you. Do you see a bird's nest in the top of that tall fir? I'll get it
down for you and not by climbing the tree either."

So saying he began to stretch out and his body shot up and up until he
was as tall as the fir tree. He reached over and got the nest and
then, in a shorter time than it had taken him to stretch out, he
reduced himself to his natural size.

"You do your trick very well," the prince said, "but just now a bird's
nest isn't of much use to me. What I need is some one to show me the
way out of this forest."

"H'm," Longshanks said, "that's an easy enough matter."

Again he began to stretch himself up and up and up until he was three
times as tall as the highest pine in the forest. He looked around and
said: "Over there, in that direction, is the nearest way out."

Then he made himself small again, took the horse by the bridle, walked
ahead, and in a short time they emerged from the forest.

A broad plain stretched out before them and beyond it they could see
tall gray rocks that looked like the walls of a great city and
mountains overgrown with forests.

Longshanks pointed off across the plain and said: "There, master, goes
a comrade of mine who would be very useful to you. You ought to take
him into your service too."

"Very well," said the prince, "call him here that I may find out what
sort of a fellow he is."

"He is too far away to call," Longshanks said. "He wouldn't hear my
voice and if he did he would be a long time in reaching us, for he has
much to carry. I had better step over and get him myself."

As he said this, Longshanks stretched out and out until his head was
lost in the clouds. He took two or three strides, reached his comrade,
set him on his shoulder, and brought him to the prince.

The new man was heavily built and round as a barrel.

"Who are you?" the prince asked. "And what can you do?"

"I am called Girth," the man said. "I can widen myself."

"Let me see you do it," the prince said.

"Very well, master," said Girth, beginning to puff out, "I will. But
take care! Ride off into the forest as fast as you can!"

The prince did not understand the warning, but he saw that Longshanks
was in full flight, so he spurred his horse and galloped after him.

It was just as well he did, for in another moment Girth would have
crushed both him and his horse, so fast did he spread out, so huge did
he become. In a short time he filled the whole plain until it looked
as though a