He obtained his request , and was taken on as stableman , to tend the king 's horses . Some time passed , and he noticed how the king always went about sorrowing and grieving , and was never glad or happy . One day the king came into the stable , where there was no one present except the youth , who said straight out to him that , with his majesty 's permission , he wished to ask him why he was so sorrowful . ` It 's of no use speaking about that , ' said the king ; ` you can not help me , at any rate . ' ` You do n't know about that , ' said the youth ; ' I know well enough what it is that lies so heavy on your mind , and I know also of a plan to get the money paid . ' This was quite another case , and the king had more talk with the stableman , who said that he could easily lend the king the six bushels of money , but would only do it on condition that he should be allowed to accompany the king when he went to pay the debt , and that he should then be dressed like the king 's court fool , and run before him . He would cause some trouble , for which the king would be severely spoken to , but he would answer for it that no harm would befall him . The king gladly agreed to all that the youth proposed , and it was now high time for them to set out . When they came to the troll 's dwelling it was no longer in the bank , but on the top of this there stood a large castle which the youth had never seen before . The troll could , in fact , make it visible or invisible , just as he pleased , and , knowing as much as he did of the troll 's magic arts , the youth was not at all surprised at this . When they came near to this castle , which looked as if it was of pure glass , the youth ran on in front as the king 's fool . Heran sometimes facing forwards , sometimes backwards , stood sometimes on his head , and sometimes on his feet , and he dashed in pieces so many of the troll 's big glass windows and doors that it was something awful to see , and overturned everything he could , and made a fearful disturbance . The troll came rushing out , and was so angry and furious , and abused the king with all his might for bringing such a wretched fool with him , as he was sure that he could not pay the least bit of all the damage that had been done when he could not even pay off his old debt . The fool , however , spoke up , and said that he could do so quite easily , and the king then came forward with the six bushels of money which the youth had lent him . They were measured and found to be correct . This the troll had not reckoned on , but he could make no objection against it . The old debt was honestly paid , and the king got his bond back again . But there still remained all the damage that had been done that day , and the king had nothing with which to pay for this . The troll , therefore , sentenced the king , either to answer three questions that he would put to him , or have his head taken off , as was agreed on in the old bond . There was nothing else to be done than to try to answer the troll 's riddles .
The fool then stationed himself just by the king 's side while the troll came forward XXXXX his questions .
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