"Ho, ho!" laughed the giant, "that is a good joke! I'll pitch you into that raven's nest up there to teach you to make less noise in my forest."
"Your forest!" laughed Ned. "It's as much mine as yours, and if you say another word, I'll cut it down in a quarter of an hour."
"Ha, ha!" shouted the giant, "I should like to see you begin, my brave Sir Kid!"
Carefully placing his Magic Axe on the ground, Ned shouted, "Chop, chop, chop!"
At once the axe began to chop, now right, now left, and up and down, till the branches tumbled down on the giant's head like hail in autumn.
"Stop, stop!" cried the giant. "Don't destroy my forest. Who the mischief are you?"
"Sit down and I'll tell you the story of the famous Puss in Boots, who once killed a giant and gave his castle to his Master, the Lord of Carabas," said Ned.
"How could a cat kill a giant? You are making sport of me."
"Not at all," replied Ned. "Have you never read the story of Puss in Boots?"
"No, but I once heard my cousin, the Giant of the Beanstalk, speak of a cat who wore boots. But that was long ago when we were both boys."