Three good giants

RANDGOUSIER'S Palace was not far from the Ford. In a very short time after leaving the river Gargantua galloped into the court-yard, where he was joyfully welcomed by the old King himself. You may imagine how he laughed, and then cried, and then laughed once more, loud and long, over his bis' son, for whom he had been so anxiously waiting. But the laughter lived after the tears. A queer thing happened after everybody had got comfortably seated. Gargantua, feeling a little warm after his ride, had already washed himself and put on some clean clothes, for he had learned to be a neat man ever since Ponocrates had given him that mysterious dose. He was now combing his thick hair, in a lazy sort of a way, with his own comb, which had been specially made in Africa for the young Prince on his tenth birthday. It was very large, —larger, in fact, than any comb that had ever before passed through a Giant's hair. Each tooth was an elephant's tusk, taken just as it had stood in the elephant's jaw. Every time Gargantua passed the comb through his locks, half a dozen of those balls which had stuck there when he was going through the wood of Vede would drop on the floor with a clattering noise.

The amazement of good Father Grandgousier, who had his glasses off and was nearly blind without them, when he heard these cannon-balls tumbling down from his sou's head on the floor, was something worth seems 1 .

" Ho ! ho ! ho ! my good son, hast thou brought fleas all this way from Paris ? Didst thou think we had none of our own here ? "

When Gargantua, on looking down, saw several balls at his feet, he did not know what to say. He had not felt them, and was even more puzzled than his father. But wise Master Ponocrates was always ready to give the best answer, in the best place, and in the wisest way, to any question asked. Stooping and picking up one of the balls, he said, bowing respectfully : —

GARGANTUA COMBS HIS HAIR.

'This,

Your Majesty, is one of the cannon-balls which your son, while he was passing the wood of Vede, received through the treachery of your enemies."

"So that's it, is it?" cried Father Grandgousier. "Oh! the audacious vermin, to try and shoot my only son ! Ho ! ho ! I hope not one of the rascals was allowed to escape."

"All of them," answered Ponocrates solemnly, "perished in the ruins."

" That is just as it should be," the old King said. " Now, ray lords, to supper ! "

There never was a supper so soon ready ! For, when the order had been first given, the three Very Fat Cooks — Snapsauce, Hotchpotch, and Braverjuice — all came forward gravely, and with their right hands on their hearts swore they would soon have the finest supper that had ever been eaten, even in the Palace which was famed throughout the world for the perfection of its feasts.

And such a supper as they did make !

When the Chief Cook Snapsauce was asked for an account of what he had sent up, here is the list he gave, all the while strutting like a turkey-cock; and he was just as red as one, too, as he read it, — so full of pride and of the kitchen-fire was he: —

Sixteen roasted beeves, Three heifers,

Thirty-two calves, Sixty-three kids, Ninety-five sheep,

Two hundred and twenty partridges, Seven hundred snipe,

Four hundred capons of Loudunois, Six thousand pullets,

The same number of pigeons,

Six hundred young, but specially fat, pullets, Fourteen hundred young hares, Three hundred and three bustards.

Besides these domestic birds and beasts there were to be found at this wonderful feast, eleven wild boars, kindly sent by the good Abbe de Turpenay ; eighteen red deer, the gift of the Lord of Grandmont; one hundred and forty pheasants, from the Lord of Essars; and such a number of nice things in the shape of turkeys, birds, ducks, wild geese, swans, varied by the best vegetables that could be found, the country round, as had never been known to be brought together on the same table.

I have not yet told something that took place a little while before this great supper. While all were waiting for it, Gargantua suddenly cried out: " Ho ! I feel dreadfully thirsty ! Somebody bring me a lettuce."

Father Grand-gousier, well pleased to grant whatever his son asked, but wanting to see him work a little for his own pleasure, answered him gaily : —