Atondido Stories
presented himself at the palace as a shepherd in quest of work
and he told them his name was Yan. The king liked his appear-
ance and so the next day he was put in charge of a flock of sheep
which he drove up the mountain side to pasture.
He planted his shepherd's ax in the midst of a meadow and,
leaving his sheep to graze about it, he went off into the forest
hunting adventures. There he came upon a castle where a giant
was busy cooking his dinner in a big saucepan.
"Good-day to you," Yan said politely.
The giant, who was a rude, unmannerly fellow, bellowed
out:
"It won't take me long to finish you, you young whipper-
snapper!"
He raised a great iron club to strike Yan but Yan, quick as
thought, flicked the giant with his whip and the huge fellow top-
pled over dead.
The next day he returned to the castle and found another gi-
ant in possession.
"Ho, ho!" he roared on sight of Yan. "What, you young whip-
persnapper, back again! You killed my brother yesterday and
now I'll kill you!"
He raised his great iron club to strike Yan, but Yan skipped
nimbly aside. Then he flicked the giant with his whip and the
huge fellow toppled over dead.
When Yan returned to the castle the third day there were no
more giants about. So he wandered from room to room to see
what treasures were there.
In one room he found a big chest. He struck it smartly and
immediately two burly men jumped out and, bowing low before
him, said:
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