him three times, but on the third, she was to proclaim that he was the true killer of the ogres. Each time Ritter Red struck him, it revealed a new robe, and when the princess proclaimed the truth, Ritter Red produced the lungs and tongues, and Shortshanks the silver and gold, and the king judged that Shortshanks was the true killer and threw Ritter Red in a snake pit. The king told Shortshanks that another ogre had carried off his older daughter. Shortshanks asked for a long iron cable, five hundred men, and food for them all, and had it put on his ship. The ship carried them to the middle of the sea. Shortshanks tied the cable to himself and descended, with orders to be pulled back up if he pulled the cable. At the bottom, he found the princess, who told him that the ogre was looking for someone who could brew one hundred lasts of malt at once, for his feast. The princess told the ogre of him, and the ogre set him to brew. He brewed the ale so strong that all the ogres died of it. Then he had the five hundred men pull up him, the princess, and the ogre's gold and silver. Both princesses wanted to marry him, but he wanted to marry the first one he saved, the younger. He summoned his brother King Sturdy, who saw there was no danger, and struck him down. Shortshanks told him why he wanted him, and King Sturdy begged his forgiveness. Shortshanks sent him into the house, saying that whichever princess kissed him would marry him, because the older was stronger and bigger and would reach him first. So King Sturdy married the older, and Shortshanks the younger, princess. Translations Under the title "Minnikin", it was included by Andrew Lang in The Red Fairy Book. A version titled Lillekort was published in The Diamond Fairy Book and attributed to Xavier Marmier. See also Dapplegrim Graeae The Gold-Children The Two Brothers References External links SurLaLune Fairy Tale site "Shortshanks" Norwegian fairy tales Scandinavian folklore ATU 300-399 Asbjørnsen and Moe