So they called the Raven, and he came and flew up over the top of the church, and into the belfry, and down into the porter’s room, and caught up the keys of the church, and in a moment he was back with them. Then Boots opened the doors and he and the Wolf and the Raven entered; and in the church they found a well, as the Giant had said, and on the water in the well there was a duck swimming backward and forward. Then Boots caught up the duck in his hands, and thought that now he had the Giant’s heart, when suddenly the duck let the egg drop into the water.
“Now,” said the Wolf, “we must call the Salmon.”
So they called the Salmon, and he swam down into the water and brought up the egg in his mouth, and Boots caught up the egg in his hand and squeezed it hard, and at once the Giant far off in the forest cried out.
“Squeeze it harder,” cried the Salmon, “and I shall be free.”
But the Giant far off in the woods begged hard for his life, and the Wolf said: “Tell him that if he would have you spare his life he must at once set free your brothers and their brides and their retainers,” said the Wolf.
So Boots cried aloud this message to the Giant, squeezing the heart which he held in his hand as he did so; and the Giant called to him from far off in the forest that he had already done this, even as Boots had asked him, and now would he please let his heart sink back into the water.
“No,” said the Raven, “squeeze it but a little harder, and I shall be free!”
So Boots squeezed the heart harder and harder, until at last it was squeezed quite in two, and what was his surprise to see standing beside him two young Princes, fair, almost, as the fair Princess in the Giant’s castle, who Boots knew was the most beautiful in all the seven kingdoms.
“Let us hasten back to the castle, now,” said the Wolf, “that we may tell the Princes and their brides and the Princess in the castle that the Giant is dead, and they have nothing more to fear.”
Then the Wolf lifted up his voice and howled, and at once two other wolves stood beside them. “Climb up, each one of you,” said the first Wolf, “and we will be back at the castle in no time.”