a monstrous man approaching the Valley.

The people were so frightened they stood perfectly still, being unable
to move through surprise and terror; but the dog ran with all his might
toward the mountain to see what was the matter. Just as the dog reached
the foot of the mountain the Cast-iron Man came tramping along and
stepped into the Valley, where he ruined in one instant a large bed of
lady-fingers and a whole patch of ripe pumpkin pies. Indeed, the entire
Valley would soon have been destroyed had not the Cast-iron Man stubbed
his toe against the dog and fallen flat on his face, where he lay
roaring and gnashing his teeth, but unable to do any further harm.

Presently the King and his people recovered from their fright and
gathered around their prostrate foe, marveling at his great size and
strength.

"Had you not tripped him up," said the King to the dog, "this giant
would certainly have destroyed my kingdom. Who do you suppose was so
wicked as to send this monster to crush us?"

"It must have been King Scowleyow," declared the dog, "for no one else
would care to harm you, and the giant came from the direction of the
wicked King's country."

"Yes," replied the monarch, thoughtfully, "it must indeed have been
Scowleyow; and it was a very unkind act, for we never harmed him in any
way. But what shall we do with this great man? If he is left here he
will scare all the children with his roarings, and none of the ladies
will care to walk near this end of the Valley. He is so heavy that not
all of us together could lift him, and even if we succeeded we have no
place to put him where he would be out of the way."

This was indeed true; so all the people sat down in a circle around the
Cast-iron Man and thought upon the matter intently for the space of an
hour.

Then the monarch asked, solemnly, as became the importance of the
occasion:

"Has any one thought of a way to get rid of him?"

The people shook their heads gravely and thought deeply for another
hour. At the end of that time the dog suddenly laughed, and called out
in a voice so loud that it startled them:

"I have thought of a way!"

"Good!" exclaimed the King. "Let us hear your plan."

"You see," explained the dog, "the Cast-iron Man is now lying on his
face. If we could only roll him over on to his back, and then raise him
to his feet again, he would be turned around, and would march straight
back to where he came from, and do us no further harm