Tales of Giants from Brazil

to Co

do. The little hut was altogether too crowded. The man had to work early and late to find food enough to feed so many. One day the seventh son said to his fa

added burden. He went to the river bank to fish that day with a heavy heart. He cast his net in vain. He did not cat

ep. This is what it said: "If you will give me whatever new you find in your house whe

ng I'll find in my house when I get home will be that puppy," said the man to himself. "

from the strange voice in the depths of the river. "You

ood from the wound into the river. "If you break this vow the curse of the river gian

rdly draw it out of the water. Three times he drew out his net, so full that it was in danger of breaking. "Truly this w

e of the children came running to meet him. "O father, guess what we hav

y," replied

d. "You have not guessed right a

shall I do! What shall I do!" he sobbed. "I

he could think of no way to escape from keeping the contract which he had made. She kissed the tiny babe good-bye and gave it her bless

born babe. He took the little one into his palace of gold and silver and mother-

e dark and deep like the river itself, and hair as dark as the shades in the depths of the river. All his life he had been surrounded with every luxur

ourney. I will leave with you all the keys to all the doors in the palace

n days he took one of the keys which the river giant had left and opened the door which it fitted. The door led into a room in the palace where the boy had never been. In

d. Inside the room he found three horses, one black, one white, and one chestnut. There was nothing in the room for the horses to eat

r door. This room opened into a room full of armour. There were daggers and knives and swords and muskets and all sorts of armour which

and said, "We like hay to eat very much better than this meat which was left to us by mistake. The lion must have our hay.

ok the hay to the horses. All at once he remembered how he had been told not to meddle with anything. This ha

to this trouble," said the black horse. "Now I'

ere in the depths of the river so long that my speed is greater than that of the river itself," said the horse. "If there

boy had meddled he ran as fast as he could in pursuit of the lad.

utiful daughters. The lad at once applied for a position in the service of this king. "I do not know what you can do," said the king. "

o the king's daughters the youngest princess fell in love with him at once. Her two sisters laughed at her. "I don't care what yo

of the three princesses. The two oldest daughters of the king were proud and haughty, but the youngest prince

theirs," said he. Just then he caught sight of his own reflection in the fountain in the garden. He saw that

g of the river. When he sang even the two rival musicians stopped to listen to his song. The two

carried him out of the depths of the river and the arms he had brought with him from the palace of the river giant. With such a horse and such arms he carried off all the honours of the tournament. E

om the river who killed the beast, as all the cavalheiros knew. When they returned to the palace with the news that the beast had been slain, the king said, "Tomorrow night

lheiros were at all successful. The two neighbouring princes who were suitors for the hand of the youngest princess made a contract. "We cannot let t

the birds. The other cavalheiros knew that it was false, but when they looked around for the cavalheiro who had done the valiant deeds they could not find h

at they had done. "The one who killed the beast shall have a princess for a bride," s

nd threw himself before the king. "O my king," said he, "these stories to which you have listened are false, as all t

ce in his gardening clothes. "Viva!" they shouted. "He speaks the truth. He is th

ound out about it and sent a necklace of pearls and diamonds as a wedding gift to the bride of the lad whom he had broug