Tales of Giants from Brazil

to Co

l the wise physicians in the kingdom, but all to no avail. No

alms. She said to the servant at the door, "I wish to say a word

were bandaged and his royal face was sad because he could no longer see the bright sunlight shining upon the deep blue sea from the window of the palace,

hing in the whole world which will restore your lost eyesight. It is the water of the fountain

ance from my kingdom and I do not know the way there." The king, the queen, and al

and it can be reached only by a prince who ascends the mountain looking neither to the right nor to the left. All along the way stand huge giants ready to enslave one the moment he stops looking straight ahead. If one should succeed in climbing the mountain the fountain is there at the summit, but it is guarded by a

royal presence. The king pondered over her advice. The

heard his father's words. "I will go upon this quest. I will bring you a bott

o Giantland. He collected an enormous sum of money to provide for th

younger brother, "Keep close watch of this tree. If its leaves begin

many harbors along the way. The prince was very fond of gaming and there were many opportunit

mountain towering before him. He set a bottle for the water of the fountain of Giantland care

orners of his eyes he could see giant forms along the pathway. H

m his slave. "You shall be my slave for ever and a day," said the giant, "unless

anted began to wither. His younger brother noticed it at once and went to the king. "O my

nce with even more gold than his brother had taken with him. Every

ungest prince was playing with his dogs. He was a mere boy. "Keep close watch of this lemon tree while I am

. He anchored at many harbors and took part in many festas. B

atched the lemon tree carefully every day. He wate

nd very wise. He climbed steadily on and on, looking neither to the right nor to the left, even though he heard the

ldest prince, weeping as the giant gave him blows. At

a giant seized him and made him his slave. "You shall be my slave for ever

its leaves began to wither he noticed it and ran at once to the king. "O my father," he cri

? I cannot bear to let you go. You are all I have left. I prefer to remain blind the rest of my days. O, wh

s father granted his request and prepared a fleet for him.

eadily although at every harbour there were voices which bad

tain. Before he started to make the ascent he first stuffed cotton in his ears. Then he c

From the corners of his eyes he could see the giant forms along the pathway. He resolutely kept his eyes fixed straight ahead and steadily climbed upward though

e old woman was standing in the path, watching his ascent. As soon as he came near to h

ment," the little old woman to

guards the fountain is an enchanted princess. No prince has ever before been brave enough and wise enough to reach t

and gave it to the little old woman. "When the enchantment is broken put my ring upon the

bottle full of the water of the fountain of Giantland with the utmost care. When

e water from the fountain. Now if you also have your pockets full of gold y

youngest prince. "Help yourselves. It is yours if it can serve you." Ther

ur father know that it was our little brother who succeeded in this quest? Let us cast our brother ashore. Then we will go together to our father with the water from

ashore when he was asleep. After many long weary wanderings he found

however, mourned the loss of the little prince. The king and queen never gave up hoping that he would come back to them. The queen carefully laid away all the clothes which had belonged to the yo

d guarded the fountain of Giantland escaped from her encha

cording to his promise. "Some evil must surely have befallen the lad," said the little o

king. When the king had listened to the story they told, the guilty princes were called before him. They were forced to c

d been cast ashore. The little old woman and the beautiful princess who wore the prince's own ring upon her finger w

e prince was wearing. She had brought with her the prince's favourite suit of cloth of gold which she had laid away carefully. When the prince put it on it was a trifle tight and a l

never dreamed that it was the king's son who had been working for him al

he most faithful lad who ever wo

, "and the bravest, most faithful prince whi

eign as king over our fair land when I no longer live," said the kin