er.'

Ciccu was very much surprised at this sudden command, and he walked
thoughtfully away to the stables and began to stroke his favourite
horse, saying to himself, 'Ah, my pet, we must bid each other good-bye,
for the king has sent me away to get the sword of the Maneater.' Now
this horse was not like other horses, for it was a talking horse, and
knew a great deal about many things, so it answered, 'Fear nothing, and
do as I tell you. Beg the king to give you fifty gold pieces and leave
to ride me, and the rest will be easy.' Ciccu believed what the horse
said, and prayed the king to grant him what he asked. Then the two
friends set out, but the horse chose what roads he pleased, and directed
Ciccu in everything.

It took them many days' hard riding before they reached the country
where the Man-eater lived, and then the horse told Ciccu to stop a group
of old women who were coming chattering through the wood, and offer them
each a shilling if they would collect a number of mosquitos and tie
them up in a bag. When the bag was full Ciccu put it on his shoulder
and stole into the house of the Man-eater (who had gone to look for his
dinner) and let them all out in his bedroom. He himself hid carefully
under the bed and waited. The Man-eater came in late, very tired with
his long walk, and flung himself on the bed, placing his sword with its
shining blade by his side. Scarcely had he lain down than the mosquitos
began to buzz about and bite him, and he rolled from side to side trying
to catch them, which he never could do, though they always seemed to
be close to his nose. He was so busy over the mosquitos that he did
not hear Ciccu steal softly out, or see him catch up the sword. But the
horse heard and stood ready at the door, and as Ciccu came flying down
the stairs and jumped on his back he sped away like the wind, and never
stopped till they arrived at the king's palace.

The king had suffered much pain in his absence, thinking that if the
Man-eater ate Ciccu, it would be all his fault. And he was so overjoyed
to have him safe that he almost forgot the sword which he had sent him
to bring. But the two brothers did not love Ciccu any better because
he had succeeded when they hoped he would have failed, and one day they
spoke to the king. 'It is all very well for Ciccu to have got possession
of the sword, but it would have been far more to your majesty's honour
if he had captured the Man-eater himself.' The king thou