devour him. But the merchant hurriedly
took a bag of bread and dried meat out and offered it to them. They
divided it, ate it up and it seemed to taste good to them. Then they
once more went through the bag; but he gestured with his hand to show
them that he had no more.

Then he said: "Let me go! Aboard my ship I have frying-pans and
cooking-pots, vinegar and spices. With these I could prepare your
food."

The ogres did not understand what he was saying, however, and were
still ferocious. So he tried to make them understand in dumb show, and
finally they seemed to get an idea of his meaning. So they went to the
ship with him, and he brought his cooking gear to the cave, collected
brush-wood, made a fire and cooked the remains of the deer. When it
was done to a turn he gave them some of it to eat, and the two
creatures devoured it with the greatest satisfaction. Then they left
the cave and closed the opening with a great rock. In a short space of
time they returned with another deer they had caught. The merchant
skinned it, fetched fresh water, washed the meat and cooked several
kettles full of it. Suddenly in came a whole herd of ogres, who
devoured all he had cooked, and became quite animated over their
eating. They all kept pointing to the kettle which seemed too small to
them. When three or four days had passed, one of the ogres dragged in
an enormous cooking-pot on his back, which was thenceforth used
exclusively.

Now the ogres crowded about the merchant, bringing him wolves and deer
and antelopes, which he had to cook for them, and when the meat was
done they would call him to eat it with them.

Thus a few weeks passed and they gradually came to have such
confidence in him that they let him run about freely. And the merchant
listened to the sounds which they uttered, and learned to understand
them. In fact, before very long he was able to speak the language of
the ogres himself. This pleased the latter greatly, and they brought
him a young ogre girl and made her his wife. She gave him valuables
and fruit to win his confidence, and in course of time they grew much
attached to each other.

One day the ogres all rose very early, and each one of them hung a
string of radiant pearls about his neck. They ordered the merchant to
be sure and cook a great quantity of meat. The merchant asked his wife
what it all meant.

"This will be a day of high festival," answered she, "we have invited
the great king to a ban