NICKO AND THE OGRE Once upon a time there lived on the banks of a deep, wide river an ogre who ate all the fish in the river, never letting the people who lived in the town come near the river to fish. O And this was not all the ogre did. He would make such a noise when he slept that all the children were frightened so they could not sleep at night, and the people decided at last that something must be done. One day a youth named Nicko said he would go to an old witch who lived in the forest and ask her what could be done. So to this witch the youth went. “There is only one way to get rid of the ogre,” she told Nicko, “and that secret is known only to[Pg 84] a mermaid, who comes up from the river every night and sings to the ogre.” [Pg 84] Of course the ogre would see Nicko if he went to the mermaid when she was singing, so he decided to have a suit made of green and silver that would make him look like a huge fish and dive into the river, hoping in that way to find the home of the mermaid and learn the secret she knew. One night after the mermaid had finished her song to the ogre, Nicko slipped from behind a rock where he was hidden, dressed in his green-and-silver suit, and swam to the place he had seen the mermaid go under the water. Down, down he went, and just before he reached the bottom of the river the mermaid turned around and saw him. She had never seen such a beautiful big fish before and the silver glistened and shone so in the moonlight that the mermaid was filled with envy. “Oh, beautiful fish, tell me where you got your shining coat! I must have a dress like it at once,” she said, swimming along beside Nicko. “I will tell you, beautiful mermaid, willingly, and I will bring you a dress of wonderful[Pg 85] brightness,” said Nicko, “if you will tell me how the people who live in the river town can get rid of the ogre you sing to every night.” [Pg 85] The mermaid no longer smiled when she heard this; her face looked sad and unhappy. “That can never be done; for the way to be rid of the ogre is beyond my power, although I know the secret,” answered the
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