"Yes," said the giant, "I promised that, and I suppose I must stay."
Shamruck, first having turned the empty bowl upside down on the floor for the King to sit upon, now told all that occurred to him in the last few days, and how it had happened that he was still at home.
"Little girl," said the King, "the Christmas panniers are yours, and in the morning you shall know everything about them. You shall now come with me to my palace, and the Queen will have you washed and dressed suitably for Christmas."
The festivities in the city began soon after breakfast. The little girl was the heroine of the day. The Christmas panniers were presented to her amid great cheering and rejoicing, and the King told her all about them.
"If I am to give the panniers away," she said. "I shall give them to Shamruck, for he is the best person I know."
It was not very polite to say this before the King, and some of the courtiers smiled a little; but his Majesty said, "You have made a good choice." And he patted her on the head.
Then, turning to his treasurer, he said: "If these panniers are to go to Shamruck, you must hasten to empty them of their contents. The giant will not want the pretty knickknacks and costly ornaments they contain. Put the panniers on the back of the stoutest mule in the stables, and fill them with gold and silver coin."
This was speedily done, and the stout mule had scarcely staggered into the great square in which the court and the people were assembled, when Shamruck approached. He was late; but messengers who had been sent up to see what detained him had reported that he had not answered to their calls, but looking through the cracks of the door, they had seen him mending his clothes. So nothing was said to him about his tardiness; and although he looked rather shabby among the people in their holiday clothes, nobody cared for that. He was cheered and welcomed as no one had ever been welcomed before in that great city. When he was told that the panniers were his, he stood still for a minute, and said not a word. Then he turned to the King, and said,
"I will not take the panniers unless I can also have the little girl."
"Will you go to him?" asked the King of the child.