` How can I get it ? ' asked the king . ` Oh , Ciccu can get it for you ; ask him . ' So the king sent for Ciccu and said to him , ` Ciccu , you must at any price manage to get the sword of the Man-eater . ' Ciccu was very much surprised at this sudden command , and he walked thoughtfully away to the stables and began to stroke his favourite horse , saying to himself , ` Ah , my pet , we must bid each other good-bye , for the king has sent me away to get the sword of the Maneater . ' Now this horse was not like other horses , for it was a talking horse , and knew a great deal about many things , so it answered , ` Fear nothing , and do as I tell you . Beg the king to give you fifty gold pieces and leave to ride me , and the rest will be easy . ' Ciccu believed what the horse said , and prayed the king to grant him what he asked . Then the two friends set out , but the horse chose what roads he pleased , and directed Ciccu in everything . It took them many days ' hard riding before they reached the country where the Man-eater lived , and then the horse told Ciccu to stop a group of old women who were coming chattering through the wood , and offer them each a shilling if they would collect a number of mosquitos and tie them up in a bag . When the bag was full Ciccu put it on his shoulder and stole into the house of the Man-eater -LRB- who had gone to look for his dinner -RRB- and let them all out in his bedroom . He himself hid carefully under the bed and waited . The Man-eater came in late , very tired with his long walk , and flung himself on the bed , placing his sword with its shining blade by his side . Scarcely had he lain down than the mosquitos began to buzz about and bite him , and he rolled from side to side trying to catch them , which he never could do , though they always seemed to be close to his nose . He was so busy over the mosquitos that he did not hear Ciccu steal softly out , or see him catch up the sword . But the horse heard and stood ready at the door , and as Ciccu came flying down the stairs and jumped on his back he sped away like the wind , and never stopped till they arrived at the king 's palace . The king had suffered much pain in his absence , thinking that if the Man-eater ate Ciccu , it would be all his fault . And he was so overjoyed to have him safe that he almost forgot the sword which he had sent him to bring . But the two brothers did not love Ciccu any better because he had succeeded when they hoped he would have failed , and one day they spoke to the king . ` It is all very well for Ciccu to have got possession of the sword , but it would have been far more to your majesty 's honour if he had captured the Man-eater himself . '
The king thought upon these words , and XXXXX last he said to Ciccu , ` Ciccu , I shall never rest until you bring me back the Man-eater himself .
So as at before in over that through to under