BY JACOB ABBOTT Jacob Abbott was a famous teacher, preacher, and writer in the days of your grandfathers and grandmothers. He was always fond of boys and girls. He had a little hilly farm of four acres in Maine, where he played with his children and where he wrote many of his best child stories. Many of his tales are real happenings to the children on his country place. In this story you will meet one of his friends, Beechnut. ANY years ago in a pleasant country home MAN among the White Mountains, there lived a happy family of boys and girls. These children were always busy, working or learning or playing; and s so every day they found some new way of helping or amusing one another. One of the boys was called "Beechnut," although that was only a nickname. He was old enough to do a good deal of work on the farm, and he knew how To to tell many pleasant stories. A little girl whose name was Malleville was visiting at the farm, and she never grew tired of listening to Beechnut. One bright winter day Malleville came into the shed where Beechnut was sawing wood. He was glad Is to have her company. He threw a bearskin over some smooth logs at one end of the woodpile, and thus made a comfortable seat for her. 20 "I wish you would tell me a story, Beechnut," said Malleville. So Beechnut began as follows: "Once there was a giant, a great ugly giant, with a terrible face and a big black club. He lived in a den." "But I don't want to hear such a story as that," said Malleville. "I don't like to hear about giants, s it frightens me so." "Oh, this story won't frighten you. This was a good giant." "But you said he was ugly." 12 "He looked ugly, that was all. I said he looked 10 ugly." "What was his name?" asked Malleville. "His name," said Beechnut, "his name why, his "I don't believe he was good," said Malleville, Is shaking her head. "He was, truly," said Beechnut, turning round and 5 ΙΟ 20 looking at Malleville very earnestly. "He was a good giant, indeed." "Then what did he want of the great black club?" said Malleville. "Why, it only looked like a club. It was hollow and there was something inside. He could unscrew the handle, and draw it out like a sword out of a sword cane." "What was inside of it?" "A long and beautiful feather. Well, one day Golgorondo was sitting at the mouth of the den, very sick and very thirsty. A boy came along with a red cap on his head. "Red Cap, Red Cap!' said the giant. 'I have a fever and I am thirsty. Won't you take this mug and bring me a cup of water from the spring?' "I can't go now,' said Red Cap; 'I want to go and play.' "Very well, run along,' said Golgorondo. "Soon a girl came by with a green ribbon on her hat. "Green Ribbon, Green Ribbon!' said the giant. 'I have a fever and I am thirsty. Please take this mug down to the spring and get me a good cool drink 25 of water.' "I'm afraid of you,' said Green Ribbon; 'you look so ugly; I want to run home.' "Well, run along, then,' said the giant. "In a little while another boy came along. He wore a blue cap on his head. "Blue Cap, Blue Cap!' said Golgorondo. 'I have a fever and I am thirsty. Won't you take this mug and go down to the spring and get me a good cool drink s of water?' 'Yes,' said Blue Cap, ‘I will.' "So Blue Cap took the mug and went down to the spring and brought back a mugful of water for the giant. When he had drunk it all, Blue Cap asked if 10 he wanted any more. "One mugful more,' said Golgorondo. "So Blue Cap went down and brought back a mugful of water for the giant. When he had drunk it all, Blue Cap asked if he wanted any more. ""One mugful more,' said Golgorondo. "So Blue Cap went down and brought up one mugful more. Then the giant said, 'Now I shall get well to-night. Come and see me to-morrow, and I will 15 reward you for going to the spring and bringing me 20 three mugs of water.'" "And did he get well?" asked Malleville. "Yes, and the next day Blue Cap came again." "And what did the giant give him?" "A magic bowl," said Beechnut, "a magic silver 25 bowl. He went into his den and opened the door of a little cupboard that stood by the wall. He took out a beautiful bowl. It had a sort of saucer under it, and a cover on the top. And all over it there were beautiful pictures cut in the silver. On the handle for taking the cover off was the picture of a handsome dog. A little below, upon the side of the cover, was s the picture of a hunter and a hare. ΤΟ 15 "The giant told Blue Cap that the charm of the bowl was in the hunter and the hare. By means of the bowl he could have anything he wanted that was good to eat, provided that he was a good poet. "It was done this way: He was to put the cover on the bowl and take it in his lap. Then he must say something about the hunter and the hare for one line, and make another line to rime with it, asking for whatever he wanted. "For example, he might say, 'Silver huntsman, hunting a hare, |