"It is in the house, I know!"
And he jumped up and walked about, looking in every corner.
As he rose, Tricksey-Wee and Buffy-Bob came out of the hole in the
tree-root, and through the cat-hole in the door, and walked boldly
towards the giant. Both kept their eyes busy watching him. Led by the
love of his own heart, the giant soon spied them, and staggered
furiously towards them.
"I will eat you, you vermin!" he cried. "Here with my heart!"
Tricksey gave the heart a sharp pinch. Down fell the giant on his
knees, blubbering, and crying, and begging for his heart.
"You shall have it, if you behave yourself properly," said Tricksey.
"How shall I behave myself properly?" asked he, whimpering.
"Take all those boys and girls, and carry them home at once."
"I'm not able; I'm too ill. I should fall down."
"Take them up directly."
"I can't, till you give me my heart."
"Very well!" said Tricksey; and she gave the heart another pinch.
The giant jumped to his feet, and catching up all the children, thrust
some into his waistcoat pockets, some into his breast pocket, put two
or three into his hat, and took a bundle of them under each arm. Then
he staggered to the door.
All this time poor Doodlem was sitting in her arm-chair, crying, and
mending a white stocking.
The giant led the way to the borders. He could not go so fast but that
Buffy and Tricksey managed to keep up with him. When they reached the
borders, they thought it would be safer to let the children find their
own way home. So they told him to set them down. He obeyed.
"Have you put them all down, Mr. Thunderthump?" asked Tricksey-Wee.
"Yes," said the giant.
"That's a lie!" squeaked a little voice; and out came a head from his
waistcoat pocket.
Tricksey-Wee pinched the heart till the giant roared with pain.
"You're not a gentleman. You tell stories," she said.
"He was the thinnest of the lot," said Thunderthump, crying.
"Are you all there now, children?" asked Tricksey.
"Yes, ma'am," returned they, after counting themselves very carefully,
and with some difficulty; for they were all stupid children.
"Now," said Tricksey-Wee to the giant, "will you promise to carry off
no more children, and never to eat a child again all you life?"
"Yes, yes! I promise," answered Thunderthump, sobbing.
"And you will never cross the borders of Giantland?"
"Never."
"And you shall never again wear white stockings on a Sunday, all your
life long.--Do you promise?"
The giant hesitated at this, and began to expostulate; but
Tricksey-Wee, believing it would be good for his morals, insisted;
and the giant promised.
Then she required of him, that, when she gave him back his heart, he
should give it to his wife to take care of for him for ever after.
The poor giant fell on his knees, and began again to beg. But
Tricksey-Wee giving the heart a slight pinch, he bawled out,--
"Yes, yes! Doodlem shall have it, I swear. Only she must not put it in
the flour-barrel, or in the dust-hole."
"Certainly not. Make your own bargain with her.--And you promise not to
interfere with my brother and me, or to take any revenge for what we
have done?"
"Yes, yes, my dear children; I promise everything. Do, pray, make haste
and give me back my poor heart."
"Wait there, then, till I bring it to you."
"Yes, yes. Only make haste, for I feel very faint."
Tricksey-Wee began to undo the mouth of the bag. But Buffy-Bob, who had
got very knowing on his travels, took out his knife with the pretence
of cutting the string; but, in reality, to be prepared for any
emergency.
No sooner was the heart out of the bag, than it expanded to the size of
a bullock; and the giant, with a yell of rage and vengeance, rushed on
the two children, who had stepped sideways from the terrible heart. But
Buffy-Bob was too quick for Thunderthump. He sprang to the heart, and
buried his knife in it, up to the hilt. A fountain of blood spouted
from it; and with a dreadful groan the giant fell dead at the feet of
little Tricksey-Wee, who could not help being sorry for him after all.