plied: "I am willing to do anything
that you may need to have done. I would like to serve the beautiful
princess."

"You would, would you?" cried the king. "Now I will test you. In the
bottom of the North Sea there lies a string of enchanted pearls. If you
will get those pearls and bring them to me you shall serve my daughter,
the princess, and in time I may make you governor over one of my
provinces; who knows?" And the king laughed to himself.

Hans was wild with delight and, turning, hastened out of the palace. The
very next day he started on his journey to the North Sea. He walked and
walked a long way until he was very tired. At length, just ahead of him,
he saw a big giant rushing along in the strangest fashion.

"Good morning," said Hans, as he caught up with the giant. "What a very
large giant you are!"

"Yes," replied the giant, looking down at Hans, "I have need to be both
large and strong. Where are you going, young man?"

"I am going," answered Hans, "to the North Sea to try to get a string of
enchanted pearls which lies at the bottom of the sea."

"Ah!" said the tall giant, "it will take you a long time to get there.
Now if you could walk as fast as I can, it would be an easy matter."

"How fast can you walk?" asked Hans.

"I can walk faster than a greyhound can run," said the giant, "and when
I run, the swift river cannot keep pace with me."

"Can you, indeed?" exclaimed Hans. "What a fine fellow you are! I wish
you would come along with me. After I find the string of pearls I want
to get back to the king's palace as soon as possible, for I am to serve
the beautiful princess."

"If that's the case," said the giant, "I think I will go along with
you."

The two walked along, chatting together, until they saw what Hans
thought must be a huge round stone lying in the road. When, however,
they came up to it, he saw that it was another big giant lying asleep by
the road side. The hot sun was pouring down upon his face. "Stay here,"
said Hans, "until I can cut a branch from some tree to shade that poor
fellow's face. The sun is so hot it will soon blister him."

At these words the tall giant laughed aloud. "Ho, ho!" he cried, "don't
you know who that is? He is a neighbor of mine. He has such strong eyes
that he can see a fly on a leaf of a tree a mile away."

The loud laugh of the tall giant awoke the sleeping giant, and he opened
his great eyes and stared at Hans. "What are you doing, young man?"