After that the little jackal went wherever he pleased in safety, and he ate so many figs and so many crabs that he became as fat as fat could be.
VIII—THE BLIND OGRE
In Italy dwelt a woman named Janella who had eight children. Seven of them were sons, but the youngest was a daughter.
After the sons grew up they went off to see the world. They went on and on until they came to a wood in which dwelt an ogre. This ogre had been blinded by a woman while he lay asleep, and ever since then he had been such an enemy to womankind that he devoured all whom he could catch.
When the youths arrived at the ogre’s house, tired out with walking, and faint with hunger, they begged him, for pity’s sake, to give them something to eat.
The ogre replied that if they would serve him he would supply them with food. They would have nothing else to do but watch over his safety, each in turn, a day at a time.
This seemed a very satisfactory arrangement to them, and they consented to remain in the service of the ogre. So he let them have all the lower part of the house to live in.
After the brothers had been gone from home a long time, and no tidings of them were received, Channa, their sister, dressed for a journey and went to seek them. On and on she walked, asking at every place she came to whether any one had seen her seven brothers. Finally she got news at an inn of where they were, and away she went to the ogre’s house in the wood.
There she made herself known to her brothers and was received with great joy. After the greetings were over the youths told her to stay quietly in their part of the house so the ogre would not be aware of her presence. They also cautioned her to give a portion of whatever she had to eat to a cat which lived there. Otherwise the cat would do her harm.
Channa heeded their advice and got along very well. She shared her food with the cat, always doing it fairly to the last morsel, and saying, “This for me—this for thee.”