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And now the youth rode onwards for a long, long time, over hill and dale, over rocky places and morasses, and then Dapplegrim began to listen again, and asked the youth if he heard anything now. 'Yes; now I hear such a dreadful crackling and crashing in the forest on every side that I think I shall be really afraid, said the youth.
The second time the Princess changed herself into a loaf, and laid herself on the table among four other loaves; and she was so like the other loaves that no one could see any difference between them. But the youth again went down to the stable to Dapplegrim, and told him that the Princess had hidden herself again, and that he had not the least idea what had become of her.
Then he was to go and hide; but he and Dapplegrim had settled it all so well beforehand, it wasn't easy to find him.
'Oh yes, I have a match', said Dapplegrim; 'but 'tisn't so easy to find him, for he abides in Hell. Still we'll try.
'That is all the wild beasts in the forest, said Dapplegrim; 'they are sent out to stop us. But just throw out the twelve carcasses of the oxen, and they will be so much occupied with them that they will quite forget us. So the youth threw out the carcasses of the oxen, and then all the wild beasts in the forest, both bears and wolves, and lions, and grim beasts of all kinds, came.
Then she changed herself into a duck, and lay swimming in a lake that was just outside the palace. But the youth went down into the stable and asked Dapplegrim what she had done with herself. 'Oh, all that you have to do is to take your gun, and go down to the water and aim at the duck which is swimming about there, and she will soon discover herself, said Dapplegrim.
"Yes, I hear something like a colt neighing loudly a long, long way off," answered the lad. "That's a full-grown colt, then," said Dapplegrim, "if we hear him neigh so loud such a long way off." After that they travelled a good bit, changing the landscape once or twice, maybe. Then Dapplegrim gave another neigh. "Now listen, and tell me if you hear anything," he said.
'Yes, I hear something like a colt neighing loud, a long long way off', answered the lad. 'That's a full-grown colt then', said Dapplegrim, 'if we hear him neigh so loud such a long way off. After that they travelled a good bit, changing the landscape once or twice, maybe. Then Dapplegrim gave another neigh. 'Now listen, and tell me if you hear anything', he said.
As for Dapplegrim and the lad, they forgot all about them, and did them no harm. So the lad rode on and on far, far over mountain and dale, over sand-hills and moor. Then Dapplegrim began to prick up his ears again, and at last he asked the lad if he heard anything. "Yes, now I hear such an ugly rushing and howling in the wood all round, it makes me quite afraid."
The youth seated himself on him, and once more they went their way, and for each hop that Dapplegrim made, down went the hill fifteen ells into the earth, and so they went on until there was no hill left for the King to see.
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