Page:Tales of old Lusitania.djvu/124

110 the great fish and thus avert any greater evils from her family. She at once got ready to go with her father, who took her and delivered her up to the sea monster, for he believed himself in the fish's power, and dared not disobey him.

His difficulties, however, were not destined to end there, for every time he let down his nets into the sea no other fish came into the nets but this great monster, who each time demanded another of his daughters until he had carried away the three.

When the fish found himself in possession of the fisherman's three daughters, he loaded him in return with riches and many costly gifts. He was now a wealthy man, and lived at ease; but if ever he happened to ply his old craft by way of amusement, he was never able to catch any other fish but this same huge monster, who, no doubt, took great pleasure in visiting his old friend the fisherman.

After several years had elapsed, a son was born to the fisherman, which was a great happiness to him and his desolate wife, who had had their family so cruelly torn from them, and who had no children with whom to share their wealth.

When the boy had grown up to manhood, he recollected how he had often been told when a child that his father had once been very poor, but had sold his daughters in exchange for his present wealth.

One day he went to his father, and said: "Father,