Frank R. Stockton

“ The thin giant gave one look at the piles of bags on Feldar’s shoulders, and fainted away. He had more money left than he could possibly use, but he could not bear to lose the least bit of the wealth he had seized upon.
“What in the world are you going [Pg 51] to do with all that money?” the fairy asked.
“I am going to give one bag of it to Count Cormo, so that he can offer the children a decent Christmas-tree, and the rest I shall carry to my castle on Shattered Crag.” ”

“ The giant was just about to exclaim that the Count need not say anything, and that he did not wish to be repaid, when, seeing he felt embarrassed, the fairy broke in:
“Oh, yes, dear Count, you can repay him. You can adopt him. You have no children, you are getting [Pg 76] old, and are living alone. He has no parents,–even his grandfather’s uncle is now dead,–and he lives all by himself in his castle on the Shattered Crag. He is rich, and you can show him how to do good with his great wealth. He could come and live in the old wing of the castle, where the rooms are so large ”

“ COUNT CORMO ADOPTS THE YOUNG GIANT
[Pg 79]
“Indeed I should,” was the reply. Then the young giant kneeled on the floor; and the Count got up on a table, and put his hands on the young giant’s head, and adopted him.
“Now you ought to adopt her,” said Feldar, after he had kissed the Count and the Countess, and had sat down again by the fire.
“No,” said Tillette, “I can not be adopted. But I will often come to see you, and we shall be happy together, and the children will have a splendid Christmas festival every year.”
[Pg 80]
“As long as we live,” said the Count and Countess. ”

“ Very soon the Count heard the sound of many merry voices, and his eyes began to sparkle.
“They are coming!” he cried, and threw open the door of the castle, and went to meet his little guests; but when he saw them he started back.
[Pg 57]
“What do you think?” he exclaimed to the Countess, who stood behind him. “There is a long procession of them, and they are headed by a giant–the young giant Feldar! ”

“ Then they came to a cross-road through the forest.
“I’ll go down here,” said the giant, “and leave you among your [Pg 28] friends at Fairy Elms, where you want to go.”
“I’m not sure that I do want to go there just now,” said the fairy. “I think I should like to go with you to your grandfather’s uncle’s castle, and see what your prospects are. If you find he is still alive, shall you wait?”
“I guess not,” said the giant, laughing. “But you can come along with me, and we’ll see how things stand.”
[Pg 29]
Before very long, they came to a great castle, and a warder stood before the gate. ”

“ A long table was covered with every kind of thing good to eat, and, on smaller tables in the corners, was ever so much more, in case it should be needed. Here and there, on the long table were enormous cakes, great bowls of jelly, and vast pies. ”

“ I wish you would let me manage this affair for you.”
“Well, I will,” said the giant.
“All right,” cried the fairy, clapping [Pg 52] her hands. “I’ll do the thinking and you can do the working. It’s easy for me to think.”
“And it’s just as easy for me to work,” said Feldar, with hearty good-will.
[Pg 53]
The day before Christmas, poor Count Cormo sat, quite disconsolate, in his castle-hall, before a hearth where there was no fire. ”

“ But as he went down to the lower parts of the castle, the dividing-agent ran after him, wailing and tearing his two-colored hair.
THE YOUNG GIANT’S WAY OF GETTING THE KEY
When he reached the money-vault, Feldar easily opened the door and walked in. Great bags of gold and silver, each holding about a bushel, were piled up around the walls. Feldar took out his piece [Pg 47] of chalk, and marked about a dozen of those bags which held the gold coin. ”