sit down upon the rock in
which the little boys had hidden themselves. As he was worn out with
fatigue, he fell asleep, and, after reposing himself some time, began to
snore so frightfully that the poor children were no less afraid of him
than when he held up his great knife and was going to take their lives.
Little Thumb was not so much frightened as his brothers, and told them
that they should run away at once toward home while the Ogre was asleep
so soundly, and that they need not be in any trouble about him. They
took his advice, and got home quickly.

Little Thumb then went close to the Ogre, pulled off his boots gently,
and put them on his own legs. The boots were very long and large, but as
they were fairy boots, they had the gift of becoming big or little,
according to the legs of those who wore them; so that they fitted his
feet and legs as well as if they had been made for him. He went straight
to the Ogre's house, where he saw his wife crying bitterly for the loss
of her murdered daughters.

"Your husband," said Little Thumb, "is in very great danger, for he has
been taken by a gang of thieves, who have sworn to kill him if he does
not give them all his gold and silver. At the very moment they held
their daggers at his throat he perceived me and begged me to come and
tell you the condition he was in, and to say that you should give me all
he has of value, without retaining any one thing; for otherwise they
will kill him without mercy. As his case is very pressing, he desired me
to make use of his seven-leagued boots, which you see I have on, so that
I might make the more haste and that I might show you that I do not
impose upon you."

The good woman, being greatly frightened, gave him all she had; for this
Ogre was a very good husband, though he ate up little children. Little
Thumb, having thus got all the Ogre's money, came home to his father's
house, where he was received with abundance of joy.

There are many people who do not agree in regard to this act of Little
Thumb's, and pretend that he never robbed the Ogre at all, and that he
only thought he might very justly take off his seven-leagued boots
because he made no other use of them but to run after little children.
These folks affirm that they are very well assured of this, because they
have drunk and eaten often at the fagot-maker's house. They declare that
when Little Thumb had taken off the Ogre's boots he went to Court, where
he was informed th