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the little vipers." He strode over many parts of ⟨the⟩ country, and at last turned into the very road in ⟨which⟩ the poor children were on their journey towards ⟨their⟩ father's house, and which thoy had now almost ⟨reached⟩.
They had seen the Ogre a good whilo striding ⟨from⟩ mountain to mountain at one step, and crossing ⟨rivers⟩ with tho greatest case. At this Hop-o'-my-Thumb thought within himself what was to be done; and, spying a hollow placo under a large rock, he made ⟨his⟩ brothers got into it. He then stepped in himself, ⟨but⟩ kept his eye fixed on the Ogre.
Tho Ogro found himself quite weary with the ⟨journey⟩ he had gone, for seven-league boots aro very tiresome to tho porson who wears them; so he now began ⟨to⟩ think of resting; and as he was tired, he fell fast asleep, snoring so loud, that the little follows were as ⟨much⟩ afraid as they had been when he stood over them with a knife in his hand.
When Hop-o'-my-Thumb saw this, he said to his brothers, "Courage, my lads! never fear! You have nothing to do but to steal away and get home whilo the Ogre is fast asleep, and leave me to shift for myself."
The brothers now werowere vory glad to do as he told them, and they soon reached their father's house. In the meantimo Hop-o'-my-Thumb went up to the Ogre softly, pulled off his seven-leaguo boots very gently, and put them on his own legs; for though tho boots wero very large, yet they were fairies, and so could make themselves smaller and smaller to fit any leg they pleased.
As soon as Hop-o'-my-Thumb had made sure of the Ogre's seven-league boots, ho went at onco to the palace, and offered his services to carry orders from the king to his army, which was a great way off, and to bring back the quickest accounts of the battle they were just at that timo fighting with the enemy. In short, he thought he could be of more uso to the king than all his mail-coaches, and so sheuld make his fortune in this manner.
But before he had made many strides with his boots, ho heard a voice that told him to stop. Hop-o'-my-Thumb was startled a goed deal, so he loeked abeut
