ic, and told one of his men to
find out whence it came. The man came under the tree, and looking up to
the top there he saw Jack my Hedgehog astride on the cock.

The servant asked Jack what he was doing up there. 'I'm minding my pigs
and donkeys; but what do you want?' was the reply. Then the servant told
him they had lost their way, and wanted some one to show it them. Down
came Jack my Hedgehog with his cock, and told the old King he would show
him the right way if he would solemnly promise to give him the first
thing he met in front of his royal castle.

The King said 'Yes,' and gave Jack a written promise to that effect.

Then Jack rode on in front pointing out the way, and the King reached
his own country in safety.

Now he had an only daughter who was extremely beautiful, and who,
delighted at her father's return, ran to meet him, threw her arms round
his neck and kissed him heartily. Then she asked where he had been
wandering so long, and he told her how he had lost his way and might
never have reached home at all but for a strange creature, half-man,
half-hedgehog, which rode a cock and sat up in a tree making lovely
music, and which had shown him the right way. He also told her how he
had been obliged to pledge his word to give the creature the first thing
which met him outside his castle gate, and he felt very sad at the
thought that she had been the first thing to meet him.

But the Princess comforted him, and said she should be quite willing to
go with Jack my Hedgehog whenever he came to fetch her, because of the
great love she bore to her dear old father.

Jack my Hedgehog continued to herd his pigs, and they increased in
number till there were so many that the forest seemed full of them. So
he made up his mind to live there no longer, and sent a message to his
father telling him to have all the stables and outhouses in the village
cleared, as he was going to bring such an enormous herd that all who
would might kill what they chose. His father was much vexed at this
news, for he thought Jack had died long ago. Jack my Hedgehog mounted
his cock, and driving his pigs before him into the village, he let every
one kill as many as they chose, and such a hacking and hewing of pork
went on as you might have heard for miles off.

Then said Jack, 'Daddy, let the blacksmith shoe my cock once more; then
I'll ride off, and I promise you I'll never come back again as long as I
live.' So the father had the cock