no human
power has been able to move it.

Cormoran was an old giant, and a very ugly one. He had only one eye, and
that was in the middle of his forehead; he had lost nearly all his teeth,
too. It would have been better for his appearance had he lost them quite
all, for those that were left were broken, jagged, and discoloured, and
were anything but ornamental. He was a perfect monster to look at, and,
oh, he was such a dreadful thief! All the people who lived anywhere near
him went in terror of him, for when he was hungry he would just cross to
the mainland, steal the very best cow or sheep in the neighbourhood,
sling it across his shoulders and go home with it. And as he was very
often hungry, the poor farmer folks were nearly eaten out of house and
home by the bad old giant.

On the Pengerswick estate near by, there were some particularly good
cattle, which Master Cormoran had taken a great fancy to, and to which he
helped himself pretty freely without ever being caught, or punished.
Of course, the more he stole the bolder he got, for having so often got
off scot-free, he grew to think he was always going to get off scot-free,
and that was where he made his mistake.

One day he took it into his head that he would very much like another
of these fine, choice animals, so picking up a rope he started off,
and wading across to Pengerswick Cove, landed there as usual, thinking he
was going to help himself without any trouble and be home again by
dinner-time.

It happened, though, that the Lord of Pengerswick had just returned from
the East, where he had been learning all sorts of magic and spells.
Cormoran, however, knew nothing of this, and if he had he would probably
only have laughed and sneered, and turned up his great nose in scorn,
for he believed in nothing but giants, and only in two of them,--himself,
and the Trecrobben Hill giant.

As Master Cormoran approached, the Lord of Pengerswick, who knew by means
of magic all about his coming, and knowing his thieving ways, determined
to punish the old thief for all the mischief he had done during his
absence. So he began at once to work his spells, meaning to give the
giant a very unpleasant time.

Cormoran, never dreaming of any trouble in store for him, landed as usual;
but, somehow, when he reached the Cove he did not feel very well, his head
felt muzzy and confused: he thought perhaps the sun had been too much for
him as he came along. Instead, too, o