"I never said I did," replied I. "If the giant did, that's enough for my
story. I told you the good giants are very stupid; so you may think what
the bad ones are. Indeed, the giant never really tried the plan. No doubt
he did plant the children, but he always pulled them up and ate them
before they had a chance of increasing.

"He strode up to the wretched children. Now, what made them very wretched
indeed was, that they knew if they could only keep from eating, and grow
thin, the giant would dislike them, and turn them out to find their way
home; but notwithstanding this, so greedy were they, that they ate as much
as ever they could hold. The giantess, who fed them, comforted herself
with thinking that they were not real boys and girls, but only little pigs
pretending to be boys and girls.

"'Now tell me the truth,' cried the giant, bending his face down over
them. They shook with terror, and every one hoped it was somebody else the
giant liked best. 'Where is the little boy that ran into the hall just
now? Whoever tells me a lie shall be instantly boiled.'

"'He's in the broom,' cried one dough-faced boy. 'He's in there, and a
little girl with him.'

"'The naughty children,' cried the giant, 'to hide from _me_!' And he made
a stride towards the broom.

"'Catch hold of the bristles, Bobby. Get right into a tuft, and hold on,'
cried Tricksey-Wee, just in time.

"The giant caught up the broom, and seeing nothing under it, set it down
again with a bang that threw them both on the floor. He then made two