his army into the Valley to destroy the merry people who dwelt there
had he not been afraid of the sharp swords that grew on their trees,
which they knew so well how to use against their foes.

So King Scowleyow pondered for a long time how to destroy the Valley of
Mo without getting hurt himself; and at last he hit on a plan he
believed would succeed.

He put all his mechanics to work and built a great man out of
cast-iron, with machinery inside of him. When he was wound up the
Cast-iron Man could roar, and roll his eyes, and gnash his teeth and
march across the Valley, crushing trees and houses to the earth as he
went. For the Cast-iron Man was as tall as a church and as heavy as
iron could make him, and each of his feet was as big as a barn.

It took a long time to build this man, as you may suppose; but King
Scowleyow was so determined to ruin the pretty Valley of Mo that he
made his men work night and day, and at last the Cast-iron Man was
ready to be wound up and sent on his journey of destruction.

They stood him on the top of the mountain, with his face toward the
Beautiful Valley, and began to wind him up. It took a hundred men a
whole week to do this; but at last he was tightly wound, and the wicked
King Scowleyow stood ready to touch the spring that made him go.

"One--two--three!" said the King, and touched the spring with his
ringer.

The Cast-iron Man gave so terrible a roar that he even frightened the
men who had made him; and then he rolled his eyes till they flashed