In the rolling hills of the Basque Country, where mist clings to the valleys and ancient forests whisper secrets, there lived a young shepherd named Mattin. Mattin was known throughout his village for his quick wit and clever solutions to tricky problems. Little did he know that his skills would soon be put to the ultimate test.

High in the mountains lurked a fearsome creature known as Tartalo. With his massive, hairy body and single eye gleaming in the center of his forehead, Tartalo was the terror of the shepherds. Many had fallen victim to his insatiable hunger for human flesh, and none who entered his cave ever returned.

One misty evening, as Mattin was gathering his flock, he realized one of his favorite lambs was missing. Despite the growing darkness and his friends' warnings about Tartalo, Mattin set off into the mountains to find his lost lamb.

As he climbed higher, the mist grew thicker, and the wind whispered warnings in his ears. Suddenly, he heard a faint bleating. Following the sound, Mattin found himself at the mouth of a great cave. There, just inside, was his lamb! But before he could grab it, a booming voice echoed from the depths of the cave.

"Who dares to enter the home of Tartalo?" the voice growled.

Mattin's heart raced, but he steadied his voice and replied, "It is I, Mattin the shepherd. I've come for my lamb."

With earth-shaking steps, Tartalo emerged from the shadows, his single eye fixed hungrily on Mattin. "Well, little shepherd, you've found your lamb, but now I've found my dinner!"

Thinking quickly, Mattin said, "Oh mighty Tartalo, surely a great being like yourself deserves a finer meal than a scrawny shepherd like me. I've heard tales of your strength. Perhaps you could demonstrate it before you eat me?"

Tartalo, always proud, puffed up his chest. "What would you have me do, little man?"

Mattin pointed to a large boulder near the cave entrance. "They say you can crush boulders with your bare hands. Is it true?"

Tartalo laughed and with a single squeeze, crumbled the boulder to dust. "Child's play," he boasted.

"Impressive!" Mattin exclaimed. "But I've also heard you can squeeze water from stones. Surely that's just a tale?"

Determined to prove his strength, Tartalo grabbed another rock and squeezed. To Mattin's amazement, water indeed trickled from the stone.

"One last challenge," Mattin said, his mind racing. "They say your eye holds magical properties. That if you remove it, it can see the future!"

Tartalo hesitated, but his pride won out. "It's true," he growled, popping out his large eye and holding it in his palm. "My eye can see all!"

In that instant, Mattin sprang into action. He grabbed his lamb and darted past the eyeless Tartalo. But as he ran, he couldn't resist one final trick. He called back, "Oh mighty Tartalo, what do you see in my future?"

Tartalo, enraged, bellowed, "I see you roasting over my fire!" He threw his eye with all his might, trying to strike Mattin.

But Mattin was clever. He caught the eye and shouted back, "Look again, great Tartalo. What do you see now?"

Tartalo, confused, replied, "I... I see you escaping down the mountain. How can this be?"

"Because," Mattin laughed, "the future is what we make it!" And with that, he tossed Tartalo's eye far into the forest and raced down the mountain with his lamb.

Blind and fumbling, Tartalo could not pursue them. Mattin returned safely to his village, where he was hailed as a hero. From that day forward, shepherds could graze their flocks in peace, and parents told their children the tale of clever Mattin who outwitted the fearsome Tartalo.

As for Tartalo, some say he still stumbles sightlessly through the mountain forests, a lesson to all about the dangers of pride and the power of quick thinking.

And Mattin? He lived a long and happy life, always reminding people that brains can triumph over brawn, and that even the fiercest monsters can be defeated with a little cleverness and a lot of courage.