s of
her underground home. She was an earth-loving child, and had a passion
for the upper world, whither she would escape as often as she possibly
could, for the sun, the flowers, the birds, the happy life which
surrounded her up there, were a never-failing joy to her.

Her parents scolded and scolded; they warned her that the earth was full
of giants, and if she were captured by one of them, nothing could save
her; but she paid no heed to them at all, for she did not know what fear
was, she could not believe that anyone could harm her. And they had
petted and humoured her, and allowed her her own way in so many things,
she did not see why she should not do as she liked in this.

She hated the cold, gloomy underground, so why should she stay there,
she argued, and she ran away more and more to the upper world, and spent
her days in roaming over the moors chasing the birds and butterflies, or,
when she was tired, lying on a bank of moss and ferns, gazing up at the
glorious sun, and basking in its kindly warmth.

At length one day, Tawridge and Tavy, sons of two Dartmoor giants, met
sweet Tamara as she was wandering amongst the furze and bracken, and
straightway fell in love with her. They had only seen giantesses up to
that time, who, though very fine and striking in appearance, are never
pretty, and these two young giants had never in their lives seen anything
so delicate and so lovely as Tamara, or dreamed that it was possible that
such beautiful maidens could exist.

Straightway each of them lost his great big heart to the dainty maiden,
and could not bear to lose sight of her. So afraid were they that she
would vanish, and they would never see her again, that they followed her
far and wide over the moor, trying to coax her to come and talk with them.
But Tamara, like a laughing, mischievous sprite, ran from them laughing,
led them over moor and river, always evading them, never letting them
reach her. The more though that she tantalized and teased them, the more
the poor fellows loved her, and they sighed for her until their great
hearts were like to break.

One morning, Tamara got away earlier than usual from her cavern home.
She awoke long before her parents, and after gazing for some time at the
darkness which filled the cave, and shivering in the chill, damp air,
she thought of the upper world where the morning sun would be shining on
the dewy grass, and the birds be singing their first glad song; and as