But the Pumpkin Giant was
an uncommonly bad one, and his general appearance and his behavior
were such as to make one shudder to an extent that you would hardly
believe possible. The convulsive shivering caused by the mere mention
of his name, and, in some cases where the people were unusually
sensitive, by the mere thought of him even, more resembled the blue
ague than anything else; indeed was known by the name of "the Giant's
Shakes."
The Pumpkin Giant was very tall; he probably would have overtopped
most of the giants you have ever heard of. I don't suppose the Giant
who lived on the Bean-stalk whom Jack visited, was anything to compare
with him; nor that it would have been a possible thing for the Pumpkin
Giant, had he received an invitation to spend an afternoon with the
Bean-stalk Giant, to accept, on account of his inability to enter the
Bean-stalk Giant's door, no matter how much he stooped.
The Pumpkin Giant had a very large yellow head, which was also smooth
and shiny. His eyes were big and round, and glowed like coals of fire;
and you would almost have thought that his head was lit up inside with
candles. Indeed there was a rumor to that effect amongst the common
people, but that was all nonsense, of course; no one of the more
enlightened class credited it for an instant. His mouth, which
stretched half around his head, was furnished with rows of pointed
teeth, and he was never known to hold it any other way than wide open.
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