All agreed with me, and we spent the day in building rafts,
each capable of carrying three persons. At nightfall we returned
to the castle, and very soon in came the giant, and one more of our
number was sacrificed. But the time of our vengeance was at hand!
As soon as he had finished his horrible repast he lay down to sleep
as before, and when we heard him begin to snore I, and nine of the
boldest of my comrades, rose softly, and took each a spit, which we
made red-hot in the fire, and then at a given signal we plunged it
with one accord into the giant's eye, completely blinding him.
Uttering a terrible cry, he sprang to his feet
clutching in all
directions to try to seize one of us.
After a vain search he fumbled about till he found the door, and fled
out of it howling frightfully. As for us, when he was gone we made
haste to leave the fatal castle, and, stationing ourselves beside
our rafts,
we waited to see what would happen. But alas! morning light showed us
our enemy approaching us, supported on either hand by two giants
nearly as large and fearful as himself, while a crowd of others
followed close upon their heels. Hesitating no longer we clambered
upon our rafts and rowed with all our might out to sea. The giants,
seeing their prey escaping them, seized up huge pieces of rock,
and wading into the water hurled them after us with such good
aim that all the rafts except the one I was upon were swamped,
and their luckless crews drowned, without our being able to do
anything to help them. Indeed I and my two companions had all we could do to keep our own raft beyond the reach of the giants,
but by dint of hard rowing we at last gained the open sea.
Here we were at the mercy of the winds and waves, which tossed us
to and fro all that day and night, but the next morning we found
ourselves near an island, upon which we gladly landed.
