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Authors: Andrew Lang
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long been cold in death."
He opened, with his sword, the enormous letter, which was couched in the following terms:
"The Giant as does not know when he has had
enuf
, presents his compliments to Prince Ricardo; and I, having recovered from the effects of our little recent
rally
, will be happy to meet you in the old place for a return-match. I not being handy with the pen, the Giant hopes you will excuse mistakes and bad writing."
Dick simply gazed with amazement.
"If ever I thought an enemy was killed and done for, it was that Giant," said he. "Why, I made mere mince-collops of him!"
However, he could not refuse a challenge, not to speak of his duty to rid the world of so greedy and odious a tyrant. Dick, therefore, took the usual things (which the king had secretly restored), but first he tried them--putting on the Cap of Darkness before the glass, in which he could not see himself. On second thoughts, he considered it unfair to take the cap. All the other articles were in working order. Jaqueline on this occasion followed him in the disguise of a crow, flying overhead.
On reaching the cavern--a huge tunnel in the rock--where the Giant lived, Ricardo blew a blast on the horn which hung outside, and in obedience to a written notice, knocked also with a mace provided by the Giant for that purpose. Presently he heard heavy footsteps sounding along the cavern, and the Giant came out. He was above the common height for giants, and his whole face and body were seamed over with little red lines, crossing each other like tartan. These were marks of encounters, in which he had been cut to bits and come together again; for this was his peculiarity, which made him so dangerous. If you cut off his head, he went on just as before, only without it; and so about everything else. By dint of magic, he could put his head on again, just as if it had been his hat, if you gave him time enough. On the last occasion of their meeting, Ricardo had left him in a painfully scattered condition, and thought he was done for. But now, except that a bird had flown away with the little finger of his left hand and one of his ears, the Giant was as comfortable as anyone could be in his situation.
"Mornin' sir," he said to Dick, touching his forehead with his hand. "Glad to see you looking so well. No bad feeling, I hope, on either side?"
"None on mine, certainly," said Ricardo, holding out his hand, which the Giant took and shook; "but Duty is Duty, and giants must go. The modern world has no room for them."
"That's hearty," said the Giant; "I like a fellow of your kind. Now, shall we toss for corners?"
"All right!" said Dick, calling "Heads" and winning. He took the corner with the sun on his back and in the Giant's face. To it they went, the Giant aiming a blow with his club that would have felled an elephant.
Dick dodged, and cut off the Giant's feet at the ankles.
"First blood for the prince!" said the Giant, coming up smiling. "Half- minute time!"
He occupied the half-minute in placing the feet neatly beside each other, as if they had been a pair of boots.
Round II.
--The Giant sparring for wind, Ricardo cuts him in two at the waist.
The Giant folded his legs up neatly, like a pair of trousers, and laid them down on a rock. He had now some difficulty in getting rapidly over the ground, and stood mainly on the defensive, and on his waist.
Round III.
--Dick bisects the Giant. Both sides now attack him on either hand, and the feet kick him severely.
"No kicking!" said Dick.
"Nonsense; all fair in war!" said the Giant.
But do not let us pursue this sanguinary encounter in all its
horrible details
.
Let us also remember--otherwise the scene would be too painful for an elegant mind to contemplate with entertainment--that the Giant was in excellent training, and thought no more of a few wounds than you do of a crack on the leg from a cricket-ball. He well deserved the title given him by the Fancy, of "The Giant who does not Know when he has
He opened, with his sword, the enormous letter, which was couched in the following terms:
"The Giant as does not know when he has had
enuf
, presents his compliments to Prince Ricardo; and I, having recovered from the effects of our little recent
rally
, will be happy to meet you in the old place for a return-match. I not being handy with the pen, the Giant hopes you will excuse mistakes and bad writing."
Dick simply gazed with amazement.
"If ever I thought an enemy was killed and done for, it was that Giant," said he. "Why, I made mere mince-collops of him!"
However, he could not refuse a challenge, not to speak of his duty to rid the world of so greedy and odious a tyrant. Dick, therefore, took the usual things (which the king had secretly restored), but first he tried them--putting on the Cap of Darkness before the glass, in which he could not see himself. On second thoughts, he considered it unfair to take the cap. All the other articles were in working order. Jaqueline on this occasion followed him in the disguise of a crow, flying overhead.
On reaching the cavern--a huge tunnel in the rock--where the Giant lived, Ricardo blew a blast on the horn which hung outside, and in obedience to a written notice, knocked also with a mace provided by the Giant for that purpose. Presently he heard heavy footsteps sounding along the cavern, and the Giant came out. He was above the common height for giants, and his whole face and body were seamed over with little red lines, crossing each other like tartan. These were marks of encounters, in which he had been cut to bits and come together again; for this was his peculiarity, which made him so dangerous. If you cut off his head, he went on just as before, only without it; and so about everything else. By dint of magic, he could put his head on again, just as if it had been his hat, if you gave him time enough. On the last occasion of their meeting, Ricardo had left him in a painfully scattered condition, and thought he was done for. But now, except that a bird had flown away with the little finger of his left hand and one of his ears, the Giant was as comfortable as anyone could be in his situation.
"Mornin' sir," he said to Dick, touching his forehead with his hand. "Glad to see you looking so well. No bad feeling, I hope, on either side?"
"None on mine, certainly," said Ricardo, holding out his hand, which the Giant took and shook; "but Duty is Duty, and giants must go. The modern world has no room for them."
"That's hearty," said the Giant; "I like a fellow of your kind. Now, shall we toss for corners?"
"All right!" said Dick, calling "Heads" and winning. He took the corner with the sun on his back and in the Giant's face. To it they went, the Giant aiming a blow with his club that would have felled an elephant.
Dick dodged, and cut off the Giant's feet at the ankles.
"First blood for the prince!" said the Giant, coming up smiling. "Half- minute time!"
He occupied the half-minute in placing the feet neatly beside each other, as if they had been a pair of boots.
Round II.
--The Giant sparring for wind, Ricardo cuts him in two at the waist.
The Giant folded his legs up neatly, like a pair of trousers, and laid them down on a rock. He had now some difficulty in getting rapidly over the ground, and stood mainly on the defensive, and on his waist.
Round III.
--Dick bisects the Giant. Both sides now attack him on either hand, and the feet kick him severely.
"No kicking!" said Dick.
"Nonsense; all fair in war!" said the Giant.
But do not let us pursue this sanguinary encounter in all its
horrible details
.
Let us also remember--otherwise the scene would be too painful for an elegant mind to contemplate with entertainment--that the Giant was in excellent training, and thought no more of a few wounds than you do of a crack on the leg from a cricket-ball. He well deserved the title given him by the Fancy, of "The Giant who does not Know when he has
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