The Evil Giant

     In a distant kingdom, people lived in peace and harmony for a long time. But one day, their happy lives were disrupted by a sad event. An evil and domineering giant arrived in the land. He settled in a dark, abandoned cave beyond a dense forest. He immediately sent word to the king that he would lay waste to the entire kingdom unless he received, every day for lunch, five cows, ten sheep, a dozen fattened pigs, and fifty barrels of the finest red wine. When the king heard such an outrageous demand, he turned red with anger.
     “What insolence! Surely that braggart doesn’t think I’ll just feed him for nothing.”
     He immediately sent an armed company of his bravest knights to the forest to punish the insolent intruder.
     The hungry giant stood in front of his lair, impatiently awaiting the wagons that were supposed to bring him food. Instead, he saw an armed army on horseback.
     The commander fearlessly shouted at the giant:
     “If you value your life, leave this place at once!”
     The giant was not intimidated by his words. He mocked, “What a welcome you’ve prepared for me, little soldiers, that’s for sure. For that, you deserve a proper reward.”
     Before anyone could react, the giant took a deep breath and blew with all his might. At that moment, clouds of dust rose up. At the same time, such a gale arose that the crowns of the surrounding trees bent to the ground. It took a long time for the chaos to subside. When the storm finally ended, there was no trace of the brave warriors.
     The news of what had happened saddened the ruler. “There’s nothing for it,” he said sadly, “I must fulfill the giant’s demand.”
     That very day, he had heavy wagons loaded with the finest delicacies sent out.
     “Perhaps we’ll appease the giant with these gifts,” the king tried to comfort himself.
     From then on, every day, heavily loaded wagons made their way to the cave. It’s no wonder the kingdom gradually grew poorer. How could it not, when it had to feed such a glutton? After five years, another misfortune befell the kingdom. The giant announced that he intended to marry the king’s daughter, Princess Elizabeth. When the king heard this news, he turned as pale as a sheet. It seemed his last hour had come.
     “I will never give my only beloved daughter to that heartless creature,” he said resolutely. He looked lovingly at Elizabeth.
     “You are my dearest treasure.”
     “If I don’t marry the giant, Father,” said the princess, “he’ll destroy our entire realm. And surely you don’t want that.”
     The king stroked Elizabeth’s fair hair and said, “You are a good girl, but if I lose you, I have nothing left to live for.”
     “I don’t want to lose you either, Daddy.”
     “We have no choice but to accept our fate,” sighed the king.
     As a sign of mourning, the entire kingdom was draped in black velvet. Bells tolled mournfully all day. The sound of weeping was everywhere.
     At that time, a strong young man named Matěj was passing through the kingdom. The mourning decorations surprised him. He asked a man who crossed his path:
     “What do the black banners and streamers mean? Who has died that you are in mourning?”
     The man told Matěj what had happened in their land. He also mentioned the unfortunate fate of Princess Elizabeth.
     “Is your princess beautiful?” Matěj inquired.
     “She is so beautiful, it dazzles the eyes.”
     “If that’s the case, I must save her,” the young man said determinedly.
     He said goodbye to the man and hurried to the castle. After announcing himself, he appeared before the ruler and spoke without hesitation:
     “Most illustrious king, I have come to free your kingdom forever from the tyranny of the hated giant.”
     The king looked at Matěj in astonishment. He was so surprised he almost lost his speech. He quickly recovered and said:
     “Boy, you must be out of your mind. Do you really expect me to believe you can defeat the giant alone? Not even my strongest and bravest warriors could do it. Take my advice: leave our land while you still can, if you value your life.”
     Matěj just smiled and replied:
     “As sure as my name is Matěj, I will do what I have promised here.”
     The princess entered the chamber. As soon as the young man saw her, his heart almost stopped from her beauty. The princess was even more beautiful than he had imagined. He turned to her and said:
     “Most illustrious princess, do not despair, tomorrow I will rid you of this unwelcome visitor.”
     “If only you were right,” Elizabeth said sadly.
     Before dawn, Matěj set out. He passed through the dense forest, forded a stream, and soon stood before the cave. From within came loud snoring, as if a hundred saws were cutting wood.
     Matěj shouted into the dark opening: “Hey, giant, come out into the daylight!”
     For a moment, nothing happened. Then, before he knew it, the giant stood before him. Disheveled, bearded, and filthy, he squinted around with his eyes. In a thunderous voice, he bellowed, “Who dares to disturb my sleep!”
     Matěj felt a little scared. He remembered the princess, and that gave him courage.
     He shouted boldly, “Are you blind that you can’t see me?”
     Only now did the giant notice Matěj.
     “For your insolence, I’ll punish you. I’ll crush you like a raspberry,” he sneered, already reaching his long arm toward Matěj.
     Matěj quickly said, “If you so much as harm a hair on my head, you’ll face the wrath of the king of all giants. I’ve just come from him to deliver his message to you.”
     The giant hesitated. He hadn’t expected that.
     “You say the king of all giants sent you?”
     “Exactly,” Matěj insisted. “Haven’t you ever heard of him?”
     “Well… I have,” the giant said uncertainly, “but that was a long time ago.”
     “Then you surely know what he would do if he found out you refused to obey his orders,” Matěj continued sternly. “I’m telling you, beware, or he’ll send his terrible helper after you.”
     “Helper? What helper?” the giant asked in surprise.
     Matěj realized the giant wasn’t very bright.
     “Why, his enormous dog. He gave him the fitting name Tear-and-Shred. Its teeth and claws are as sharp as razors.”
     “You say he has a dog too?” the giant asked, now frightened.
     “Oh yes,” Matěj lied, “the king of all giants has to keep him chained with steel chains, or he’d tear anyone apart. Woe to him who that wild beast is set upon. He’d be finished in an instant.”
     It was clear the giant was scared by this story.
     “And now listen carefully to what the king of all giants commands!” Matěj said.
     The giant listened so he wouldn’t miss a single word.
     “The wisest king is looking for a steward for his castle to oversee his wealth. Whoever wants the job must fulfill at least one of three wishes. Do you want to try?”
     The giant scratched his ear. He knew well that if he got such a position, he’d do quite well for himself.
     Matěj quickly said, “If you can’t fulfill even one, don’t show your face to him. He’d send that terrible beast after you. So, what do you decide?”
     The giant thought for a moment and then timidly asked:
     “What’s the first wish?”
     Matěj smiled, for he knew he had already won.
     “All right. The first wish: thread this needle.”
     He handed both items to the giant.
     “There’s nothing easier in the world,” thought the giant. But as soon as he grabbed the needle in his huge paw, it slipped and fell somewhere into the grass. He searched in vain.
     “I see you failed the first test. Maybe you’ll do better with the second.”
     He reached into his bag and took out two eggs.
     “Take one in each hand and tell me which is bigger,” Matěj said.
     The giant tried to complete the task, but the shells cracked and his hands were smeared with yolk.
     “Again, you failed. Only the third and hardest test remains.”
     Matěj rummaged in his pouch and took out a small cloth bag.    
     He told the giant to hold out his hand. He poured some poppy seeds onto it.
     “Now count all the seeds. Think carefully. Don’t rush your answer.”
     The giant brought his hand closer to his eyes to see better. As he snorted, the poppy seeds scattered everywhere.
     “Oh woe, alas! What am I to do now?” he began to wail.
     Matěj immediately took advantage.
     “If you want to get away with your skin intact, run for your life before the king of all giants hears about this. And never come back.”
     The giant didn’t wait for anything. He ran off without looking right or left. Soon, he disappeared behind a great mountain.
     Matěj returned to the castle and told the king everything. The king laughed until he doubled over. Then he said, “You are not only brave but also clever and crafty. I will gladly give you my only daughter as your wife. If you wish, of course,” he added with a sly smile.
     “How could I not want that!” Matěj burst out.
     And so there was a wedding. It lasted ten whole days. People from all over the land gathered. The old ruler handed Matěj the scepter and with it the entire kingdom. The people were glad to have such a fearless young ruler.
     And so the story ends.
 
 
Translated into English by artificial intelligence