The Junior Classics, Volume 5: Stories that never grow old
General
The Junior Classics, Volume 5: Stories that never grow old
Children's literature
We soon found that what the captain had told us was but too true.
An innumerable multitude of frightful savages, about two feet
high, covered all over with red hair, came swimming toward us and
encompassed our ship. They chattered as they came near, but we
understood not their language. They climbed up the sides of the
ship with such agility as surprised us. They took down our sails,
cut the cable, and, hauling to the shore, made us all get out, and
afterward carried the ship into another island, whence they had
come. As we advanced, we perceived at a distance a vast pile of
building, and made toward it. We found it to be a palace,
elegantly built, and very lofty, with a gate of ebony of two
leaves, which we opened. We saw before us a large apartment, with
a porch, having on one side a heap of human bones, and on the
other a vast number of roasting-spits. We trembled at this
spectacle, and were seized with deadly apprehension, when suddenly
the gate of the apartment opened with a loud crash, and there came
out the horrible figure of a black man, as tall as a lofty palm-
tree. He had but one eye, and that in the middle of his forehead,
where it blazed bright as a burning coal. His fore teeth were very
long and sharp, and stood out of his mouth, which was as deep as
that of a horse. His upper lip hung down upon his breast. His ears
resembled those of an elephant, and covered his shoulders; and his
nails were as long and crooked as the talons of the greatest
birds.
At the sight of so frightful a genie, we became insensible, and
lay like dead men.
At last we came to ourselves, and saw him sitting in the porch
looking at us. When he had considered us well, he advanced toward
us, and laying his hand upon me, took me up by the nape of my
neck, and turned me round, as a butcher would do a sheep's head.
After having examined me, and perceiving me to be so lean that I
had nothing but skin and bone, he let me go. He took up all the
rest one by one, and viewed them in the same manner. The captain
being the fattest, he held him with one hand, as I would do a
sparrow, and thrust a spit through him; he then kindled a great
fire, roasted, and ate him in his apartment for his supper. Having
finished his repast, he returned to his porch, where he lay and
fell asleep, snoring louder than thunder. He slept thus till
morning. As to ourselves, it was not possible for us to enjoy any
rest, so that we passed the night in the most painful apprehension
that can be imagined. When day appeared the giant awoke, got up,
went out, and left us in the palace.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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