The Giant in the Cave

IN a huge bone-littered cave lived a cruel Giant. With him lived his pack of two-headed dogs, to help him in his hunting. He and his dogs were a scourge to the country.

The Giant had a monstrous nose, so big that he could smell things that were miles away. When hungry he poked his nose out of the cave and sniffed the air. "I smell men," he would say, and off he would go with his two-headed dogs to the hunt. Many a party of travellers, passing through the country, was never seen again.

Once he found a party of men who had a woman with them. He ate the men, but the woman he saved. She will make a good servant," he said.

He took the weeping, terrified woman to his cave.

Clean my cave, light my fire, and cook my meals,"he said.“Never try to escape or I shall tie you up."

It was a terrible life. Shut away from friends, her only companions the horrible Giant and his bloodthirsty dogs, poor Kaia felt that she preferred death to life. Once, while the Giant slept, she stole away but the dogs barked so loudly that they woke the Giant. He rushed out, caught her, and brought her back.

"Now I shall tie you up," he said. He tied a long cord to her wrist, fastening the other end to his own wrist. When you are out of my sight I shall constantly jerk my end," he said. "If you have gone I shall know at once."

Kaia was worse off than ever. Every day she looked towards the East, thinking with a great longing of the home-faces there.

One day, as she sadly watched the river running past the mouth of the cave, a great idea came to her. «It is the river that passes my home," she thought. "How quickly it would take me there. If I could make a raft !

She looked about her. Along the river bank grew raupo. "I will cut a few sticks each day while the Giant sleeps," she said. Tied together with flax they will make a raft. I will try once more to escape."

Each day after his dinner the Giant went to sleep. Then Kaia was able to walk a little way outside the cave, though prevented by the cord from going far. Now she began to make use of this time, cutting raupo sticks, tying them firmly together with flax, and hiding them in the rushes.

Slowly the raft grew bigger, until it was strong enough to bear her. Now she waited for a day on which it would be safe to go-a day when the dogs should be away and the Giant should be in a heavy sleep.

After waiting many days, these two things happened at once. Creeping quietly from the cave, she slipped the cord from her wrist and tied it to a bunch of rushes. “If the Giant wakes and pulls, the rushes will first bend and then hold," she thought. So he will think I am still here. That will give me time.'"

She pushed the raft into the river and stepped on to it. With a long stick she pushed it off the bank and guided it down the swift stream towards her home.

In the cave the Giant slept heavily and long. Waking at last, he tugged at the cord.The rushes bent and then held, as Kaia expected. The Giant thought, She is there." After some time, however, he said: She stays long by the river." He tugged again, but still the rushes held. He pulled harder. The rushes came up by the roots and were dragged in on the edge of the string.

Kaia Kaia ! he shouted, hoarse with rage at the trick. No Kaia answered. He strode to the opening. With his long nose he sniffed the ground; she had not gone that way. He sniffed the air, but she had not gone that way. He sniffed the river. She has gone that way ! he roared. "I will catch her."

With one gulp he drank the whole river, drying it from end to end. But Kaia was not on the river. With a roar of rage the Giant went back to his cave, there to lie and sulk for several days. The river was a big drink even for a giant so much cold water at once did not altogether agree with him.

When the Giant swallowed the river Kaia had stepped off her raft on to the bank. She ran to her home, safe and sound. The joy of her parents and friends over her return can hardly be described. They had long given her up as dead.

She told them about the dreadful Giant and how she escaped from him. That was cleverly done," said her friends. "Tell us where to find the cave. We must kill this Giant."

"Travel north-west to find him," replied Kaia. "The north-west wind is his snoring as he lies asleep. Light a big fire in the doorway of his cave, so that he will not be able to rush out on you. He will try to spring out through a large hole in the roof. There you can wait for him."When next the north-west wind blew hard a strong party of men crept softly to the cave. The two-headed dogs lay asleep beside the Giant. That is good I" the men whispered.

They piled a great heap of brushwood in the doorway and set it alight. The smoke and flames rushed into the cave and the crackling awoke the Giant. He tried to spring out through the hole in the roof, but there the men were waiting with their spears. As he came up they killed him. The dogs were stifled by the smoke in the cave. So at length there was peace and safety in that land.