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 through the blackthorn , and then he laid the axe and the knife under a tree . ' I will leave them there till I return , ' he murmured to himself , but a hoodie crow , which was sitting on a branch above , heard him . ` If thou leavest them , ' said the hoodie , ` we will steal them . ' ` You will , ' answered the giant , ` and I must take them home . ' So he took them home , and started afresh on his journey . ` My father 's breath is burning my back , ' cried the girl at midday .
` Put thy finger in the mare 's ear and throw behind thee whatever thou findest in it , ' and the king 's son found a splinter XXXXX grey stone , and threw it behind him , and in a twinkling twenty miles of solid rock lay between them and the giant .
By above at behind from of outside till under up