Once upon a time, a king had seven sons whom he loved dearly. He could hardly bear to have all seven away from him, so when six of them grew old enough to seek brides, he kept the youngest at home. The six older princes would find wives for themselves and bring home a princess for their youngest brother as well.
The king spared no expense in preparing them for their journey. He gave them magnificent clothes that shone in the distance and fine horses worthy of princes. The six brothers rode away, travelling from one royal palace to another until they reached a kingdom where a king had six beautiful daughters.
Each prince fell in love with one of the princesses, and before long, all six had won their chosen brides. Delighted with their good fortune, the brothers set off for home. In their excitement, however, they forgot their promise to find a bride for their youngest brother, Boots.
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On their journey, they passed a steep mountainside where a terrible giant lived. The giant came out of his dwelling, looked upon the travelling party, and turned all six princes and their brides into stone.
Back at the palace, the king waited anxiously for his sons. As the days passed without their return, his sorrow grew unbearable.
“If you were not still here,” he told Boots, “I could hardly find a reason to go on living. I fear I shall never see your brothers again.”
Boots asked permission to search for them, but his father refused, afraid of losing his last remaining son. Yet the young prince would not abandon his brothers. After much pleading, the king finally allowed him to go.
All the fine horses had gone with the older princes, leaving Boots with a worn-out old animal. He mounted it without complaint, said goodbye to his father, and promised to return with his brothers.
Three Creatures in Need
Boots had not travelled far when he found a raven lying helplessly in the road, too hungry to fly away.
“Please give me something to eat,” begged the bird. “One day, when you need help most, I shall repay you.”
Boots had little food, but he shared what he could and continued on his way.
Soon he reached a stream where a great salmon lay stranded on dry ground, struggling desperately to return to the water.
“Help me back into the stream,” the fish pleaded, “and I shall repay your kindness when you are in great need.”
Boots pushed the salmon into the water. Although he doubted that a fish could ever help him, he could not bear to leave the creature to die.
Farther along the road, he encountered a starving wolf named Graylegs. The animal was so weak that it could barely crawl.
“Give me your horse,” the wolf begged. “I have gone without food for so long that I can scarcely stand.”
Boots hesitated. He had already shared his food and stopped to save the salmon. Without his horse, he would have no means of travelling quickly.
But Graylegs promised that he could carry the prince on his own back and repay the kindness when the time came.
Boots finally agreed. The wolf ate the horse, regained his strength, and allowed the prince to place the bridle and saddle upon him. Then, with Boots riding on his back, Graylegs raced across the countryside faster than any horse could have carried him.
Before long, they reached the giant’s dwelling.
“There is the house,” said the wolf. “Outside, you will find your six brothers and their brides, all turned to stone. Go inside, and you will find a princess who can tell you how to defeat the giant.”
Boots was frightened, but he went in.
The Giant’s Secret
Inside the house, Boots found a beautiful princess held captive by the giant. She was astonished to see him and warned that he was placing his life in danger.
“No one can defeat the giant,” she explained, “because he has no heart in his body.”
Boots refused to turn back. He intended to rescue his brothers, restore their brides, and free the princess. Together, they devised a plan. He would hide beneath the bed and listen carefully while she questioned the giant.
When the giant returned, he immediately sensed the presence of a human being.
“What is that smell of human blood?” he roared.
The princess quickly invented an explanation, claiming that a magpie had dropped a human bone down the chimney. Satisfied, the giant let the matter rest.
That night, the princess asked where he kept his heart.
The giant was suspicious of the question but eventually claimed that it lay beneath the threshold of the doorway. Boots heard everything from his hiding place.
The following morning, as soon as the giant left for the forest, Boots and the princess searched beneath the threshold. They dug and searched without success. His heart was nowhere to be found.
When the giant returned, the princess had scattered beautiful flowers over the threshold. He asked why she had decorated the place, and she pretended that she had done so because she loved him and knew his heart lay beneath it.
The giant laughed at her supposed foolishness and admitted that he had deceived her. His heart was actually hidden inside a cupboard against the wall.
The next day, Boots and the princess searched the cupboard while the giant was away. Again, they found nothing.
Once more, the princess decorated the place with flowers and garlands. When the giant returned, he questioned her about the decorations. She repeated her story about loving him and wanting to honour the place where his heart was kept.
The giant mocked her and insisted that she would never discover his secret. But the princess continued to question him until, at last, he revealed the truth.
Far away, he explained, there was a lake with an island in its waters. On the island stood a church. Inside the church was a well, and in that well swam a duck. Inside the duck was an egg, and inside that egg lay the giant’s heart.
Boots had finally learned what he needed to know.
The Journey to the Hidden Heart
At dawn, the giant went out into the forest again. Boots said farewell to the princess and hurried outside, where Graylegs was waiting.
The prince explained everything he had overheard. The wolf immediately offered to carry him to the distant lake.
They travelled over hills and valleys, across fields and through the countryside until they reached the water. Without hesitation, Graylegs plunged into the lake and swam with Boots on his back to the island.
When they reached the church, they discovered that its keys hung high upon the tower, beyond the prince’s reach.
“Call upon the raven,” the wolf instructed.
Boots called, and the raven he had fed earlier appeared. It flew up to the tower, retrieved the keys, and brought them down.
Inside the church, Boots found the well and saw the duck swimming in its water. He coaxed it towards him until he could catch it. But as he lifted the bird from the well, it dropped the egg into the water.
Boots feared that their efforts had been wasted.
“Call upon the salmon,” said Graylegs.
The prince called, and the salmon he had rescued from the dry streambed came to his aid. It dived into the well and brought the egg safely back to the surface.
At last, the giant’s heart was in Boots’s hands.
The Giant’s Defeat and the Great Wedding
Graylegs told Boots to squeeze the egg.
The moment the prince did so, the giant cried out in agony, although he was far away from the lake.
“Squeeze it again,” instructed the wolf.
Boots squeezed once more, and the giant screamed even louder. Terrified, he begged the prince to spare his life, promising to grant whatever he wished.
The wolf advised Boots to demand the restoration of his six brothers and their brides before agreeing to spare the giant.
The giant accepted immediately. In an instant, the six princes and their brides were restored from stone to life.
Now that Boots had secured their freedom, Graylegs gave his final instruction.
“Break the egg.”
Boots crushed it in his hand, and the giant burst apart, his life finally ended.
The prince returned to the giant’s house on the wolf’s back. There he found his six brothers alive and joyful, reunited with their brides. Boots also returned to the mountainside to bring the captive princess away from the giant’s dwelling.
Together, the seven princes and their brides set off for their father’s kingdom.
The king could scarcely believe his eyes when all his sons returned safely. His sorrow gave way to overwhelming happiness, and he welcomed the six older princes and their brides with open arms.
Then he looked at Boots and the princess beside him.
“Of all the brides, the youngest prince’s is the loveliest,” the king declared. “He shall have the place of honour at the table, with his bride beside him.”
The king ordered a magnificent wedding feast. Music, laughter, and celebration filled the palace, and the festivities continued for a very long time. And, as the old tale would have it, if the feast has not ended, they are still celebrating to this day.
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Moral
Kindness to those in need can return in unexpected ways, while courage, patience, and clever thinking can overcome seemingly impossible challenges. The story also reminds readers that strength and pride do not guarantee victory, and that cooperation can accomplish what one person cannot achieve alone.
Knowledge Check
1. Why did Boots leave the kingdom?
He wanted to find his six missing brothers and discover what had happened to them.
2. Which three creatures did Boots help on his journey?
He fed a raven, returned a stranded salmon to the water, and gave his horse to a starving wolf named Graylegs.
3. Where was the giant’s heart hidden?
It was inside an egg, which was inside a duck swimming in a well in a church on an island in a distant lake.
4. How did Boots finally defeat the giant?
With the wolf’s guidance, he retrieved the egg, forced the giant to restore his brothers and their brides, and then crushed the egg to destroy the giant.
5. What is the significance of the animals helping Boots?
Their assistance demonstrates how his earlier acts of kindness become essential to his success and the rescue of his family.
Source
The retelling is based on “The Giant Who Had No Heart in His Body,” a Norwegian traditional fairy tale included in Popular Tales from the Norse, collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe and translated by Sir George Webbe Dasent.
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