“I have saved your head this night. Here are the scissors for you.”
In the morning, when breakfast was ready, she came down from the top of the house. She was wet and dripping. She asked him had he the scissors to give her. He put his hand in his pocket. He threw her the scissors. She gave one sweep. She did not leave a bit of delf on the table she did not break in her rage. The king’s son said to the king he had two-thirds of his daughter won.
“You have,” said the king; “and I hope you will win her altogether. I am tired of her.”
They went hunting that day till night came. When supper was ready, she came down with a flight.
“Unless you have the last lips I shall kiss this night, I’ll have your head.”
“It’s hard for me,” said the king’s son, “to know what are the last lips you kiss.”
He was so troubled he did not know what to do. The red man was comforting him till he got him to bed. Then he went out. She came out. She went to the island. When she got in on the island the giant was bellowing on the shore.
“Have you anything for me?” said the giant.
“I will never give you anything more. You let the comb go; you let the scissors go: he had the two to give me in the morning. To-night I put on him obligations for something he won’t have to give me: that is, the last lips I shall kiss this night—and those are your lips.”
She went to milk the goats. She mixed a part of blood, and a part of milk. She made ready the supper. They ate and drank enough. He got the iron harrow and the skin of the white mare. They lay upon that till morning. When the day came upon the morrow she kissed him three times.
“Those are the last lips I shall kiss. He won’t have them to give me to-morrow.”
She rose and she went. When she went out the red man whisked the head off the giant. He put a knot in the ear. He threw it over his shoulder. He was on the shore as soon as she was. She went into the boat. She was drawing to home. He went out after her. Much as he drenched her the nights before, twice as much did he drench her this night. They went home. The red man came to his master in bed.
“Here are the last lips she kissed last night, and, by my faith, they were ugly lips for a lady to be kissing.”
He took the head and threw it under the bed. When breakfast was ready in the morning she came down with a flight. She asked him,—