_The Giant Again_
SIR TRISTRAM and George journeyed onward, following the sun through the
great forest. At last they came into open country, and found themselves on
a rocky road which dipped down-hill as if it never meant to stop. It led
them into a valley, and then on again into a deep gorge, which came to an
end on the shores of a great lake.
"The black lake!" cried George. "Look, it's as black as pitch! What a
horrid place!"
Sir Tristram dismounted and gazed around him. "I marvel how we shall ever
fare across it. I cannot swim, and even if I could I must leave my armour
behind. The doughtiest knight cannot fight in his doublet."
George looked out on to the waters of the lake, but it was so wide that he
could not see the other side. High above his head towered rugged cliffs as
black as the waters of the lake, and in the distance he caught sight of a
mighty pillar standing erect on the summit.
He looked again. "I do believe it's the old giant!" he cried.
"A giant!"--and in a moment Sir Tristram was on his feet and had drawn his
mighty two-handed sword.
"Oh, _please_, don't!" implored George. "He's a friend of mine. He's quite
a good giant. He wouldn't harm anybody."
"How can that be?" asked Sir Tristram. "A good giant?... Still, if you
know him I must take your word for it."
"_Coo-ee!_" cried George. "_Coo-ee!_" His voice echoed against the rocky
walls as if a hundred voices were all crying "_Coo-ee!_" together.
The pillar moved, stopped for a moment, and then moved on again, and
then--_plop!_--into the lake went one of the giant's feet, and then
_plop!_ went the other. He was now in the water right up to his neck, so
you can tell from that how deep it was!
"Good-evening!" rumbled his great voice. "I've been waiting for you ever
so long. You want to cross the lake, I suppose? Come along then!" And he
stretched out his huge hand.
"Come along, Sir Tristram!" commanded George. "It's all right. There's
heaps of room on his hand for both the horses and ourselves."
They led the horses on to his outstretched hand, and without another word
the giant began to wade across the lake. On and on he went until they lost
sight of the shore; on and on until the water began to grow shallower
again. After an hour's journey they arrived, and the giant lowered them
gently on to dry land.
"I must go for a run to dry myself," he said, and in one--two--three
tremendous strides he was out of sight.
Sir Tristram leant on his sword. "In faith, he is a mighty giant. I fear
me that even my trusty blade would be of little avail against him."
George smiled. "Oh no! He's fearfully strong, but he's very kind, although
he does tell very long stories."
"Stories?" asked Sir Tristram. He had hardly spoken when the giant was at
their side again.
"I'm _quite_ dry now!" he roared. He seemed to be very pleased with
himself, and smiled a huge smile as he asked: "Did I hear you saying that
you wanted to hear a story? Wait a minute!"--and before they guessed what
he was about he was lying on the ground with his head close up to them.
"I'm afraid it's going to be _very_ long," whispered George to Sir
Tristram, who sat with his sword between his knees, gazing at the giant in
astonishment.
"Well, once upon a time there was a prince----"
"Had he a sausage?" asked George.
"Yes. How did you know?... Oh, I must have told you that story before. It
doesn't matter, for I never tell it twice in the same way. My stories are
always changing; the older they are the longer they grow."
George sighed. "Oh dear! This is going to be a dreadfully long story.
Never mind; I missed most of it the last time, and perhaps he'll go to
sleep again."
The giant continued: "Now this prince was very rich. He had twenty
castles, each with two hundred rooms, and a bicycle."
"A bicycle? That's nothing!" said George. "I'm going to have a bicycle
myself."
"Don't interrupt!" grumbled the giant. "This was a special bicycle. It had
twenty-five wheels."
"But it wouldn't be a bicycle, then. A bicycle has only two wheels," cried
George.
"What was it, then, if it wasn't a bicycle?"
George thought for a moment. "I don't know," he replied.
"There you are! You don't know. Of _course_ it was a bicycle. I've told
this story, oh, hundreds of times, and I've always called it a bicycle.
That's a sure proof!" The giant smiled triumphantly.
"I beg your pardon for interrupting you," said George politely.
"Not at all. You see, you know now what a bicycle is. You didn't before I
told you.... Well, this prince went out one day on his bicycle to hunt----"
Sir Tristram looked quite startled. "To hunt?" he exclaimed.
"Yes, to hunt. Princes always go out hunting.... Well, he hunted and he
hunted and he hunted for weeks and weeks and weeks...." Here the giant
paused. "Oh, I forgot. She said I was not to delay you by telling stories.
So you'd better be going on your way."
"Did She send you here?" asked George, who knew what the giant meant.
"What a lot of questions you ask! Hurry up or you'll be late." And without
another word the giant rose, stepped over a high mountain which stood in
his way, and disappeared.
"Come along, Sir Tristram!" said George, "I'll tell you all about it as we
ride along."
[Illustration]
THE SONG OF A SAUSAGE
A PIG lived in a lordly sty;
A fat, fat pig was he,
And every day he used to try
To eat enough for three.
Sing hey, sing ho,
I'd have you know
He ate enough for three!
He grew so fat, he grew so round,
As round as round could be.
He weighed at least five hundred pound,
And, oh, so proud was he!
Sing hey, sing ho,
I'd have you know
He weighed as much as three!
Now all the pigs from far and near
Were jealous as could be.
And oh, they shed a bitter tear
At breakfast, lunch, and tea.
Sing ho, sing hey,
Alack-a-day,
A doleful sight to see!
For though they ate with all their might,
It was no use, for he
Ate all the day and half the night
As greedy as could be!
Sing ho, sing hey,
Yes, all the day
He stuffed right greedily!
One day the farmer to his wife,
The farmer said, said he:
"Fetch me my very sharpest knife,
The knife as sharp as three!
Sing hey, sing ho,
Now quickly go
And fetch my knife to me!"
He took the knife, and to the sty
He went as quick could be.
"The fattest pig to-day must die,
The pig as fat as three.
Sing ho, sing hey,
We'll have to-day
His sausages for tea!"
[Illustration]