Cricket201903

(Lars) #1

mouthfuls of air. With each swallow, he grew wider until his body filled
the meadow. In fact, Wide grew so immense that Tall and the prince had
to run back into the forest to avoid being knocked over by his great belly!
Then, Wide smiled and blew out an enormous breath. In an instant, he
was thin again.
“With that skill, I certainly want you to help me!” said the prince.
The three men walked on until they met a man who was standing
beside the road with a handkerchief wrapped around his eyes. Turning
immediately to the prince, the blindfolded man asked, “Will you allow
me to serve you, too?”
Startled, the prince answered, “I would appreciate your help. But why
do you cover your eyes so that you cannot see?”
The man laughed. “When I wrap this hand-
kerchief around my eyes, I can see as well as you
can, but when I remove it, my vision is so sharp
that it pierces through everything. Indeed, if I look
at anything for too long, it ignites and turns into
a pile of ashes. That is why I am called Piercing
Eyes.”
“In that case,” said the prince, “I would like
your help. Besides, four men must be more capable
than three! You can’t see the wicked wizard’s castle
from here, can you?”
Removing his blindfold, Piercing Eyes glanced
around and easily spotted the castle, although it was
a great distance away, beyond the highest moun-
tains and hidden in a dark forest. “Without our
help, Prince, you could travel for a year without

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