This night , you will sleep in the giant 's castle . And now you shall give me a piece of tobacco . ' ' I will . But , I pray you , stay in the castle with me . ' ` That I may not do , but on the morrow I will come . ' And on the morrow he did , and he bade Ian go to the giant 's stable where stood a horse to whom it mattered nothing if she journeyed over land or sea . ` But be careful , ' he added , ` how you enter the stable , for the door swings without ceasing to and fro , and if it touches you , it will cause you to cry out . I will go first and show you the way . ' ` Go , ' said Ian . And the raven gave a bob and a hop , and thought he was quite safe , but the door slammed on a feather of his tail , and he screamed loudly . Then Ian took a run backwards , and a run forwards , and made a spring ; but the door caught one of his feet , and he fell fainting on the stable floor . Quickly the raven pounced on him , and picked him up in his beak and claws , and carried him back to the castle , where he laid ointments on his foot till it was as well as ever it was . ` Now come out to walk , ' said the raven , ` but take heed that you wonder not at aught you may behold ; neither shall you touch anything . And , first , give me a piece of tobacco . ' Many strange things did Ian behold in that island , more than he had thought for . In a glen lay three heroes stretched on their backs , done to death by three spears that still stuck in their breasts . But he kept his counsel and spake nothing , only he pulled out the spears , and the men sat up and said : ` You are Ian the soldier 's son , and a spell is laid upon you to travel in our company , to the cave of the black fisherman . ' So together they went till they reached the cave , and one of the men entered , to see what should be found there . And he beheld a hag , horrible to look upon , seated on a rock , and before he could speak , she struck him with her club , and changed him into a stone ; and in like manner she dealt with the other three . At the last Ian entered .
` These men are under spells , ' said the witch , ` and alive they can never be XXXXX you have anointed them with the water which you must fetch from the island of Big Women .
In as at if on over till to upon with