seemed hardly a ripple in the smooth flowing surface. Hecame up to the child from the side, well within the boy'sfield of vision, and still the child did not startle. He put outboth his great hands, and reached out to snatch the childfrom the water, and as he did so he felt a piercing jolt ofhunger from the depths of his belly.And then he felt himself thrown down into the water.He was pushed headfirst under the surface and lost allfooting right away. It was a giant’s hand, surely, that didit. It could not have been the child, for even given all hisstrength a child could hardly make a giant budge an inch.But this hand had all the strength of mountains in it, all thestrength of the old stony hills he’d come from, so what elsebut a giant could have managed it? A stronger giant thanhe had ever been, for with the ease of a child beingplucked up from his play the giant had been thrust into thewater, and emerged spluttering and splashing andbewildered.He looked around for the giant who had pushed himunder and saw no one but the child just a few yards away,his song uninterrupted. The giant stood there sopping wet,startled and confused, and at last could think of nothingbetter than to address the child. The boy had obviouslyheard the splash of him going under and any thought ofsurprise was lost.“Who did that? Who put me under the water?” Itsounded ridiculous, of course, because they were quitealone.“Who else is here?” said the child. "It was me, ofcourse."It was an absurd answer, but a troubling one;something about this child made him feel afraid.Suddenly the child stared at him. The boy’s blue eyeswere filled with innocence incarnate, “You, being a giant,will probably want to chew on my bones and swallow myflesh, and drink my blood.”The giant's look gave all the answer the boy needed.“If you are to be given this feast, there is somethingyou must do for me first.”“Anything,” said the giant, for the hunger inside himwas maddening, despite the vague sense of dread the boyinspired.“Let me swallow you up, and spit you out whole,” saidthe boy.“What? You eat me? I’m a giant, and you a child. It isagainst the law of things. Giants eat children.”“Very well. But if I can do it, will you consent?”The giant laughed nervously. Beyond all giant logic,he was actually afraid of this strange boy.“If you can do it, then go ahead,” said the giant. “Iwill even lie down for you, by the bank there, to beswallowed up and spat out, as you say.”The giant did as he’d said. He lay his great bulk outon the soft grass by the water’s edge, and closed his eyeswith an awkward chuckle.There was no sound as the boy emerged from thewater. The giant heard only his own breathing. Suddenlyhe felt a searing pain, a pain that flooded his whole body.It was as if great talons had ripped through his flesh, orfire engulfed him, but the pain only lasted a few briefseconds before it was gone.The giant opened his eyes. He rose up, feelingsuddenly lighter, and saw on the nearby bank somethingthat looked like an old heap of clothes. As he steppedIssue 6 www.newfairytales.co.uk - 26 -
closer, he realised that it was not clothes but old leatheryskin, like the skin some reptiles leave behind. At one endof it was a face, horribly like a mask made of wax or a facecarved on tree. It was a giant’s face.The child – for he was giant no more – looked downupon his small hands and at his bare feet. In his reflectionin the river he saw his blue eyes and soft golden hair likelamb's wool, and laughed. He spun his gaze around. Hesaw summer meadows, looked towards the farthestsightedhills and felt all kindness radiating from the earth.There was only this one bright, happy spot, and the land ofgiants was no more. He had been one once, but wouldnever go back that way. He went laughing and playingthen through the meadows, and though he saw no sign ofthe child who had transformed him he thought he caughtthe scent of innocence on the air, and the flavour ofchildness, and so he danced off that way and did not lookback.illustrated by Laura-Kate ChapmanIssue 6 www.newfairytales.co.uk - 27 -
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