Atondido Stories
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. And the giants continued their cruel work, for
no one could stop them.
Soon all the country was in great terror. The Chief wondered
greatly what was to be done. At last he thought, "I will give my
daughter to the man who can rid me of these pests." His daugh-
ter was his only child and she was very beautiful, and he knew
that many suitors would now appear to seek her hand, for alt-
hough the task was dangerous, the prize was worth while. When
the wicked uncle in the distant village heard of it, he thought,
"Now I can get rid of the boy, for I will tell the Chief that the boy
says he can kill the giants." So taking his nephew with him he
went to the Chief's house and begged to see him. "Oh, Chief," he
said, "I have a boy who boasts that before many days have
passed he can free your land from the giants." And the Chief
said, "Bring him to me." The man said, "Here he is." The Chief
was surprised when he saw the small boy, and he said, "You
have promised that 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 he had no means of killing the giants. But as he sat
there an old woman came along. She came quietly and quickly
out of the grey mist of the sea. And she said, "Why are you cry-
ing?" And the boy said, "I am crying because I am forced to
attack the giants in the cave, and if I cannot kill them I shall sure-
ly die," and he cried louder than before. But the old woman, who
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