the shore, talking to the little men, as he called them. He would
strip off this long boots and his clothes, and wade out into the sea
to get a nearer view of the ship. He could get near enough to talk to
them on board. "How should you like to go with us," said the little
men, one day, "and sail away to see new countries? We can show you a
great deal that you haven't seen. If you went to America with us, you
would be the greatest man there."

Huggermugger laughed, but not one of his hearty laughs--his mind was
ill at ease about his wife. But the idea was a new one, of going away
from giant-land to a country of pygmies. Could he ever go? Not
certainly without his wife--and she would never leave the island. Why
should he wish to go away? "To be sure." he said, "it is rather lonely
here--all our kindred dead--nobody to be seen but little ugly dwarfs.
And I really like these little sailors, and shall be sorry to part
with them. No, here I shall remain, wife and I, and here we shall end
our days. We are the last of the giants--let us not desert our native
soil."

Mrs. Huggermugger grew worse and worse. It seemed to be a rapid
consumption. No cause could be discovered for her sickness. A dwarf
doctor was called in, but he shook his head--he feared he could do
nothing. Little Jacket came with the ship's doctor, and brought some
medicines. She took them, but they had no effect. She could not now
rise from her bed. Her husband sat by her side all the time. The
good-hearted sailors did all they could for her, which was not much.
Even Zebedee Nabbum's feelings were touched. He told her Yankee
stories, and tales of wild beasts--of elephants, not bigger than one
of her pigs--of lions and bears as small as lapdogs--of birds not
larger than one of their flies. All did what they could to lessen her