` They are easily carried , ' said Sigurd , gazing at them with scorn ; ` what wretched dried-up things ! Why in the world do you keep them ? ' ` Bather says that he would rather lose Gullfaxi than lose them , ' replied Helga , ` for if the man who rides the horse is pursued he has only to throw the twig behind him and it will turn into a forest , so thick that even a bird could hardly fly through . But if his enemy happens to know magic , and can throw down the forest , the man has only to strike the stone with the stick , and hailstones as large as pigeons ' eggs will rain down from the sky and will kill every one for twenty miles round . ' Having said all this she allowed Sigurd to ride ` just once ' round the house , taking the sword and other things with him . But when he had ridden round , instead of dismounting , he suddenly turned the horse 's head and galloped away . Soon after this Helga 's father came home and found his daughter in tears . He asked what was the matter , and when he heard all that had happened , he rushed off as fast as he could to pursue Sigurd . Now , as Sigurd happened to look behind him he saw the giant coming after him with great strides , and in all haste he threw the twig behind him . Immediately such a thick wood sprang up at once between him and his enemy that the giant was obliged to run home for an axe with which to cut his way through . The next time Sigurd glanced round , the giant was so near that he almost touched Gullfaxi 's tail . In an agony of fear Sigurd turned quickly in his saddle and hit the stone with the stick . No sooner had he done this than a terrible hailstorm burst behind , and the giant was killed on the spot . But had Sigurd struck the stone without turning round , the hail would have driven right into his face and killed him instead . After the giant was dead Sigurd rode on towards his own home , and on the way he suddenly met his stepmother 's little dog , running to meet him , with tears pouring down its face . He galloped on as hard as he could , and on arriving found nine men-servants in the act of tying Queen Ingiborg to a post in the courtyard of the palace , where they intended to burn her . Wild with anger Prince Sigurd sprang from his horse and , sword in hand , fell on the men and killed them all . Then he released his stepmother , and went in with her to see his father . The king lay in bed sick with sorrow , and neither eating nor drinking , for he thought that his son had been killed by the queen . He could hardly believe his own eyes for joy when he saw the prince , and Sigurd told him all his adventures .
After that Prince Sigurd rode back to fetch Helga , and a great feast was made which lasted three days ; and every one said no bride was ever seen so beautiful XXXXX Helga , and they lived happily for many , many years , and everybody loved them .
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