TALES OF GIANTS
FROM BRAZIL

BY
ELSIE SPICER EELLS
Author of “Fairy Tales from Brazil”

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY
HELEN M. BARTON

NEW YORK
DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY
1918

Copyright, 1918
By DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY, Inc.

VAIL-BALLOU COMPANY
BINGHAMTON AND NEW YORK

FOREWORD

Brazil is the land of the giant among allthe rivers of the world. It is the land ofgiant fruits and giant flowers. Of courseit is the land of giant stories too.

Years ago when the Portuguese settlerscame to Brazil they brought with them thefolk-tales of the old world. Just as Europeangrass seed, when planted in ourBrazilian gardens, soon sends forth such arank, luxuriant growth that one hardly recognizesit as grass, so the old Portuguesetales, planted in Brazilian soil, have growninto new forms.

The author gratefully acknowledges herindebtedness to the Brazilian story tellersto whose tales she has listened, and to thecollection of Dr. Sylvio Romero, “ContosPopulares do Brazil,” from which some ofthe “giant tales” have been adapted.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

1. The Princess of the Springs
2. The Fountain of Giant Land
3. The Boy and the Violin
4. The Most Beautiful Princess
5. The Little Sister of the Giants
6. The Forest Lad and the Wicked Giant
7. How the Giantess Guimara Became Small
8. The Adventures of a Fisherman’s Son
9. The Beast Slayer
10. The Quest of Cleverness
11. The Giant’s Pupil
12. Domingo’s Cat

ILLUSTRATIONS

• “O Fishes of the river, have you seen my own dear mother?”
• The youngest prince watched the lemon tree carefully every day
• He saw standing before him the most beautiful maiden he had ever dreamed of
• ...