giantess, "I can't do that. He would beat me to death if
I let you go; besides, you could not get by the dogs if I let you free
twenty times over. But I'll tell you what I will do; if you will unlock
your box I'll give you laughing-gas before I cook you to-morrow, and
then you won't know what has happened till you are fairly stewed and
eaten."

This was but cold comfort to Vance, as you may imagine; but he saw that
the giantess meant kindly, and he still hoped to escape in some way, so
he swallowed his sobs as best he could and proceeded to open his box. No
sooner were the tiny people free than they began to run eagerly about
the table, eating the crumbs of oaten bread and the grains of sugar
which the untidy giantess had scattered. Small as the little courtiers
were, their jewels and robes glistened and made a fine show; and the
giantess leaned upon her elbows and watched them with delight, declaring
them the prettiest little things she ever saw.

"I should not wonder, now," she said, "if my husband would give these
little things to me; they are too small to be of any use except as
seasoning. I wish I could make them useful in some way."

[Illustration]

The giantess, as has been said, was a vain woman, and she was always
thinking how everything could be put to use as something to wear.

"I have an idea," she said, suddenly jumping up and bringing a spool of
pink silk from her work-box, which was about the size of a Saratoga
trunk. "I have heard of ladies wearing live beetles fastened by tiny
gold chains to their breast-pins. I believe I can do something of the
sort with these little puppets."

"But, Madam," begged Vance, in dismay, "you do not seem to understand
that these are my own royal rela--"

"Now, you be still!" said the giant's wife, playfully, "or I'll pop you
into that steaming kettle over there without a single sniff of
laughing-gas; and you can't begin to fancy how unpleasant you would find
it,--you can't, really."

At this Prince Vance shivered, and said very feebly indeed,--

"Please don't hurt them, dear Mrs. Giant; they are very tender."

"I shall not hurt them," said the lady, "or at least only enough to make
them kick; they are so amusing when they kick."

As she talked, she tied bits of silk about the waists of the King and
the Queen, and hung them in her ears as children sometimes hang buttons
when they pretend to have eardrops. When she had fastened on her strange
ear-rings, she made