“Then what can I do?” asked Mansur.
“There is just one way to kill the purple giant.”
“And that?” asked Mansur eagerly.
“To let him see his own face in a mirror,” said the fairy. “There is nothing of the kind in this castle or forest, but, if he once sees his own terrible countenance he will be destroyed forever.
“Now, Mansur,” continued the fairy, “you will hide in this room until it is dark. Then steal softly out of the castle and go to the edge of the woods, where you will find a mirror; return with it and everything in this castle shall be yours and there is something here far more precious than gold or silver.”
The fairy disappeared, and all at once Mansur heard a beautiful voice in another part of the castle, singing a sweet sad song.
Suddenly the voice stopped, there was a terrible noise and he knew that the giant had returned. Putting his ear to the wall, Mansur could hear the monster climbing the stairs. Nearer and nearer sounded the footsteps, and at last the giant stood in his treasure room. “Where is he, where is the pigmy, till I grind him to pieces!” roared the giant. He knocked over bags of gold in his rage, but at last he gave up the search and went to look in other places. Mansur waited patiently until darkness came, and then he heard three little taps, the wall opened, and he stepped out and stole softly down the long stairs. In a few minutes he was out of the castle and he hurried through the woods. Early the next morning he reached the edge of it where he found a large looking-glass.
“Now if I only had a swift horse I would fly to the giant’s castle,” thought Mansur, and no sooner did he have the wish than a beautiful white horse stood beside him. Mansur mounted the noble steed and holding the mirror before him headed for the forest. The white horse went like the wind, and in a short time the giant’s castle appeared in sight.
“We will be there very soon,” said Mansur, and just then the purple-haired giant came in sight. The monster was walking in the path, ahead, and turning suddenly he beheld Mansur. The giant gave a terrible roar and dashed forward to meet the boy, but just as he came up Mansur held the mirror before the giant’s face. For a minute the monster gazed into the glass that reflected his own horrible countenance, then he staggered backward and fell to the ground with a groan, dead.
“Hurrah!” shouted Mansur as he jumped off the horse and ran to the castle. “Now I shall find out who has the sweet, sad voice.”