When evening came the maiden reminded the Prince of the Giant’s coming, and he went to get the money from the fiery monster. Everything happened as the maiden said; and when the monster, with sparks flying everywhere from him, asked fiercely, “How much do you want?” the Prince was not in the least afraid, but said: “As much as I can carry.”
“It is a good thing you did not ask for a horse-load,” said the monster; and he took the Prince in and filled a sack, which was as much as the Prince could do to carry. Indeed, that was nothing to what the Prince saw there, for gold and silver coins lay around, inside the mountain, like pebbles on the seashore.
The Prince carried the money back to the Giant’s house; and when the Giant reached home, the Prince sat quietly in his room, whistling softly, just as if he had never risen from his seat since the Giant left.
The Giant demanded the money for his taxes. “Here it is,” said the Prince, showing him the bursting sack. The Giant examined the money, and then again accused the Prince of having been talking to the Master-Maid.
“Master,” said the Prince, “this is the third day you have talked about the Master-Maid. Will you let me see her?”
The Giant looked at the Prince from under his bushy eyebrows, and said: “It is time enough to-morrow. I will show her to you myself, and you will see quite enough of her,” and he went off and left the Prince to his sleep.
But next morning, early, the Giant strode into the Prince’s room, and saying, “Now I will take you to see the Master-Maid,” he opened the door of the fourth room, beckoned the Prince to follow him in, and said to the maiden: “Kill this youth, boil him in the large cauldron, and when the broth is ready, call me.”
Then, just as if he had said nothing more startling than “Prepare some cauliflower for dinner,” he lay down on the bench and fell so fast asleep that his snores sounded like thunder.