d God. And he sat there on the log in the middle of
the sea, twiddling his thumbs for want of something to do.

There was a strong current in the sea that carried him along, and at
last, after floating for many days without ever a bite for his teeth
or a drop for his gullet, his feet touched land. Now that was at
night, and he left the log and walked up out of the sea, and lay down
on the shore and waited for morning.

When the sun rose he stood up, and saw that he was on a bare island,
and he saw nothing at all on the island except a huge house as big as
a mountain; and as he was looking at the house the great door creaked
with a noise like that of a hurricane among the pine forests, and
opened; and a giant came walking out, and came to the shore, and stood
there, looking down at Ivan.

"What are you doing here, little one?" says the giant.

Ivan told him the whole story, just as I have told it to you.

The giant listened to the very end, pulling at his monstrous whiskers.
Then he said, "Listen, little one. I know more of the story than you,
for I can tell you that to-morrow morning your eldest brother is going
to marry your Princess. But there is no need for you to take on about
it. If you want to be there, I will carry you and set you down before
the house in time for the wedding. And a fine wedding it is like to
be, for your father thinks well of those brothers of yours bringing
back all those precious stones, and silver and gold enough to buy a
kingdom."

And with that he picked up Ivan the Ninny and set him on his great
shoulders, and set off striding through the sea.

He went so fast that the wind of his going blew off Ivan's hat.

"Stop a moment," shouts Ivan; "my hat has blown off."

"We can't turn back for that," says the giant; "we have already left
your hat five hundred versts behind us." And he rushed on, splashing
through the sea. The sea was up to his armpits. He rushed on, and the
sea was up to his waist. He rushed on, and before the sun had climbed
to the top of the blue sky he was splashing up out of the sea with the
water about his ankles. He lifted Ivan from his shoulders and set him
on the ground.

"Now," says he, "little man, off you run, and you'll be in time for
the feast. But don't you dare to boast about riding on my shoulders.
If you open your mouth about that you'll smart for it, if I have to
come ten thousand thousand versts."

Ivan the Ninny thanked the giant for carrying him t