The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-02-18

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 MIN.
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 acknowledgements derived. / think,
from carly perusal of nursery literature.
| must have said as much to my new
friend, for presently, remember, he was
disconrsing with some energy on the in
justice that, time out of mind, had been
done TO persons of his size. | had by
chance, and half-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 a great deal
of mischief. He then asked me if be-
I;eved il TO be faithful record of actual
events.
| 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.
1t 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
80 III, tor oil.
have misrepresented US, | must say,
most shameiully. 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
or 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
small? set of upstartsl 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 satisfied, and, Unjust say it, SO false
and treacher0us."
The giant was now speaking in very
excited manner. 1t seemed as though
much pent-up thought regarding the in
lurics 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 cannibalsi | warrant they
never wanted to eat such little whip
per-snapper as he was, And mark his
.reachery 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
round?-a gross exaggeration, of course
There never was a giant of that size or
anything like it; search all the caravans
IN Europe, and you wouldn't find such a
one. How did he get the better of Cor
moran, was askingY Why, he dug a
pit and Cormoran fell into it, and then
Jack took what / should call a 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
treated9 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. Then
another giant, one with three heads, if |
remember rightly-a piece of wild ex-
travagance, of course, for whoever saw a
giant or anybody else with three heads?
but this other giant Jack overcomes by
basely pretending to be his cousin, for
soOth. Cheating the poor creature out of
his coat of darkness, Jack, being invisi-
Bile himself, cuts off the legs of his bene-
tIrtnrf thara
Infamous, or cowardly, or inhuman? Was
there ever more wretched little mon
| ster than this Jack? And yet the story
of the miserable imp's exploits, as they
| are called-frauds and crimes | should
rather SAYS put into the hands of chill
dren; is a work highly esteemed, as l am
informed, in most respectable nurseries.
Can parents wonder that their offspring
should oftentlmes grow up deceitful and
presumptuous, cruel and ungrateful?
What we want, sir, is the story of Jack
rewritten by giant. Take my word,
sir, that would be book of genuine
worth. | don't say that it would be brill
liant. We giants do not pretend to be
brilliant. The FREELY glistens-not the
elephant. We are plain, simple, straight
forward, truthful folk; there's nothing
low or mean about us. We are strongly
opposed to smallness of every kind. But
we've been peaceful, patient, long
ing; too much so and too long, l fear.
We've let things take their course and
said nothing, when we ought to have
said something's good deal, indeed
and so we've somehow come to be ID per-
secuted race-despised and moderated.
The dwarfs have had it all their own
way, and now they crow over us and
treat us contemptuously. The fact is,
we've not thought enough of ourselves,
aud have allowed people to overlook US.
It's all wrong, sir, take my word for it
though don't pretend to be the man
who can put it right"
His face was flushed as he concluded
and his forehead was moist. He paused
for breath as it seemed, and then he was
moved to surprise at his own animation,
at the length of bis speech. He looked
at me alphabetically
81 did not intend to speak so warmly"
he said. "But your air of sympathy
tempted me to express myself more fully
than is usual with me. And | own |
lose patience when | think of the errors
that have so long prevailed on the sub
lect of giants-the injustice we have suf
fered at all hands. Perhaps" he added
with smile, as with his forefinger-it
was about the size of one of those can
dies of which four make a pound-he
tapped lightly his tumbler, which was
now empty" perhaps this extra glass
OF grog has made me too loquacious. l
beg you will pardon me if such has been
the case, or if my violence of speech has
given you any offense" ...
His glass was again empty. | insisted
upon it being filled. He made many
objections to that course being adopted,
but when the brandy and water had been
duly placed before him he did not hest
tate to consume it.
Then he gave me certain particulars of
his own career He was of humble
origin, he frankly admitted, and had
even in early life worn the quaint dress
of charity boy His father was by
trade a shoemaker and his mother had
gained livelihood by charring. They
were persons of average stature only
and it was not until he had attained the
age OF fourteen that his own height had
become at all remarkable Then he
had with much suddeuness grown
taller and taller. He even pre-
tended TO say that his increase in
height had been distinctly perceptible
to close observers of him At any rate
many had ventured TO aver that they
could absolutely see him grow He had
been put TO one or two trades, but with
out avail. Fault had been found with
his size. People all declared that he
was too young to be so tall He was
like large piece of furniture in small
house. Room could not be found for
him. 1t was necessary to take down
doors to lei him in or ont At lac, his