"Down the mountainside came thundering, Fierce and wild, a giant tall, Carried off the lovely princess--"
"No, no, Nils," cried Erik. "You can't let him do it. You shan't!"
Nils smiled, but it was a bitter smile. "What are you saying?" he asked Erik. "Do you think that I, a poor tenant farmer, could possibly prevent the marriage of Fru Hansson's daughter?"
"Yes, yes!" screamed Erik. "You must! You shan't allow this giant--this Baron to marry her!" He recalled the words of his song,
"Then the brave prince slew the giant, Carried off the princess fair."
And he added, "You must march against him. That's what you must do. With a sword and--and a shield and--"
[Illustration: "YOU MUST MARCH AGAINST HIM"]
"And if you don't watch out, you'll drop that platter," laughed Nils.
Erik put down the platter and the knife. He had snatched them up in his anger and excitement, to use them as a shield and a sword.
Oh, but Greta must never marry anybody but Nils! Ever since childhood, they had been the best of friends, and Erik knew that his big brother loved Greta dearly.
However, he had never told her so, for Fru Hansson was proud and belonged to an old, aristocratic family, while Nils was only a peasant. Still in the fairy tales it was always poor Boots who won the princess in the end, because he was brave and cut off the heads of giants.
At the supper table, Erik, who usually did all the talking, was strangely quiet. He did not ask for second helpings of food--which worried his mother. And when, soon after supper, he stole silently away to bed, she decided that all was not well.
When she came to kiss him good night in his funny little cupboard bed built into the wall, she found him scowling to himself and mumbling.
"Then off came his head!" answered Erik to the ceiling.
"Off came--what?" cried the astonished mother.
"His head. The giant's," said Erik. "It happened in a fairy tale. The prince slew him with his sword and rescued the princess and--"
"Go to sleep," said his mother, and tucked him in.
That night Erik dreamed of Baron Karl. He was a monster with long, hairy arms; with shoulders like huge boulders and a neck as thick as a bull's.
Next morning Erik could hardly wait to see this terrible creature--this enemy who had come to take Greta away from Nils. So he ran over to the big house and stood outside in the courtyard. He knew that soon the family would be coming out on their way to church. Sunday chimes already were ringing from the near-by village.