The little creature looked earnestly at the giant's stern face. "Shamruck," she cried, "if this plan of mine is to cause trouble and misery, I give it up instantly. I'll make the ice imps build the hill up under you, and the slide shall lead right down to your castle. If I do that, will you be satisfied, and will you hurt nobody?"
"If you do that," said Shamruck, "I will be satisfied, and will hurt nobody."
The fairy instantly left him, and it was not long before Shamruck felt that the pile of straw on which he was sitting was gradually rising in the air. Soon he was on a level with the surface of the earth. Then he rose higher and higher, until he sat upon the top of a small hill. Then before him gradually but swiftly appeared a long slope of smooth ice. Down this the pile of straw, with Shamruck on it, now rapidly began to slide, and it did not stop until he found himself at the back door of his castle.
It was now late in the afternoon, and the giant laughed as he entered his castle and made ready for his journey.
"How ridiculous it is," he said to himself, "for these creatures to try to make me do what I don't want to!"
When he was ready to start, he opened the front door, but stopped suddenly as he saw something on the door-step. At first he did not perceive in the twilight what this object was, but stooping down, he saw it was a little girl.
"Child!" he cried, "what are you doing here? I almost trod upon you."
"I am terribly tired," the little girl said, "and I am as hungry as anything. I thought you'd be coming out after awhile."
"Have you been here long?" asked Shamruck.