The Boy Who Overcame the Giants
Long ago, there was an orphan boy living alone with his uncle. He was not very happy, for he had to work very hard. Although his uncle had taken him in when his parents died, because there was no one else to take care of him, he treated the boy cruelly and often wished he could get rid of him. It did not matter how well the boy did his work or how many fish and animals he caught, his uncle was never satisfied. He often beat the boy harshly and with little reason. The boy would have run away, but he did not know where to go, and he was scared to wander alone in the dark forest.
Now it happened that in a distant village near the sea, there lived a Chief who was noted far and wide for his wicked temper. He was known to have put many people to death for no reason whatsoever. More than all else, he hated boastfulness and he had scanty patience with anyone who was vain of his own strength. He pledged himself always to humble the proud and to debase the haughty.
By chance, just at this time, three giants arrived in the Chief’s territory. Where they came from, no man knew, but they lived in a large cave near the sea, and caused great havoc in the land. They ate up great stores of food, and all the little children they could lay their hands on. The Chief used every means to get rid of the giants, without success. Night after night his best warriors went to the cave to seek out the giants, but none returned. A piece of birch bark bearing a picture of a warrior with an arrow in his heart, found the next day at the Chief’s door, always told him of the warrior’s fate.
With his people in great terror, the Chief finally said, “I will give my daughter to the man who can rid me of these pests.” His daughter was his only child and she was very beautiful. He knew that many suitors would appear, for although the task was dangerous, the prize was worthwhile.
When the boy’s uncle heard of it, he thought, “Now I can get rid of him. I will tell the Chief the boy says he can kill the giants.” Taking his nephew, he went to the Chief’s house. “Oh, Chief,” he said, “I have a boy who boasts that before many days have passed, he can free your land from the giants.” The Chief said, “Bring him to me.” The man said, “Here he is.” The Chief was surprised when he saw the small boy, but he said, “You say you can rid my land of giants. Now we shall see if you can do it. If you succeed you may have my daughter. If you fail, you will die. If you escape from the giants, I will kill you myself. I hate vain boasters, and they shall not live in my land.”
The boy went and sat by the ocean, and cried as hard as he could. He thought that he would surely die, for he was very small and had no means of killing the giants. As he sat there, an old woman appeared quietly and quickly out of the grey mist of the sea.
“Why are you crying?” she asked.
“I am crying because I am forced to attack the giants in the cave, and if I cannot kill them I shall surely die,” he replied, crying louder than before.
But the old woman, who was the good fairy of the sea, said, “Take this bag and this knife and these three little stones, and when you go tonight to the giants’ cave, use them as I tell you and all will be well.” She taught him how to use the three small white stones, small knife, and a bag like the bladder of a bear. Then she disappeared The Boy Who Overcame the Giantsinto the grey mist that
hung low on the ocean and the boy never saw her again.
The boy lay down on the sand and went to sleep. When he awoke, the moon was shining, and far along the coast in the bright light he could see an opening in the rocks which he knew was the entrance to the giants’ cave. He approached it cautiously with a trembling heart. He could hear the giants snoring inside, louder than the roar of the sea. Following the old woman’s instructions, he tied the bag inside his coat so that the mouth of it was close to his chin. Then he took one of the stones from his pocket. At once it grew to immense size, so heavy, he could scarcely hold it. He threw it at the biggest giant with great force, and it hit him squarely on the head.
The giant sat up staring wildly and rubbing his brow. He kicked his younger brother, who was lying beside him, and said in great anger, “Why did you strike me?” “I did not strike you,” said his brother.
“You struck me on the head while I slept,” said the giant, “and if you do it again I will kill you.”
When the boy heard them snoring loudly again, he took a second stone from his pocket. Again, it grew great in size and the boy hurled it at the biggest giant. The giant sat up rubbing his head and this time he did not speak. He grasped his axe, which was lying beside him, and killed his brother with a blow. When the boy heard him snoring once more, he took the third stone and did the same thing.
The giant sat up in a great rage. “My brothers have plotted to kill me,” he yelled, and seizing his axe he killed his remaining brother with a blow. Then he went to sleep. The boy slipped from the cave, first gathering up the three stones, which were now back to their small size.
The next morning when the giant went to get water from the stream, the boy was hiding in the trees crying loudly. The giant heard him and asked, “Why are you crying?”
“I have lost my way,” said the boy, “my parents have gone and left me. Please take me into your service, for I would like to work for such a kind handsome man, and I can do many things.”
The giant was flattered, and although he liked to eat children, he thought, “Now that I am alone, I ought to have a companion, so I will spare the boy’s life and make him my servant.” He took the boy back to his cave, and said, “Cook my dinner before I come home. Make some good stew, for I shall be very hungry.”
The giant went into the forest and the boy cut up a great store of deer meat and made a stew in a large pot bigger than a barrel. When the giant returned in the evening he was very hungry, and he was pleased to see the big pot filled with stew. He seated himself on one side of the pot, and the boy seated himself on the other side, and they dipped their spoons into the big dish. The boy said, “We must eat it all up so that I can clean the pot well and ready for the corn mush we will have for breakfast.”
The stew was very hot, and to cool it before he ate it, the giant blew his breath on what he dipped out. But the boy, who was pouring his share into the bag under his coat, said, “Why can’t you eat hot food—a big man like you? In my country, men never stop to cool their stew with their breath.” Now the giant could not see very well. He had poor eyesight and the cave was dark. He thought the boy was eating the stew. Ashamed by the boy’s words, he gulped down the hot stew, burning his throat badly, but he was too proud to stop or to complain.
When they had eaten half the potful, the giant said, “I am full. I think I have had enough.”
“No,” said the boy, “you must show that you like my cooking. In my country, men eat much more than that,” and he kept on eating. Not to be outdone by a boy, the giant gobbled up more stew until the pot was empty. Under the boy’s coat, the bag had swelled to an immense size. The giant could scarcely move. “I have eaten too much; I feel very full, and I have a great pain in my belly,” he said.
The boy said, “I do not feel comfortable myself, but I have a cure.” Taking out the knife, he thrust it gently into the side of the bag. The stew oozed out and he was soon back to his normal size. The giant wondered greatly at the sight, but the boy said, “It is a way they have in my country after they have had a great feast.”
“Does the knife not hurt?” asked the giant.
“No, indeed,” said the boy, “it brings great relief.” “My throat is very sore,” said the giant, for the hot stew had burned him.
“You will soon feel better,” said the boy, “if you will do as I have done.” The giant hesitated, but he was feeling so uncomfortable that he could bear it no longer. He took his long knife. “Strike hard,” said the boy, “or it will do you no good.” The giant plunged the knife in, up to the hilt, and fell dead.
The boy then went and told the Chief what he had done. The Chief sent messengers to the cave and sure enough, they found the three giants lying dead.
The Chief said to the boy, “You may have my daughter as your wife.”
The boy said, “I do not want your daughter. I want only traps to catch fish and game.” So the Chief gave the boy many good traps, and he went off and lived happily by himself. His wicked uncle never saw him again and the land was free of giants, because of the boy’s deeds.