One day when my friend and I came into the castle, I smelled a man. It’s a distinct odor that some giants find appetizing.

We found him in the treasure room, filling his little coat with pieces of gold.

“Let’s cook him for supper,” said my friend.

But he was a scrawny thing. I took my friend aside, and I said, “I’ve got a better idea. He’s smart. Let’s keep him here to guard our treasure. In exchange we’ll give him all the food he needs for a lifetime.”

My friend turned to the boy, and he said, “To please my friend, I will spare your life, on the condition that you guard our treasure. If you are hungry, take this little table and rap on it. Say: ‘The dinner of an emperor!’ And you’ll get as much food as you want.”

Giant Friends in Three Treasures of the Giants, Orange Fairy Book. Illustration by H.J. Ford.