Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome back to Sleepy Stories. I'm your host, Lucy,
Speaker 1: and my friends and I will be reading you a
Speaker 1: sleepy bedtime story every week to relax you and to
Speaker 1: help you to drift off into a RESTful sleep. From
Speaker 1: time to time, we will also read you a relaxing,
Speaker 1: peaceful meditation that will take you somewhere beautiful and calming.
Speaker 1: Once we have read the stories, we will then read
Speaker 1: them a second time, but this time they will be
Speaker 1: ready even slower. This will help you to relax even more.
Speaker 1: Before we begin, I would like you to close your
Speaker 1: eyes and breathe in and out nice and deeply. Take
Speaker 1: a few seconds to inhale, and then hold your breath
Speaker 1: for a few seconds more, and then release and breathe out.
Speaker 1: Do this a few times if you need to. While
Speaker 1: you listen to the music and you listen to my voice,
Speaker 1: give yourself time to let your body relax and your
Speaker 1: mind settle. It's important that we allow time for us
Speaker 1: to feel safe, cozy, and completely at ease. And now
Speaker 1: it's time for this week's story.
Speaker 2: Long ago, in the warm hills of southern Spain, there
Speaker 2: stood a small, whitewashed village called Valdeluna. Its houses clung
Speaker 2: to the hillside. Beneath red tiled roofs. Blue pots of
Speaker 2: geraniums decorated every doorstep. Olive trees stretched across the valley,
Speaker 2: and each evening the scent of warm bread drifted from
Speaker 2: the village bakery. Valdeluna was a cheerful place, at least
Speaker 2: it had been for three summers. Almost no rain had fallen.
Speaker 2: The stream that once danced through the village had shrunk
Speaker 2: to a muddy trickle. The old stone fountain in the
Speaker 2: square had stopped flowing. The olive trees produced fewer olives
Speaker 2: every year, and the villagers had begun to worry that
Speaker 2: they would soon have to leave their homes. The mayor
Speaker 2: Don Matteo held meetings almost every morning. Unfortunately, he enjoyed
Speaker 2: meetings much more than solutions. We must form a committee,
Speaker 2: he announced one day from the steps of the town hall.
Speaker 2: We formed one last week, said Senora Rosa, the baker.
Speaker 2: We shall form a larger one. We don't need a
Speaker 2: larger committee, said Tamas the shepherd. We need water. Don
Speaker 2: Matteo stroked his magnificent mustache. Yes, the water committee will
Speaker 2: discuss that. At the back of the crowd stood a
Speaker 2: girl named Innies Ines was eleven years old, curious, practical,
Speaker 2: and far more interested in fixing things than discussing them.
Speaker 2: She lived with her grandmother, Abuela Mariisol, in a little
Speaker 2: house beside the abandoned fountain. That evening, while they ate
Speaker 2: tomato soup and stale bread, Ines asked, do you think
Speaker 2: the stream will ever return? Her grandmother looked towards the
Speaker 2: dark hills. All rivers begin somewhere. That isn't really an answer,
Speaker 2: it is the beginning of one. Abuela Marisol believed the
Speaker 2: stream had once come from a hidden spring high in
Speaker 2: the mountains, but many years earlier, after a violent storm,
Speaker 2: rocks had fallen across its path. No one knew exactly
Speaker 2: where the mountain keeps secrets. She said, then perhaps someone
Speaker 2: should go and ask it. Her grandmother smiled, mountains are
Speaker 2: slow to answer. Yez decided she would try anyway. Before
Speaker 2: dawn the next morning, she packed bread, cheese, two oranges,
Speaker 2: and a coil of rope. She had barely reached the
Speaker 2: edge of the village when the ground trembled. The church
Speaker 2: bell rang once, though nobody had pulled its rope. Birds
Speaker 2: rose from the olive groves in a great cloud. Then
Speaker 2: came a sound from beyond the hills, a tremendous ah
Speaker 2: inn as froze achew. The sneeze thundered across the valley.
Speaker 2: Olive leaves flew through the air. A donkey sat down
Speaker 2: in surprise. Several roof tiles slipped from Don Matteo's house
Speaker 2: and landed neatly in his fountain. Everyone rushed into the square.
Speaker 2: What was that, cried the mayor, storm asked the blacksmith.
Speaker 2: A cannon asked Seora Rosa abuela Maarsol glanced towards the mountains.
Speaker 2: That she said, calmly, was a giant. The villagers laughed nervously.
Speaker 2: Then an enormous head appeared above the nearest ridge. It
Speaker 2: had tangled black hair, thick eyebrows, and a nose roughly
Speaker 2: the size of a wine barrel. The head sniffed, Oh dear,
Speaker 2: it said. The villagers screamed and ran indoors. Doors slammed,
Speaker 2: shutters closed. Don Matteo climbed into an empty water barrel
Speaker 2: and pulled the lid over himself. Only Inez remained in
Speaker 2: the square. Slowly, the giant rose from behind the hill.
Speaker 2: He was nearly twenty feet tall and wore a patched
Speaker 2: brown waistcoat, trousers tied with rope, and sandals made from
Speaker 2: pieces of old cart wheels. He carried a walking stick
Speaker 2: as large as a tree trunk. He looked frightening until
Speaker 2: he sneezed again and knocked his own hat off. Excuse me,
Speaker 2: he said. The giant bent to retrieve his hat and
Speaker 2: accidentally rested one hand on the village wall. Several stones
Speaker 2: tumbled loose. Oh no, he carefully put them back. One
Speaker 2: was upside down. He turned it around. Then he noticed innes.
Speaker 2: The giant immediately stepped backwards. Unfortunately, he stepped into an
Speaker 2: olive cart. The cart broke with a crack. I'm terribly sorry,
Speaker 2: he said. You should watch where you're going. Ines replied,
Speaker 2: I try, but there is quite a lot of me
Speaker 2: to watch. The giant lowered himself on to the ground
Speaker 2: outside the village. My name is Diego. I'm inesse. Are
Speaker 2: you going to scream? I haven't decided that's fair. From
Speaker 2: inside the houses, the villagers listened. Diego explained that he
Speaker 2: lived a in a cave beyond the mountains. He had
Speaker 2: come down because the spring near his home had disappeared.
Speaker 2: My goats are thirsty, he said, and I am tired
Speaker 2: of washing with one cup of water. You wash with
Speaker 2: one cup, not very successfully. A shutter opened slightly, then another.
Speaker 2: Don Matteo climbed out of the barrel. He attempted to
Speaker 2: look dignified, although a cobweb hung from his mustache. You
Speaker 2: cannot stay here, he declared. Giants bring trouble. Diego looked
Speaker 2: down sadly. I usually bring my own lunch. At that moment,
Speaker 2: his stomach rumbled so loudly that several pigeons flew from
Speaker 2: the church roof. Senora Rosa appeared in the bakery doorway.
Speaker 2: How much do you eat? Not much? What does not
Speaker 2: much mean to a giant? Diego thought carefully. Perhaps twelve loaves.
Speaker 2: The baker gasped for breakfast. I don't like to eat
Speaker 2: heavily in the morning, despite herself, Inez laughed. The villagers
Speaker 2: remained suspicious, but Abuela Marisol invited Diego to sit outside
Speaker 2: her house while they decided what to do. Senora Rosa
Speaker 2: brought him bread. He ate twenty loaves, though he apologized
Speaker 2: after every fifth one. When he finished, Ines told him
Speaker 2: about the vanished stream and the hidden spring. Diego leaned closer.
Speaker 2: Perhaps our water is being blocked in the same place.
Speaker 2: Could you move the rocks? I could try. Don Matteo
Speaker 2: shook his head. Absolutely not. The mountain path is dangerous.
Speaker 2: That is why someone large might be useful, said Inez.
Speaker 2: A landslide destroyed the old trail years ago, said Tomas.
Speaker 2: No one has reached the upper valley since Diego looked
Speaker 2: towards the mountains. I came over them. Everyone stared, how,
Speaker 2: asked the blacksmith. I stepped over the broken part. That afternoon, Innes,
Speaker 2: Diego and a small group of villages set off towards
Speaker 2: the hills. Don Matteo followed because he did not want
Speaker 2: any one to solve the problem without him. The path
Speaker 2: wound between olive groves and dry fields. Diego tried to
Speaker 2: walk carefully, but his feet left enormous prints in the dust.
Speaker 2: Innes discovered that if she stood in one of them,
Speaker 2: it reached almost to her waist. You could grow potatoes
Speaker 2: in these, she said, I once grew a small tree
Speaker 2: in my left sandal. Diego replied, I didn't notice for
Speaker 2: three weeks. As the path narrowed, they reached an old
Speaker 2: stone bridge, or rather half of an old stone bridge.
Speaker 2: The center had collapsed into the ravine below. We must
Speaker 2: turn back, said Don Mateo quickly. Diego knelt beside the gap.
Speaker 2: He placed one enormous foot on either side. Walk across
Speaker 2: my shoe. Nobody moved. It is quite clean, he added.
Speaker 2: Innaes went first. The others followed slowly, except on Mateo,
Speaker 2: who crawled across while gripping Diego's laces. On the far side,
Speaker 2: the trail vanished beneath thorn bushes. Diego gently pushed them aside.
Speaker 2: Behind the thorns lay an ancient path paved with pale stones,
Speaker 2: carved into one roo with the words the water follows
Speaker 2: the song of the mountain. What does that mean, asked
Speaker 2: Senora Rosa. Don Mateo cleared his throat. It is obviously
Speaker 2: a complicated engineering instruction. Abuela Marisol shook her head. It
Speaker 2: sounds like a clue. They continued until sunset. At last
Speaker 2: they reached a narrow canyon. High above them. Wedged between
Speaker 2: two cliffs was an enormous wall of fallen rock. From
Speaker 2: somewhere behind it came the faint sound of rushing water.
Speaker 2: There it is, whispered in Asee. Diego stepped forward. He
Speaker 2: pressed both hands against the large boulder. Nothing happened. He
Speaker 2: pushed harder. The ground trembled, but the stone did not move.
Speaker 2: I thought giants were strong, said Don Matteo. We are,
Speaker 2: replied Diego. The mountain is stronger in is, studied the rocks.
Speaker 2: A few drops of water trickled from a crack near
Speaker 2: the bottom. Then she noticed something else. Deep inside the cliff,
Speaker 2: hidden behind the fallen stones, a soft golden light was flickering.
Speaker 2: The words carved upon the path returned to her mind.
Speaker 2: The water follows the song of the mountain. Suddenly, a low,
Speaker 2: rumbling voice echoed through the canyon, not Diego's voice, not thunder.
Speaker 2: The mountain itself seemed to speak, Who comes seeking what
Speaker 2: has been hidden? Everyone fell silent. Don Matteo fainted neatly
Speaker 2: into a bush. Diego removed his hat. Ines stepped towards
Speaker 2: the glowing crack. We come from Valdeluna, she said. Our
Speaker 2: village is running out of water. The golden light brightened,
Speaker 2: and what will you give? Asked the mountain for the
Speaker 2: river's return. Diego looked at Ines. The villagers looked at Diego.
Speaker 2: Then the stones beneath their feet began to shake, the
Speaker 2: stones trembled beneath their feet. Tiny pebbles rolled down the
Speaker 2: canyon walls, and the golden light shining through the crack
Speaker 2: grew brighter until it bathed everyone in a warm glow.
Speaker 2: The deep voice spoke again. The river belongs to no one.
Speaker 2: It flows only for those who care for others before themselves.
Speaker 2: Nobody dared speak. Even Diego stood perfectly still. At last,
Speaker 2: Innas stepped forward. We don't want the river just for ourselves.
Speaker 2: The mountain remained silent. Our neighbors need it. Their olive
Speaker 2: trees are dying. The sheep have little to drink. The
Speaker 2: birds have begun to leave. The light flickered gently. Then
Speaker 2: Don Matteo, who had recovered from his fainting spell, straightened
Speaker 2: his waistcoat. I am the mayor, he announced proudly. If
Speaker 2: you return the river, I shall have a statue built
Speaker 2: in my honor. The canyon instantly fell silent. Then came aloud.
Speaker 1: Ha.
Speaker 2: A tiny shower of dust landed squarely on Don Matteo's head.
Speaker 2: I don't believe it likes that idea, whispered Senora Rosa.
Speaker 2: Diego scratched the back of his enormous neck. I don't
Speaker 2: need anything, he said quietly. If the water returns, I'd
Speaker 2: simply like my goats to stop looking so disappointed. The
Speaker 2: mountain seemed to chuckle. It was a surp risingly pleasant sound.
Speaker 2: What of you, giant? Diego looked around the dry valley.
Speaker 2: I've spent many years alone, he smiled, sadly. If helping
Speaker 2: this village means I might finally have friends, that would
Speaker 2: be enough. The golden light suddenly blazed across the canyon.
Speaker 2: The voice spoke one final time. Then the mountain has
Speaker 2: heard what it wished to hear. A great crack echoed
Speaker 2: through the cliffs. The enormous wall of fallen rocks shifted.
Speaker 2: Everyone stumbled backwards. Even Diego hurried away as the ancient
Speaker 2: stones slowly rolled aside one after another. Behind them stood
Speaker 2: an old marble archway, carved with vines, birds and flowing water.
Speaker 2: Beyond it, a magnificent spring burst from the mountainside. Crystal
Speaker 2: clear water rushed down the rocks, sparkling in the afternoon sunlight,
Speaker 2: before racing joyfully into the dry riverbed below. Within moments,
Speaker 2: the little stream was alive again. It hurried through the
Speaker 2: valley as though it had been impatiently waiting all these years.
Speaker 2: The villagers cheered, some laughed, several cried. Don Matteo attempted
Speaker 2: to give a speech that slipped into the shallow water
Speaker 2: before he had reached his second sentence. Even he had
Speaker 2: to laugh. The journey home was far easier. The stream
Speaker 2: flowed beside them all the way back towards Valdeluna. Wherever
Speaker 2: it passed, thirsty grass stood taller, wildflowers lifted their heads.
Speaker 2: Tiny frogs appeared, as if by magic. Birds returned singing
Speaker 2: loudly from the olive trees. Diego smiled so broadly that
Speaker 2: the shepherd's sheep kept wandering over to see whether he
Speaker 2: had any bread. When they reached the broken bridge once more,
Speaker 2: Diego looked thoughtfully at the crumbling stones. This won't do.
Speaker 2: Before anyone could ask what he meant, he disappeared into
Speaker 2: the near by hills. He returned carrying two enormous slabs
Speaker 2: of smooth rock, balanced easily upon his shoulders. Carefully, very carefully,
Speaker 2: he lowered them into place. Then he spent the next
Speaker 2: hour fitting each stone together like pieces of a puzzle.
Speaker 2: The bridge became stronger than it had ever been. The
Speaker 2: villagers crossed it one by one. Not a single stone moved.
Speaker 2: Tomas stamped twice. It'll outlast all of us, Diego smiled,
Speaker 2: I've had quite a lot of practice moving rocks. Life
Speaker 2: in Valdeluna changed quickly. The fountain flowed once more, children
Speaker 2: splashed in its cool water every afternoon. The olive trees
Speaker 2: became greener than anyone could remember. The vineyards flourished. Even
Speaker 2: Don Matteo's magnificent mustache seemed happier. Diego decided to stay nearby.
Speaker 2: Instead of living alone in his cave, he built himself
Speaker 2: a comfortable stone cottage on a gentle hill overlooking the village. Well,
Speaker 2: cottage was perhaps not the correct word. Its chimney was
Speaker 2: taller than the church bell tower, its front door was
Speaker 2: large enough for three wagons to drive through side by side,
Speaker 2: and its teacups were made from polished barrels. Still, Diego
Speaker 2: insisted it was cozy. The villagers slowly realized how useful
Speaker 2: a giant could be. Whenever storms knocked over ancient trees,
Speaker 2: Diego moved them. When winter snow blocked the mountain pass,
Speaker 2: Diego cleared it with a giant wooden shovel. He helped
Speaker 2: raise the beams for a new schoolhouse in a single afternoon.
Speaker 2: He carried church bells that normally required twenty men. Once
Speaker 2: he even rescued Senora Rosa's cat after it had climbed
Speaker 2: into the tallest cypress tree. The cat was completely ungrateful.
Speaker 2: It hissed at Diego all the way down. I think
Speaker 2: it was embarrassed, he said. Of course, being a giant
Speaker 2: and occasionally caused amusing problems. One morning, Diego tried to
Speaker 2: help hang washing, he accidentally pegged every blanket onto the
Speaker 2: church tower instead. Another time, he sneezed while watering his
Speaker 2: vegetable garden. The watering can flew into the air, sailed
Speaker 2: gracefully over three olive groves, and landed perfectly inside Don
Speaker 2: Matteo's empty barrel. For weeks afterwards, children asked him to
Speaker 2: sneeze on purpose. I'm afraid it doesn't work like that,
Speaker 2: Diego laughed. The children weren't convinced. They began shouting pepper
Speaker 2: whenever they wanted entertainment. One summer afternoon, Princess Isabella of
Speaker 2: Spain happened to visit Valdeluna while traveling through Andalucia with
Speaker 2: her parents, King Alfonso and Queen Catalina. The royal family
Speaker 2: had heard remarkable stories about a giant who had saved
Speaker 2: an entire village. The king expected to meet a fearsome hero. Instead,
Speaker 2: he found Diego sitting outside his cottage, trying very carefully
Speaker 2: to knit an enormous woolen scarf. It was going badly.
Speaker 2: I always lose, count, Diego admitted. Princess Isabella burst into laughter.
Speaker 2: My father can't knit either. I've made one sleeve seven times.
Speaker 2: You've knitted sl leaves into a scarf. Apparently the princess
Speaker 2: liked Diego. Immediately that evening, the royal family joined the
Speaker 2: villagers for supper. Beneath strings of lanterns. In the village square,
Speaker 2: long tables overflowed with bread, roasted vegetables, olives, oranges, cheeses,
Speaker 2: and great steaming bowls of stew. Diego sat at the
Speaker 2: very end. His bowl happened to be an old copper bathtub.
Speaker 2: No one thought this unusual anymore. During the feast, King
Speaker 2: Alphonso stood I came expecting to reward a giant for
Speaker 2: his strength. He smiled towards Diego, but strength alone never
Speaker 2: saved this village. He turned towards Inners. It took curiosity
Speaker 2: to find the hidden spring towards Abuela Marisol. It took
Speaker 2: wisdom to understand the mountain towards the villagers. It took
Speaker 2: kindness to welcome someone who looked different. Finally, he looked
Speaker 2: at Diego, and it took a gentle heart to move
Speaker 2: a mountain. The king presented Diego with a magnificent silver medal.
Speaker 2: Diego admired it for a moment, then quietly hung it
Speaker 2: around the neck of the village donkey, I think he
Speaker 2: looks more important than I do. Everyone laughed, even the king,
Speaker 2: especially the donkey, who looked extremely pleased with himself. Years passed,
Speaker 2: Valde Luna became famous throughout Spain. Travelers arrived to cross
Speaker 2: Diego's bridge, drink from the restored fountain, and hear the
Speaker 2: tail of the gentle Giant. Many expected to find someone fierce. Instead,
Speaker 2: they discovered a giant who waved enthusiastically, loved baking almond biscuits,
Speaker 2: apologized whenever he sneezed, and somehow still couldn't knit a
Speaker 2: proper scarf. Children climbed onto his shoulders to watch sunsets
Speaker 2: over the golden hills. Old villagers played chess with him
Speaker 2: beneath the olive trees. Princess Isabella visited every spring, always
Speaker 2: bringing fresh wool, in the hope that this year Diego
Speaker 2: might finally finish his scarf. He never did, but by
Speaker 2: then nobody minded, for the people of Valdeluna had learnt
Speaker 2: something far more valuable than how to move great stones.
Speaker 2: They discovered that the biggest hearts are often found in
Speaker 2: those who are judged before they are known, and that
Speaker 2: true greatness is not measured by how tall someone stands,
Speaker 2: but by how gently they help others rise beside them.
Speaker 2: And if you ever wander through the golden hills of
Speaker 2: southern Spain, where olive trees shimmer beneath the afternoon sun,
Speaker 2: you may come across an old stone bridge so perfectly
Speaker 2: built that it has never needed repairing. The villagers will
Speaker 2: smile and tell you the same story, it was built
Speaker 2: by a giant. Then they'll pause with a twinkle in
Speaker 2: their eye, and add, who could move mountains with his hands,
Speaker 2: but one heart's simply by being kin. Long ago, in
Speaker 2: the warm hills of southern Spain there stood a small,
Speaker 2: whitewashed village called Valdeluna. Its houses clung to the hillside
Speaker 2: beneath red tiled roofs. Blue pots of geraniums decorated every doorstep.
Speaker 2: Olive trees stretched across the valley, and each evening the
Speaker 2: scent of warm bread drifted from the village bakery. Valdeluna
Speaker 2: was a cheerful place, at least it had been. For
Speaker 2: three summers. Almost no rain had fallen. The stream that
Speaker 2: once danced through the village had shrunk to a muddy trickle.
Speaker 2: The old stone fountain in the square had stopped flowing.
Speaker 2: The olive trees produced fewer olives every year, and the
Speaker 2: villagers had begun to worry that they would soon have
Speaker 2: to leave their homes. The mayor, Don Matteo held meetings
Speaker 2: almost every morning, unfortunately, and enjoyed meetings much more than solutions.
Speaker 2: We must form a committee, he announced one day from
Speaker 2: the steps of the town hall. We formed one last week,
Speaker 2: said Signora Rosa, the baker. Then we shall form a
Speaker 2: larger one. We don't need a larger committee, said Tomas
Speaker 2: the shepherd. We need water. Don Matteo stroked his magnificent mustache. Yes,
Speaker 2: the water committee will discuss that. At the back of
Speaker 2: the crowd stood a girl named Innes Ines was eleven
Speaker 2: years old, curious, practical, and far more interested in fixing
Speaker 2: things than discussing them. She lived with her grandmother, Abuela Mariisol,
Speaker 2: in a little house beside the abandon and fountain. That evening,
Speaker 2: while they ate tomato soup and stale bread, Inez asked,
Speaker 2: do you think the stream will ever return? Her grandmother
Speaker 2: looked towards the dark hills. All rivers begin somewhere. That
Speaker 2: isn't really an answer, it is the beginning of one.
Speaker 2: Abuela Marisol believed the stream had once come from a
Speaker 2: hidden spring high in the mountains, but many years earlier,
Speaker 2: after a violent storm, rocks had fallen across its path.
Speaker 2: No one knew exactly where the mountain keeps secrets. She said,
Speaker 2: then perhaps someone should go and ask it. Her grandmother smiled,
Speaker 2: mountains are slow to answer yes, decided she would try anyway.
Speaker 2: Before dawn the next morning, she packed bread, cheese, two oranges,
Speaker 2: and a coil of rope. She had barely reached the
Speaker 2: edge of the village when the ground trembled. The church
Speaker 2: bell rang once, though nobody had pulled its rope. Birds
Speaker 2: rose from the olive groves in a great cloud. Then
Speaker 2: came a sound from beyond the hills. A tremendous ah
Speaker 2: inners froze, are chew. The sneeze thundered across the valley.
Speaker 2: Olive leaves flew through the air. A monkey sat down
Speaker 2: in surprise. Several roof tiles slipped from Don Matteo's house
Speaker 2: and landed neatly in his fountain. Everyone rushed into the square.
Speaker 2: What was that, cried the mayor. A storm, asked the blacksmith.
Speaker 2: A cannon asked Seora Rosa abu e La Marrisol glanced
Speaker 2: towards the mountains that she said, calmly, was a giant.
Speaker 2: The villagers laughed nervously. Then an enormous head appeared above
Speaker 2: the nearest ridge. It had tangled black hair, thick eyebrows,
Speaker 2: and a nose roughly the size of a wine barrel.
Speaker 2: The head sniffed, Oh dear, it said. The villages screamed
Speaker 2: and ran indoors. Doors slammed, shutters closed. Don Matteo climbed
Speaker 2: into an empty water barrel and pulled the lid over himself.
Speaker 2: Only Inez remained in the square. Slowly, the giant rose
Speaker 2: from behind the hill. He was nearly twenty feet tall
Speaker 2: and wore a patched brown waistcoat, trousers tied with rope,
Speaker 2: and sandals made from pieces of old cart wheels. He
Speaker 2: carried a walking stick as large as a tree trunk.
Speaker 2: He looked frightening until he sneezed again and knocked his
Speaker 2: own hat off. Excuse me, he said. The giant bent
Speaker 2: to retrieve his hat and accidentally rested one hand on
Speaker 2: the village wall. Several stones tumbled loose. Oh no, he
Speaker 2: carefully put them back. One was upside down. He turned
Speaker 2: it around. Then he noticed in is The giant immediately
Speaker 2: stepped backwards. Unfortunately, he stepped into an olive cart. The
Speaker 2: cart broke with a crack. I'm terribly sorry, he said.
Speaker 2: You should watch where you're going. Ines replied, I try,
Speaker 2: but there is quite a lot of me to watch.
Speaker 2: The giant lowered himself on to the ground outside the village.
Speaker 2: My name is Diego, I'm inesse. Are you going to scream?
Speaker 2: I haven't decided that's fair. From inside the houses, the
Speaker 2: villagers listened. Diego explained that he lived alone in a
Speaker 2: cave beyond the mountains. He had come down because the
Speaker 2: spring near his home had disappeared. My goats are thirsty,
Speaker 2: he said, and I am tired of washing with one
Speaker 2: cup of water. You wash with one cup, not very successfully.
Speaker 2: A shutter opened slightly, then another. Don Matteo climbed out
Speaker 2: of the barrel. He attempted to look dignified, although a
Speaker 2: cobweb hung from his mustache. You cannot stay here, he declared.
Speaker 2: Giants bring trouble. Diego looked down sadly. I usually bring
Speaker 2: my own lunch. At that moment, his stomach rumbled so
Speaker 2: loudly that several pigeons flew from the church roof. Senora
Speaker 2: Rosa appeared in the bakery doorway. How much do you eat?
Speaker 2: Not much? What does not much mean to a giant?
Speaker 2: Diego thought carefully. Perhaps twelve loaves. The baker gasped for breakfast.
Speaker 2: I don't like to eat heavily in the morning, despite herself,
Speaker 2: Inez laughed. The villagers remained suspicious, but Abuela Mariisol invited
Speaker 2: Diego to sit outside her house while they decided what
Speaker 2: to do. Senora Rosa brought him bread. He ate twenty loaves,
Speaker 2: though he apologized after every fifth one. When he finished,
Speaker 2: Ines told him about the vanished stream and the hidden spring.
Speaker 2: Diego leaned closer. Perhaps our water is being blocked in
Speaker 2: the same place. Could you move the rocks? I could try.
Speaker 2: Don Matteo shook his head. Absolutely not. The mountain path
Speaker 2: is dangerous. That is why someone large might be useful,
Speaker 2: said Inez. A landslide destroyed the old trail years ago,
Speaker 2: said Tomas. No one has reached the upper v since
Speaker 2: Diego looked towards the mountains. I came over them. Everyone stared, how,
Speaker 2: asked the blacksmith. I stepped over the broken part. That afternoon, Innes,
Speaker 2: Diego and a small group of villagers set off towards
Speaker 2: the hills. Don Matteo followed because he did not want
Speaker 2: anyone to solve the problem without him. The path wound
Speaker 2: between olive groves and dry fields. Diego tried to walk carefully,
Speaker 2: but his feet left enormous prints in the dust. Innes
Speaker 2: discovered that if she stood in one of them, it
Speaker 2: reached almost to her waist. You could grow potatoes in these,
Speaker 2: she said, I once grew a small tree in my
Speaker 2: left sandal. Diego replied, I didn't notice for three weeks.
Speaker 2: As the path narrowed, they reached an old stone bridge,
Speaker 2: or rather half of an old stone bridge. The center
Speaker 2: had collapsed into the ravine below. We must turn back,
Speaker 2: said Don Mateo. Quickly. Diego knelt beside the gap. He
Speaker 2: placed one enormous foot on either side. Walk across my shoe.
Speaker 2: Nobody moved. It is quite clean, he added Innes went first.
Speaker 2: The others followed slowly, except on Mateo, who crawled across
Speaker 2: while gripping Diego's laces. On the far side, the trail
Speaker 2: vanished beneath thorn bushes. Diego gently pushed them aside. Behind
Speaker 2: the thorns lay an ancient path paved with pale stones,
Speaker 2: carved into one rock with the words the water follows
Speaker 2: the song of the mountain. What does that mean, asked
Speaker 2: Senora Rosa. Don Mateo cleared his throat. It is obviously
Speaker 2: a complicated engineering instruction. Abuela Marisol shook her head. It
Speaker 2: sounds like a clue. They continued until sunset. At last
Speaker 2: they reached a narrow canyon high above them. Wedged between
Speaker 2: two cliffs was an use Thomas wall of fallen rock.
Speaker 2: From somewhere behind it came the faint sound of rushing water.
Speaker 2: There it is whispered in aze. Diego stepped forward. He
Speaker 2: pressed both hands against the largest boulder. Nothing happened. He
Speaker 2: pushed harder. The ground trembled, but the stone did not move.
Speaker 2: I thought giants were strong, said Don Matteo. We are
Speaker 2: replied Diego. The mountain is stronger. In Is studied the rocks.
Speaker 2: A few drops of water trickled from a crack near
Speaker 2: the bottom. Then she noticed something else. Deep inside the cliff,
Speaker 2: hidden behind the fallen stones, a soft golden light was flickering.
Speaker 2: The words carved upon the path returned to her mind.
Speaker 2: The water follows the song of the mountain. Suddenly, a low,
Speaker 2: rumbling voice echoed through the canyon, not Diego's voice, not thunder.
Speaker 2: The mountain itself seemed to speak, Who comes seeking what
Speaker 2: has been hidden? Everyone fell silent. Don Matteo fainted neatly
Speaker 2: into a bush. Diego removed his hat, ines stepped towards
Speaker 2: the glowing crack. We come from Valdeluna, she said. Our
Speaker 2: village is running out of water. The golden light brightened,
Speaker 2: and what will you give? Asked the mountain For the
Speaker 2: river's return. Diego looked at Innes. The villagers looked at Diego.
Speaker 2: Then the stones beneath their feet began to shake. The
Speaker 2: stones trembled beneath their feet. Tiny pebbles rolled down the
Speaker 2: canyon walls, and the golden light shining through the crack
Speaker 2: grew brighter until it bathed everyone in a warm glow.
Speaker 2: The deep voice spoke again, The river belongs to no one.
Speaker 2: It flows only for those who care for others before themselves.
Speaker 2: Nobody dared speak. Even Diego stood perfectly still. At last,
Speaker 2: Innes stepped forward. We don't want the river just from ourselves.
Speaker 2: The mountain remained silent. Our neighbors need it. Their olive
Speaker 2: trees are dying. The sheep have little to drink. The
Speaker 2: birds have begun to leave. The light flickered gently. Then
Speaker 2: Don Matteo, who had recovered from his fainting spell, straightened
Speaker 2: his waistcoat. I am the mayor, he announced proudly. If
Speaker 2: you return the river, I shall have a statue built
Speaker 2: in my honor. The canyon instantly fell silent, then came aloud, huh.
Speaker 2: A tiny shower of dust landed squarely on Don Matteo's head.
Speaker 2: I don't believe it likes that idea, whispered Senora Rosa.
Speaker 2: Diego scratched the back of his enormous neck. I don't
Speaker 2: need anything, he said quietly. If the water returns, I'd
Speaker 2: simply like my goats to stop looking so disappointed. The
Speaker 2: mountain seemed to chuckle. It was a surprisingly pleasant sound.
Speaker 2: What of you, giant? Diego looked around the dry valley.
Speaker 2: I've spent many years alone, he smiled, sadly. If helping
Speaker 2: this village means I might finally have friends, that would
Speaker 2: be enough. The golden light suddenly blazed across the canyon.
Speaker 2: The voice spoke one final time. Then the mountain has
Speaker 2: heard what it wished to hear. A great crack echoed
Speaker 2: through the cliffs. The enormous wall of fallen rocks shifted.
Speaker 2: Everyone stumbled backwards. Even Diego hurried away as the ancient
Speaker 2: stones slowly rolled aside one after another. Behind them stood
Speaker 2: an old marble archway, carved with vines, birds, and flowing water.
Speaker 2: Beyond it, a magnificent spring burst from the mountainside. Crystal
Speaker 2: clear water rushed down the rocks, sparkling in the afternoon sunlight,
Speaker 2: before racing joyfully into the dry riverbed below. Within moments,
Speaker 2: the little stream was alive again. It hurried through the
Speaker 2: valley as though it had been impatiently waiting all these
Speaker 2: The villagers cheered, some laughed, several cried. Don Matteo attempted
Speaker 2: to give a speech that slipped into the shallow water
Speaker 2: before he had reached his second sentence. Even he had
Speaker 2: to laugh. The journey home was far easier. The stream
Speaker 2: flowed beside them all the way back towards Valdeluna. Wherever
Speaker 2: it passed, thirsty grass stood taller, wildflowers lifted their heads.
Speaker 2: Tiny frogs appeared, as if by magic. Birds returned singing
Speaker 2: loudly from the olive trees. Diego smiled so broadly that
Speaker 2: the shepherd's sheep kept wandering over to see whether he
Speaker 2: had any bread. When they reached the broken bridge once more,
Speaker 2: Diego looked thoughtfully at the crumbling stones. This won't do.
Speaker 2: Before anyone could ask what he meant, he disappeared into
Speaker 2: the nearby hills. He returned carrying two enormous slabs of
Speaker 2: smooth rock, balanced easily upon his shoulders. Carefully, very carefully,
Speaker 2: he lowered them into place. Then he spent the next
Speaker 2: hour fitting each stone together like pieces of a puzzle.
Speaker 2: The bridge became stronger than it had ever been. The
Speaker 2: villagers crossed it one by one. Not a single stone
Speaker 2: moved Tomas stamped twice. It'll outlast all of us, Diego smiled,
Speaker 2: I've had quite a lot of practice moving rocks. Life
Speaker 2: in Valdeluna changed quickly. The fountain flowed once more, children
Speaker 2: splashed in its cool water every afternoon. The olive trees
Speaker 2: became greener than anyone could remember. The vineyards flourished. Even
Speaker 2: Don Matteo's magnificent mustache seemed happier. Diego decided to stay nearby.
Speaker 2: Instead of living alone in his cave, he built himself
Speaker 2: a comfortable stone cottage on a gentle hill overlooking the village. Well,
Speaker 2: cottage was perhaps not the correct word. Its chimney was
Speaker 2: taller than the church bell tower, its front door was
Speaker 2: large enough for three wagons to drive through side by side,
Speaker 2: and its teacups were made from polished barrels. Still, Diego
Speaker 2: insisted it was cozy. The villagers slowly realized how useful
Speaker 2: a giant could be. Whenever storms knocked over ancient trees,
Speaker 2: Diego moved them. When winter snow blocked the mountain pass,
Speaker 2: Diego cleared it with a giant wooden shovel. He helped
Speaker 2: raise the beams for a new schoolhouse in a single afternoon,
Speaker 2: he carried church bells that normally required twenty men. Once
Speaker 2: he even rescued Senora Rosa's cat after it had climbed
Speaker 2: into the toaallest cypress tree. The cat was completely ungrateful.
Speaker 2: It hissed at Diego all the way down. I think
Speaker 2: it was embarrassed, he said. Of course, being a giant
Speaker 2: occasionally caused amusing problems. One morning, Diego tried to help
Speaker 2: hang washing. He accidentally pegged every blanket onto the church
Speaker 2: tower instead. Another time, he sneezed while watering his vegetable garden.
Speaker 2: The watering can flew into the air, sailed gracefully over
Speaker 2: three olive groves, and landed perfectly inside Don Matteo's empty barrel.
Speaker 2: For weeks afterwards, children asked him to sneeze on purpose.
Speaker 2: I'm afraid it doesn't work like that, Diego laughed. The
Speaker 2: children weren't convinced. They began shouting Peppa whenever they wanted entertainment.
Speaker 2: One summer afternoon, Princess Isabella of Spain happened to visit
Speaker 2: Valdeluna while traveling through Andalucia with her parents, King Alfonso
Speaker 2: and Queen Catalina. The royal family had heard remarkable stories
Speaker 2: about a giant who had saved an entire village. The
Speaker 2: king expected to meet a fearsome hero. Instead, he found
Speaker 2: Diego sitting outside his cottage, trying very carefully to knit
Speaker 2: an enormous woolen scarf. It was going badly. I always lose,
Speaker 2: count Diego admitted. Princess Isabella burst into laughter. My father
Speaker 2: can't knit either. I've made one sleeve seven times. You've
Speaker 2: knitted sleeves into a scarf. Apparently the princess liked Diego.
Speaker 2: Immediately that evening, the royal family joined the villagers for supper.
Speaker 2: Beneath strings of lanterns. In the village square, long tables
Speaker 2: overflowed with bread, roasted vegetables, olives, oranges, cheeses, and great
Speaker 2: steaming bowls of stew. Diego sat at the very end.
Speaker 2: His bowl happened to be an old copper bathtub. No
Speaker 2: one thought this unusual any more. During the feast, King
Speaker 2: Alphonso stood I came expecting to reward a giant for
Speaker 2: his strength. He smiled towards Diego, but strength alone never
Speaker 2: saved this village. He turned towards Inners. It took curiosity
Speaker 2: to find the hidden spring towards Abuela Marisol. It took
Speaker 2: wisdom to understand the mountain towards the villagers. It took
Speaker 2: kindness to welcome someone who looked different. Finally, he looked
Speaker 2: at Diego, and it took a gentle heart to move
Speaker 2: a mountain. The king presented Diego with a magnet magnificent
Speaker 2: silver medal. Diego admired it for a moment, then quietly
Speaker 2: hung it around the neck of the village donkey. I
Speaker 2: think he looks more important than I do. Everyone laughed,
Speaker 2: even the king, especially the donkey, who looked extremely pleased
Speaker 2: with himself. Years passed, Valde Luna became famous throughout Spain.
Speaker 2: Travelers arrived to cross Diego's bridge, drink from the restored fountain,
Speaker 2: and hear the tail of the gentle giant. Many expected
Speaker 2: to find someone fierce. Instead, they discovered a giant who
Speaker 2: waved enthusiastically, loved baking almond biscuits whenever he sneezed, and
Speaker 2: somehow still couldn't knit a proper scarf. Children climbed onto
Speaker 2: his shoulders to watch sunsets over the golden hills. Old
Speaker 2: villagers played chess with him beneath the olive trees. Princess
Speaker 2: Isabella visited every spring, always bringing fresh wool, in the
Speaker 2: hope that this year Diego might finally finish his scarf.
Speaker 2: He never did, but by then nobody minded, for the
Speaker 2: people of Valdeluna had learnt something far more valuable than
Speaker 2: how to move great stones. They discovered that the biggest
Speaker 2: hearts are often found in those who were judged before
Speaker 2: they are known, And that true greatness is not measured
Speaker 2: by how tall someone stands, but by how gently they
Speaker 2: help others rise beside them. And if you ever wander
Speaker 2: through the golden hills of southern Spain, where olive trees
Speaker 2: shimmer beneath the afternoon sun, you may come across an
Speaker 2: old stone bridge so perfectly built that it has never
Speaker 2: needed repairing. The villagers will smile and tell you the
Speaker 2: same story, it was built by a giant. Then they'll
Speaker 2: pause with a twinkle in their eye, and add, who
Speaker 2: could move mountains with his hands, but one heart's simply
Speaker 2: by being kin. Long ago, in the warm hills of
Speaker 2: southern Spain there stood a small, whitewashed village called Valdeluna.
Speaker 2: Its houses clung to the hillside beneath red tiled roofs,
Speaker 2: blue pots of geraniums decorated every doorstep, Olive trees stretched
Speaker 2: across the valley, and each evening the scent of warm
Speaker 2: bread drifted from the village bakery. Valdeluna was a cheerful place,
Speaker 2: at least it had been for three summers. Almost no
Speaker 2: rain had fallen. The stream that once danced through the
Speaker 2: village had shrunk to a muddy trickle. The old stone
Speaker 2: fountain in the square had stopped flowing. The olive trees
Speaker 2: produced few were olives every year, and the villagers had
Speaker 2: begun to worry that they would soon have to leave
Speaker 2: their homes. The mayor Don Matteo held meetings almost every morning. Unfortunately,
Speaker 2: he enjoyed meetings much more than solutions. We must form
Speaker 2: a committee, he announced one day from the steps of
Speaker 2: the town hall. We formed one last week, said Signora Rosa,
Speaker 2: the baker. Then we shall form a larger one. We
Speaker 2: don't need a larger committee, said Tomas the shepherd. We
Speaker 2: need water. Don Matteo stroked his magnificent mustache. Yes, the
Speaker 2: water committee will discuss that. At the back of the
Speaker 2: crowd stood a girl named Innis Inez was eleven years old, curious, practical,
Speaker 2: and far more interested in fixing things than discussing them.
Speaker 2: She lived with her grandmother, Abuela Marisol, in a little
Speaker 2: house beside the abandoned fountain. That evening, while they ate
Speaker 2: tomato soup and stale bread, ines asked, do you think
Speaker 2: the stream will ever return? Her grandmother looked towards the
Speaker 2: dark hills. All rivers begin somewhere. That isn't really an answer,
Speaker 2: it is the beginning of one. Abuela Marisol believed the
Speaker 2: stream had once come from a hidden spring high in
Speaker 2: the mountains, but many years earlier, after a violent storm,
Speaker 2: rocks had fallen across its path. No one knew exactly
Speaker 2: where the mountain keeps secrets. She said, then perhaps someone
Speaker 2: should go and ask it. Her grandmother smiled, mountains are
Speaker 2: slow to answer yes, decided she would try anyway. Before
Speaker 2: dawn the next morning, she packed bread, cheese, two oranges,
Speaker 2: and a coil of rope. She had barely reached the
Speaker 2: edge of the village when the ground trembled. The church
Speaker 2: bell rang once, though nobody had pulled its rope. Birds
Speaker 2: rose from the olive groves in a great cloud. Then
Speaker 2: came a sound from beyond the hills. A tremendous ah
Speaker 2: inn as froze Acheu. The sneeze thundered across the valley.
Speaker 2: Olive leaves flew through the air. A donkey sat down
Speaker 2: in surprise. Several roof tiles slipped from Don Matteo's house
Speaker 2: and landed neatly in his fountain. Everyone rushed into the square.
Speaker 2: What was that, cried the mayor. A storm, asked the blacksmith.
Speaker 2: A cannon asked Senora Rosa abu Ela. Marisol glanced towards
Speaker 2: the mountains that, she said, calmly, was a giant. The
Speaker 2: villagers laughed nervously. Then an enormous head appeared above of
Speaker 2: the nearest ridge. It had tangled black hair, thick eyebrows,
Speaker 2: and a nose roughly the size of a wine barrel.
Speaker 2: The head sniffed, Oh deer, it said. The villagers screamed
Speaker 2: and ran indoors. Doors slammed, shutters closed. Don Matteo climbed
Speaker 2: into an empty water barrel and pulled the lid over himself.
Speaker 2: Only Inez remained in the square. Slowly, the giant rose
Speaker 2: from behind the hill. He was nearly twenty feet tall
Speaker 2: and wore a patched brown waistcoat, trousers tied with rope,
Speaker 2: and sandals made from pieces of old cartwheels. He carried
Speaker 2: a walking stick as large as a tree trunk. He
Speaker 2: looked frightening until he sneezed again and knocked his own
Speaker 2: hat off. Excuse me, he said. The giant bent to
Speaker 2: retrieve his hat and accidentally rested one hand on the
Speaker 2: village wall. Several stones tumbled loose. Oh no, he carefully
Speaker 2: put them back. One was upside down. He turned it around.
Speaker 2: Then he noticed Inni. The giant immediately stepped backwards. Unfortunately,
Speaker 2: he stepped into an olive cart. The cart broke with
Speaker 2: a crack. I'm terribly sorry, he said. You should watch
Speaker 2: where you're going. Innes replied, I try, but there is
Speaker 2: quite a lot of me to watch. The giant lowered
Speaker 2: himself on to the ground outside the village. My name
Speaker 2: is Diego. I'm inesse. Are you going to scream? I
Speaker 2: haven't decided that's fair. From inside the houses, the villagers listened.
Speaker 2: Diego explained that he lived alone in a cave beyond
Speaker 2: the mountains. He had come down because the spring near
Speaker 2: his home had disappeared. My goats are thirsty, he said,
Speaker 2: and I am tired of washing with one cup of water.
Speaker 2: You wash with one cup, not very successfully. A shut
Speaker 2: opened slightly, then another. Don Matteo climbed out of the barrel.
Speaker 2: He attempted to look dignified, although a cobweb hung from
Speaker 2: his mustache. You cannot stay here, he declared. Giants bring trouble.
Speaker 2: Diego looked down sadly. I usually bring my own lunch.
Speaker 2: At that moment, his stomach rumbled so loudly that several
Speaker 2: pigeons flew from the church roof. Senora Rosa appeared in
Speaker 2: the bakery doorway. How much do you eat? Not much?
Speaker 2: What does not much mean to a giant? Diego thought carefully.
Speaker 2: Perhaps twelve loaves? The bacre gasped for breakfast. I don't
Speaker 2: like to eat heavily in the morning, despite herself in
Speaker 2: Es laughed. The villagers remained suspicious, but Abuela Marisol invited
Speaker 2: Diego to sit outside her house while they decided what
Speaker 2: to do. Senora Rosa brought him bread. He ate twenty loaves,
Speaker 2: though he apologized after every fifth one. When he finished,
Speaker 2: Ines told him about the vanished stream and the hidden spring.
Speaker 2: Diego leaned closer. Perhaps our water is being blocked in
Speaker 2: the same place. Could you move the rocks? I could try.
Speaker 2: Don Matteo shook his head. Absolutely not. The mountain path
Speaker 2: is dangerous. That is why someone large might be useful,
Speaker 2: said Inez. A landslide destroyed the old trail years ago,
Speaker 2: said Tomas. No one has reached the upper valley since
Speaker 2: Diego looked towards the mountains. I came over them. Everyone stared, how,
Speaker 2: asked the blacksmith. I stepped over the broken part. That afternoon, Innes,
Speaker 2: Diego and a small group of villagers set off towards
Speaker 2: the hills. Don Matteo followed because he did not want
Speaker 2: anyone to solve the problem without him. The path wound
Speaker 2: between olive groves and dry fields. Diego tried to walk carefully,
Speaker 2: but his feet left enormous prints in the dust. Innas
Speaker 2: discovered that if she stood in one of them, it
Speaker 2: reached almost to her waist. You could grow potatoes in these,
Speaker 2: she said, I once grew a small tree in my
Speaker 2: left sandal. Diego replied, I didn't notice for three weeks.
Speaker 2: As the path narrowed, they reached an old stone bridge,
Speaker 2: or rather half of an old stone bridge. The center
Speaker 2: had collapsed into the ravine below. We must turn back,
Speaker 2: said Don Matteo. Quickly. Diego knelt beside the gap. He
Speaker 2: placed one enormous foot on either side. Walk across my shoe.
Speaker 2: Nobody moved. It is quite clean, he added. Innis went first.
Speaker 2: The others followed slowly, except on Mateo, who crawled across
Speaker 2: while gripping Diego's laces. On the far side, the trail
Speaker 2: vanished beneath thorn bushes. Diego gently pushed them aside. Behind
Speaker 2: the thorns lay an ancient path, paved with pale stones,
Speaker 2: carved into one rock with the words the water follows
Speaker 2: the song of the mountain. What does that mean, asked
Speaker 2: Senora Rosa. Don Matteo cleared his throat. It is obviously
Speaker 2: a complicated engineering instruction. Abuela Marisol shook her head. It
Speaker 2: sounds like a clue. They continued until sunset. At last
Speaker 2: they reached a narrow canyon high above them. Wedged between
Speaker 2: two cliffs was an enormous wall of fallen rock. From
Speaker 2: somewhere behind it came the faint sound of rushing water. There,
Speaker 2: it is, whispered in aze. Diego stepped forward. He pressed
Speaker 2: both hands against the largest boulder. Nothing happened. He pushed harder.
Speaker 2: The ground trembled, but the stone did not move. I
Speaker 2: thought giants were strong, said Don Matteo. We are, replied Diego.
Speaker 2: The mountain is stronger. In as studied the rocks, a
Speaker 2: few drops of water trickled from a crack near the bottom.
Speaker 2: Then she noticed something else. Deep inside the cliff, hidden
Speaker 2: behind the fallen stones, a soft golden light was flickering.
Speaker 2: The words carved upon the path returned to her mind.
Speaker 2: The water follows the song of the mountain. Suddenly, a low,
Speaker 2: rumbling voice echoed through the canyon, not Diego's voice, not thunder.
Speaker 2: The mountain itself seemed to speak, Who comes seeking what
Speaker 2: has been hidden? Everyone fell silent. Don Matteo fainted neatly
Speaker 2: into a bush. Diego removed his hat ines stepped towards
Speaker 2: the glowing crack. We come from Valdeluna, she said. Our
Speaker 2: village is running out of water. The golden light brightened,
Speaker 2: and what will you give? Asked the mountain For the
Speaker 2: river's return. Diego looked at Innes. The villagers looked at Diego.
Speaker 2: Then the stones beneath their feet began to shake. The
Speaker 2: stones trembled beneath their feet. Tiny pebbles rolled down the
Speaker 2: canyon walls, and the golden light shining through the crack
Speaker 2: grew brighter until it bathed everyone in a warm glow.
Speaker 2: The deep voice spoke again, The river belongs to no one.
Speaker 2: It flows only for those who came for others before themselves.
Speaker 2: Nobody dared speak. Even Diego stood perfectly still. At last,
Speaker 2: Inez stepped forward. We don't want the river just for ourselves.
Speaker 2: The mountain remained silent. Our neighbors need it. Their olive
Speaker 2: trees are dying. The sheep have little to drink. The
Speaker 2: birds have begun to leave. The light flickered gently. Then
Speaker 2: Don Matteo, who had recovered from his fainting spell, straightened
Speaker 2: his waistcoat. I am the mayor, he announced proudly. If
Speaker 2: you return the river, I shall have a statue built
Speaker 2: in my honor. The canyon instantly fell silent, then came aloud. Huh.
Speaker 2: A tiny shower of dust landed squarely on Don Matteo's head.
Speaker 2: I don't believe it likes that, idea, whispered Senora Rosa.
Speaker 2: Diego scratched the back of his enormous neck. I don't
Speaker 2: need anything, he said quietly, if the water returns, I'd
Speaker 2: simply like my goats to stop looking so disappointed. The
Speaker 2: mountain seemed to chuckle. It was a surprisingly pleasant sound.
Speaker 2: What of you, giant? Diego looked around the dry valley.
Speaker 2: I've spent many years alone, he smiled, sadly. If helping
Speaker 2: this village means I might finally have friends, that would
Speaker 2: be enough. The golden light suddenly blazed across the canyon.
Speaker 2: The voice spoke one final time. Then the mountain has
Speaker 2: heard what it wished to hear. A great crack echoed
Speaker 2: through the cliffs. The enormous wall of fallen rocks shifted.
Speaker 2: Everyone stumbled backwards. Even Diego hurried away as the ancient
Speaker 2: stones slowly rolled aside one after another. Behind them stood
Speaker 2: an old marble archway, carved with vines, birds, and flowing water.
Speaker 2: Beyond it, a magnificent spring burst from the mountainside. Crystal
Speaker 2: clear water rushed down the rocks, sparkling in the afternoon sunlight,
Speaker 2: before racing joyfully into the dry riverbed below. Within moments,
Speaker 2: the little stream was alive again. It hurried through the
Speaker 2: valley as though it had been impatiently waiting all these years.
Speaker 2: The villagers cheered, some laughed, several cried. Don Matteo attempted
Speaker 2: to give a speech that slipped into the shallow water
Speaker 2: before he had reached his second sentence. Even he had
Speaker 2: to laugh. The journey home was far easier. The stream
Speaker 2: flowed beside them all the way back towards Valdeluna. Wherever
Speaker 2: it passed, thirsty grass stood taller, wildflowers lifted their heads.
Speaker 2: Tiny frogs appeared, as if by magic. Birds returned singing
Speaker 2: loudly from the olive trees. Diego smiled so broadly that
Speaker 2: the shepherd's sheep kept wandering over to see whether he
Speaker 2: had any bread. When they reached the broken bridge once more,
Speaker 2: Diego looked thoughtfully at the crumbling stones. This won't do.
Speaker 2: Before anyone could ask what he meant, he disappeared into
Speaker 2: the nearby hills. He returned carrying two enormous slabs of
Speaker 2: smooth rock, balanced easily upon his shoulders. Carefully, very carefully,
Speaker 2: he lowered them into place. Then he spent the next
Speaker 2: hour fitting each stone together like pieces of a puzzle.
Speaker 2: The bridge became stronger than it had ever been. The
Speaker 2: villagers crossed it one by one. Not a single stone
Speaker 2: moved Tomas stamped twice. It'll outlast all of us, Diego smiled,
Speaker 2: I've had quite a lot of practice moving rocks. Life
Speaker 2: in Valdeluna changed quickly. The fountain flowed once more, children
Speaker 2: splashed in its cool water every afternoon. The olive trees
Speaker 2: became greener than anyone could remember. The vineyards flourished. Even
Speaker 2: Don Matteo's magnificent mustache seemed happier. Diego decided to stay
Speaker 2: near by. Instead of living alone in his cave, he
Speaker 2: built himself a comfortable stone cottage on a gentle hill
Speaker 2: overlooking the village. Well, cottage was perhaps not the correct word.
Speaker 2: Its chimney was taller than the church bell tower, its
Speaker 2: front door was large enough for three wagons to drive
Speaker 2: through side by side, and its teacups were made from
Speaker 2: polished barrels. Still, Diego insisted it was cozy. The villagers
Speaker 2: slowly realized how useful a giant could be. Whenever storms
Speaker 2: knocked over ancient trees, Diego moved them. When winter snow
Speaker 2: blocked the mountain pass, Diego cleared it with a giant
Speaker 2: wooden shovel. He helped raise the beams for a new
Speaker 2: schoolhouse in a single afternoon, he carried church bells that
Speaker 2: normally required twenty men. Once he even rescued Senora Rosa's
Speaker 2: cat after it had climbed into the tallest cypress tree.
Speaker 2: The cat was completely ungrateful. It hissed at Diego all
Speaker 2: the way down. I think it was embarrassed, he said.
Speaker 2: Of course, being a giant occasionally caused amusing problems. One morning,
Speaker 2: Diego tried to help hang washing. He accidentally pegged every
Speaker 2: blanket onto the church tower instead. Another time, he sneezed
Speaker 2: while watering his vegetable garden. The watering can flew into
Speaker 2: the air, sailed gracefully over three olive groves, and landed
Speaker 2: perfectly inside Don Matteo's empty barrel. For weeks afterwards, children
Speaker 2: asked him to sneeze on purpose. I'm afraid it doesn't
Speaker 2: work like that, Diego laughed. The children weren't convinced. They
Speaker 2: began shouting pepper whenever they wanted entertainment. One summer afternoon,
Speaker 2: Princess Isabella of Spain happened to visit Valdeluna while traveling
Speaker 2: through Andalucia with her parents, King Alphonso and Queen Catalina.
Speaker 2: The royal family had heard remarkable stories about a giant
Speaker 2: who had saved an entire village. The king expected to
Speaker 2: meet a fearsome hero. Instead, he found Diego sitting outside
Speaker 2: his cottage, trying very carefully to knit an enormous woolen scarf.
Speaker 2: It was going badly. I always lose, count Diego admitted.
Speaker 2: Princess Isabella burst into laughter. My father can't knit either.
Speaker 2: I've made one sleeve seven times. You've knitted sleeves into
Speaker 2: a scarf. Apparently the princess liked Diego. Immediately that evening,
Speaker 2: the royal family joined the villagers for supper. Beneath strings
Speaker 2: of lanterns. In the village square, long tables overflowed with bread,
Speaker 2: roasted vegetables, olives, oranges, cheeses, and great steaming bowls of stew.
Speaker 2: Diego sat at the very end. His bowl happened to
Speaker 2: be an old copper bathtub. No one thought this unusual anymore.
Speaker 2: During the feast, King Alphonso stood I came expecting to
Speaker 2: reward a giant for his strength. He smiled towards Diego,
Speaker 2: But strength alone never saved this village. He turned towards Innes.
Speaker 2: It took curiosity to find the hidden spring. Towards Abuela Marisol.
Speaker 2: It took wisdom to understand the mountain towards the villagers.
Speaker 2: It took kindness to welcome someone who looked different. Finally,
Speaker 2: he looked at Diego, and it took a gentle heart
Speaker 2: to move a mountain. The king presented Diego with a
Speaker 2: magnificent silver medal. Diego admired it for a moment, then
Speaker 2: quietly hung it around the neck of the village donkey.
Speaker 2: I think he looks more important than I do. Everyone laughed,
Speaker 2: even the king, especially the donkey, who looked extremely pleased
Speaker 2: with himself. Years past, Valde Luna became famous throughout Spain.
Speaker 2: Travelers arrived to cross Diego's bridge, drink from the restored fountain,
Speaker 2: and hear the tale of the gentle Giant. Many expected
Speaker 2: to find someone fierce. Instead, they discovered a giant who
Speaker 2: waved enthusiastically, loved baking almond biscuits, apologized whenever he sneezed,
Speaker 2: and somehow still couldn't knit a proper scarf. Children climbed
Speaker 2: onto his shoulders to watch sunsets over the golden hills.
Speaker 2: Old villagers played chess with him beneath the olive trees.
Speaker 2: Princess Isabella visited every spring, always bringing fresh wool, in
Speaker 2: the hope that this year Diego might finally finish his scarf.
Speaker 2: He never did, but by then nobody minded, for the
Speaker 2: people of Valdeluna had learnt something far more vavaluable then
Speaker 2: how to move great stones. They discovered that the biggest
Speaker 2: hearts are often found in those who are judged before
Speaker 2: they are known, and that true greatness is not measured
Speaker 2: by how tall someone stands, but by how gently they
Speaker 2: help others rise beside them. And if you ever wander
Speaker 2: through the golden hills of southern Spain, where olive trees
Speaker 2: shimmer beneath the afternoon sun, you may come across an
Speaker 2: old stone bridge so perfectly built that it has never
Speaker 2: needed repairing. The villagers will smile and tell you the
Speaker 2: same story, it was built by a giant. Then they'll
Speaker 2: pause with a twinkle in their eye, and add, who
Speaker 2: could move mountains with his hands, but one hearts simply
Speaker 2: by being kid Sai
Speaker 1: Newspa