Brud and his dog, awakened, came out and listened to Thol’s tale. Truthfulness was regarded by all the homelanders as a very important thing, especially for the young. Brud took his staff, and ‘Now, O Thol,’ he said, ‘will I beat you for saying the thing that is not.’ But the boy protested that there was indeed a dragon in Gra’s cave; so Brud said sagely, ‘Choose then one of two things: either to run hence into Gra’s cave, or to be beaten.’ Thol so unhesitatingly chose to be beaten that it was clear he did believe his own story. Thia, moreover, came running up to say that there truly was a dragon. So Brud did not beat Thol very much, and went away with his dog towards the hill, curious to know what really was amiss up there. Perhaps Thia was already sorry she had called Thol a coward, for, though he was now crying again loudly, she did but try to comfort him. His response to her effort was not worthy of a future hero: he complained through his tears that she had not been beaten, too, for saying there was a dragon. Thia’s eyes flashed fiercely. She told Thol he was ugly and puny and freckle-faced, and that nobody loved him. All this was true, and it came with the more crushing force from pretty Thia, whom every one petted. No one ever made Thia work, though she was strong and agile, and did wondrously well whatever task she might do for the fun of it. She could milk a goat, or light a fire, or drive a flock of geese, or find mushrooms if there were any, as quickly and surely as though she had practised hard for years. But the homelanders preferred to see her go flitting freely all the day long, dancing and carolling, with flowers in her hair.