Parents are always saying that they once were children too, but they give no signs of it. It is a peculiarity of parents that they always want you to change your boots. Parents have several set forms of speech, of which “You seem to think I’m made of money” is one, and “I never did that when I was your age” is another. They also wonder “What the world is coming to.” Parents live in houses, usually in the best rooms. They can’t bear doors either to be left open or shut with a bang. A funny thing about parents is that they can find interesting reading in newspapers. “TULIPE NOIRE” CORRESPONDENCE DEAR EDITOR,—You did me the honour to ask me to contribute to your magazine, but as I am no writer I can send you nothing of my own. But I have arranged for a very nice piece of nonsense to be copied out for you. It was written by a mathematician and philosopher named W. K. Clifford and was published years ago but seems now to be forgotten. It was Mrs. W. K. Clifford who wrote a delightful book for children called _The Getting-well of Dorothy_ and a delightful book for grown-ups called _Aunt Anne_. Wishing every success for _The Beguiler_ in its most admirable campaign,—I am, yours faithfully, RICHARD HAVEN His mark X THE GIANT’S SHOES BY W. K. CLIFFORD Once upon a time there was a large giant who lived in a small castle: at least, he didn’t all of him live there, but he managed things in this wise. From his earliest youth up his legs had been of a surreptitiously small size, unsuited to the rest of his body: so he sat upon the south-west wall of the castle with his legs inside, and his right foot came out of the east gate, and his left foot out of the north gate, while his gloomy but spacious coat-tails covered up the south and west gates; and in this way the castle was defended against all comers, and was deemed impregnable by the military authorities. This, however, as we shall soon see, was not the case, for the giant’s boots were inside as well as his legs: but as he had neglected to put them on in the giddy days of his youth, he was never afterwards able to do so, because there was not enough room. And in this bootless but compact manner he passed his time.