ot seen upon the earth.

The little son of the Spring Princess grew up to be the Giant of the
Rain. In the rainy season and the season of thunder showers he rules
upon the earth. He sends upon the earth such tears as the Spring
Princess shed in the depths of the seas.

II

THE FOUNTAIN OF GIANT LAND

Long ago there lived a king who was blind. He had employed all the
wise physicians in the kingdom, but all to no avail. Not one of them
did a single thing to restore his lost eyesight.

One day a little old woman came to the door of the palace begging
alms. She said to the servant at the door, "I wish to say a word to
the king who is blind. I know a sure cure for his blindness."

The servant led the little old woman into the king's presence. He was
sitting upon the royal throne with his royal crown upon his head, but
his blind eyes were bandaged and his royal face was sad because he
could no longer see the bright sunlight shining upon the deep blue sea
from the window of the palace, nor the lords and ladies of the court
before him in their gorgeous garments of purple and cloth of silver
and cloth of gold, nor of the face of the queen.

"O royal majesty," said the little old woman as she bowed low before
him, "there is only one thing in the whole world which will restore
your lost eyesight. It is the water of the fountain of Giantland.
Bathe your eyes in that water and your lost eyesight will be restored
at once."

"How can I obtain this wonderful water?" asked the king. "Giantland is
a long distance from my kingdom and I do not know the way there." The
king, the queen, and all the courtiers held their breaths to listen to
the reply of the little old woman.

"Your Majesty will need to build a strong fleet to sail up the great
river which leads to Giantland," she said. "The expedition will need
as its leader a prince with a brave heart, for there will be many
perils on the way to test his mettle. The fountain of Giantland is at
the summit of a long steep rocky mountain, and it can be reached only
by a prince who ascends the mountain looking neither to the right nor
to the left. All along the way stand huge giants ready to enslave one
the moment he stops looking straight ahead. If one should succeed in
climbing the mountain the fountain is there at the summit, but it is
guarded by a dragon. One can approach it only when the dragon is
asleep. Many princes have tried this quest and all have failed. If you
sho