"My own garden is my own garden," said the
Giant; "any one can understand that, and I will allow nobody to play in it but myself." So he built a high wall all round it, and put up a notice-board.
Now these funny Pygmies, as I told you before, had a
Giant for their neighbor and brother, who was bigger, if possible, than they were little.
No sooner had he done so than the wounded
Giant limped up to him and whispered softly, 'Herd-boy, where are you?'
'Oh, indeed?' answered the little tailor, and unbuttoned his coat, and showed the
giant the girdle, 'there may you read what kind of a man I am!' The
giant read: 'Seven at one stroke,' and thought that they had been men whom the tailor had killed, and began to feel a little respect for the tiny fellow.
"How heartless!" wailed the
Giant, shaking the bars again.
When at last we came to ourselves the
giant sat examining us attentively with his fearful eye.
Meantime the
giant continued to raise his iron mallet high in the air and to strike the path terrific blows that echoed through the mountains like the roar of a cannon.
Towards the Knight, so weak that he could scarcely hold his sword, this
Giant came stalking.
'How's the
Giant?' said Short, when they all sat smoking round the fire.
A burst of laughter replied to this volley; then the arm of the
giant swung round; then was seen whirling through the air, like a falling star, the train of fire.
The
giant's face was getting red, and his breath came snorting forth like a bull's.
In an instant he forgot that he had come here to kill the white-haired man, and with a bound stood in the center of the room--an unarmed
giant towering above the battling four.