146 THE TIIREE GOLDEN APPLES.

chafes me, and will cause unnecessary inconvenience in
So many centuries as I am to stand here.”

“That ’s no more than fair, and Ill do it!’ quoth the
giant; for he had no unkind feeling towards Hercules,
and was merely acting with a too selfish consideration of
his own ease. ‘ For just five minutes, then, Ill take
back the sky. Only for five minutes, recollect! I have
no idea of spending another thousand years as I spent the
last. Variety is the spice of life, say I.”

Ah, the thick-witted old rogue of a giant! He threw
down the golden apples, and received back the sky, from
the head and shoulders of Hercules, upon his own, where
it rightly belonged. And Hercules picked up the three
golden apples, that were as big or bigger than pumpkins,
and straightway set out on his journey homeward, with-
out paying the slightest heed to the thundering tones of
the giant, who bellowed after him to come back. An.-
other forest sprang up around his feet, and grew ancient
there ; and again might be seen oak-trees, of six or seven
centuries old, that had waxed thus aged betwixt his enor-
mous toes, 7

And there stands the giant, to this day; or, at any rate,
there stands a mountain as tall as he, and which bears his
name; and when the thunder rumbles about its summit,
we may Imagine it to be the voice of Giant Atlas, bellow-
ing after Hercules !