it up, he looked
carefully over the next story. This he continued, until he had torn down
the whole tower, and found no one but servants and guards, who ran away
in all directions, like ants when you destroy their hills. He then
kicked down all those walls which connected the tower with the rest of
the palace, and, when it was all level with the ground, he happened to
notice, almost at his feet, a circular opening like an entrance to a
vault, from which arose a very pleasant smell as of something good to
eat. Stooping down to see what it was that caused this agreeable
perfume, he perceived that at the distance of a few yards the aperture
terminated in a huge yellow substance, in which, upon a closer
inspection, he saw four feet sticking up--two with slippers, and two
with green stockings.

"Why, this is strange!" said he, and, stooping down, he felt the
substance, and found it was quite soft and yielding. He then loosened it
by passing his hand around it, and directly lifted it out almost entire.

"By the beard of the Prophet!" he cried, "but this is a cheese!" and,
turning it over, he saw on the other side two heads, one with short
black hair, and the other covered with beautiful brown curls.

"Why, here they are! As I'm a living Giant! these must be the Prince and
Princess, stowed away in a cheese!" And he laughed until the very hills
cracked.

When he got a little over his merriment, he asked the imprisoned couple
how they got there, and if they felt comfortable. They replied that they
had fallen down a trap, and had gone nearly through this cheese, where
they had stuck fast, and that was all they had known about it; and if
the blood did not run down into their heads so, they would be pretty
comfortable, thank him--which last remark the Giant accounted for by the
fact, that, when lovers are near each other, they do not generally pay
much attention to surrounding circumstances.

"This, then," said he, rising, "is where the King hardens his cheeses,
is it? Well, well, it's a jolly go!" And he laughed some more.

"O Tur-il-i-ra," cried Ting-a-ling, looking out from the vest-pocket,
"I'm so glad you've found them."

"Well, so am I," said the Giant.

Then Tur-il-i-ra, still holding the cheese, walked away for a little
distance, and sat down on a high bank, intending to wait there until
morning, when he would call on the King, and confer with him in relation
to his new-found treasure. Leaning against a great rock,