ter he
saw that it was a monstrous alligator, with three heads. As it advanced
upon him, with all three mouths wide open, ready to devour him and his
sleeping brothers, he sprang to meet it, and, with three mighty strokes
like flashes of lightning, severed the three heads from the body. Then
he cut off the six ears and placed them in his haversack. As the other
two brothers had done, he, also, kept the matter to himself.

It was not yet dawn, and the fire was burning low. In order to replenish
it the young Prince went into the surrounding desert to look for fuel.
After searching for some time in vain, he mounted a rock and looked
around; and there, not very far away, he saw the gleam of a fire. He ran
towards it, knowing he should find some fuel. But, when he arrived at
the place where the fire was burning, he found the glare of it came from
within a large cave. Creeping forward cautiously, he peered in, and saw
a strange sight. The fire was blazing in the middle of the floor, and
round it sat nine giants, eating the flesh of human beings, whose limbs
they drew from a huge cauldron over the fire.

Horrifying was this sight to the Prince. He made up his mind to trick
the giants. He advanced boldly into the cave and gave them greeting.

'Good-morrow, my friends,' he cried jauntily; 'I've been searching for
you everywhere.'

'Good-morrow, friend!' replied the biggest of the giants. 'And, if
you're indeed one of us, you will, of course, join us in our feast, and
then help us in our search for more.'

'With every pleasure!' cried the Prince; 'indeed, I need hardly thank
you for the kind invitation, since I am at all times ready to assist you
in your hunting expeditions. I have a rare tooth for the flesh of
mortals, and the bigger they are the better I like them.'

The giants looked at one another and grunted approvingly. Then said the
chief: 'Since you are with us, what is your name?'

'I am Nine Man Mord,' replied the Prince, taking the name of that hero
of a far land who had slain nine men in so many strokes of his sword. 'I
have journeyed from the North and have come to dwell among you, and be
one of you.'

They were all astonished, for they had heard wonderful stories of Nine
Man Mord; and they seemed to forget that they themselves were nine.

'Come, Nine Man Mord!' they cried; 'come, sit and eat with us.'

Readily the Prince took his place among them; but, though it seemed to
them that he ate of the human fle