So they told him that he should have sweet hay and oats , and as much of them as the dappled horse chose to have , and all the other riders had to take their horses out of the stable that Dapplegrim might stand alone and really have plenty of room . But this did not last long , for the other people in the King 's Court became envious of the lad , and there was no bad thing that they would not have done to him if they had but dared . At last they bethought themselves of telling the King that the youth had said that , if he chose , he was quite able to rescue the Princess who had been carried off into the mountain a long time ago by the Troll . The King immediately summoned the lad into his presence , and said that he had been informed that he had said that it was in his power to rescue the Princess , so he was now to do it . If he succeeded in this , he no doubt knew that the King had promised his daughter and half the kingdom to anyone who set her free , which promise should be faithfully and honourably kept , but if he failed he should be put to death . The youth denied that he had said this , but all to no purpose , for the King was deaf to all his words ; so there was nothing to be done but say that he would make the attempt . He went down into the stable , and very sad and full of care he was . Then Dapplegrim inquired why he was so troubled , and the youth told him , and said that he did not know what to do , ` for as to setting the Princess free , that was downright impossible . ' ` Oh , but it might be done , ' said Dapplegrim . ' I will help you ; but you must first have me well shod . You must ask for ten pounds of iron and twelve pounds of steel for the shoeing , and one smith to hammer and one to hold . ' So the youth did this , and no one said him nay . He got both the iron and the steel , and the smiths , and thus was Dapplegrim shod strongly and well , and when the youth went out of the King 's palace a cloud of dust rose up behind him . But when he came to the mountain into which the Princess had been carried , the difficulty was to ascend the precipitous wall of rock by which he was to get on to the mountain beyond , for the rock stood right up on end , as steep as a house side and as smooth as a sheet of glass . The first time the youth rode at it he got a little way up the precipice , but then both Dapplegrim 's fore legs slipped , and down came horse and rider with a sound like thunder among the mountains . The next time that he rode at it he got a little farther up , but then one of Dapplegrim 's fore legs slipped , and down they went with the sound of a landslip . But the third time Dapplegrim said : ` Now we must show what we can do , ' and went at it once more till the stones sprang up sky high , and thus they got up . Then the lad rode into the mountain cleft at full gallop and caught up the Princess on his saddle-bow , and then out again before the Troll even had time to stand up , and thus the Princess was set free . When the youth returned to the palace the King was both happy and delighted to get his daughter back again , as may easily be believed , but somehow or other the people about the Court had so worked on him that he was angry with the lad too . ` Thou shalt have my thanks for setting my Princess free , ' he said , when the youth came into the palace with her , and was then about to go away .
She ought to be just as much my Princess as she is yours now , XXXXX you are a man of your word , ' said the youth .
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