“Mercy!” exclaimed the boy. “Fearful! I never shall go there, surely. That is too terrible! Come, let us go to sleep; I don’t want to hear anything more about it.”
But the next morning, just as soon as daylight appeared, he got up, dressed himself, and snatched a morsel of food.
His mother said to him: “Where are you going? Are you thinking of that place I told you about?”
“No,” said he; “I am going to kill some prairie-dogs right here in sight. I will take my war-club.”
So he took his war-club, and thrust it into his belt in front, ran down the hill on which the village stood, and straightway went off to the place his mother had told him of. When he reached the top of the rocks he looked down, and there, sure enough, lay the Giant with the forehead knot.
The Giant looked up and said: “Ah, my son, glad to see you this morning; glad to see you coming so early. Some one just passed here a little while ago; you can see his tracks there.”
“Well,” said the boy, “make room for me.”
“Oh, just step right over,” said the old man; “step right over me.”
“I can’t step over your great legs,” said the boy; “draw them up.”
“All right,” said the old Demon. So he drew his knees up. “There, now, there is plenty of room; pass right along, my son.”