Page:The shoemaker's apron (1920).djvu/69

 “Good-day to you,” Yan said politely.

The giant, who was a rude, unmannerly fellow, bellowed out:

“It won’t take me long to finish you, you young whippersnapper!”

He raised a great iron club to strike Yan but Yan, quick as thought, flicked the giant with his whip and the huge fellow toppled over dead.

The next day he returned to the castle and found another giant in possession.

“Ho, ho!” he roared on sight of Yan. “What, you young whippersnapper, back again! You killed my brother yesterday and now I’ll kill you!”

He raised his great iron club to strike Yan, but Yan skipped nimbly aside. Then he flicked the giant with his whip and the huge fellow toppled over dead.

When Yan returned to the castle the third day there were no more giants about. So he wandered from room to room to see what treasures were there.

In one room he found a big chest. He struck it smartly and immediately two burly men jumped out and, bowing low before him, said:

“What does the master of the castle desire?”

“Show me everything there is to be seen,” Yan ordered.