Hansel planted the tiny black seed, saying over the same magic spell. He did not turn his back this time, you may be sure; but now, although a little shoot came up at once, it grew more slowly, and it was at least ten minutes before it bore any fruit. Even when the fruit appeared, it did not look very valuable, for it was only one pod, long and brown and thick. Hansel told the magician about it, and before he had fairly finished speaking, he heard something drop heavily on the floor behind him. The pod had ripened and burst and the fruit had fallen out--the biggest, sharpest, strongest jackknife that was ever made in all the world. “Oh, oh!” cried Hansel. “Now, Mr. Magician, I can dig through this wall.” That would not have been so easily done with any common knife; but this one actually seemed to dig of itself, for whether Hansel was holding it or not, it kept on working and the bits of stone kept on falling. It was not many minutes before the hole was large enough for a boy to creep through; and through it Hansel went with his hands full of bread and butter and gingerbread and roast beef. If only there had been no giants to fear, the boy and the magician would have had a delightful time together. Even as it was, they had so much to tell that for a little while they forgot all about the third seed. At last the magician thought of it and he said:-- “There is no knowing how soon the giants may come upon us. Hurry back and plant the third seed and see what help that will give us.” Then Hansel crept back and planted the little white seed. That was even slower than the black one in coming up; but yet it was not many minutes before it was up to Hansel’s knees and had begun to form its fruit. Never was there such fruit seen before. It was perfectly white and round and hard. After a while it fell off, and Hansel in great disappointment carried it to the magician. “Here it is,” he said, “but it is no good at all. It looks just like a piece of chalk.” Much to his surprise, the magician clapped his hands and cried:-- “This is best of all. Now we are safe. Come giant or dwarf or troll or demon, they cannot harm us.” Hansel was afraid the magician had gone mad, but in a moment he understood. The white fruit really was chalk, and in only two or three seconds longer than no time at all, the magician was down on his knees, drawing a magic circle about himself and the boy as fast as ever he could. “There!” he said, with a deep sigh of relief. “Nothing can hurt us now. There’s something else for you to know. The magic seeds were given to you, and, therefore, you have the right to ask three questions. What is the first?” It did not take Hansel long to think what he wanted to know, and without a moment’s delay he cried:-- “Please tell me where is the terrible giant with three eyes?” “He lies dead outside the gate of the castle,” said a voice. “Where is the one with the three mouths?”