nores, and how his breath comes in
great puffs.

The giant was snoring and puffing when the fairies came towards home.

They heard the strange sound and thought a great storm was brewing.

"There has never been such a wind in the glen," said the fairy queen.

"We will not go down into it. We must seek shelter for to-night on this
hillside."

Just then they came to the giant's ear.

"Here is a fine cavern," the queen said, and she stopped and waved her
wand.

A fairy hastened forward to carry the cap to a safe place in the cave,
for that was always their first care.

Just then the giant awoke.

He raised his great head.

Oh, how miserable the fairies were!

They wept and moaned until even the dull ear of the giant heard them.

It was a sound like the tolling of tiny silver bells.

He listened and understood what the wee voice of the prisoner in his ear
was saying.

He was the wisest and most kind-hearted of all the giants.

He helped the little creature gently out into his hand, and looked at
him in wonder.

He had never before seen a fairy.

In vain the brave little fellow tried to conceal the precious cap.

The giant saw the wonderful star and knew at once that he had the
treasure cap of the elves.

He set the fairy carefully upon the ground, and shouted for joy as he
found that the cap exactly fitted his own great head.

The poor fairies could no longer see him, but they heard a sound like
thunder, as he hurried over the stones towards his home.

They were now afraid to move about while the sun shone.

They crept under leaves and into shells and cried bitterly.

By sundown every plant in the glen was wet with their tears.

The sharp eyes of the eagle on the mountain top saw them and a great
pity filled his heart.

"I must help the fairies," he said, "otherwise I should not be worthy to
be called the 'king of birds'."

He went directly to the home of the giants and demanded the cap, but
they refused to give it up.

[Illustration]

All that an eagle could do, he did, but as the giants wore the invisible
cap he could not see them. He could only hear their great voices.

He knew however that the giants were proud of their great size and
strength, and liked, above all things, to be seen.

He was sure that they would not wear the cap in battle, and he did not
lose hope.

One day they carefully placed it under a large stone on the mountain
side below them.

The keen eye of the eagle