Vidrick Verlandson and Giant Langbane

King Diderick he sits at home at Bern,
And boasts of his power and might,
Of wondrous feats he has done in war,
And many a humbled knight.

King Diderick is peering from castle tower
As wide as his eye can see;
"Would God, that a Hero so stout I knew,
"As dared to contend with me!"

Him answer'd the Master Hildebrand,
For travell'd had he so far;
"There dwells a champion at Birtingsberg
"Thou darest not meet in war."

"Now hark thee, good Master Hildebrand,
"So brave on the battle field!
"Ride foremost thou in the wood to day,
"And carry my royal shield."

"Nay" answer'd the Master Hildebrand,
For prudent as brave was he;
"I will not carry thy shield to day,
"Such honour becomes not me."

Then up and spake Vidrick Verlandson,
So hasty and warm of mood;
"'Tis I that will lead the band today,
"And march through Birting wood."

'Twas so spake Vidrick t Verlandson,
And rous'd himself to wrath:
"My sword is a finely tempered blade,
"Cuts iron as well as cloth."

Three hundred champions brave they were,
Came marching to Birting's ground,
And hunted the giant Langbane out,
And him in the forest found.

Then up and spake Vidrick Verlandson,
"Strange game it is we shall try;
"Let me to the wood first ride alone,
"If ye can on me rely."

And answer'd him Diderick thus, the king,
For jealous of fame was he;
"If Langbane the giant thou dost find,
"Conceal not the truth from me,"

He waited not, Vidrick Verlandson,
But off to the forest sped,
And there he a narrow footpath found,
That straight to the giant led.

As onward and onward Vidrick march'd,
O'er Birting's heath away,
He came to where, all so grim and black,
The giant Langbane lay.

The slumbering giant he rous'd from sleep
With thrust of his spear so rough;
"Awake thee, Giant! Wake, Langbane, wake!
Methinks thou hast slept enough."

On this wild heath for many a year
"I've rested me day and night,
"And never has one come here before
"To wake me from sleep to fight."

"But now it is Vidrick Verlandson
"With sword of the keenest steel,
"I'm come from dreaming to wake thee up,
"Its edge I'll make thee feel."

The Giant Langbane he turn'd him round,
And wink'd with his sleepy eyes;
"What paltry foolish young swain is this,
"A Giant like me defies?

"But hark thee, I will not fight with thee,
"Unless of a knightly race;
"So tell to me who and whence thou art,
"And all thy lineage trace."

"My father was Verland, the canning smith,
"And well he deserv'd his fame;
"My mother, the child of a king was she,
"Fair Bodild she hight by name.

"My shield's call'd Skrepping, and on its face
"Has many an arrow play'd;
"And this my helmet of steel, call'd Blank,
"Has broken many a blade.

"And Skimming is named my noble horse,
"Of wild mare foal'd in the wood;
"And Mimmering is call'd my trusty sword
"Well temper'd in hero's blood.

"Myself I am Vidrick Verlandson,
"And well I am clad in steel;
"And stirrest thou not thy lengthy legs,
"My strength thou wilt quickly feel.

"And further, thou Giant Langbane, hark!
"My message is quickly told,
"The king outside of the forest waits
"To take thy tribute of gold."

"As much as I own of treasur'd gold,
"I keep it in safety stored;
"And never will let it be told of me,
"That stable-boy won my hoard"

"As young and as little as I may seem,
"Thy strength I will surely break;
"From off its carcase I'll lop thy head,
"And all thy treasures take."

The Giant Langbane would fain in peace
A little while longer lie;
"Young hero, return in safety home,
"Unless thou art will'd to die."

Then rear'd him Skimming on both his legs,
And right on the Giant ran.
And seven of his ribs he broke at once,
The battle with that began.

All foaming with wrath the Giant rose,
And whirled his massy bar;
At Vidrick he aim'd it, but sped the steel
Away to the hill afar.

Full surely the Giant Langbane thought
To slaughter his puny foe,
But Skimming so nimbly had leap'd aside,
That Vidrick had miss'd the blow.

The Giant he gnash'd his teeth with rage,
And loudly began to wail;
"As firm in the hill-side sticks the bar,
"As hammer could drive a nail."

Nor longer did Vidrick then delay,
For wrathful of mood he grew;
"Turn, Skimming, about! and, Mimmering, ware!
"See thou, what thou canst do."

Sword Mimmering he took in both his hands
And straight at Langbane ran,
And down to his entrails through his breast
He clove that monstrous man.

The Giant Langbane had now from sleep
Woke up with the deadly pain,
And if he had only had the power,
Had paid it him back again.

A curse on thee, Vidrick Verlandson!
"A curse on thy trenchant blade!
"Such pain and anguish thy hand has dealt,
"So deadly a wound has made."

"I'll mince thee up into bits as small
"As leaves in an autumn wind,
"Unless thou tellest, where in this wood
"Thy treasure heaps I may find."

"Have mercy, good Vidrick Verlandson,
"Forbear thee to strike me dead;
"And I will show thee my treasure house,
"Its roof of the gold so red."

The Giant he crept, and Vidrick rode
So deep in the murky wood,
And found, where, shining as bright as fire,
The house with the gold roof stood.

"Now roll from the mouth that massy stone,
"And raise from its hinge the door,
"And more the gold than in all thy land
"Thou findest therein in store."

Vidrick could scarcely stir the stone,
Though he with his two hands strove;
But Langbane with ease the weighty mass
With only two fingers hove.

"Now turn thee homeward, my pretty page,
"And make me no more ado,
"For more than thou with both thy hands
"I carry with fingers two."

"Nay, nay," said Vidrick Verlandson,
"Thy cunning is too well known;
"No man that is wise will waste his strength
"In heaving a block of stone."

"A greater treasure of gold is here
"Than fifteen kings can show;
"Step down to it, Vidrick Verlandson,
"The foremost thou shalt go."

"Nay," answer'd him Vidrick Verlandson,
His crafty designs he knew,
"'Tie thou the foremost shalt enter in,
"As usual it is to do."

But while the giant was stooping low,
As in at the door he crept,
Vidrick with only a single blow
His head from his shoulders swept.

The bleeding carcase he lifted up,
And leant it against an oak,
And then to his friends rode back, again,
And thus of his combat spoke.

But first he smear'd with the Giant's blood
Himself and his gallant steed,
And rode up slowly before the King,
As tho' he were lamed indeed.

"And here ye are standing, good comrades, still,
"All under the shady leaf!
"The Giant today has worsted me,
"And heavy will be your grief."

"If fell upon thee today so hard
" "The blows of the Giant's hand,
"Then venture we not another life,
"But ride to our native land."

"Nay! nay! King Diderick, turn thee round;
"But turn thee and come with me;
"And all the treasure the Giant own'd,
"I'll show it in store for thee."

"If Langbane the Giant thou hast slain,
"Thy fame spreads over the land;
"Nor is there a champion born on earth,
"Thou mayest not well withstand."

King Diderick's heroes, and all his men,
The Giant they wish'd to see,
But stood afar off like laughing stocks,
Nor dared to approach the tree.

They fear'd he might stretch his giant legs,
And after their army run;
They stood aghast at his monster size,
And wake him there dared not one.

And much and heartily Vidrick laugh'd,
And ask'd in a merry vein;
"But how had ye faced the living man,
"And dare it not, now he is slain?"

He poked the corpse with his lance's shaft,
And down he toppled the head,
And truly it was, as all confessed,
A giant most stout and dread.

They dragg'd the glittering treasure out,
And parted the gold anon,
And Vidrick he claim'd the greater part
By dint of his valour won.

But hardly so much was Vidrick glad
Those treasures of gold to gain,
As for that himself he had all alone
So mighty a giant slain.

In triumph they homeward rode to Bern,
King Diderick joy'd the most;
He gave to Verlandson after him
The first and the highest post.