The Princess and the Giant

FAR up amongst the highest mountains in the land lived a giant, so huge that he could step from one mountain-top to another, and so cruel that he would eat a dozen people at a time. When he woke from week-long sleeps and stepped down to the plains for food the people of the country lived in daily terror.

He found the princess wandering by herself, but she was so beautiful that instead of eating her he took her to his mountain-top to be a companion to him. He placed a magic girdle round her waist, tying the other end to his wrist.

No weapon can cut your girdle; only one thing can break it," he said in his great voice. « You cannot escape. Henceforth you belong to me." The poor princess was heartbroken. Cries and struggles, longings for her lost home and friends, fear of the giant, filled her days.

In her home there was great sorrow. King and queen and people mourned her as one dead. Word was sent to the prince of the next country, he who was soon to have married her. He came with all his weapons of war, prepared to climb the mountains and brave the giant's power. "It is a hopeless undertaking," said the old king. "No one has ever returned from the giant's land. You go to certain death."

"I must make an attempt to rescue my prin- cess," said the prince.

He climbed the mountains valiantly. At the top he found the giant asleep, the princess sitting beside him. Springing to her, he took her in his arms and tried to drag her away.

The magic girdle held her. You cannot set me free," she sobbed. Only one thing can break this magic girdle, and that thing's name I do not know."

Perhaps its name is strength," said the prince. He tried to wrench the girdle apart, but with all his strength he could not break it.

Perhaps it is my axe," he said, my wonder- axe that has done such mighty deeds." He tried

The Princess and the Giant 235 to cut it with his axe, but it would not be cut. He tried every weapon in turn, but not one had power to cut the girdle. The giant still slept on. You cannot save me," said the princess. Go away before the giant wakes."

"I will not leave you," said the prince. "I stay with you till death." He sat beside her, and for all her pleading would not leave her to her fate.

Then the princess wept sorely, for sorrow that her lover must surely die. As she wept, her tears fell on the magic girdle. Strand by strand the girdle broke and fell apart. Tears of love were the magic power that alone could break the girdle.

With staring eyes and beating hearts the lovers watched it till the last strand parted and gave way. Sobbing with joy, the princess sprang up free, to hurry with her lover down the mountain-side into the safety of her home.

When the giant woke and found the princess gone, he stamped and roared and shook the moun- tain-tops. But the east wind sprang up in his strength, threw the giant on the mountain side, and held him there from following the princess.

"Let us be married at once, that I may take the princess to my country, far from the giant's reach,"said the prince.

The old king, full of joy at his daughter's safe return, would have consented, but the priest said: "Let no marriage take place until the prince has rid us of this monster."

How is it possible asked the prince."Is it not true that no weapon of man has power to harm him ?

Fire is the one force that has power over him," replied the priest. You, who are brave, who have not grown up in the fear of him, may do the deed our warriors would not dare. Watch till he sleeps, pile firewood round him, burn him where he lies. Then you shall marry the princess." The prince climbed the mountain once again, hid, and watched until the giant slept. He piled firewood round the monstrous form, and set it blazing. The giant, helpless in the flames, was burned to death.

When the prince returned the people made feasts in his honour. They danced and sang for joy that their tyrant of the mountain-tops was dead. The prince and princess were married and lived happily together.

Up among the mountains a strange thing happened. Where the giant had lain a great hole was burnt in the shape of his body as he lay on his side with his knees drawn up. The mountains sent down floods of melted snow, and rain, and mists that fell like rain, to fill the gaping hole. Soon where the giant had slept lay a deep blue lake, touched here and there by the shadows of the mountains.

But the giant's heart was not burnt. Fire had no power over that. When the hole became a lake the heart sank to the bottom, and there it lies to this day. When the wild storms rage among the mountains, and the foaming torrents dash down their rocky paths as the giant loved to see them in his fierce lifetime, the great heart lying at the bottom of the water heaves and beats and heaves again. And the blue lake rises and falls in time to the heart's throbs.