Day 3
Once upon a time there lived a poor old woman in a small house in a poor village in a small kingdom. The old woman had worked her whole life as a skilled seamstress, taking in fine ladies' dresses and letting out young women's bodices. It was pleasant enough work and, although the old woman lived alone, she was happy with her life. One day tragedy struck. The old woman was being visited by her two grown daughters, their husbands, and the nine children they had between them. On this day the daughters and husbands went to a fair, leaving the children behind. They happened to be in the way when a great dragon attacked and the couples were burned alive, leaving the old woman and children behind. Now the old woman grieved for her loss, but she was more worried about what to do with the ten children. Her sewing made only enough to care for one, and she had less and less of that every day as her eyesight went the way of old age. The oldest child, a girl, was thirteen years of age. The youngest was a boy of five. The old woman tried teaching the girls to sew, but they had no hand for it. She sent the boys out to apprentice to a farmer, but the farmers needed no labor. It was not long before the tax collectors knocked on the door and told the old woman she would have to leave.
The old woman packed up all their bags and decided where to go. To the west was the land of the dragons, a dangerous place to venture. To the north was the land of the Snow Queen, who was sharp and fickle as a winter wind. To the east was the land of the gnomes, who everyone knew were none too fond of humans. To the south was the land of the giants, who kept to themselves and of whom the old woman knew very little. She decided to trust to fate and take the children south.
As the large family made their way along the southern traveler's road, they came upon an old man sitting outside his hut next to a giant sized stove. The old woman asked the old man how he did, to which the old man responded that he was a baker by trade and worried that the bread in his oven would burn, for the doors were old and in need of oiling on hinges he could no longer reach. The old woman knew what to do. She sent the three oldest children to the stove. They stood on each other's shoulders and the top one oiled the hinges so well that the doors opened without a sound. The old man thanked them and they continued on their way.
After some time on the southern traveler's road, they came upon a young girl holding a shepherd's crook and crying beside a herd of giant lambs. The old woman asked the girl what was wrong, and was told that the child's father had sent her out to watch the herd, but that one of the lambs had run free and the girl dared not go to look for it and leave the herd behind. The old woman knew what to do. She sent the three middle children to look for the lamb, and after a time they all returned, herding the giant lamb between them. The little girl jumped for joy and thanked them as they continued on their way.
It was nearing evening on the southern traveler's road when the large family upon a small giant crying beside a massive tree. The old woman saw that the giant was a young girl and swallowed her fear. She carefully approached and asked the stranger what ailed her. The young giantess told the old woman that she had lost her favorite ring beneath the roots of the tree and that she was too big to fetch it out again. The old woman knew what to do. She sent the three smallest children under the roots, and between them they pulled out the giant ring. The young giantess was so excited that her tears turned to tears of joy. She told the old woman that she was the youngest daughter of the queen of this land and that she would take them to the palace to be rewarded. She put the old woman and all the children into the pockets of her pinafore and carried them across the land, traveling miles at a time.
They arrived at a giant palace and the giant princess took them into the giant throne room where they were presented to the giant queen. The queen said that she had watched how kind the old woman and her family had been to the subjects of the kingdom, that she had decided to reward them. She offered them whatever they liked as a prize. What the old woman asked for was a place to live and a way to earn her living, and that of her many children. The queen of the giants knew what to do. She gave the old woman and her children a boot the size of a large house to live in and offered to employ the old woman as a seamstress. So the old woman took in the giant ladies' embroidery, which she had no trouble seeing, and was able to make the boot a comfortable home. Sometimes the children were so many and so excitable that she did not know what to do, but by and large they all lived happily ever after.
The old woman packed up all their bags and decided where to go. To the west was the land of the dragons, a dangerous place to venture. To the north was the land of the Snow Queen, who was sharp and fickle as a winter wind. To the east was the land of the gnomes, who everyone knew were none too fond of humans. To the south was the land of the giants, who kept to themselves and of whom the old woman knew very little. She decided to trust to fate and take the children south.
As the large family made their way along the southern traveler's road, they came upon an old man sitting outside his hut next to a giant sized stove. The old woman asked the old man how he did, to which the old man responded that he was a baker by trade and worried that the bread in his oven would burn, for the doors were old and in need of oiling on hinges he could no longer reach. The old woman knew what to do. She sent the three oldest children to the stove. They stood on each other's shoulders and the top one oiled the hinges so well that the doors opened without a sound. The old man thanked them and they continued on their way.
After some time on the southern traveler's road, they came upon a young girl holding a shepherd's crook and crying beside a herd of giant lambs. The old woman asked the girl what was wrong, and was told that the child's father had sent her out to watch the herd, but that one of the lambs had run free and the girl dared not go to look for it and leave the herd behind. The old woman knew what to do. She sent the three middle children to look for the lamb, and after a time they all returned, herding the giant lamb between them. The little girl jumped for joy and thanked them as they continued on their way.
It was nearing evening on the southern traveler's road when the large family upon a small giant crying beside a massive tree. The old woman saw that the giant was a young girl and swallowed her fear. She carefully approached and asked the stranger what ailed her. The young giantess told the old woman that she had lost her favorite ring beneath the roots of the tree and that she was too big to fetch it out again. The old woman knew what to do. She sent the three smallest children under the roots, and between them they pulled out the giant ring. The young giantess was so excited that her tears turned to tears of joy. She told the old woman that she was the youngest daughter of the queen of this land and that she would take them to the palace to be rewarded. She put the old woman and all the children into the pockets of her pinafore and carried them across the land, traveling miles at a time.
They arrived at a giant palace and the giant princess took them into the giant throne room where they were presented to the giant queen. The queen said that she had watched how kind the old woman and her family had been to the subjects of the kingdom, that she had decided to reward them. She offered them whatever they liked as a prize. What the old woman asked for was a place to live and a way to earn her living, and that of her many children. The queen of the giants knew what to do. She gave the old woman and her children a boot the size of a large house to live in and offered to employ the old woman as a seamstress. So the old woman took in the giant ladies' embroidery, which she had no trouble seeing, and was able to make the boot a comfortable home. Sometimes the children were so many and so excitable that she did not know what to do, but by and large they all lived happily ever after.