And what made matters worse, at that time
the Giant commenced taking a tonic to increase his appetite.
Finally the King, in desperation, issued a proclamation that he would
knight any one, be he noble or common, who should cut off the head of
the Pumpkin Giant. This was the King's usual method of rewarding
any noble deed in his kingdom. It was a cheap method, and besides
everybody liked to be a knight.
When the King issued his proclamation every man in the kingdom who was
not already a knight, straightway tried to contrive ways and means
to kill the Pumpkin Giant. But there was one obstacle which seemed
insurmountable: they were afraid, and all of them had the Giant's
Shakes so badly, that they could not possibly have held a knife steady
enough to cut off the Giant's head, even if they had dared to go near
enough for that purpose.
There was one man who lived not far from the terrible Giant's castle,
a poor man, his only worldly wealth consisting in a large potato-field
and a cottage in front of it. But he had a boy of twelve, an only son,
who rivaled the Princess Ariadne Diana in point of fatness. He was
unable to have a body-guard for his son; so the amount of terror which
the inhabitants of that humble cottage suffered day and night was
heart-rending. The poor mother had been unable to leave her bed for
two years, on account of the Giant's Shakes; her husband barely got a
living from the potato-field; half the time he and his wife had hardly
enough to eat, as it naturally took the larger part of the potatoes to
satisfy the fat little boy, their son, and their situation was truly
pitiable.
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