Show SANTA SANT SANTA A AND THE GIANT KILLER KILLER- Eric Fails in New dew Trip To Find Ogres Ogre's Heart By Sigrid Arne 1 rJ r I I TH THERE E WA WASN'T N T A FLAPS BLADE OF G GM ON OH IT NO A TREE I TOE THE STORY SO 80 FAR Eric s a fishermans fisherman's fisher mans man's son linn Is I. trying to find the serrel ret where here an ugly hides hiding place 1 his hi heart lie He is 15 going to the Iron Cain to look there CHAPTER SIXTEEN I Erics Eric's white boat sped over aver the hours great gray sea for many He He and his winged horse stood i silently on the deck and looked about them for some light But they saw nothing They saw not nota a single lighthouse They saw no cottage on the shore and they passed no ship Finally Eric saw a great cone- cone like mountain standing right up out of the sea There wasn't a blade of grass on it nor a tree It was solid iron The white boat stopped at its base This mountain was too steep for forthe forthe forthe the winged horse to climb But Eric could see a small entrance half way up the side So he started started start start- ed up He slipped many tim times s. s He tore the skin on his fingers But he finally set one foot and then the other into the entrance of the Iron Mountain He could see nothing but a long black hall ahead He couldn't hear a single sound but the roar of the ocean below him He stepped carefully along feeling his way Once he found a rusty sword Once he found some very old coins lying on the floor of the corridor He walked down down into the heart of the mountain and there he found a little iron room There was a hole dug into the bottom of the floor and next it dozed an old troll with long yellow teeth Eric shook the and the tree looked up and grinned through his long yellow teeth Too late chuckled the troll There have been many before you But the giant moved his heart heart many years ago Eric could see the hole was filled with cobwebs so he started back up through the mountain so discouraged that he thought of going going go go- I ing back to Santa As he walked he heard a rustling ahead of himIn him In the dim light he could see a abat abat abat bat flying toward him Just as the bat circled over his head Eric saw there were bunches of holly leaves in the bats bat's claws Why said Eric he must have come from Santa Claus Glaus Erics Eric's heart thumped with pleasure and new courage He held out his hand and the bat settled down on onit it Eric took the holly branches from the bats bat's claws Tied to each bunch were the finest big coconut cookies Around one was wrapped a note from Santa It said Son no man fails with honor until he has tried three times Eric munched the cookies put the note carefully in his pocket and felt new courage in his heart He said to himself Of course And the third time I will and must win win But now hurry I 1 must be beback beback beback back to Santa before Christmas Eve He mounted his winged horse and sped back to the giant with no heart The giant chuckled but buthe buthe buthe he also looked surprised to see Eric back Back so soon soon 1 he saidI saidI said I had a fine trip said Eric But now I really must go home Will you give the last crow a lesson lesson lesson les les- son son Certainly said the giant Let me hear him him Eric held out the third and last bird and this is what he sang Tell us good sir where you keep your heart There is one comes near it will rend it apart What again 1 shouted the giant Its impossible My heart will last another thousand years It lies inside a circle of fire tIre that no one can pierce And the circle is back of thunder Eric needed no more He pressed his horse toward the thunder thunder thun thun- der del hill All Rights Reserved AP Feature Service |