第14章

’Isthatall？’answeredthemouse；’thatneedn’tdistressyoumuch。Justtrustinme，andbeforethesunsetsagainyoushallhearthatyourtaskisdone。’Andwiththesewordsthelittlecreaturescamperedawayintothefields。

Ferko，whoneverdoubtedthatthemousewouldbeasgoodasitsword，laydowncomfortedonthesoftgrassandsleptsoundlytillnextmorning。Thedaypassedslowly，andwiththeeveningcamethelittlemouseandsaid，’Nowthereisnotasinglestalkofcornleftinanyfield；theyareallcollectedinonebigheaponthehilloutthere。’

ThenFerkowentjoyfullytotheKingandtoldhimthatallhedemandedhadbeendone。AndthewholeCourtwentouttoseethewonder，andwerenolessastonishedthantheyhadbeenthefirsttime。ForinaheaphigherthantheKing’spalacelayallthegrainofthecountry，andnotasinglestalkofcornhadbeenleftbehindinanyofthefields。Andhowhadallthisbeendone？Thelittlemousehadsummonedeveryothermouseinthelandtoitshelp，andtogethertheyhadcollectedallthegraininthekingdom。

TheKingcouldnothidehisamazement，butatthesametimehiswrathincreased，andhewasmorereadythanevertobelievethetwobrothers，whokeptonrepeatingthatFerkowasnothingmorenorlessthanawickedmagician。OnlythebeautifulPrincessrejoicedoverFerko’ssuccess，andlookedonhimwithfriendlyglances，whichtheyouthreturned。

ThemorethecruelKinggazedonthewonderbeforehim，themoreangryhebecame，forhecouldnot，inthefaceofhispromise，putthestrangertodeath。Heturnedoncemoretothetwobrothersandsaid，’Hisdiabolicalmagichashelpedhimagain，butnowwhatthirdtaskshallwesethimtodo？Nomatterhowimpossibleitis，hemustdoitordie。’

Theeldestansweredquickly，’Lethimdriveallthewolvesofthekingdomontothishillbeforeto-morrownight。Ifhedoesthishemaygofree；ifnotheshallbehungasyouhavesaid。’

AtthesewordsthePrincessburstintotears，andwhentheKingsawthisheorderedhertobeshutupinahightowerandcarefullyguardedtillthedangerousmagicianshouldeitherhaveleftthekingdomorbeenhungonthenearesttree。

Ferkowanderedoutintothefieldsagain，andsatdownonthestumpofatreewonderingwhatheshoulddonext。Suddenlyabigwolfranuptohim，andstandingstillsaid，’I’mverygladtoseeyouagain，mykindbenefactor。Whatareyouthinkingaboutallalonebyyourself？IfIcanhelpyouinanywayonlysaytheword，forIwouldliketogiveyouaproofofmygratitude。’

Ferkoatoncerecognisedthewolfwhosebrokenleghehadhealed，andtoldhimwhathehadtodothefollowingdayifhewishedtoescapewithhislife。’Buthowintheworld，’headded，’amItocollectallthewolvesofthekingdomontothathilloverthere？’

’Ifthat’sallyouwantdone，’answeredthewolf，’youneedn’tworryyourself。I’llundertakethetask，andyou’llhearfrommeagainbeforesunsetto-morrow。Keepyourspiritsup。’Andwiththesewordshetrottedquicklyaway。

Thentheyouthrejoicedgreatly，fornowhefeltthathislifewassafe；buthegrewverysadwhenhethoughtofthebeautifulPrincess，andthathewouldneverseeheragainifheleftthecountry。Helaydownoncemoreonthegrassandsoonfellfastasleep。

Allthenextdayhespentwanderingaboutthefields，andtowardeveningthewolfcamerunningtohiminagreathurryandsaid，’Ihavecollectedtogetherallthewolvesinthekingdom，andtheyarewaitingforyouinthewood。GoquicklytotheKing，andtellhimtogotothehillthathemayseethewonderyouhavedonewithhisowneyes。Thenreturnatoncetomeandgetonmyback，andIwillhelpyoutodriveallthewolvestogether。’

ThenFerkowentstraighttothepalaceandtoldtheKingthathewasreadytoperformthethirdtaskifhewouldcometothehillandseeitdone。Ferkohimselfreturnedtothefields，andmountingonthewolf’sbackherodetothewoodcloseby。

Quickaslightningthewolfflewroundthewood，andinaminutemanyhundredwolvesroseupbeforehim，increasinginnumbereverymoment，tilltheycouldbecountedbythousands。Hedrovethemallbeforehimontothehill，wheretheKingandhiswholeCourtandFerko’stwobrotherswerestanding。OnlythelovelyPrincesswasnotpresent，forshewasshutupinhertowerweepingbitterly。

Thewickedbrothersstampedandfoamedwithragewhentheysawthefailureoftheirwickeddesigns。ButtheKingwasovercomebyasuddenterrorwhenhesawtheenormouspackofwolvesapproachingnearerandnearer，andcallingouttoFerkohesaid，’Enough，enough，wedon’twantanymore。’

ButthewolfonwhosebackFerkosat，saidtoitsrider，’Goon！

goon！’andatthesamemomentmanymorewolvesranupthehill，howlinghorriblyandshowingtheirwhiteteeth。

TheKinginhisterrorcalledout，’Stopamoment；Iwillgiveyouhalfmykingdomifyouwilldriveallthewolvesaway。’ButFerkopretendednottohear，anddrovesomemorethousandsbeforehim，sothateveryonequakedwithhorrorandfear。

ThentheKingraisedhisvoiceagainandcalledout，’Stop！youshallhavemywholekingdom，ifyouwillonlydrivethesewolvesbacktotheplacestheycamefrom。’

ButthewolfkeptonencouragingFerko，andsaid，’Goon！goon！’Soheledthewolveson，tillatlasttheyfellontheKingandonthewickedbrothers，andatethemandthewholeCourtupinamoment。

ThenFerkowentstraighttothepalaceandsetthePrincessfree，andonthesamedayhemarriedherandwascrownedKingofthecountry。Andthewolvesallwentpeacefullybacktotheirownhomes，andFerkoandhisbridelivedformanyyearsinpeaceandhappinesstogether，andweremuchbelovedbygreatandsmallintheland。

FromtheBukowniaer。VonWliolocki。

Therewasonceuponatimeapoorboywhohadneitherfathernormother。InordertogainalivinghelookedafterthesheepofagreatLord。Dayandnighthespentoutintheopenfields，andonlywhenitwasverywetandstormydidhetakerefugeinalittlehutontheedgeofabigforest。Nowonenight，whenhewassittingonthegrassbesidehisflocks，heheardnotveryfarfromhimthesoundasofsomeonecrying。Heroseupandfollowedthedirectionofthenoise。TohisdismayandastonishmenthefoundaGiantlyingattheentranceofthewood；

hewasabouttorunoffasfastashislegscouldcarryhim，whentheGiantcalledout:’Don’tbeafraid，Iwon’tharmyou。Onthecontrary，Iwillrewardyouhandsomelyifyouwillbindupmyfoot。IhurtitwhenIwastryingtorootupanoak-tree。’TheHerd-boytookoffhisshirt，andbounduptheGiant’swoundedfootwithit。ThentheGiantroseupandsaid，’NowcomeandI

willrewardyou。Wearegoingtocelebrateamarriageto-day，andIpromiseyouweshallhaveplentyoffun。Comeandenjoyyourself，butinorderthatmybrothersmayn’tseeyou，putthisbandroundyourwaistandthenyou’llbeinvisible。’WiththesewordshehandedtheHerd-boyabelt，andwalkingoninfrontheledhimtoafountainwherehundredsofGiantsandGiantesseswereassembledpreparingtoholdawedding。Theydancedandplayeddifferentgamestillmidnight；thenoneoftheGiantstoreupaplantbyitsroots，andalltheGiantsandGiantessesmadethemselvessothinthattheydisappearedintotheearththroughtheholemadebytheuprootingoftheplant。ThewoundedGiantremainedbehindtothelastandcalledout，’Herd-boy，whereareyou？’’HereIam，closetoyou，’wasthereply。’Touchme，’saidtheGiant，’sothatyoutoomaycomewithusunderground。’TheHerd-boydidashewastold，andbeforehecouldhavebelieveditpossiblehefoundhimselfinabighall，whereeventhewallsweremadeofpuregold。Thentohisastonishmenthesawthatthehallwasfurnishedwiththetablesandchairsthatbelongedtohismaster。Inafewminutesthecompanybegantoeatanddrink。

Thebanquetwasaverygorgeousone，andthepooryouthfelltoandateanddranklustily。Whenhehadeatenanddrunkasmuchashecouldhethoughttohimself，’Whyshouldn’tIputaloafofbreadinmypocket？Ishallbegladofitto-morrow。’Soheseizedaloafwhennoonewaslookingandstoweditawayunderhistunic。NosoonerhadhedonesothanthewoundedGiantlimpeduptohimandwhisperedsoftly，’Herd-boy，whereareyou？’

’HereIam，’repliedtheyouth。’Thenholdontome，’saidtheGiant，’sothatImayleadyouupaboveagain。’SotheHerd-boyheldontotheGiant，andinafewmomentshefoundhimselfontheearthoncemore，buttheGianthadvanished。TheHerd-boyreturnedtohissheep，andtookofftheinvisiblebeltwhichhehidcarefullyinhisbag。

Thenextmorningtheladfelthungry，andthoughthewouldcutoffapieceoftheloafhehadcarriedawayfromtheGiants’

weddingfeast，andeatit。Butalthoughhetriedwithallhismight，hecouldn’tcutoffthesmallestpiece。Thenindespairhebittheloaf，andwhatwashisastonishmentwhenapieceofgoldfelloutofhismouthandrolledathisfeet。Hebitthebreadasecondandthirdtime，andeachtimeapieceofgoldfelloutofhismouth；butthebreadremaineduntouched。TheHerd-boywasverymuchdelightedoverhisstrokeofgoodfortune，and，hidingthemagicloafinhisbag，hehurriedofftothenearestvillagetobuyhimselfsomethingtoeat，andthenreturnedtohissheep。

NowtheLordwhosesheeptheHerd-boylookedafterhadaverylovelydaughter，whoalwayssmiledandnoddedtotheyouthwhenshewalkedwithherfatherinhisfields。ForalongtimetheHerd-boyhadmadeuphismindtoprepareasurpriseforthisbeautifulcreatureonherbirthday。Sowhenthedayapproachedheputonhisinvisiblebelt，tookasackofgoldpieceswithhim，andslippingintoherroominthemiddleofthenight，heplacedthebagofgoldbesideherbedandreturnedtohissheep。

Thegirl’sjoywasgreat，andsowasherparents’nextdaywhentheyfoundthesackfullofgoldpieces。TheHerd-boywassopleasedtothinkwhatpleasurehehadgiventhatthenextnightheplacedanotherbagofgoldbesidethegirl’sbed。Andthishecontinuedtodoforsevennights，andthegirlandherparentsmadeuptheirmindsthatitmustbeagoodFairywhobroughtthegoldeverynight。Butonenighttheydeterminedtowatch，andseefromtheirhidingplacewhothebringerofthesackofgoldreallywas。

OntheeighthnightafearfulstormofwindandraincameonwhiletheHerd-boywasonhiswaytobringthebeautifulgirlanotherbagofgold。Thenforthefirsttimehenoticed，justashereachedhismaster’shouse，thathehadforgottenthebeltwhichmadehiminvisible。Hedidn’tliketheideaofgoingbacktohishutinthewindandwet，sohejuststeppedashewasintothegirl’sroom，laidthesackofgoldbesideher，andwasturningtoleavetheroom，whenhismasterconfrontedhimandsaid，’Youyoungrogue，soyouweregoingtostealthegoldthatagoodFairybringseverynight，wereyou？’TheHerd-boywassotakenabackbyhiswords，thathestoodtremblingbeforehim，anddidnotdaretoexplainhispresence。Thenhismasterspoke。