Three good giants

suited, and patted on the back, and stroked on the head, ever since his fight with Forgier, had been silly enough, instead of running away as fast as his legs could take him, to go to the assembly to hear what the Prince had to say. The moment Gargantua mentioned his name, quiet, well-to-do neighbors, who had all along been vexed at the airs he had put on, — being on every side of him, — pointed him out with their fingers, slily, wickedly whispering, "You want Marquet, — there he is, that man over there !" The wretch was at once seized by a dozen strong and willing hands, and hauled and hustled about, till, at last, he stood, breathing hard, before Gargantua. The Giant, towering above him,— there was no chair in the Palace large enough for him to sit comfortably in, —looked at him for a moment with scorn.

" So it is thou who art Marquet, art thou?"

"Yes, may it please Your Most Gracious, Most Merciful Highness," gasped Marquet, stuttering horribly, and turning very pale.

" Gymnaste," said Gargantua,"! make thee responsible for this wretch, and his safe delivery to our Headsman for immediate execution."

Gymnaste, after bowing respectfully, collared Marquet and marched him off.

After the rogue had been borne away to the block, Gargantua ordered that all who had been killed should be honorably buried in the Black Soil Valley. For the wounded, he made ample provision in his Royal Hospital. To the survivors, he did no other hurt than to put them to work on the printing-presses which he had lately set up. When leaving, he graciously thanked his weather-beaten, if not warbeaten, veterans, and sent them to winter-quarters with rich gifts for each one ; for, even though Picrochole had run away, there was no telling but what the Bunmakers might make another fight, and so it was thought wiser to keep the army together for a while. But to this rule he made special exception of those of his legions who had had the good luck, during the pursuit, of doing some gallant deed. There were a good many of those brave soldiers who had marched, rank upon rank, after the staff of the Giant himself, and had done some brave action upon Picrochole's men, while their master's great Mare was switching her terrible tail, and knocking men down with the right whisk and the left, and driving from the field all who were lucky enough to get out of her way.

The Giant breathed a rumbling sigh of relief at getting through so much hard work. '' I start for home at daybreak," he said. "Let my staff and these brave men, worthy of laurels, follow me."

The distance between Roche-Clermaud and the Palace of his father was not so very great; so that, leaving at daybreak the next day, Gargantua, with his staff and a long line of the brave officers and soldiers who had done such good service,

REWARDING THE ARMY.

following, reached the Palace very leisurely by sundown. It was a joyful day when Father Grandgousier, who, since Gar-gantua had left, seated so grandly on his great Mare, had been all the time praying for his safety, was told by the sentinels at the gate that the Prince, with a large retinue, was coming near. The old man at once hastened, in high glee, as fast as his gouty feet could carry him, to the court-yard, so as to be ready to receive his son. The moment Gargantua rode in through the gateway,

Grandgousier shouted out : —

"Ho ! ho ! ho ! ho ! So thou art there, my boy ! Come quickly to thy Father's arms ! " Even while he was saying these words he was whispering aside to Snapsauce, the Very Fattest of the three Very Fat Cooks: —

"Get up, thou rogue, within two hours, the finest supper that has ever gone down mortal throats since the days of niy cousin King Ahasuerus ! My boy has come back a conqueror ! "

Gargantua had already leaped down from his Mare and had rushed towards his father. It was truly a meeting of Giants, which the little men around could only manage to see by craning their necks in the air. After embracing, Grandgousier and Gargantua passed up the broad stone stairs which led to the main hall. They had not long to wait upon the three Very Fat Cooks, who, by the way, had sent out messengers miles and miles along the road by which their young master was to come, and had known half a day before Father Grandgousier himself did, the very hour when the Prince would reach the Palace. Cunning Very Fat Cooks ! — they had only to send up the finest supper that had ever been seen since the days of King Ahasuerus, which had been all ready to be served long before the King had even thought of ordering it.