"oh! if that be all," said the troll, "there's no lack of lion's milk, if we only had the man to fetch it;" and then he went on to say how his brother had a garden with twelve lions in it, and how the lad might have the key if he had a mind to milk the lions. so the lad took the key and a milking pail, and strode off; and when he unlocked the gate and got into the garden, there stood all the twelve lions on their hind-paws, rampant and roaring at him. but the lad laid hold of the biggest, and led him about by the fore-paws, and dashed him against stocks and stones till there wasn't a bit of him left but the two paws. so when the rest saw that, they were so afraid that they crept up and lay at his feet like so many curs. after that they followed him about wherever he went, and when he got home, they lay down outside the house, with their fore-paws on the door sill.