140 THE THREE GOLDEN APPLES.

possible to distinguish a word. Only the giant’s immeas-
urable legs were to be seen, standing up into the ob-
scurity of the tempest; and, now and then, a momentary
glimpse of his whole figure, mantled in a volume of mist.
He seemed to be speaking, most of the time; but his
big, deep, rough voice chimed in with the reverbera-
tions of the thunder-claps, and rolled away over the hills,
like them. Thus, by talking out of season, the foolish
giant expended an incalculable quantity of breath, to no
purpose; for the thunder spoke quite as intelligibly
as he.

At last, the storm swept over, as suddenly as it had
come. And there again was the clear sky, and the
weary giant holding it up, and the pleasant sunshine
beaming over his vast height, and illuminating it against
the background of the sullen thunder-clouds. So far
above the shower had been his head, that not a hair of it
was moistened by the rain-drops! :

When the giant could see Hercules still standing on
the sea-shore, he roared out to him anew. |

“Tam Atlas, the mightiest giant in the Ww orld! | And
IT hold the sky upon my head!” |

“So I sce,” answered Hercules. “ But, can you
show me the way to the garden of the Iesperides ? ”

“What do you want there?” asked the giant.

“T want three of the golden apples,” shouted Her-
cules, “for my cousin, the king.”

“There is nobody but myself,” quoth the giant, “ that
can go to the garden of the Hesperides, and gather the
golden apples. If it were not for this little business of