Page:The Floating Prince - Frank R Stockton.djvu/205

190 "You may want to look at the house," said the giant, "and then you will need them."

"So the giant took the Ninkum and Loris up-stairs, and then came down, and brought up the horses. The upper story was as vast and spacious as the lower part of the castle, and by a window the giant's wife sat, darning a stocking.

As they approached her, the Ninkum whispered to Loris: "If there were such holes in my stockings I should fall through." The giantess was very glad to see Loris, and she took her up in her hand, and kissed her, very much as a little girl would kiss a canary bird. Then the giant children were sent for—two big boys and a baby girl, who thought Loris was so lovely that she would have squeezed her to death, if her mother had allowed her to take the little visitor in her hands. During supper, Loris and the Ninkum sat in chairs with long legs, like stilts, which the giant had had made for his men and women visitors. They had to be very careful, lest they should tip over and break their necks.

After supper, they sat in the great upper hall, and the giant got out his guitar and sang them a song.

"I hope there are not many more verses," whispered the Ninkum to Loris, "My bones are almost shaken apart."

"How did you like that?" asked the giant, when he had finished.

"It was very nice," said the Ninkum, "it reminded me of something I once heard before; I think it was a wagon-load of copper pots, rolling down a mountain, but I am not sure."

The giant thanked him, and soon after, they all went to bed Loris slept in the room with the giantess, on a high shelf where the children could not reach her.

Just before they went to their rooms the Ninkum said to Loris