Tales of Giants from Brazil

to Co

that he might learn something there. His teachers all gave him up as hopelessly stupid, and with one acco

er. They talked the matter over for a year and a day. It was the unanimous opinion of the wise men of the kingdom that the lad should be sent

e upon which to ride, and a great bag full of money. Thus prepared, he started forth from the palace

er thing. There was no country or kingdom so small or poor that it did not have something to teach the prince. And th

an auction going on. A singing bird was being offered for sale. "Wh

will sing a song which will put to sleep

that the bird was

e was a beetle. "What is the special adv

s way through any wall in

purchased

"What is the special advantage of own

bear upon its wings any weight whi

e was so dense that he could not see his way, so he climbed to the top of the tallest tree he saw. From its summit he spied in the distance w

the singing bird put this guard to sleep immediately. The beetle soon had gnawed an ent

was a lovely captive princess. The opening which the beetle had ma

e had learned was this one: "Always rescue a fair maiden in distress." He

replied the princess. "At the door of this pal

ed the prince. "I'l

dungeon. He had heard voices there. "Sing, my little

sleep there in the dungeon, though he had nev

which surrounds the land of the giants," said the prince to the c

wall with his head reaching up to the clouds

p, too," replied the prince. "If we

ngeon so long that I fear I have forg

prince. "My butterfly will

y escaped from the land of the giants. The giant on the wall yawned in his sleep a

nd the way back. He took with him the lovely princess, and the sin

kingdom be called stupid," said the wise men when they heard the account of his adventures. "With his singin