window,” he said.
Luigi leaned over the sill, and the giant managed it with three fingers.
He tucked Luigi safely into the bag, buttoned the bottom firmly inside
his blouse, and drew up the strings close around Luigi’s neck.
“Now you’re quite safe and steady, little boy,” he said. “Don’t be
afraid, but lean back against me, and look about.” And with that he took
a high step over a whole block of houses into an open square beyond.
For a moment Luigi was dizzy, looking from his height on the jumbled
roofs so far below. But as the giant stopped in the little park he got
his balance again. He looked down without fear on the house-tops and the
lighted streets that wound between.
“Where shall we go?” asked the giant good-naturedly.
Luigi hesitated. “Could we,” he asked, “could we go up the Avenue,—the
wide, bare one over there, with the bright lights?”
So Benevaldo pranced over the long blocks in between and set his foot
in the smooth street. From sidewalk to sidewalk it just fitted; and he
walked, one foot ahead of the other, up by the little silent houses to a
tiny park.
“Look here!” cried Benevaldo excitedly. “See the clock!” And he pointed
to a great lighted face in the top of a tower as high as he was.
“Oh, yes,” said Luigi, “that is the biggest clock in all the city. It
takes up story after story of that office building.”
“It’s a little fast,” said the giant, holding his watch up beside it. And
with a gentle shove of his forefinger he set the hands back.
Luigi gasped. But the giant turned calmly, and started, foot after foot,
up the Avenue again. “Did you say,” he asked thoughtfully, “that that
tower was an office building?”
“Why, yes,” said Luigi, “what should it be?”
“And what was it I took you out of?” asked the giant.
“Why, a house,” said Luigi, wondering,—“a regular house.”
The giant chuckled. “You know,” he said, “I had an idea that all these
walls full of little lighted holes, were sort of prisons, or traps. I
thought you had all got caught inside and couldn’t get out!”
Luigi laughed. “Oh, no,” he said, “they’re the houses we live in. But
look,” he cried, “we’re coming to the Park!”
Benevaldo looked. Sure enough, down beside them was a whole patch of
trees. He drew a long breath. “If you’re going to live in these traps,”
he said, “why don’t you come up here in some of these white ones near the
trees?”
“Oh, these are quite different,” cried Luigi, proud that he could
explain. “These up here are rich people’s houses, and down where I live,
we’re all quite poor.”
The giant shook his head. He could not see what difference that made.
Luigi saw that it was no use to argue. “Aren’t the trees nice?” he
ventured.
Benevaldo snorted. “Nice enough, what there are of them!” he said. “But
now I am going to take you where there are thousands and thousands of
them,—all you can see.”
With that he gave three great springs right over the houses till he
landed, splash again, in the deep river. Then he let himself go, leaping
and running till Luigi laughed aloud with the dazzle and rush of it.
In a few minutes they had left the twinkling city far behind and were
racing over the dusky hills. The trees brushed them as they passed; and
above them millions of big, bright stars that Luigi had never seen in the
city, seemed to swirl and dance. Luigi drew deep breaths, and nestled
happily on the giant’s breast.
Benevaldo stopped and put his great watch up close to his eyes. “It’s
getting late, or rather, early,” he said. “I’ll have to take you back
again before the people get to swarming in the streets so that I can’t
step.”
So he turned and dashed back through the cool night. There was the city
again, glimmering beneath the pale sky. Beside it was a river, too, but
not the one they had rushed through before. For this one was crossed by
shining bridges from shore to shore. Luigi had once seen those bridges
from below, and they had seemed to him to tower through the clouds. But
now they came hardly to the giant’s waist.
Benevaldo paused. “Do you mind if I jump?” he asked. “You see,” he added
apologetically, “it’s rather awkward, crawling under.”
“Oh, no,” cried Luigi joyously. “Let’s jump them!”
So Benevaldo went hurdling down the river, taking the bridges one by one,
and dashing the city with spray.
[Illustration: The trees brushed them]
Luigi laughed with delight. “I’m sorry to get back,” he said, as he
pointed the way among the city houses.
Benevaldo took him gently out of the bag, and slipped him through the
window safely upon his own bed.
“Good-by,” boomed the giant, giving the house an affectionate pat.
“Good-by, little boy. Don’t forget Benevaldo, for I shall come again to
see you. Watch for me from your window; and if it is too crowded for me
to come among the houses, I will run along the river so that you can see
my shadow sweeping over the roof tops.”
“Thank you, thank you,” cried Luigi. “But can’t I ever see you yourself
again, good giant?”
Benevaldo thought. “If you ever go to the country,” he said, “look for me
there. For I shall come to meet you.”
The early wagons began to jangle through the streets, and Benevaldo
sprang hastily over the house-tops to his free river. Luigi listened
until his great splashing steps were gone.
Rosa yawned and bounced sleepily out of bed. It was to be a great day for
her. For a rich lady was to take her with all the neighborhood children
on a picnic up the river. She sang as she got ready, but her face fell
when she called Luigi to breakfast.
“Oh, brother,” she said, “I wish you were going on the picnic too!”
Luigi smiled bravely. “I wish I _could_ go,” he said.
Rosa gazed at him. “Why, Luigi,” she cried, “how well you look, and how
fast you walk!”
Luigi beamed. “The ache is all out of my back,” he explained happily.
“Mother! Mother!” cried Rosa. “Just look at Luigi. The ache is out of his
back; and see how well he walks! Can’t he go on the picnic too? I will
take good care of him.”
So Luigi went with the other children up the river, where Benevaldo had
waded with him the night before. All day long he sat quietly on the
steamer, gazing eagerly over the green hills.
All at once he jumped up and waved his cap. For there against the sun was
the great figure of his faithful giant, flourishing his friendly arms.
“Rosa! Rosa!” called Luigi. “There he is. See him,—my giant!”
The other children crowded around. “Where? Where?” they cried. But at
that moment Benevaldo was lost to view, and there was only his long
shadow, scudding across the hills.
But the shadow Luigi and Rosa saw often and often all their lives. And
you can see it sometimes too if you will look.
[Illustration: If you will look]
When this book you close for aye,
Childish fancies to efface,
Bid these friendly giants hie
Down the years with you a pace:
Faith! Companions such as they,
Only charméd folk may know;
Those who walked the giants’ way
Some time in the long ago:
Children with the world a-face,
As the waiting years unfold,
With this friendly giant race
Fare ye till the tale is told.
_Seymour Barnard._