There was no sign-post to direct them , and the people in the inn had not told them which of the two roads to take . ` What 's to be done now ? ' said Rasmus . ' I think we had better have stayed at the inn . ' ` There 's no harm done , ' said Niels . ` The night is warm , and we can wait here till morning . One of us will keep watch till midnight , and then waken the other . ' Rasmus chose to take the first watch , and the others lay down to sleep . It was very quiet in the forest , and Rasmus could hear the deer and foxes and other animals moving about among the rustling leaves . After the moon rose he could see them occasionally , and when a big stag came quite close to him he got hold of Niels ' gun and shot it . Niels was wakened by the report . ` What 's that ? ' he said . ` I 've just shot a stag , ' said Rasmus , highly pleased with himself . ` That 's nothing , ' said Niels . ` I 've often shot a sparrow , which is a much more difficult thing to do . ' It was now close on midnight , so Niels began his watch , and Rasmus went to sleep . It began to get colder , and Niels began to walk about a little to keep himself warm . He soon found that they were not far from the edge of the forest , and when he climbed up one of the trees there he could see out over the open country beyond . At a little distance he saw a fire , and beside it there sat three giants , busy with broth and beef .
They were so huge that the spoons they used were as large as spades , and their forks as big as hay-forks : XXXXX these they lifted whole bucketfuls of broth and great joints of meat out of an enormous pot which was set on the ground between them .
After at beside beyond in of on that till with