Three good giants

by Franqois Rabelais

  smack his lips, and whistle out,—they all whistled instead of talking:

  " Ah ! how delightful this south-west breeze ! " Another : " How refreshing this south-east? " Another : " But do taste a little of this western, I beg you I How healthful ! "

  Another : " How choice this east-by-north ! "

  THE LAND OF WIND.

  Another: " Will none of you join me in '9' this exquisite south?" and so on.

  Pantagruel wondered at all this whistling; but he opened his eyes wider than ever when he caught sight of a big, bloated fellow whipping, with his slipper, a servant-man and a boy. When he asked what was the matter, he was told that the bloated fellow had accused the man and the boy of stealing from him the better half of a large leathern bag of southerly wind, which he had put by for his own private winter-use. All Pantagruel said to this was, "This is very strange." While he was on his way to the King's palace, on invitation, he saw several of the islanders, with large fans in their hands, taking a walk. The rich islanders were all stout. The poor islanders were all thin. It was a fight for wind ; and the windmills and big fans won it.

  The people of Ruach had these two proverbs always in their mouths : —

  SMALL FANS MAKE SMALL WIND.

  GREAT FANS MAKE GREAT WIND.

  These were the only proverbs which had ever been known among them.

  When he met the King of the island, Pantagruel began to pay him compliments on the cheapness of the food of the people. 'You live on wind ; it costs you nothing; you have only to breathe to take in your food; you and your people must be very happy."

  " Not so happy as you may think, noble Giant. We have our troubles, like any other people."

  ' Troubles ! Why, what troubles can you have? "

  " I will tell you. Every year, in the spring, a wicked Giant, named Widenostrils, who lives, I believe, in the Island of Tohu, comes here for his health by the advice of his physicians. The moment he steps on shore he begins to swallow our windmills. We are not afraid of Widenostrils for ourselves, although he is so horrid a monster; but we have a mortal fear of him for our windmills. It will not be long before there will be no more windmills left! Then what are we to do ? We must have wind ; for without wind we must die."

  " Have you never tried to keep that wicked giant away ? "

  "Yes; often and often; and it was only last spring that we hit upon what we thought to be a good plan. About the time we were expecting a visit from Widenostrils, we sent to a neighboring island to get us a supply of cocks and hens. As soon as we got them, we filled our largest windmills with them. As usual, Widenostrils, when he landed, began to gobble up one windmill after another. Very soon the roosters began to crow, and the hens began to cackle, and both began to fly about inside his stomach. Then Widenostrils got very sick, and lay down in yonder field gasping for a whole day. As he lay down the strangest thing happened."

  " What was that, friend? "

  "Ofcourse, with the cocks and hens crowing and cackling and

  WITHOUT WIND WE MUST DIE.

  making such a to-do in his stomach, here and there, Widenostrils kept his mouth open, hoping they would get tired and fly out. Seeing his big mouth open, what should all the foxes in the neighborhood, which are very tame, as we never hunt them, scenting the cocks and hens inside, do but scamper after them through the monster's throat ? We were afraid to have the wicked Giant die among us, so we managed to rouse him, although he was very sick, and even helped him to reach

  his ship, which sailed away at once. But of what use after all ? Oui curse will be back next spring. If the cocks and hens and foxes don't kill him, what can we do?"

  !f Have no more fear, friend," said Pantagruel; " Widenostrils, the giant, the swallower of your windmills, is dead. I am sure of that, for I myself saw his corpse in Tohu. One of my friends here can tell you more. What, ho I Pan urge I "

  "That can I, your majesty," cried Panurge, stepping briskly forward. 'The Giant Widenostrils died from having too many cocks and hens and foxes in his stomach. I heard in his stomach, with my own ears,—which are pretty sharp ones, — as he lay stretched out in the meadow, cocks crowing, hens cackling, foxes yelping, and by my faith, I thought the foxes were getting the better of the cocks and the hens."

  "Thank Heaven I We can build our dear windmills again, and we shall not die," cried the King, who at once sent his herald to announce the good news through the island.

  CHAPTER XLII.

  HOW PANTAGRUEL WITH HIS DARTS KILLS A MONSTER WHICH CANNON-BALLS COULD NOT HURT. THE POWER OF THE SIGN OF THE CROSS.

  BOUT sundown of the day when the fleet left Ruach, as they were coming near Wild Island, PantagrueFs keen eye spied, far off, a huge whale, which, raised above the waters higher than the maintop, came straight towards the fleet, blowing and spouting from its horrid nostrils so high a stream of water that it seemed to be a swollen river rushing down a mountain's side.

  Pantagruel pointed out the whale to the pilot and to Xenomanes. James Brayer was the first one to give advice, and his advice was always worth listening to. What he advised was that the trumpets of the Thalmege should be sounded so as to warn all the fleet to stand close, and look to themselves. At this alarm, every ship, galleon, frigate, and brigantine (according to naval discipline) placed itself in such order as to form the Greek Y, — the flag-ship being in the centre. This proved that James Brayer, while being a good sailor, had been landsman enough sometimes to watch cranes fly in the air. For the letter Y is just the figure that the cranes in their journeys — the leader always being in front — choose in winging their long or short ways across the sky.

  Of course the first one to get on the forecastle, where he could have a word with the grenadiers, was Friar John ! Brave Friar John ! He was the right-hand where anything strong or good was to be done. As to Panurge, he began to cry and howl at the top of his voice.

  "Boo! boo! boo! This is a worse business than that of the other day," he blubbered, shrugging up his shoulders and shivering in his fright. ' That frightful thing over there is the horrid Leviathan Job spoke of! I am sure he is coming to swallow us all up, ships, sails, men and all, like so many pills. Ah ! friends, let's escape the monster. The land is near; let us go on shore !"

  " Panurge," said Pantagruel, turning round, " all thou hast to do is to trust to me. Have no fear ; I shall do its business presently."

  PANTAGRUEL SPIES A MONSTER.

  " Oh, Your Highness knows well enough that I aru never afraid except when there is danger ! Boo ! boo ! boo ! "

  While Panurge was whimpering, the monster had got fairly into the Greek Y made by the fleet. It was the whale which began the fight. The moment it found itself inside the angle, and saw the ships on each side of it, it wheeled around and began to spout water by whole tons upon them. Then it was that the ships took up the war. They all set to work as though they were mad, to hurl against the whale on every side arrows, spears, darts, javelins, and harpoons. Never had there been seen such a storm of deadly weapons whistling through the air at one time.

  SHOOTING AT THE WHALE.

  You may be sure that Friar John did not spare himself.

  Panurge nearly died from fright.

  The artillery belched out its largest balls; but they didn't do the least harm. All they did was to strike the monster's tough, black hide and slant off. When he saw how so much good powder was being wasted, Pantagruel thought it was high time for him to keep his promise to Panurge. He had, when a boy, a great name for throwing darts, javelins, and such missiles. There was not a man around the Royal Palace of Utopia who had not seen, more than once, his wonderful skill in dart-throwing; for, with his immense darts, which were so large that they looked very much like the huge beams that support the bridges of Nantes and

  PANTAGRUEL TRIES HIS HAND.

  Saumur and Bergerac, he used, standing a mile off, to open an oyster without breaking its shell ; snuff a candle without putting it out ; shoot a magpie in the eye ; and he had even been known to
turn over leaf after leaf of Friar John's breviary, and not tear one of them. Pantagruel had already found out that there was a fine store of darts in the ship, and he ordered a good supply to be laid on the deck before him. With the first dart, hurled with a mighty force, he struck the whale so furiously in the head that he pierced both its jaws and its tongue, making one piece of the three.

  This was a great victory. The monster could not spurt any more.

  With the second dart he put out its right eye.

  With the third he put out its left.

  Then everybody began to crowd around to look in safety at the whale, which, if it had not been for the Giant's darts, might have ended in drowning the whole fleet, but which was now rolling and staggering about on the waves, stunned and blinded. The creature was still alive, and might yet do some harm; and so Pantagruel, who was watching every movement, threw out a fourth dart, which struck it under the tail. Then the giant began to hurl his darts, one after another, on each side of the black hide, not wildly, but with the same care and skill with which he had once turned the leaves of Friar John's breviary. Fifty darts struck it on one side. Fifty darts more struck it on the other side. This was too much for the monster. It turned on its greasy back, as all dead fishes do, and floated without motion, looking, with the beams and darts upside down in the water, like a gigantic centipede crawling on the sea, with the tips of its hundred feet just showing, every now and then, above the surface of the waves.

  THE DEATH OF THE MOXSTER.

  Just as soon as the whale was seen to be floating, James Brayer shouted, "A boat's crew, to bring yonder carcass to the island ! "

  In a trice a boat manned by strong men, and filled with harpoons, was towing the whale towards W'ld Island. The Giant himself took

  LANDING THE MONSTEB.

  no notice of all this ; but, having seen from the deck a small deserted seaport towards the south, he fixed on a fine, pleasant grove near it, as a good place to pitch tent and have a gay time after their victory. Once there, Friar John, who was near his side, at a word from the Giant, rang the bell for supper. Pantagrtiel took to eating cheerfully with his men. Of a sudden, fierce cries were heard from the forest, a half mile or so back from the little grove. 'What is that?" asked Pantagruel of Xenomanes.

  "Only the wild creatures, sir, who have given this Wild Island its name. Some say they are demons. By raising your head you may see them over the hill in yonder thicket."

  ON WILD ISLAND.

  Pantagruel, without further word, rushed from the table to scour the thicket. The whole company rose and followed him. It was not long before he had, with great strides, reached the top of the ridge, whence he could see a dark line, unbroken, save here and there by black banners, of gigantic forms half lost in the shadows of the thicket. The moment the dark shapes saw Pantagruel on the ridge, they began to utter loud cries, and more than one mighty form stepped out from the line to threaten. But when Friar John, Xenoinanes, and the rest appeared on the ridge, a howl of defiance broke from the thicket. The dark masses seemed beside themselves with rage, and all at once the line was broken.

  "By my faith," said Pantagruel, "they are demons, Xeno-phanes ! Look, they have wings, and their wings are as black as their banners!"

  This was true. The dark masses had only broken so as to give themselves space to raise their wings in triumph at seeing so many wretched mortals ready for destruction. Often and often had crews, thrown by shipwreck upon Wild Island, reached the shore and had never been heard of more.

  ''These are demons ; bless us, Friar John," whispered Pantagruel. f What can sinful men do against them ? "

  And, even while saying this, and without knowing it, the prayerful Giant was making the Sign of the Cross.

  At the sacred sign there was, of a sudden, a lifting of black banners. Then, with a flapping of heavy wings, a great stir of mighty bodies leaving the thickets and rising into the air; the dark masses came sweeping over the very ridge where Pantagruel was, on their way to the sea, casting a blacker shadow than the coming night, shrieking and wailing as they passed.

  From that blessed day, shipwrecked sailors have wandered in safety through the forest, and never met a demon.

  For Wild Island is wild no more.

  CHAPTER XLIII.

  WHICH TELLS OF SEVERAL ISLANDS, AND THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN THEM.

  NEXT day, having been favored with a fair wind all night, they stopped at the Island of Sadness, where all the people had once been very rich, but were then very poor. Pantagruel found that nothing was to be seen on such an island except fear, want, and misery. So he did no more than step, for a few moments, into the church, near the harbor. On coming out, he ordered that eighteen thousand royal gold pieces should be given out for the relief of the poor people, and then he went on shipboard, not being willing to stay there any longer.

  Leaving this desolate island, a strong breeze sprang up, that brought them, after one day, to the blessed Island of Papimany, where lived a people so hospitable that some of them went every day to the port to see if any strangers had come. As soon as anchor had been dropped, —in fact, even before the ship had been well-moored, — four chief men rowed out in a skiff to pay their respects to Pantagruel. On the strangers going ashore, men, women, and children marched to meet them in a procession that reached from one end of the island to the other, and gave a welcome of cheers that lasted above a quarter of an hour.

  In the midst of all this joy, the school-master of the place, anxious that his boys should miss no chance of seeing what was for their good, came up with all his teachers, ushers, and school-boys, to show them, with their own eyes, a Giant so tall and renowned as Pantagruel. After which, in order to keep the lads from ever forgetting what they had seen, the chief school-master threw oft' his gown and went to work in a hurry to give each of them a sound thrashing. This displeased the Giant so greatly that he shouted, " If you do not leave oft' whipping those poor children, I shall go at once." In his fright at this great voice booming so high up in the air, the chief school-master dropped his rod with one hand, and, with his other, the poor little fellow whose turn had just come, while all the boys, big and little — those who had had their whipping, as well as those

  THE HOSPITABLE FOLK OF PAPIMANY.

  who hadn't had it — crowded around the good Giant's big feet to thank him.

  At this moment the Mayor rode up on a mule with green trappings, and carried Pantagruel and his party off to dinner. Nothing could be finer than the feasting of this good people ; but Pantagruel, anxious to catch the good wind which was then springing up, only stayed for this grand dinner. Before leaving, he had his men to bring on shore nine pieces of cloth of gold, which he presented to

  THE MAYOR RODE UP.

  his entertainers; filled the poor-box of the church with gold; scattered sweetmeats among the children; and ordered much money to be given to the servants who had waited on them at table.

  Out at sea once more, they sailed on for several days without incident. One day, however, when they were at table eating, drinking, and telling stories, Pantagruel went on deck to look at the sea. After looking out a while, he began to turn his great ears towards the sky, and it was then he called out, "Do you hear nothing, gentlemen?

  It seems to me some people are talking above us, yet I can see no one. Listen ! " So the whole company got up from the table, ran on deck,

  ENTERING THE FROZEN SEA.

  and set to cocking up their eyes and clapping their hands to their ears; but all would not do ; they could neither see nor hear anything. Pantagruel, standing with his eyes still looking up, continued to hear the voices. At last some sharp-eared fellow cried, "I think I hear something." Then, all at once, every man on board began to cry out that he could plainly hear voices of men and neighing of horses; but, as nothing could be seen, everybody was mightily frightened, and Panurge worse than all. Nothing would do him but to beg Friar John to stay by him, saying that they were all undone, and that there wa
s no fooling with the devil. ' We are undone," he whimpered. " Just listen to those guns. Let's flee ! There are our sails and oars ; why can't we use them ? I never was brave at sea; not that I am afraid ! Oh, no ! for I fear nothing but danger, that I don't! We are all dead men; get off! get off!"

  Pantagruel, hearing all this noise, called out, without turning

  A SHOWER OF FROZEN WORDS.

  about, "Who talks of fleeing? Let us see, rather, who these people may be; they may be friends. I can discover nothing, though I can see, with my eyes, a hundred miles around." Just then, James Brayer

  LANDING ON THE ROCKS.

  came up, as if he had something important on his mind, and said, " Have no fear, my lord ; I can make all this clear. "We are on the confines of the Frozen Sea. At the beginning of last winter, a great and bloody battle was fought not far from here. Then the words and shouts of the men; the hacking and clashing of battle-axes ; the jostling of armor; the neighing of horses, and all the noise and din. of battle, froze in the air; and now, the winter being over, and the summer having come, all these sounds have melted, and we can hear them."