it
weighing them down in every direction. It took three times twenty-one
days to gather them, and twice the same time to make the wine and put it
into casks.

When all was done, he called out, "It's all done, Mr. Giant."

The giant tasted the wine, from the first and last cask, smacked his
lips, and said, "That's what I call good! Here, monkey, take this
thistle; when you reach home you will find in it everything you wish."
In an instant, giant, casks, and all had disappeared.

But little Mark, holding fast to his thistle, journeyed on. Soon he came
to a wide ravine. It was impossible to jump across, and so deep that the
bottom could not be seen. He walked along the edge for a long time, but
it grew wider and more precipitous. "Oh!" cried Mark in despair, "no
sooner do I overcome one obstacle, than another rises in its place. How
shall I ever get past this dreadful ravine?" He covered his face with his
hands, and murmured, "Oh, fairy Benevolence, must my mother die!"

Hardly was the last word spoken, when a wolf appeared, and asked in a
rough voice what he wanted in his domains.

"Oh, Mr. Wolf," said Mark trembling, "I seek the plant of life for my
mother."

"Well," growled the wolf, "you must first kill all the game in my
forests, and make them into game pies. Here are a bow and arrows, and
here is a fire in this hole; not a step shall you stir till you have
finished."

Mark took the bow and arrows, and tried to shoot the birds, but he could
not hit a single one. Just then the crow appeared, and, with a polite
"caw, caw," said, "You have saved my life: now I will show you my
gratitude." So saying, she killed all the game for him. It took four
times twenty-one days, and he killed five hundred thousand, of all sorts
and sizes, woodcocks, partridges, quails, chip birds, robins, and cat
birds, for a wolf likes all varieties. As fast as the crow killed, Mark
cooked, and when it was all done, he called out, "Mr. Wolf, here are
your pies with plenty of pepper and salt."

The wolf tasted the first and last, smacked his lips, and exclaimed,
"My! how nice!" He then gave Mark a stick, saying, "When you have found
the plant of life, and want to go home, get astride of this stick; but
now get on my back."

Mark obeyed, somewhat frightened, and holding fast to his steed's ears;
the wolf went to the edge of the ravine, gave a prodigious jump; and, lo
and behold! Mark was safely over.

And now, at last, the high wall of t