The giant put a foot against one peak and took the other in his hands. With a mighty heave he separated the two hills and let the water stream out between them. The woman filled her bucket and went back to the house, the giant following her.
“How did that suit you?” he asked.
“You did that very well,” said the woman. “But of course that is hardly a man’s job.”
The giant seemed to feel keenly the fact that his strength made no impression on the woman. He looked around the room to see if he could find something else to talk about. He saw the big rock on the shelf.
“Perhaps you will tell me why you keep that rock on the shelf?” he asked.
“Oh, that,” said the woman as if it could be of no importance, “that is just a little trick of Finn’s. He uses it to practice on in the mornings.”
“Ho! Ho!” laughed the giant. “Why should he practice with such a rock as that?” He picked it up and tossed it from hand to hand as though it were an orange.
“He keeps up the strength of his fingers with it,” answered the woman. “Each morning he squeezes the water out of a rock. If you are the man Finn is you can do the same.”
The giant took the stone in his two hands and squeezed with all his might and main. Of course no water could come out of a solid rock. The first finger of his right hand sank into the stone with his efforts.
“Your one finger has a little strength,” said the woman. “If the rest of you had the force of that finger, you might get a few drops.”