Niels and the Giants facts for kids

"Niels and the Giants" is an exciting Danish fairy tale that tells the story of a brave young man named Niels. This tale was collected by Andrew Lang and can be found in his famous book, The Crimson Fairy Book. It's a story full of adventure, cleverness, and facing big challenges!

The Story of Niels and the Giants

A Family's Journey

Once upon a time, there lived a family with two sons. The older son was happy to be a shepherd, just like his father. But the younger son, named Niels, dreamed of being a hunter. He got a gun, practiced a lot, and became a very skilled shot.

One day, their mother decided she wanted to go on a special journey to Rome. This kind of journey is called a pilgrimage. So, the family sold everything they owned and began their trip. Niels made sure to bring his trusty gun with him.

Lost in the Forest

One evening, it was very hot, and they had traveled slowly. They couldn't find an inn to stay in, so they decided to camp in the forest. They came to a crossroads and didn't know which way to go. They chose to stay right there for the night.

During the first part of the night, the older brother managed to shoot a stag (a type of deer). Later, during the second watch, Niels climbed a tall tree. From his perch, he saw something amazing and scary: three huge giants!

Niels Meets the Giants

The giants were busy eating. Niels, being very clever and a good shot, used his gun to make them quarrel. He carefully shot near their hands, making them bump each other and prick themselves with their forks. This made the giants very annoyed with each other!

However, the third giant eventually realized what was happening. He looked up and caught Niels! The giants were not happy, and they demanded that Niels help them.

A Dangerous Task

The giants had a plan to kidnap the king's daughter. They had put everyone in the castle to sleep, except for a small black dog. They told Niels that if he shot the dog without it barking and waking anyone, they would spare his life.

Niels was thrown into the castle. He landed softly on some grass. He quickly shot the dog, making sure it didn't bark. As he headed towards the gate, he noticed something incredible. There was an enormous sword and a special drinking horn. An old writing nearby said that whoever drank from the horn could use the mighty sword.

The Princess and the Sword

Niels explored the castle and found the princess. To prove he had been there, he took half of her handkerchief and one of her slippers. Then, he bravely drank from the magical horn. Just as the writing promised, he could now easily hold and swing the enormous sword!

He went to the castle gate, which had two doors: a small one and a large one. Niels opened the small door. He told the giants he was too weak to open the big one. As each giant tried to squeeze through the small door, Niels, with his new powerful sword, quickly cut off their heads!

A Hero's Return

After defeating the giants, Niels ran to rejoin his family, carrying his amazing sword. He shut the castle door with such a loud bang that everyone inside woke up! The people in the castle were shocked to find the bodies of the giants.

The princess declared that they must find the brave person who had killed the giants. She felt she was honor-bound to marry him. So, she had a special house built. Above its door, she put a sign saying that anyone who told the story of their life could stay there for free.

Finding the Hero

Meanwhile, Niels and his family continued their journey towards Rome. But they met a man whose shoes were full of holes. The man told them his shoes had been brand new when he left Rome, showing how long and hard the journey was. This discouraged Niels's family, so they decided to turn back.

On their way home, they came across the special house the princess had built. They decided to stay there. The house's steward questioned Niels's father and older brother. He told the princess that nothing special had happened to them, but admitted he hadn't asked everyone.

Niels is Discovered

The princess herself went to speak with them. The older brother then remembered to mention that Niels had found a sword. Niels, who had suspected this was a way to find the giant-slayer, wanted to escape. But they found his sword, and when they searched him, they also found the half-handkerchief and the slipper!

Niels was worried he would be punished. But the princess simply said they must wait until her father, the king, returned. When the king came back, the princess married Niels. And after the king passed away, Niels became the new king!