Suddenly his eyes fell on the hand of the middle one , and there was no little finger . ` Thou hast aimed well this time too , ' said the giant , as the king 's son laid his hand on her shoulder , ` but perhaps we may meet some other way ' ; and though he pretended to laugh , the bride saw a gleam in his eye which warned her of danger . The wedding took place that very night , and the hall was filled with giants and gentlemen , and they danced till the house shook from top to bottom . At last everyone grew tired , and the guests went away , and the king 's son and his bride were left alone . ` If we stay here till dawn my father will kill thee , ' she whispered , ` but thou art my husband and I will save thee , as I did before , ' and she cut an apple into nine pieces , and put two pieces at the head of the bed , and two pieces at the foot , and two pieces at the door of the kitchen , and two at the big door , and one outside the house . And when this was done , and she heard the giant snoring , she and the king 's son crept out softly and stole across to the stable , where she led out the blue-grey mare and jumped on its back , and her husband mounted behind her . Not long after , the giant awoke . ` Are you asleep ? ' asked he . ` Not yet , ' answered the apple at the head of the bed , and the giant turned over , and soon was snoring as loudly as before . By and bye he called again . ` Are you asleep ? ' ` Not yet , ' said the apple at the foot of the bed , and the giant was satisfied . After a while , he called a third time , ` Are you asleep ? ' ` Not yet , ' replied the apple in the kitchen , but when in a few minutes , he put the question for the fourth time and received an answer from the apple outside the house door , he guessed what had happened , and ran to the room to look for himself . The bed was cold and empty ! ` My father 's breath is burning my back , ' cried the girl , ` put thy hand into the ear of the mare , and whatever thou findest there , throw it behind thee . ' And in the mare 's ear there was a twig of sloe tree , and as he threw it behind him there sprung up twenty miles of thornwood so thick that scarce a weasel could go through it . And the giant , who was striding headlong forwards , got caught in it , and it pulled his hair and beard . ` This is one of my daughter 's tricks , ' he said to himself , ` but if I had my big axe and my wood-knife , I would not be long making a way through this , ' and off he went home and brought back the axe and the wood-knife .
It took him but a short time to cut a road XXXXX the blackthorn , and then he laid the axe and the knife under a tree . '
At By behind if in into that through till with