Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-03-04

calves, to make sure that I'm not walk
ing on stills hidden inside my trousers
But that's way the British public has
| sir, sometimes to a most announcement
extent. may say that I've suffered
very much from the inquisitive and the
lncredulous nature of the British pub.
| lie"
And do you feel bound to endure
such treatments Are you never tempted
to use your giants strength UNANIMOUSLY
like giants"
Shakespeare! l understand the allu
sion. But you see, sir, am an object OF
exhibition. In that capacity have to
undergo publicity and all it brings with
| 1t. Punches here and pokes there, and
as I've stated, pins run into my calves
And then there's the question of remu.
neration l must not make mygelf
too cheap. can't afford to exhibit
gratis. Yet it's trying work, / do assure
you. living cooped up in van. It's try
ing. even to dwarfs, and fat ladies, and
albinoes, and Eoa-constrictors, but to a
party OF my size it's, may say, crush.
ing. Whatever you may be, sir, or in
whatever position OF life you may find
yourself, never wish to be giant. Take
my word for it, it's trying state of
things, and giants are subjected to more
inconvenience than people in general
| have any idea of. Air and exercise |
must have, and SO walk at night, from
village to village, or from fair to fair,
race-course to race-course, as the case
may be, hoping that l may be observed
| as little as possible. For, you know,
when folks have seen you outside of
your caravan for nothing they can't be
persuaded to pay money to see you in
side of it. That's human nature, / sup
pose. But as | said before, it's a trying
life, sir. Don't wish to be. a giant, sir,
whatever you may be wishing yourself
to be-"
may note that l had never at any
period of my life, wished to be giant, and
that / was fully convinced of the futility
of wishes of that kind. Further, ] may
state that ! am of but limited height
think, five feet two inches only, accord
ing to my latest measurement-and that,
if not absolutely satisfied with my di-
mansions, | am at any rate resigned TO
them. But, necessarily, / had never,
even in my widest dreams, contemplated
exhibition of myself in the character of a
giant.
The giant was pleasant-spoken young
man; but he was much oppressed with
sense of his superior proportions, by no
means inclined to vaunt himself on that
score. Indeed, it was obvious that his
size was a matter of keen distress to him.
l had not been prepared for giant of
this meek kind. To tell the truth, had
not considered giants much as subject
of study. Such information as | pos
sessed concerning them-if it can be
called information-was derived, / think,
from early perusal of nursery literature.
! must have said as much to my new
friend, for presently, remember, he was
discoursing with some energy on the in
justice that, time out of mind, had been
done to persons of his size. had by
chance, and alf-jocosely, mentioned the
well-known work called Jack the Giant
Killer" My new friend denounced it
seriously as a most pernicious volume.
He affirmed that it had done great deal
of mischief. He then asked me if l be-
lieved it to be faithful record of actual
events.
l was scarcely prepared with an
answer. ] said, after some delay, that it
seemed to me that many of the circum-
stance mentioned in the book were of
an incredible kind; that, supposing some
truth to be contained in the story, it was
yet much intermixed with fiction, and
that exaggeration and extravaganza were
certainly apparent throughout it.
alt has been the misfortune of us
giants that we have always been written
about by dwarfs." he said. at has
suited them to deal with us with view
to their own greater glorification. They
have misrepresented us, l must say,
most shamefully. Unfortunately, we
have usually been inclined to silence.
We have rarely been authors; we are
seldom great takers. / never yet knew
or heard of giant who had ever printed
OF published anything. Suppose some
of US had said our say or written our
opinion on the subject of dwarfs, don't
you think they would have looked very
smalls A set of Upstairs! They think
of nothing but their own aggrandize.
ment; while their disregard of truth is
really scandalous. This Jack the Giant
Killer must have been a dwarf. Only a
dwarf could have been so boastful, so
self-satisfed, and, / must say it, SO false
and treacherous."
The giant was now speaking in very
excited manner. 1t seemed as though
much pent-up thought, regarding the in
juries borne by his kind, was at length
finding expression.
"Why should he have troubled him
self about the giants?" he resumed.
{" Did they ever do him any harm? He
calls them cannibals! / warrant they
never wanted to eat such little whip
per-snapper as he was And mark his
treachery and cunning, and his base in
gratitude! How did he get the better,
for instance, of Cormoran, said to be
eighteen feet high and three yards
round9-a gross exaggera'ion, OF course.
There never was giant OF that size or
ANYTHING like it; search all the caravans
IN Europe, and you wouldn't find such
one. How did he get the better OF Cor
moran, was asking? Why, he dug
Dit and Cormoran fell into it, and then
Jack took what should call mean adj
vantage of him: hit him--when he was
down-a blow on the head with pick
ak, and killed him. Then there
was that Welsh giant-how. was he
treated? A kind, hospitable, trust
full soul, who brought out, for
the breakfast of himself and his
shameless guest, two great bowls
of hasty pudding-clearly the Welsh
giant at any rate was no cannibal. linen
another giant. one with three heads, II
-: pipcp nf wild eX-