Tales of Giants from Brazil

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little hare ran out of the hedge and crossed his path. He at once started in pursuit. The hare was a very swift runner. The prince followed her into the deep forest. Suddenly the hare ran into a h

ep savage voice that the cave echoed and re-echoed with his words. "You t

with a big key. The prince could get only a tiny bit of air through a little hole in the top, and he thought that he never could live. Hours passed. Sometimes the

"I am the hare you followed into the cave," said she with a smile. "I am an enchanted princess and, though I have to take the form of a hare in the daytime

stay here for ever and gaze into

rn at any moment. He just went out on a hunting trip because he thought that you would not make a sufficiently big sup

her advice. He went home by the nearest path, but when he reached the

palace. After his father's funeral he went away as a wanderer. He changed clothes with a

the fact that the net which the fisherman had given him as part of his outfit was a most wonderful net. The biggest fis

palace was decked with gay banners. Every afternoon the messenger of the king rode up and down the ci

iant's cave. "Surely this princess cannot be as beautiful as she," said t

me to the balcony and leaned over the railing. She was very beautiful, but her nose w

in the world," said the prince dressed as a fisherman. "I

ere at once reported to the royal guards. The

ful. I am a just king or else I should order that you be put to death immediately. As it is, I'll give you the chance to prove what you say. If you are unable to fulfil your boast and show me

the contract, and if you'll prepare a festa for the night two weeks hence, I'll end

ot thought that a poor fisherman like him knew many princesses

he went in search of the hare for his father's broth. He soon found the place where the hare had crossed

away every trace of the entrance of the cave. He dug and dug at the place where h

barred by a massive door. The entrance to the cave was securel

I am the ama of the princess," she said. "I think you are the prince she was expecti

fe?" asked the prince. "I am indeed the prince, but I am su

a. "I did not look at your clothes at all. I looked at your eyes. You have the smile in th

he would, the giant was unable to find it again anywhere. That made him even angrier than before. All day he sits on the top of the chest when the princess is in the form of the hare. At night when he goes away he causes a great river to flow around the entrance to the cave. He has placed a huge fish as guard to

in the box with cotton in ears. "You get into the box with the princess," he said to the ama. "I am a good swimmer and I am going to

m past this terrible f

world cannot break it. I will catch the fish in it. Just wait and you will see. In the meantime take the cotton o

ut the prince quickly entangled him in his strong net. Holding him fast in the net, the prince swam up to the surface of th

net over it and drew it to land. The ama and the beautiful princess stepped out. The princess was so love

id the princess. "I knew that you would deliver me from

very glad to have had an opportunity to save your life for you. Now I must ask you to again save my life." The

you," said the princess. "It is fo

dy the night of the appointed festa when they arrived. The king's army was drawn up to slay the prince. No one dreamed that the poor fisherman would be a

"We knew that the fisherman would never be able to bring a princess more beautiful than our own lovely princess," said the cou

he fisherman to put him to death. "Grant me ju

pocket of his fisherman's coat. He pulled out a handful of s

ulled a handful of golden scales from out his pock

et. The most wonderful sparkling cloud of jewels fell about them. As the cloud cleared away there stood the most b

e won your wager," said the king when he could find his voice. "Our daughter is not the mos

t feast. From the moment that the fish scales fell upon the princess her enchantment was broken and she never became a hare again. She and the prince