In return , the lady informed him that she had lately lost her husband , and suggested that they might both find it a comfort if they made friends . This pleased the king so much that he invited her to his palace , where they saw each other often ; and after a time he married her . After the wedding was over he soon regained his good spirits , and used to ride out hunting as in old days ; but Sigurd , who was very fond of his stepmother , always stayed at home with her . One evening Ingiborg said to Sigurd : ` To-morrow your father is going out hunting , and you must go with him . ' But Sigurd said he would much rather stay at home , and the next day when the king rode off Sigurd refused to accompany him . The stepmother was very angry , but he would not listen , and at last she assured him that he would be sorry for his disobedience , and that in future he had better do as he was told . After the hunting party had started she hid Sigurd under her bed , and bade him be sure to lie there till she called him . Sigurd lay very still for a long while , and was just thinking it was no good staying there any more , when he felt the floor shake under him as if there were an earthquake , and peeping out he saw a great giantess wading along ankle deep through the ground and ploughing it up as she walked . ` Good morning , Sister Ingiborg , ' cried she as she entered the room , ` is Prince Sigurd at home ? ' ` No , ' said Ingiborg ; ` he rode off to the forest with his father this morning . ' And she laid the table for her sister and set food before her . After they had both done eating the giantess said : ` Thank you , sister , for your good dinner -- the best lamb , the best can of beer and the best drink I have ever had ; but -- is not Prince Sigurd at home ? ' Ingiborg again said ` No ' ; and the giantess took leave of her and went away . When she was quite out of sight Ingiborg told Sigurd to come out of his hiding-place . The king returned home at night , but his wife told him nothing of what had happened , and the next morning she again begged the prince to go out hunting with his father . Sigurd , however , replied as before , that he would much rather stay at home . So once more the king rode off alone . This time Ingiborg hid Sigurd under the table , and scolded him well for not doing as she bade him . For some time he lay quite still , and then suddenly the floor began to shake , and a giantess came along wading half way to her knees through the ground . As she entered the house she asked , as the first one had done : ` Well , Sister Ingiborg , is Prince Sigurd at home ? '
` No , ' answered Ingiborg , ' he rode off hunting XXXXX his father this morning ' ; and going to the cupboard she laid the table for her sister .
After As In along at before for to under with