He took up little thumbling carefully with two fingers, examined him, and without saying one word went away with him. His father stood by, but could not utter a sound for terror, and he thought nothing else but that his child was lost, and that as long as he lived he should never set eyes on him again.
But the giant carried him home, let him suckle at his breast, and thumbling grew and became tall and strong after the manner of giants.
When two years had passed, the old giant took him into the forest, wanted to test him, and said, pull up a stick for yourself. Then the boy was already so strong that he tore up a young tree out of the earth by the roots. But the giant thought, we must do better than that, took him back again, and suckled him two years longer. When he tested him, his strength had increased so much that he could tear an old tree out of the ground.
That was still not enough for the giant, he again suckled him for two years, and when he then went with him into the forest and said, now just tear up a real stick, the boy tore up the biggest oak-tree from the earth, so that it cracked, and that was a mere trifle to him.
Now that will do, said the giant, you are perfect. And took him back to the field from whence he had brought him. His father was there following the plough. The young giant went up to him, and said, does my father see what a fine man his son has grown into.
The farmer was alarmed, and said, no, you are not my son. I don't want you - leave me. Truly I am your son, allow me to do your work, I can plough as well as you, nay better. No, no, you are not my son, and you can not plough - go away. However, as he was afraid of this great man, he let go of the plough, stepped back and sat down at the side of the land. Then the youth took the plough, and just grasped it with one hand, but his pressure was so strong that the plough went deep into the earth.
The farmer could not bear to see that, and called to him, if you are determined to plough, you must not press so hard on it, that makes bad work. The youth, however, unharnessed the horses, and drew the plough himself, saying, just go home, father, and bid my mother make ready a large dish of food, and in the meantime I will go over the field. Then the farmer went home, and ordered his wife to prepare the food, but the youth ploughed the field which was two acres large, quite alone, and then he harnessed himself to the harrow, and harrowed the whole of the land, using two harrows at once. When he had done it, he went into the forest, and pulled up two oak-trees, laid them across his shoulders, and hung on them one harrow behind and one before, and also one horse behind and one before, and carried all as if it had been a bundle of straw, to his parents, house.
When he entered the yard, his mother did not recognize him, and asked, who is that horrible tall man. The father said, that is our son. She said, no that cannot be our son, we never had such a tall one, ours was a little thing. She called to him, go away, we do not want you. The youth was silent, but led his horses to the stable, gave them some oats and hay, and all that they wanted. When he had done this, he went into the parlor, sat down on the bench and said, mother, now I should like something to eat, will it soon be ready?
She said, yes, and brought in two immense dishes full of food, which would have been enough to satisfy herself and her husband for a week.
The youth, however, ate the whole of it himself, and asked if she had nothing more to set before him. No, she replied, that is all we have. But that was only a taste, I must have more.
She did not dare to oppose him, and went and put a huge pig's trough full of food on the fire, and when it was ready, carried it in. At length come a few crumbs, said he, and gobbled all there was, but it was still not sufficient to appease his hunger. Then said he, father, I see well that with you I shall never have food enough, if you will get me an iron staff which is strong, and which I cannot break against my knees, I will go out into the world. The farmer was glad, put his two horses in his cart, and fetched from the smith a staff so large and thick, that the two horses could only just bring it away.
The youth laid it across his knees, and snap, he broke it in two in the middle like a bean-stalk, and threw it away. The father then harnessed four horses, and brought a bar which was so long and thick, that the four horses could only just drag it. The son snapped this also in twain against his knees, threw it away, and said, father, this can be of no use to me, you must harness more horses, and bring a stronger staff. So the father harnessed eight horses, and brought one which was so long and thick, that the eight horses could only just carry it. When the son took it in his hand, he immediately snapped off the end of it, and said, father, I see that you will not be able to procure me any such staff as I want, I will remain no longer with you.
So he went away, and gave out that he was a smith's apprentice. He arrived at a village, wherein lived a smith who was a stingy fellow, who never did a kindness to any one, but wanted everything for himself. The youth went into the smithy and asked if he needed a journeyman. Yes, said the smith, and looked at him, and thought, that is a strong fellow who will strike out well, and earn his bread.
So he asked, how much wages do you want.
I don't want any at all, he replied, only every fortnight, when the other journeymen are paid, I will give you two blows, and you must bear them. The miser was heartily satisfied, and thought he would thus save much money. Next morning, the strange journeyman was to begin to work, but when the master brought the glowing bar, and the youth struck his first blow, the iron flew asunder, and the anvil sank so deep into the earth, that there was no bringing it out again.
Then the miser grew angry, and said, oh, but I can't make any use of you, you strike far too powerfully. How much will you have for the one blow.
Then said he, I will give you only quite a small blow, that's all.