In 
Hinduism, 
Vamana is the fifth 
avatar of 
Vishnu, a 
dwarf.  He tricked 
Bali into giving up all of the 
heavens and 
earth.  Vamana asked for a piece of land only three paces wide and Bali agreed; Vamana stepped across the earth in one step, the heavens in the second and elected not to claim the 
underworld, leaving that for Bali to keep.
 
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