Atondido Stories
The prince decided that the bird was worth purchasing.
The next thing which was offered for sale was a beetle.
“What is the special advantage of this beetle?” asked the
prince.
“This beetle will gnaw its way through any wall in the
world,” was the reply.
The prince purchased the beetle. Then a butterfly was offered
for sale. “What is the special advantage of owning this butter-
fly?” asked the prince.
“This butterfly is strong enough to bear upon its wings any
weight which is put upon them,” was the answer.
The prince bought the butterfly. With his bird and beetle and
butterfly he travelled on and on until he became lost in the jun-
gle. The foliage was so dense that he could not see his way, so he
climbed to the top of the tallest tree he saw. From its summit he
spied in the distance what looked like a mountain; but, when he
had journeyed near to it, he saw that it was really the wall which
surrounds the land of the giants.
A great giant whose head reached to the clouds stood on the
wall as guard. A song from the singing bird put this guard to
sleep immediately. The beetle soon had gnawed an entrance
through the wall. Through this opening the prince entered the
land of the giants.
The very first person whom the prince saw in the land of the
giants was a lovely captive princess. The opening which the bee-
tle had made in the wall led directly to the dungeon in which she
was confined.
The prince had learned many things on his journey, and
among the lessons he had learned was this one: “Always rescue a
fair maiden in distress.” He immediately asked what he could
do to rescue the beautiful captive princess.
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