Many years ago there lived a mighty¹ race of giants. They were as tall as the hills, and dwelt² in great castles as large as mountains. To them the world was a very small place indeed.

These giants loved the world, however, and all the many beautiful things in it. The sunshine, the song of birds, the green fields, the woods, the rivers, and the blue sky were all charming³ to them.

So it was that they used to walk a great deal. They used to go everywhere and see everything that was good to see. When they walked, however, they stepped from hilltop to hilltop. They never went down into the valleys.

The king of the giants was a great and a good man. He was kind to his people, and kind to his children, and they all loved[110] and honored⁴ him. One of his children was a beautiful girl. She would soon be a woman, but she still loved playthings.

Like the rest of the giants, Hilda, the king’s daughter, liked to go walking out into the world. She often found most interesting playthings. Sometimes she would bring home a bear, or a baby elephant.

One day Hilda went out for a walk. She had had to stay in the castle for several days because of the rain. This was a beautiful day, however, and she walked a long way, even for a giant’s daughter.

The maiden⁵ stepped over valley after valley, from hilltop to hilltop, till she was far away from home. She had never gone so far before. The country seemed quite different, and it was pleasant, too.

At last she stopped and looked about her to enjoy the scene. Before her was a wide valley, and in it she saw many curious things. One of them was a man[111] plowing⁶ with horses. She had never seen anything like that before.

“Oh!” she cried, “what cute playthings they will make! They will be real live playthings, too. How nice the little creature is that walks behind! And the thing he is holding; that will make a fine toy. And the other animals will be such lovely pets. I must have them all.”

Hilda reached down into the valley and picked up the man, the

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