The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-08-25
Bedtime Stories
For Little Folks
THE GIANT CASTLE.

Once upon time very poor cou-
pie lived in a tiny cottage on the side
of big lake. High above their heads
lowered a mountain whose top was
capped with clouds
They had only one child, a boy
named Hans, who was very simple in
his ways, but had a lot of sense. He
was very observant of all that went
on about him and was not bit stupid
like people thought.
But times grew very hard. Hans
clothing was patched so much that it
looked like an old-fashioned bed quilt,
and he had nothing to eat three times
a day but cruel. The country about
was very rich as far as the soil was
concerned, but on the crest of the
mountains lived wicked old giant
who robbed everyone in the surround
ing land.
At last one day there was no one
left in the land but Hans, his father,
| who was i'll, and his mother, for all
| the rest had gone to another land
| Things looked so bad that Hans said
he was going up the mountain and see
what he could do to get rid of the
giant.
ooh, son." cried the mother, throw
ing her arms about the boy, "do not
leave us-we will never see you again
if you CO."
IF something is not done soon," re-
piled Hans, I'VE will all starve.
might as well get killed trying to bet
ter matters as stay here to die of need
of food"
So Hans looked about for something
to take with him. He could find moth
ing except a bucket of tar and an old
rope on the shelf in the she'd
| Il will take these with me- he told
his mother, "and cut a stout stick on
my way up
| So with the bucket of tar and the
rope Hans climbed up and up and up,
till he looked to his mother watching
below like a fly against the side of
| the huge mountain.
By night he was in the yard of a
castle built of huge green stones.
Nothing of the giant could be seen.
81 will sit in this tree which hangs
over the porch" said Hans to himself.
So into the tree he climbed and fixed
himself comfortably in the branches
Presently he felt the earth tremble
and a huge form came scrambling up
the mountain.
The giant was very tall but his head
was small and his face terribly ugly.
In he went to supper, and Hans could
see him devouring meat by the hun
dred pounds and bread by the dozen
loaves. Then he went out on the porch
to take nap in the moonlight.
1t made Hans hungry to see the good
things on the table, for he had eaten
down and went into the big hall
Here he ate all he wished, then
stepped lightly out onto the porch.
There was no one around but the
sleeping giant. who snored like bel
lowing buffalo. But down underneath
the castle Hans could hear faint
sounds as if of people moving about.
The giant sat in big chair, his
head hanging forward on his breas
and his arms dropping by his side
He was so sound asleep that the boy
walking about did not disturb him a
all. Hans remembered his rope anC
tar pot, so he took the rope and mad,
large moose which he slipped owe
the giants head, then tied the end t.
strong tree.
Climbing up on the railing of TIL
2 porch Hans TUNED the pot upsid
down, and its black sticky content
$ streamed down over the giant face
1t ran down his forehead, over hi
nose AID into his mouth, even closin
his eyes so he could not open them
}. Starting up from his seat in anger
he valnly tried to see, but could not d
l. so, and when he struggled to rise
d only frightened the rope SO that h
d fell choking to the floor.
r, Hans saw a bunch of keys jinglin
2 at the giants waist and took then
S Over the castle he ran, opening door
IS till at last he came to the ceilar-her
If he saw many noble ladies and knight
n IN chains, so it was but few moment
C before all in the castle were fire,
o When they crowded up on the pore
S they found the wicked giant dea
lie Hans told the people that they wei