Page:Slavonic Fairy Tales.djvu/246

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The Long-desired Child.
229

with open mouth and rolling eyes, and looking as big as an oven. Having, however, recognised Otesanek, he said,—

"O-ho! is it you? Where is your mother?"

"I have eaten her," answered Otesanek; "and now it is your turn."

He opened his mouth and in an instant swallowed up the man. But the more Otesanek ate the more he wanted. There being nothing now in the hut that he could swallow up, he went into the village to look about him. He met a girl wheeling from the field a wheelbarrow full of clover.

"What have you eaten," cried the girl full of wonder, "that you look so big?"

Otesanek answered: "I am an eater, and have eaten some grits from a saucepan, a basinful of milk, a loaf of bread, my mother and father, and now will eat you too."

He rushed up to her, and the girl with the wheelbarrow disappeared. Afterwards Otesanek met a peasant who was driving a cart loaded with hay from the meadow. He advanced into the middle of the road and the horses stopped.

"Can't you get out of the way, you monster? I shall drive over you," cried the peasant angrily, and began to urge the horses forward. Otesanek, however, did not pay the least attention to him, but began to say,—