The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-28
A MORSE GIANT sronY.
How "A BOY Was saved by LolsPs wit
and skill.


under the protecting arms of widespread
ing trees. stood a little cabin. the home OF
peasant, his wife and their one child, a
boy. The ground before this humble
dwelling rolled in soft, undulating lines
far down to the southern horizon, where
like a CLEAN of silver. shone the ocean
peaceful from a distance. but dashing wild
ly against its rocky bounds. Stretches Of
fields, ripe with grain, rocked In gentle
pillows as the wind swayed the stalks
To the right the turf sloped down to thu
waters of calm lake, where swans and
other waterfowl moved about with the
grace peculiar to them. The mountain
however, was the GROWING feature In the
landscape, and its rugged peaks were ever
enveloped in purple clouds. adding mys-
terry and beauty to its grandeur.
The peasant had returned from his la
Dor in the field, and was sitting before the
door of his cabin. The good wife was in
her kitchen preparing the evening meal
and the little boy was seated on a fiat
rock at the base of the mountain.
Suddenly great shadow fell on the
ground before the little one, and looking
up he saw giant standing near him. At
FIRST he was going to scream, but the man
of the mountain held one finger before his
lips, and the child was silent
Il have come, Little One," said the
giant, Ito fulfill your desire. You have
heard so often of my living in this noun
tain behind your home, and have wonder
ed so much what / was like, and what my
home was like, that have come to let you
see me- and to take you away with me-"
right, and when the peasant heard him, he
started up from the seat where he had
been doing, and saw the giant before
him.
Never, in all the PEASANTS life had the
man of the mountain revealed himself to
the people of the plain. Tradition said
that he appeared once in each generation,
out no one could remember having seen
MIN, 1t was always some ones grand
father who said that his grandfather had
seen him, or had been carried away by
MIN, perhaps in a cloak of cloud; or, per-
chance, he had fallen dead from fright
When the peasant recovered from his as
constituent, he said to the giant:
Who are you, and what do you want?"
i am Skrymsil," said the giant land
because your child has wished to see me,
many time at close of day. / have come,
and am now ready to take him away"
Alas! alas" cried the peasant; and his
little one chung about him, sobbing
Since you think my terms are hard"
said Skrymsil, Il will make fair bargain
with you; let us play a game; If win the
boy shall be mine; If lose, you shall keep
him, and shall have, besides, his weight In
god.'
AS It was the only chance of saving his
son, the peasant consented and they be-
gan the game. But who can doubt the
issue? The man of the mountain had
magic on his side, and when he stepped
from the cabin into the night air. 1t was
as victor In the game.
"On the morrow will call for my prize"
said the giant "But win give you one
more chance; IL you can hide the boy so
that / cannot find him, he shall remain
with you"
And with these words. he suddenly van
ished.
The parents knew quite well that 1t wouI
be impossible to hide their child from the
giant, but they hoped against hope, and in
prayer and supplication called upon Odin
to help them. The All-Father heard their
cries of distress, and said that he would
hide the boy, but that If Skrymsil found
him. he could not help them again.
The peasant and his wife were very
grateful, even for this promise, and when
Odin changed the child into a grain of
corn, and put the grain in one of the ears
in the field, they were delighted.
Now let Skrymsil come" cried the
mother, for Odin, the supreme god, has
outwitted him.
But, alasi she spoke too soonl
On the morrow came the great giant He
began his search in the cabin, and finding
no trace of the boy there he went OUT
doors. Then he took a scythe and began
to cut down the corn. He kept cutting
until the whole field was clear. The
peasant looked in dismay at the destruc-
ton of the fruits of his labor, but his
anxiety grew ten-fold when he saw what
the giant was about.
For Skrymsli had gathered every ear of
corn. and was now counting out and ex-
aiming every grain. The mother and
the father looked on with growing terror
as they saw how wise the giant was, and
when he was about to pick up the very
grain under disguise of which the boy was
concealed, the mother cried out in agony
Of spirit and fell fainting on the ground.
Then Odin repented of what he had said
about helping them no more, and he took
the grain from Skrymsli and restored the
boy to his parents.
The giant was much chagrlned at his
failure, and he departed, saying that he
would come again the next day, and would
then certainly claim his prize unless the
parents could hide him successfully.
Since Odin would not help them again,
the peasants now appealed to the god
Hoenir, and he consented. In the carly
morning he changed the boy into a bit Of
down. which he hid In the breast of
swan on the lake.
Soon afterwards the giant appeared and
began his search. He suspected the trick
that Hoenir had played, and approaching
the lake, he caught the swan and bit its
head Off He was about to swallow the
bird, down and all, when Hoenir inter-
fered and waited 1t away from his lips.
Again therefore, was the boy restored
to his parents, and Skrymsli, enraged, de-
clared that he had been tricked. and warn
ed them that nothing should save the
child from him when he came on the NOR
row. Thus soaking, he disappeared In the
mists OF the mountain, leaving the I'M
happy parents weeping.
At last, in despair, they called upon Loki,
a god who was then mighty, but who,
later on, degenerated into the spirit of
Evil and Mischief. Lok promised them
his help, and when the morning came, he
called for the boy and walked away with
him towards the seashore.
There they entered a boat, and were
rowed away by invisible hands far out TO
NH "a.