Page:The Floating Prince - Frank R Stockton.djvu/177

162 mouth, he was at first afraid that he had swallowed the roots, and the rest of it, but he soon found that it was not so. He took it out, and sat up; and then he saw, at a distance, the Princess and her party returning.

So he imagined that they had something to do with the matter, and he laid down quickly, and put the palm umbrella back in his mouth, and made believe to be asleep.

When the Princess came up, she said: "Well! if the poor giant isn't asleep yet I am glad he is more comfortable than he was."

And then she was going to ride away, but the giant put out his hand, and caught her up in it, horse and all.

She was very much frightened at this, and screamed, and all her people ran away; but the giant sat up, and looked so good-humored, and spoke so kindly, that the Princess soon became quieted, and the people came back and stood near her.

Derido put the Princess, horse and all, on his knee, and she smoothed her hair down, and fixed her ribbons straight, and began to talk to her big acquaintance.

She told him how she had had the palm-tree stuck up in his mouth, and they both laughed very much, and the giant was much obliged. It must have been comical to hear them laughing, for there was about as much difference in their voices, as there is between a cherry-stone and a prize pumpkin. Then Falema, who loved dearly to talk, went on, and told the giant why she was unhappy.

"That's too bad," said Derido. "And he won't wait until your dresses are finished, eh? How many have you got done?"

"Only about forty," said the Princess, "and there never was anybody married out of our family with less than a hundred new dresses."