when they were again sitting at table the king said, "thou hast certainly done the fish-pond, but i cannot give thee my daughter yet; thou must just do one thing more." "what is that, then?" asked the king’s son. the king said he had a great mountain on which there was nothing but briars which must all be cut down, and at the top of it the youth must build up a great castle, which must be as strong as could be conceived, and all the furniture and fittings belonging to a castle must be inside it. and when he arose next morning the king gave him a glass axe and a glass gimlet with him, and he was to have all done by six o’clock. as he was cutting down the first briar with the axe, it broke off short, and so small that the pieces flew all round about, and he could not use the gimlet either. then he was quite miserable, and waited for his dearest to see if she would not come and help him in his need. when it was mid-day she came and brought him something to eat. he went to meet her and told her all, and ate something, and let her comb his hair and fell asleep. then she once more took the knot and struck the earth with it, and said, "earth-workers, come forth!" then came once again numbers of earth-men, and asked what her desire was. then said she, "in the space of three hours they must cut down the whole of the briars, and a castle must be built on the top of the mountain that must be as strong as any one could conceive, and all the furniture that pertains to a castle must be inside it." they went away, and summoned their kindred to help them and when the time was come, all was ready.