` Bring out thy son at once , ' roared he , ` or the stone that is highest will be lowest , ' and this time the real prince was brought . But though his parents wept bitterly and fancied the child was suffering all kinds of dreadful things , the giant treated him like his own son , though he never allowed him to see his daughters . The boy grew to be a big boy , and one day the giant told him that he would have to amuse himself alone for many hours , as he had a journey to make . So the boy wandered to the top of the castle , where he had never been before . There he paused , for the sound of music broke upon his ears , and opening a door near him , he beheld a girl sitting by the window , holding a harp . ` Haste and begone , I see the giant close at hand , ' she whispered hurriedly , ` but when he is asleep , return hither , for I would speak with thee . ' And the prince did as he was bid , and when midnight struck he crept back to the top of the castle . ` To-morrow , ' said the girl , who was the giant 's daughter , ` to-morrow thou wilt get the choice of my two sisters to marry , but thou must answer that thou wilt not take either , but only me . This will anger him greatly , for he wishes to betroth me to the son of the king of the Green City , whom I like not at all . ' Then they parted , and on the morrow , as the girl had said , the giant called his three daughters to him , and likewise the young prince to whom he spoke . ` Now , O son of the king of Tethertown , the time has come for us to part . Choose one of my two elder daughters to wife , and thou shalt take her to your father 's house the day after the wedding . ' ` Give me the youngest instead , ' replied the youth , and the giant 's face darkened as he heard him . ` Three things must thou do first , ' said he . ` Say on , I will do them , ' replied the prince , and the giant left the house , and bade him follow to the byre , where the cows were kept . ` For a hundred years no man has swept this byre , ' said the giant , ` but if by nightfall , when I reach home , thou has not cleaned it so that a golden apple can roll through it from end to end , thy blood shall pay for it . ' All day long the youth toiled , but he might as well have tried to empty the ocean . At length , when he was so tired he could hardly move , the giant 's youngest daughter stood in the doorway . ` Lay down thy weariness , ' said she , and the king 's son , thinking he could only die once , sank on the floor at her bidding , and fell sound asleep . When he woke the girl had disappeared , and the byre was so clean that a golden apple could roll from end to end of it .
He jumped up in surprise , and at that moment XXXXX came the giant .
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