IN the morning, on awaking, Yvon tried to discover in what country he
had been cast. He saw in the distance a house as large as a church, with
windows fifty feet in height. He walked a whole day before reaching it,
and at last found himself in front of an immense door, with a knocker so
heavy that it was impossible for a man to lift it.
Yvon took a great stone and began to knock. "Come in," cried a voice,
that sounded like the roar of a bull. At the same instant the door
opened, and the little Breton found himself in the presence of a giant
not less than forty feet in height.
"What is your name, and what do you want here?" said the giant, taking
up Yvon between his thumb and finger, and lifting him from the ground so
as to see him better.
"My name is Fearless, and I am seeking my fortune," answered Yvon,
looking at the monster with an air of defiance.
"Well, brave Fearless, your fortune is made," said the giant, in a
mocking tone. "I am in need of a servant, and I will give you the place.
You can go to work directly. This is the time for leading my sheep to
the pasture; you may clean the stable while I am gone. I shall give you
nothing else to do," added he, bursting into a laugh. "You see that I am
a good master. Do your task, and, above all things, don't prowl about
the house, or it will cost you your life."
"Certainly I have a good master; the work is not hard," thought Yvon,
when the giant was gone. "I have plenty of time to sweep the stable.
What shall I do meanwhile to amuse myself? Shall I look about the house?
Since I am forbidden to do so, it must be because there is something to
see."
He entered the first room, and saw a large fireplace, in which a great
pot was hanging, suspended from a hook. The pot was boiling, but there
was no fire on the hearth.
"What does this mean?" thought Yvon; "there is some mystery here." He
cut off a lock of his hair, dipped it into the pot, and took it out all
coated with copper.
"Oh, oh!" cried he, "this is a new kind of soup; anybody that swallows
it must have an iron-clad stomach."
He went into the next room; there also a pot was suspended from a hook,
and boiling without fire. Yvon dipped a lock of hair into it, and took
it out all coated with silver.
"The broth is not so rich as this in the Kerver kitchen," thought he,
"but it may have a better taste."
Upon this, he entered the third room. There also a pot was suspended
from a hook, and boiling without fire. Yvon dipped a lock of hair into
it, and took it out all coated with gold. It shone so brightly that it
might have been mistaken for a sunbeam.
"Good!" cried he. "In our country the old women have a saying,
'Everything gets worse and worse'; here it is just the contrary,
everything gets better and better. What shall I find in the fourth room,
I wonder--diamond soup?"
He pushed open the door, and saw something rarer than precious stones.
This was a young woman of such marvelous beauty that Yvon, dazzled, fell
on his knees at the sight.
"Unfortunate youth!" cried she, in a trembling voice, "what are you
doing here?"
"I belong to the house," answered Yvon; "the giant took me into his
service this morning."
"His service!" repeated the young girl. "May Heaven preserve you from
it!"
"Why so?" said Yvon. "I have a good master; the work is not hard. The
stable once swept, my task is finished."
"Yes, and how will you set to work to sweep it?" asked the lady. "If you
sweep it in the usual way, for every forkful of dung that you throw out
of the door, ten will come in at the window. But I will tell you what to
do. Turn the fork and sweep with the handle, and the dung will instantly
fly out of itself."
"I will obey," said Yvon; upon which he sat down by the young girl and
began to talk with her. She was the daughter of a fairy, whom the
wretched giant had made his slave. Friendship soon springs up between
companions in misfortune. Before the end of the day, Finette (for that
was the lady's name) and Yvon had already promised to belong to each
other, if they could escape from their abominable master. The difficulty
was to find the means.
Time passes quickly in this kind of talk. Evening was approaching when
Finette sent away her new friend, advising him to sweep the stable
before the giant came home.
Yvon took down the fork and attempted to use it as he had seen it done
at his father's castle. He soon had enough of it. In less than a second
there was so much dung in the stable that the poor boy knew not which
way to turn. He did as Finette had bid him; he turned the fork and swept
with the handle, when behold! in the twinkling of an eye, the stable was
as clean as if no cattle had ever entered it.
The task finished, Yvon seated himself on a bench before the door of the
house. As soon as he saw the giant coming, he lolled back in his seat,
crossed his legs, and began to sing one of his native airs.
"Have you cleaned the stable?" asked the giant, with a frown.
"Everything is ready, master," answered Yvon, without troubling himself
to move.
"I am going to see for myself," howled the giant. He entered the stable
grumbling, found everything in order, and came out furious.
"You have seen my Finette," cried he; "this trick did not come from your
own head!"
"What is myfinette?" asked Yvon, opening his mouth and shutting his
eyes. "Is it one of the animals that you have in this country? Show it
to me, master."
"Hold your tongue, fool," replied the giant; "you will see her sooner
than you will want to."
The next morning the giant gathered his sheep together to lead them to
the pasture; but, before setting out, he ordered Yvon to go in the
course of the day in search of his horse, which was turned out to graze
on the mountain. "After that," said he, bursting into a laugh, "you can
rest all day long. You see that I am a good master. Do your task; and,
above all things, don't prowl about the house, or I will cut off your
head."
Yvon winked his eye as the giant left. "Yes, you are a good master,"
said he between his teeth. "I understand your tricks; but, in spite of
your threats, I shall go into the house, and talk with your Finette. It
remains to be seen whether she will not be more mine than yours."
He ran to the young girl's room. "Hurrah!" cried he; "I have nothing to
do all day but to go to the mountain after a horse."
"Very well," said Finette; "how will you set to work to ride him?"
"A fine question," returned Yvon. "As if it were a difficult thing to
ride a horse! I fancy that I have ridden worse ones than this."
"It is not so easy as you think," replied Finette; "but I will tell you
what to do. Take the bit that hangs behind the stable door, and, when
the animal rushes toward you breathing fire and smoke from his nostrils,
force it straight between his teeth; he will instantly become as gentle
as a lamb, and you can do what you please with him."
"I will obey," said Yvon; upon which he sat down by the side of Finette,
and began to talk with her. They talked of everything; but, however far
their fancy strayed, they always came back to the point that they were
promised to each other, and that they must escape from the giant. Time
passes quickly in this kind of talk. The evening drew nigh. Yvon had
forgotten the horse and the mountain, and Finette was obliged to send
him away, advising him to bring back the animal before his master's
arrival.
Yvon took down the bit that was hidden behind the stable door, and
hastened to the mountain, when lo! a horse almost as large as an
elephant rushed toward him at full gallop, breathing fire and smoke from
his nostrils. Yvon firmly awaited the huge animal, and, the moment he
opened his enormous jaws, thrust between them the bit; when lo! the
horse instantly became as gentle as a lamb. Yvon made him kneel down,
sprang on his back, and tranquilly returned home.
His task finished, Yvon seated himself on the bench before the door of
the house. As soon as he saw the giant coming, he lolled back in his
seat, crossed his legs, and began to sing one of his native airs.
"Have you brought back the horse?" asked the giant with a frown.
"Yes, master," answered Yvon, without taking the trouble to move. "He is
a fine animal, and does you credit. He is gentle, well trained, and as
quiet as a lamb. He is feeding yonder in the stable."
"I am going to see for myself!" howled the giant. He entered the stable
grumbling, found everything in order, and came out furious.
"You have seen my Finette," said he; "this trick did not come from your
own head."
"Oh, master," returned Yvon, opening his mouth and shutting his eyes,
"it is the same story over again. What is this myfinette? Once for all,
show me this monster."
"Hold your tongue, fool," returned the giant; "you will see her sooner
than you will want to."
The third day at dawn the giant gathered his sheep together to lead them
to the pasture; but, before setting out, he said to Yvon:
"To-day you must go to the bottomless pit to collect my rent. After
that," continued he, bursting into a laugh, "you may rest all day long.
You see that I am a good master."
"A good master, so be it," murmured Yvon, "but the task is none the less
hard. I will go and see my Finette, as the giant says; I have great need
of her help to get through to-day's business."
When Finette had learned what was the task of the day, "Well," said she,
"how will you go to work to do it?"
"I don't know," said Yvon sadly; "I have never been to the bottomless
pit, and, even if I knew the way there, I should not know what to ask
for. Tell me what to do."
"Do you see that great rock yonder?" said Finette; "that is one of the
gates of the bottomless pit. Take this stick, knock three times on the
stone, and a demon will come out all streaming with flames, who will ask
you how much you want. Take care to answer, 'No more than I can carry.'"
"I will obey," said Yvon; upon which he took a seat by the side of
Finette, and began to talk with her. He would have been there till this
time if the young girl had not sent him to the great rock, when the
evening drew nigh, to execute the giant's commands.
On reaching the spot pointed out to him, Yvon found a great block of
granite. He struck it three times with the stick, when lo! the rock
opened, and a demon came forth all streaming with flames.
"What do you want?" he cried.
"I have come for the giant's rent," answered Yvon calmly.
"How much do you want?"
"I never want any more than I can carry," replied the Breton.
"It is well for you that you do not," returned the man in flames. "Enter
this cavern, and you will find what you want."
Yvon entered, and opened his eyes wide. Everywhere he saw nothing but
gold, silver, diamonds, carbuncles, and emeralds. They were as numerous
as the sands on the seashore. The young Kerver filled a sack, threw it
across his shoulder, and tranquilly returned home.
His task finished, our Breton seated himself on the bench before the
door of the house. As soon as he saw the giant coming, he lolled back in
his seat, crossed his legs, and began to sing one of his native airs.
"Have you been to the bottomless pit to collect my rent?" asked the
giant, with a frown.
"Yes, master," answered Yvon, without taking the trouble to stir. "The
sack is there right before your eyes; you can count it."
"I am going to see for myself!" howled the giant. He untied the strings
of the sack, which was so full that the gold and silver rolled in all
directions.
"You have seen my Finette," he cried; "this trick did not come from your
own head."
"Don't you know but one song," said Yvon, opening his mouth and shutting
his eyes. "It is the old story, myfinette, myfinette. Once for all, show
me this thing."
"Well, well," roared the giant with fury, "wait till to-morrow, and you
shall make her acquaintance!"
"Thank you, master," said Yvon. "It is very good of you; but I see from
your face that you are laughing at me."