After receiving a thousand messages for Collins, both affectionate and jocular--one from Mr.Pescod being on no account to forget to tell her to try anti-fat--they said good-bye to these kind folk and marched into Faringdon the next morning, very sorry it was the last, but determined to make a brave show.Through watery Lechdale they went, over the Isis (as the Thames is called here), and past Buscot.
It was just after leaving Buscot that Gregory, who had been ahead alone, suddenly rushed back in a wild state of excitement.
"What do you think I've seen?" he panted."A giant! A real live giant!""Don't be an ass!" said Jack "But I have," he protested--"I have.He's there in that wood, kneeling by the stream, washing his face.I watched him walk to it.He's enormous! He's as tall as this caravan nearly.Do come and peep at him."They all very readily accompanied Gregory into the wood, and there, sure enough, was a giant, combing his hair.
He heard them coming, and looked round.They stopped, open-eyed and openmouthed.
"Here, I say," the giant said at last, "this won't do.You mustn't look at me like that--free.It's a penny each, you know."He had a broad Yorkshire accent and a kind face.
"Where do you come from?" he asked.
"We come from London," said Janet."We are on a caravan journey.""A caravan journey," said the giant."So am I.I always am, in fact.""Are you?" said Gregory."How splendid!"
"Splendid!" said the giant."Do you think so? I'd give a good deal to sleep in a bed in a house.Excuse me if I sit down," he added."My legs aren't very strong."He sat down, but even then he was taller than any of the children.
"Where is your caravan?" Janet asked.
"Just over there," the giant said."They're waiting for me.I came here to make my toilet.Where are you going?""We're going to Faringdon," said Robert.
"That's where we've come from," said the giant."There's been a fair there.
We're going to Cirencester."
"What a shame!" said Horace."That means we've missed you.""But you're seeing me now," said the giant, adding again, with his Yorkshire laugh, "free.""I know," said Jack,."but that's not the same as at a fair.The naphtha lamps, you know."The giant shuddered."I like to be away from them," he said.
"Who else is there with you?" asked Gregory.
"The King," said the giant.
"The King!" they all exclaimed.
"Yes, King Pip.He's a dwarf.We travel together, but we show separately.Apenny each."
"Might we see him if we paid a penny?" Janet asked.
"I shouldn't if I were you," said the giant.
"Why not?" said Gregory."Isn't he nice?""No," said the giant very firmly."He's not; he's nasty.""I'm so sorry," said Janet.
"So am I," said the giant.
"I've always liked giants best," said Mary.
"But why don't you leave him?" said Jack.
"I can't," said the giant."We don't belong to ourselves.We belong to Mr.
Kite.Mr.Kite is the showman."
"And did you sell yourself to him like a slave?" Hester asked.
The giant laughed."Very much like a slave," he said."You see, there's nothing else to do when you're big like me and have no money.I'm too weak to work, and it's ridiculous, too.No one ought to be so big.So I must do what I can.""What's the matter with King Pip?" Robert asked.
"He's selfish and bad-tempered," said the giant."He thinks it's a fine thing to be so small.""And you think it a fine thing to be so big, don't you?" said Robert.
The giant opened his blue eyes."I! Not me.I'd give everything I ever possessed to be five feet seven instead of seven feet five.It's never done me any good.""But it's rather grand to be as big as that," Robert suggested.
"Grand! You may have the grandeur.It's worse than being a criminal.Ican't walk out unless it's pitch dark or very early morning, because if Idid the people would see me free--as you are doing--I have to live in a narrow stuffy carriage.I'm ill, too.Giants are always ill."Janet was full of sympathy."We're so sorry," she said."And here's our money--it isn't fair to be seeing you free." And she held out sixpence.
"Oh, no," said the giant."I didn't mean that.I like to see you and talk.
