Chapter 116 115. One eye

There are two monks outside for alms.When it was dark, they came to a mountain and saw a little light shining in a cave. "Master here," they called to the cave, "shall we stay here overnight?" "Come in," a thunderous voice came from the cave, echoing in the mountains. Two monks went into the cave and saw by the fire a giant with one eye on his forehead.He said, "Welcome, you'll be very comfortable here." The giant walked up behind the two monks, and moved a big stone that a hundred men could not lift, and blocked the entrance of the cave. The two monks were so frightened that they trembled like leaves in the wind.

"I have a hundred sheep," said the Cyclops, "but it's still early at the end of the year, and I'll have to eat them slowly. So I'll have to eat one of you two first, the little monk or the big one." Monks? That's up to you. I'll see the draw." As a result, the big monk got it.The Cyclops picked him up with a spit and roasted him over the fire.Turning the roasting fork, he hummed a song: "Today eat fat monks, tomorrow eat skinny monks! Today eat fat monks, tomorrow eat skinny monks!" The little monk grieved over the loss of his companion, and feared the same fate, his heart was breaking.When the Cyclops had roasted the big monk, he began to eat, and gave the little monk a leg, telling him to taste it.The little monk pretended to eat it, but in fact he threw the leg behind him.

The Cyclops gnawed all the bones, and then lay down on the grass and fell asleep.The little monk, curled up by the fire, also pretended to be asleep.When he heard the Cyclops snoring like a pig, he picked up the red-hot roast fork, and with a sound of "whoosh", the iron fork pierced the giant's one-eyed eye. Howling, the blind giant jumped to his feet, waving his hands, trying to grab the little monk.But the little monk jumped into the flock with a single stride.The Cyclops also went into the flock and groped each one, but the little monk escaped every time.Later, the giant said helplessly: "I will settle accounts with you until dawn!"

At this time, the little monk quietly grabbed a ram, skinned it, and wrapped it around him.After daylight the Cyclops removed the big stone from the entrance of the cave, and stood at the entrance of the cave with his legs spread apart so that each sheep could get through between his legs, and he felt one by one in order to catch the little monk.He called the ram first.The little monk crawled forward, the bells around his neck jingling, and the giant touched his back and said, "Go." The sheep ran out of the hole one by one, and he touched them one by one. over and over.In this way, the little monk escaped from the cave, and ran away happily.

However, after all the sheep came out of the cave, the giant went in and groped again, and found a skinned ram in the cave.Now he understood that the ram out of the hole he touched just now was a little monk in disguise.He immediately ran out of the cave and went after the monk.He sniffed and groped along the way.He smelled the little monk nearby, and he called out: "Friar, you have slipped away! You are very shrewd! Here, here is a ring for you, as a souvenir of your victory!" He said Throwing the ring, the little monk caught it and put it on his finger.But it was a magic ring: as soon as the little monk put it on his finger, not only could he not run away, but he could only draw closer to the giant.The more he tried to run away, the closer he got to the giant.He tried to take the ring off, but couldn't do it at all.When the Giant was about to catch him, he hastily cut off the finger with the ring on it, and threw it to the Giant.Now he was free, and ran.

The Cyclops opened his mouth, swallowed the little monk's finger, and said, "I've tasted your meat after all!" (Abruzzi region)