him to a fountain where hundreds of Giants and Giantesses
were assembled preparing to hold a wedding. They danced and played
different games till midnight; then one of the Giants tore up a plant
by its roots, and all the Giants and Giantesses made themselves so
thin that they disappeared into the earth through the hole made by the
uprooting of the plant. The wounded Giant remained behind to the last
and called out, 'Herd-boy, where are you?' 'Here I am, close to you,'
was the reply. 'Touch me,' said the Giant, 'so that you too may come
with us under ground.' The Herd-boy did as he was told, and before he
could have believed it possible he found himself in a big hall, where
even the walls were made of pure gold. Then to his astonishment he saw
that the hall was furnished with the tables and chairs that belonged
to his master. In a few minutes the company began to eat and drink.
The banquet was a very gorgeous one, and the poor youth fell to and
ate and drank lustily. When he had eaten and drunk as much as he could
he thought to himself, 'Why shouldn't I put a loaf of bread in my
pocket? I shall be glad of it to-morrow.' So he seized a loaf when no
one was looking and stowed it away under his tunic. No sooner had he
done so than the wounded Giant limped up to him and whispered softly,
'Herd-boy, where are you?' 'Here I am,' replied the youth. 'Then hold
on to me,' said the Giant, 'so that I may lead you up above again.' So
the Herd-boy held on to the Giant, and in a few moments he found
himself on the earth once more, but the Giant had vanished. The
Herd-boy returned to his sheep, and took off the invisible belt which
he hid carefully in his bag.

[Footnote 12: From the _Bukowniaer_. Von Wliolocki.]

The next morning the lad felt hungry, and thought he would cut off a
piece of the loaf he had carried away from the Giants' wedding feast,
and eat it. But although he tried with all his might, he couldn't cut
off the smallest piece. Then in despair he bit the loaf, and what was
his astonishment when a piece of gold fell out of his mouth and rolled
at his feet. He bit the bread a second and third time, and each time a
piece of gold fell out of his mouth; but the bread remained untouched.
The Herd-boy was very much delighted over his stroke of good fortune,
and, hiding the magic loaf in his bag, he hurried off to the nearest
village to buy himself something to eat, and then returned to his
sheep.

Now the Lord whose sheep t