Then a pink and grey parrot hopped up to the giant, who by this time was stretching himself and giving yawns which shook the castle.The parrot waited a little, until he was really awake, and then she said boldly that she had been sent to take away the crown, which was not his any longer, now his daughter the queen was dead.
On hearing these words the giant leapt out of bed with an angry roar, and sprang at the parrot in order to wring her neck with his great hands.But the bird was too quick for him, and, flying behind his back, begged the giant to have patience, as her death would be of no use to him.
'That is true,' answered the giant; 'but I am not so foolish as to give you that crown for nothing.Let me think what I will have in exchange!' And he scratched his huge head for several minutes, for giants' minds always move slowly.
'Ah, yes, that will do!' exclaimed the giant at last, his face brightening.'You shall have the crown if you will bring me a collar of blue stones from the Arch of St.Martin, in the Great City.'
Now when the parrot had been a girl she had often heard of this wonderful arch and the precious stones and marbles that had been let into it.It sounded as if it would be a very hard thing to get them away from the building of which they formed a part, but all had gone well with her so far, and at any rate she could but try.So she bowed to the giant, and made her way back to the window where the giant could not see her.Then she called quickly:
'Eagle, come to me!'
Before she had even reached the tree she felt herself borne up on strong wings ready to carry her to the clouds if she wished to go there, and seeming a mere speck in the sky, she was swept along till she beheld the Arch of St.Martin far below, with the rays of the sun shining on it.Then she swooped down, and, hiding herself behind a buttress so that she could not be detected from below, she set herself to dig out the nearest blue stones with her beak.It was even harder work than she had expected; but at last it was done, and hope arose in her heart.She next drew out a piece of string that she had found hanging from a tree, and sitting down to rest strung the stones together.When the necklace was finished she hung it round her neck, and called: 'Parrot, come to me!' And a little later the pink and grey parrot stood before the giant.
'Here is the necklace you asked for,' said the parrot.And the eyes of the giant glistened as he took the heap of blue stones in his hand.
But for all that he was not minded to give up the crown.
'They are hardly as blue as I expected,' he grumbled, though the parrot knew as well as he did that he was not speaking the truth; 'so you must bring me something else in exchange for the crown you covet so much.
If you fail it will cost you not only the crown but you life also.'
'What is it you want now?' asked the parrot; and the giant answered:
'If I give you my crown I must have another still more beautiful; and this time you shall bring me a crown of stars.'
The parrot turned away, and as soon as she was outside she murmured:
'Toad, come to me!' And sure enough a toad she was, and off she set in search of the starry crown.
She had not gone far before she came to a clear pool, in which the stars were reflected so brightly that they looked quite real to touch and handle.Stooping down she filled a bag she was carrying with the shining water and, returning to the castle, wove a crown out of the reflected stars.Then she cried as before:
'Parrot, come to me!' And in the shape of a parrot she entered the presence of the giant.
'Here is the crown you asked for,' she said; and this time the giant could not help crying out with admiration.He knew he was beaten, and still holding the chaplet of stars, he turned to the girl.
'Your power is greater than mine: take the crown; you have won it fairly!'
