Page:Transactions of the Second International Folk-Congress.djvu/79

 ate with a will, and Lady Featherflight walked round and round the table, singing as she went:

As she walked round the heap for the second time, still singing, the ground about her looked as if it was moving. From behind each grain of sand, each daisy stem, each blade of grass, there came some little insect, grey, black, brown, or green, and began to work at the seeds. Each chose out one kind, and made a heap by itself. When Reuben had finished a hearty meal, the great heap was divided into countless others, and Reuben and Lady Featherflight walked and talked to their heart's content for the rest of the day. As the sun went down, the giant came home, thundered at the door again, and shouted, "Let me in! Let me in!"

Featherflight greeted him with his supper, already laid, and he sat down and ate with a great appetite four fat pigs, three fat pullets, and an old gander. He finished off with a jack-pudding. Then he was so sleepy he could not keep his head up; all he said was, "Go to bed, youngster! I'll see your work to-morrow." Then, as before, the giant laid himself down on the floor with his head in Featherflight's lap. She combed his hair and brushed his head, and he fell fast asleep. The next morning, the giant called Reuben into the farmyard earlier than before. "It is but fair to call you early, for I have work, more than a strong man can well do." He showed him a heap of sand, saying, "Make me a rope, to tether my herd of cows, that they may not leave the stalls before milking-time." Then he turned on his heel, and went down the road laughing. Reuben took some sand in his hands, gave one twist, threw it down, went to the door, and called out, "Featherflight, Featherflight, this is beyond you! I feel myself already rolled in meal and swallowed, bones and all!"

Out came Featherflight, saying with good cheer, "Not so bad as that. Sit down, and we will plan what to do." They talked and planned all the day. Just before the giant came home, they went up to the top of the stairs to Reuben's room; then Featherflight pricked Reuben's finger and dropped a drop of blood on each of the three stairs. Then she came down and prepared the