It was just opening its mouth to bark , when Niels fired , and it fell dead on the spot . ` Go down on the inside now , ' said the giant , ` and see if you can open the gate to us . ' Niels made his way down into the courtyard , but on his way to the outer gate he found himself at the entrance to the large hall of the castle . The door was open , and the hall was brilliantly lighted , though there was no one to be seen . Niels went in here and looked round him : on the wall there hung a huge sword without a sheath , and beneath it was a large drinking-horn , mounted with silver . Niels went closer to look at these , and saw that the horn had letters engraved on the silver rim : when he took it down and turned it round , he found that the inscription was : -- Whoever drinks the wine I hold Can wield the sword that hangs above ; Then let him use it for the right , And win a royal maiden 's love . Niels took out the silver stopper of the horn , and drank some of the wine , but when he tried to take down the sword he found himself unable to move it . So he hung up the horn again , and went further in to the castle . ` The giants can wait a little , ' he said . Before long he came to an apartment in which a beautiful princess lay asleep in a bed , and on a table by her side there lay a gold-hemmed handkerchief . Niels tore this in two , and put one half in his pocket , leaving the other half on the table . On the floor he saw a pair of gold-embroidered slippers , and one of these he also put in his pocket . After that he went back to the hall , and took down the horn again . ` Perhaps I have to drink all that is in it before I can move the sword , ' he thought ; so he put it to his lips again and drank till it was quite empty . When he had done this , he could wield the sword with the greatest of ease , and felt himself strong enough to do anything , even to fight the giants he had left outside , who were no doubt wondering why he had not opened the gate to them before this time . To kill the giants , he thought , would be using the sword for the right ; but as to winning the love of the princess , that was a thing which the son of a poor sheep-farmer need not hope for . When Niels came to the gate of the castle , he found that there was a large door and a small one , so he opened the latter . ` Ca n't you open the big door ? ' said the giants ; ` we shall hardly be able to get in at this one . ' ` The bars are too heavy for me to draw , ' said Niels ; ` if you stoop a little you can quite well come in here . '
The first giant accordingly bent down and entered XXXXX a stooping posture , but before he had time to straighten his back again Niels made a sweep with the sword , and oft went the giant 's head .
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