One day , however , a sea captain came and asked Halvor if he had n't a fancy to come with him and go to sea , and behold foreign lands . And Halvor had a fancy for that , so he was not long in getting ready . How long they sailed I have no idea , but after a long , long time there was a terrible storm , and when it was over and all had become calm again , they knew not where they were , for they had been driven away to a strange coast of which none of them had any knowledge . As there was no wind at all they lay there becalmed , and Halvor asked the skipper to give him leave to go on shore to look about him , for he would much rather do that than lie there and sleep . ` Dost thou think that thou art fit to go where people can see thee ? ' said the skipper ; ` thou hast no clothes but those rags thou art going about in ! ' Halvor still begged for leave , and at last got it , but he was to come back at once if the wind began to rise . So he went on shore , and it was a delightful country ; whithersoever he went there were wide plains with fields and meadows , but as for people , there were none to be seen . The wind began to rise , but Halvor thought that he had not seen enough yet , and that he would like to walk about a little longer , to try if he could not meet somebody . So after a while he came to a great highway , which was so smooth that an egg might have been rolled along it without breaking . Halvor followed this , and when evening drew near he saw a big castle far away in the distance , and there were lights in it . So as he had now been walking the whole day and had not brought anything to eat away with him , he was frightfully hungry . Nevertheless , the nearer he came to the castle the more afraid he was . A fire was burning in the castle , and Halvor went into the kitchen , which was more magnificent than any kitchen he had ever yet beheld . There were vessels of gold and silver , but not one human being was to be seen . When Halvor had stood there for some time , and no one had come out , he went in and opened a door , and inside a Princess was sitting at her wheel spinning . ` Nay ! ' she cried , ` can Christian folk dare to come hither ? But the best thing that you can do is to go away again , for if not the Troll will devour you . A Troll with three heads lives here . ' '
I should have been just as well pleased if he had had four heads more , for I should have enjoyed seeing the fellow , ' said the youth ; ` and I wo n't go away , for I have done no harm , but you must give me something XXXXX eat , for I am frightfully hungry . '
as at if in inside into nearer than to without