GARGANTUA COMES BACK FROM FAIRY-LAND.--AFTER WHICH PANTAGRUEL PREPARES
FOR ANOTHER TRIP.
[Illustration: Initial O.]
One day Gargantua came back from Fairy-land.
It was a day above all others long to be remembered by Pantagruel, when
he first heard, on coming home from a visit to one of his cities, where
he had gone to decide a knotty case between that city and a neighboring
town, the sharp bark of a dog. "Why! I know that bark," he said. "That
is the bark of little Kyne, my father's dog. My father must surely
have come back!" So, joyfully, he followed Kyne, who went bounding and
frisking back to the great door of the Palace. There he found his old
father, with his arms stretched wide open to clasp his son. Everybody
was glad to see that wonderful meeting of father and son high up in the
air.
"My dear son!"
"My dear and honored father!"
That was all they could hear, as the old Giant and the young Giant, arm
in arm, passed through the door, and went up the broad stairway into
the great hall. We may be sure that Snapsauce and the two other Very
Fat Cooks were soon doing their best to get together a good dinner,
during which Pantagruel heard all about Fairy-land, its Queen, and her
kind Fairies. When a fresh flagon of wine rested between them, Father
Gargantua said:--
"I praise God, my beloved son, that he has given thee such wisdom
and virtue. Had it not been for thee, I would still have been in
Fairy-land, for thou hast been wise while I was away. I would like to
speak to thee now on a subject which much troubled me there. Thou art
now old enough to take a wife, and I desire to see thee marry. Hast
thou ever thought of a wife?"
"To tell the truth, most dear father, I have never yet thought of one.
But, in choosing a wife, I am always thy son, and thou shalt choose for
me."
"I believe thee in that, my son. But thou shalt choose for thyself when
the time comes for a wife. When thou findest her, bring her home; she
shall find a father waiting for her."
Pantagruel stretched out one big hand across the table. It met another
big hand, only that other was more knotty and wrinkled than his own.
Then the two mighty hands clasped.
"But this is not all that I wanted to say, my boy. It is time thou
shouldst travel. Thou needest rest. Hast thou not been King in my
place?" The old Giant laughed as he said this. "Hast thou not filled my
throne, thou young rogue, for this score of years and more? Thou art
not so strong as thou wast; thou hast need of a holiday."
"Hast thou also thought, father, of a plan for all this whilst thou
wert in Fairy-land?"
"Well, yes. I had nothing else to do there but think. I know thou dost
love to travel and see strange things. Thou shalt start at once. Don't
crawl on land. Spread out thy white sails, and try the seas. Take with
thee thy friend Panurge,--he looks like a keen fellow,--my old friend
Friar John, my old master Ponocrates, who would be better for a trip;
also Master Epistemon, and such others as thou pleasest. Put thy open
hand into my treasure-box, and draw out thy closed fist with what thou
wantest of my gold. Thou wilt find at my arsenal, Thalasse, all that
thou needest; besides pilots, sailors, and stout soldiers. At the first
fair wind, set sail. When thou art away, my boy, I shall make ready
for thy wife, and for a splendid feast when thou shalt bring her safe
home."