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diff --git a/6914.txt b/6914.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ae88c34 --- /dev/null +++ b/6914.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1733 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Last of the Huggermuggers, by +Christopher Pierce Cranch + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most +other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions +whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of +the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at +www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have +to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. + +Title: The Last of the Huggermuggers + +Author: Christopher Pierce Cranch + +Posting Date: January 5, 2015 [EBook #6914] +Release Date: November, 2004 +First Posted: February 9, 2003 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LAST OF THE HUGGERMUGGERS *** + + + + +Produced by Steve Schulze, Charles Franks and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team. This file was produced from +images generously made available by the Digital & Multimedia +Center, Michigan State University Libraries. + + + + + + + + + + +THE LAST OF THE HUGGERMUGGERS, + +A GIANT STORY. + +BY + +CHRISTOPHER PEARSE CRANCH + + + +CONTENTS. + + +CHAP. I.--How Little Jacket would go to Sea. + +CHAP. II.--His Good and his Bad Luck at Sea. + +CHAP. III.--How he fared on Shore. + +CHAP. IV.--How Huggermugger came along. + +CHAP. V.--What happened to Little Jacket in the Giant's Boot. + +CHAP. VI.--How Little Jacket escaped from Kobboltozo's Shop. + +CHAP. VII.--How he made use of Huggermugger in Travelling. + +CHAP. VIII.--How Little Jacket and his Friends left the Giant's Island. + +CHAP. IX.--Mr. Nabbum. + +CHAP. X.--Zebedee and Jacky put their heads together. + +CHAP. XI.--They sail for Huggermugger's Island. + +CHAP. XII.--The Huggermuggers in a new Light. + +CHAP. XIII.--Huggermugger Hall. + +CHAP. XIV.--Kobbletozo astonishes Mr. Scrawler. + +CHAP. XV.--Mrs. Huggermugger grows thin and fades away. + +CHAP. XVI.--The Sorrows of Huggermugger. + +CHAP. XVII.--Huggermugger leaves his Island. + +CHAP. XVIII.--The Last of the Huggermuggers. + + + + +THE LAST OF THE HUGGERMUGGERS. + + + + +CHAPTER ONE. + +HOW LITTLE JACKET WOULD GO TO SEA. + + +I dare say there are not many of my young readers who have heard about +Jacky Cable, the sailor-boy, and of his wonderful adventures on +Huggermugger's Island. Jacky was a smart Yankee lad, and was always +remarkable for his dislike of staying at home, and a love of lounging +upon the wharves, where the sailors used to tell him stories about +sea-life. Jacky was always a little fellow. The country people, who +did not much like the sea, or encourage Jacky's fondness for it, used +to say, that he took so much salt air and tar smoke into his lungs +that it stopped his growth. The boys used to call him Little Jacket. +Jacky, however, though small in size, was big in wit, being an +uncommonly smart lad, though he did play truant sometimes, and seldom +knew well his school-lessons. But some boys learn faster out of school +than in school, and this was the case with Little Jacket. Before he +was ten years old, he knew every rope in a ship, and could manage a +sail-boat or a row-boat with equal ease. In fine, salt water seemed to +be his element; and he was never so happy or so wide awake as when he +was lounging with the sailors in the docks. The neighbors thought he +was a sort of good-for-nothing, idle boy, and his parents often +grieved that he was not fonder of home and of school. But Little +Jacket was not a bad boy, and was really learning a good deal in his +way, though he did not learn it all out of books. + +Well, it went on so, and Little Jacket grew fonder and fonder of the +sea, and pined more and more to enlist as a sailor, and go off to the +strange countries in one of the splendid big ships. He did not say +much about it to his parents, but they saw what his longing was, and +after thinking and talking the matter over together, they concluded +that it was about as well to let the boy have his way. + +So when Little Jacket was about fifteen years old, one bright summer's +day, he kissed his father and mother, and brothers and sisters, and +went off as a sailor in a ship bound to the East Indies. + + + + +CHAPTER TWO. + +HIS GOOD AND HIS BAD LUCK AT SEA. + + +It was a long voyage, and there was plenty of hard work for Little +Jacket, but he found several good fellows among the sailors, and was +so quick, so bright, so ready to turn his hand to every thing, and +withal of so kind and social a disposition, that he soon became a +favorite with the Captain and mates, as with all the sailors. They had +fine weather, only too fine, the Captain said, for it was summer time, +and the sea was often as smooth as glass. There were lazy times then +for the sailors, when there was little work to do, and many a story +was told among them as they lay in the warm moonlight nights on the +forecastle. But now and then there came a blow of wind, and all hands +had to be stirring--running up the shrouds, taking in sails, pulling +at ropes, plying the pump; and there was many a hearty laugh among +them at the ducking some poor fellow would get, as now and then a wave +broke over the deck. + +Things went on, however, pretty smoothly with Little Jacket, on the +whole, for some time. They doubled the Cape of Good Hope, and were +making their way as fast as they could to the coast of Java, when the +sky suddenly darkened, and there came on a terrible storm. They took +in all the sails they could, after having several carried away by the +wind. The vessel scudded, at last, almost under bare poles. The storm +was so violent as to render her almost unmanageable, and they were +carried a long way out of their course. Everybody had tremendous work +to perform, and Little Jacket began to wish he were safe on dry land +again. Day after day the poor vessel drifted and rolled. The sky was +so dark, that the Captain could not take an observation to tell in +what part of the ocean they were. At last, they saw that they were +driving towards some enormous cliffs that loomed up in the darkness. +Every one lost hope of the ship being saved. Still they neared the +cliffs, and now they saw the white breakers ahead, close under them. +The Captain got the boats out, to be in readiness for the worst. But +the sea was too rough to use them. At last, with a mighty crash, the +great ship struck upon the black rocks. All was confusion and wild +rushing of the salt waves over them, and poor Jacky found himself in +the foaming surge. Struggling to reach the shore, a great wave did +what he could not have done himself. He was thrown dripping wet, and +bruised, upon the rocks. When he came to himself, he discovered that +several of his companions had also reached the shore, but nothing more +was seen of the ship. She had gone down in the fearful tempest, and +carried I know not how many poor fellows down with her. + + + + +CHAPTER THREE. + +HOW HE FARED ON SHORE. + + +All this was bad enough, as Little Jacket thought. But he was very +thankful that he was alive and on shore, and able to use his limbs, +and that he found some companions still left. He was not long either +in using his wits, and in making the best use of the chances still +left him. He found himself upon a rocky promontory. But on climbing a +little higher up, he could see that there was beyond it, and joining +on to it, a beautiful smooth beach. The rocks were enormous, and he +and his comrades had hard work to clamber over them. It took them a +good while to do so, exhausted as they were by fatigue, and dripping +with wet. At length they reached the beach, the sands of which were of +very large grain, and so loose that they had to wade nearly knee deep +through them. The country back of the shore seemed very rocky and +rough, and here and there were trees of an enormous magnitude. Every +thing seemed on a gigantic scale, even to the weeds and grasses that +grew on the edge of the beach, where it sloped up to join the main +land. And they could see, by mounting on a stone, the same great +gloomy cliffs which they saw before the ship struck, but some miles +inland. But what most attracted their attention, was the enormous and +beautiful great sea-shells, which lay far up on the shore. They were +not only of the most lovely colors, but quite various in form, and so +large that a man might creep into them. Little Jacket was not long in +discovering the advantage of this fact, for they might be obliged, +when night came on, to retire into these shells, as they saw no house +anywhere within sight. Now, Little Jacket had read Robinson Crusoe, +and Gulliver's Travels, and had half believed the wonderful stories of +Brobdignag; but he never thought that he should ever be actually +wrecked on a giant's island. There now seemed to be a probability that +it might be so, after all. What meant these enormous weeds, and trees, +and rocks, and grains of sand, and these huge shells? What meant these +great cliffs in the distance? He began to feel a little afraid. But he +thought about Gulliver, and how well he fared after all, and, on the +whole, looked forward rather with pleasure at the prospect of some +strange adventure. Now and then he thought he could make out something +like huge footprints on the shore--but this might be fancy. At any +rate, they would hide themselves if they saw the giant coming. And if +they could only find some food to live upon, they might get on +tolerably well for a time. And perhaps this was only a fancy about +giants, and they might yet find civilized beings like themselves +living here. + +Now Little Jacket began to be very hungry, and so did his +companions--there were six of them--and they all determined to look +about as far inland as they dared to go, for some kind of fruit or +vegetable which might satisfy their appetites. They were not long in +discovering a kind of beach-plum, about as big as watermelons, which +grew on a bush so tall, that they had to reach the fruit at arm's +length, and on tiptoe. The stalks were covered with very sharp thorns, +about a foot long. Some of these thorns they cut off, (they had their +knives in their pockets still,) for Little Jacket thought they might +be of service to them in defending themselves against any wild animal +which might prowl around at night. It chanced that Little Jacket found +good use for his in the end, as we shall see. When they had gathered +enough of these great plums, they sat down and dined upon them. + +They found them a rather coarse, but not unpalatable fruit. As they +were still very wet, they took off their clothes, and dried them in +the sun: for the storm had ceased, and the sun now came out very warm. +The great waves, however, still dashed up on the beach. When their +clothes were dry, they put them on, and feeling a good deal refreshed, +spent the rest of the day in looking about to see what was to be done +for the future. As night came on, they felt a good deal dispirited; +but Little Jacket encouraged his companions, by telling stories of +sailors who had been saved, or had been taken under the protection of +the kings of the country, and had married the king's daughters, and +all that. So they found a group of the great shells near each other, +seven of them, lying high and dry out of the reach of the dashing +waves, and, after bidding each other good night, they crept in. Little +Jacket found his dry and clean, and having curled himself up, in spite +of his anxiety about the future, was soon fast asleep. + + + + +CHAPTER FOUR. + +HOW HUGGERMUGGER CAME ALONG. + + +Now it happened that Little Jacket was not altogether wrong in his +fancies about giants, for there _was_ a giant living in this +island where the poor sailors were wrecked. His name was Huggermugger, +and he and his giantess wife lived at the foot of the great cliffs +they had seen in the distance. Huggermugger was something of a farmer, +something of a hunter, and something of a fisherman. Now, it being a +warm, clear, moonlight night, and Huggermugger being disposed to roam +about, thought he would take a walk down to the beach to see if the +late storm had washed up any clams [Footnote: The "clam" is an +American bivalve shell-fish, so called from hiding itself in the sand. +A "clam chowder" is a very savory kind of thick soup, of which the +clam is a chief ingredient. I put in this note for the benefit of +little English boys and girls, if it should chance that this story +should find its way to their country.] or oysters, or other +shell-fish, of which he was very fond. Having gathered a good basket +full, he was about returning, when his eye fell upon the group of +great shells in which Little Jacket and his friends were reposing, all +sound asleep. + +[Illustration: THE GIANT PICKS UP LITTLE JACKET'S BEDROOM.] + +"Now," thought Huggermugger, "my wife has often asked me to fetch home +one of these big shells. She thinks it would look pretty on her +mantel-piece, with sunflowers sticking in it. Now I may as well +gratify her, though I can't exactly see the use of a shell without a +fish in it. Mrs. Huggermugger must see something in these shells that +I don't." + +So he didn't stop to choose, but picked up the first one that came to +his hand, and put it in his basket. It was the very one in which +Little Jacket was asleep. The little sailor slept too soundly to know +that he was travelling, free of expense, across the country at a +railroad speed, in a carriage made of a giant's fish-basket. +Huggermugger reached his house, mounted his huge stairs, set down his +basket, and placed the big shell on the mantel-piece. + +"Wife," says he, "here's one of those good-for-nothing big shells you +have often asked me to bring home." + +"Oh, what a beauty," says she, as she stuck a sunflower in it, and +stood gazing at it in mute admiration. But, Huggermugger being hungry, +would not allow her to stand idle. + +[Illustration: MRS. HUGGERMUGGER ADMIRES THE SHELL AND SUNFLOWER.] + +"Come," says he, "let's have some of these beautiful clams cooked for +supper--they are worth all your fine shells with nothing in them." + +So they sat down, and cooked and ate their supper, and then went to +bed. + +Little Jacket, all this time, heard nothing of their great rumbling +voices, being in as sound a sleep as he ever enjoyed in his life. He +awoke early in the morning, and crept out of a shell--but he could +hardly believe his eyes, and thought himself still dreaming, when he +found himself and his shell on a very high, broad shelf, in a room +bigger than any church he ever saw. He fairly shook and trembled in +his shoes, when the truth came upon him that he had been trapped by a +giant, and was here a prisoner in his castle. He had time enough, +however, to become cool and collected, for there was not a sound to be +heard, except now and then something resembling a thunder-like +snoring, as from some distant room. "Aha," thought Little Jacket to +himself, "it is yet very early, and the giant is asleep, and there may +be time yet to get myself out of his clutches." + +He was a brave little fellow, as well as a true Yankee in his +smartness and ingenuity. So he took a careful observation of the room, +and its contents. The first thing to be done was to let himself down +from the mantel-piece. This was not an easy matter as it was very +high. If he jumped, he would certainly break his legs. He was not long +in discovering one of Huggermugger's fishing-lines tied up and lying +not far from him. This he unrolled, and having fastened one end of it +to a nail which he managed just to reach, he let the other end drop +(it was as large as a small rope) and easily let himself down to the +floor. He then made for the door, but that was fastened. Jacky, +however, was determined to see what could be done, so he pulled out +his jackknife, and commenced cutting into the corner of the door at +the bottom, where it was a good deal worn, as if it had been gnawed by +the rats. He thought that by cutting a little now and then, and hiding +himself when the giant should make his appearance, in time he might +make an opening large enough for him to squeeze himself through. Now +Huggermugger was by this time awake, and heard the noise which Jacky +made with his knife. + +"Wife," says he, waking her up--she was dreaming about her beautiful +shell--"wife, there are those eternal rats again, gnawing, gnawing at +that door; we must set the trap for them to-night." + +Little Jacket heard the giant's great voice, and was very much +astonished that he spoke English. He thought that giants spoke nothing +but "chow-chow-whangalorum-hallaballoo with a-ruffle-bull-bagger!" +This made him hope that Huggermugger would not eat him. So he grew +very hopeful, and determined to persevere. He kept at his work, but as +softly as he could. But Huggermugger heard the noise again, or fancied +he heard it, and this time came to see if he could not kill the rat +that gnawed so steadily and so fearlessly. Little Jacket heard him +coming, and rushed to hide himself. The nearest place of retreat was +one of the giant's great boots, which lay on the floor, opening like a +cave before him. Into this he rushed. He had hardly got into it before +Huggermugger entered. + + + + +CHAPTER FIVE. + +WHAT HAPPENED TO LITTLE JACKET IN THE GIANT'S BOOT. + + +Huggermugger made a great noise in entering, and ran up immediately to +the door at which Little Jacket had been cutting, and threshed about +him with a great stick, right and left. He then went about the room, +grumbling and swearing, and poking into all the corners and holes in +search of the rat; for he saw that the hole under the door had been +enlarged, and he was sure that the rats had done it. So he went +peeping and poking about, making Little Jacket not a little troubled, +for he expected every moment that he would pick up the boot in which +he was concealed, and shake him out of his hiding-place. Singularly +enough, however, the giant never thought of looking into his own +boots, and very soon he went back to his chamber to dress himself. +Little Jacket now ventured to peep out of the boot, and stood +considering what was next to be done. He hardly dared to go again to +the door, for Huggermugger was now dressed, and his wife too, for he +heard their voices in the next room, where they seemed to be preparing +their breakfast. Little Jacket now was puzzling his wits to think what +he should do, if the giant should take a fancy to put his boots on +before he could discover another hiding-place. He noticed, however, +that there were other boots and shoes near by, and so there was a +chance that Huggermugger might choose to put on some other pair. If +this should be the case, he might lie concealed where he was during +the day, and at night work away again at the hole in the door, which +he hoped to enlarge enough soon, to enable him to escape. He had not +much time, however, for thought; for the giant and his wife soon came +in. By peeping out a little, he could just see their great feet +shuffling over the wide floor. + +"And now, wife." says Huggermugger, "bring me my boots." He was a lazy +giant, and his wife spoiled him, by waiting on him too much. + +"Which boots, my dear," says she. + +"Why, the long ones," says he; "I am going a hunting to-day, and shall +have to cross the marshes." + +Little Jacket hoped the long boots were not those in one of which he +was concealed, but unfortunately they were the very ones. So he felt a +great hand clutch up the boots, and him with them, and put them down +in another place. Huggermugger then took up one of the boots and drew +it on, with a great grunt. He now proceeded to take up the other. +Little Jacket's first impulse was to run out and throw himself on the +giant's mercy, but he feared lest he should be taken for a rat. +Besides he now thought of a way to defend himself, at least for a +while. So he drew from his belt one of the long thorns he had cut from +the bush by the seaside, and held it ready to thrust it into his +adversary's foot, if he could. But he forgot that though it was as a +sword in _his_ hand, it was but a thorn to a giant. Huggermugger +had drawn the boot nearly on, and Little Jacket's daylight was all +gone, and the giant's great toes were pressing down on him, when he +gave them as fierce a thrust as he could with his thorn. + +"Ugh!" roared out the giant, in a voice like fifty mad bulls; "wife, +wife, I say!" + +"What's the matter, dear?" says wife. + +"Here's one of your confounded needles in my boot. I wish to gracious +you'd be more careful how you leave them about!" + +"A needle in your boot?" said the giantess, "how can that be? I +haven't been near your boots with my needles." + +"Well, you feel there yourself, careless woman, and you'll see." + +Whereupon the giantess took the boot, and put her great hand down into +the toe of it, when Little Jacket gave another thrust with his weapon. + +"O-o-o-o!!" screams the wife. "There's something here, for it ran into +my finger; we must try to get it out. She then put her hand in again, +but very cautiously, and Little Jacket gave it another stab, which +made her cry out more loudly than before. Then Huggermugger put his +hand in, and again he roared out as he felt the sharp prick of the +thorn. + +"It's no use," says he, flinging down the boot in a passion, almost +breaking Little Jacket's bones, as it fell. "Wife, take that boot to +the cobbler, and tell him to take that sharp thing out, whatever it +is, and send it back to me in an hour, for I must go a hunting today." + +So off the obedient wife trotted to the shoemaker's, with the boot +under her arm. Little Jacket was curious to see whether the shoemaker +was a giant too. So when the boot was left in his workshop, he +contrived to peep out a little, and saw, instead of another +Huggermugger, only a crooked little dwarf, not more than two or three +times bigger than himself. He went by the name of Kobboltozo. + +"Tell your husband," says he, "that I will look into his boot +presently--I am busy just at this moment--and will bring it myself to +his house." + +Little Jacket was quite relieved to feel that he was safe out of the +giant's house, and that the giantess had gone. "Now," thought he, "I +think I know what to do." + +After a while, Kobboltozo took up the bout and put his hand down into +it slowly and cautiously. But Little Jacket resolved to keep quiet +this time. The dwarf were felt around so carefully, for fear of having +his finger pricked, and his hand was so small in comparison with that +of the giant's, that Little Jacket had time to dodge around his +fingers and down into the toe of the boot, so that Kobboltozo could +feel nothing there. He concluded, therefore, that whatever it was that +hurt the giant and his wife, whether needle, or pin, or tack, or +thorn, it must have dropped out on the way to his shop. So he laid the +boot down, and went for his coat and hat. Little Jacket knew that now +was his only chance of escape--he dreaded being carried back to +Huggermugger--so he resolved to make a bold move. No sooner was the +dwarf's back turned, as he went to reach down his coat, than Little +Jacket rushed out of the boot, made a spring from the table on which +it lay, reached the floor, and made his way as fast as he could to a +great pile of old boots and shoes that lay in a corner of the room, +where he was soon hidden safe from any present chance of detection. + +[Illustration: THE SHOEMAKER AT WORK.] + + + + +CHAPTER SIX. + +HOW LITTLE JACKET ESCAPED FROM KOBBLETOZO'S SHOP. + + +Great was Huggermugger's astonishment, and his wife's, when they found +that the shoemaker told them the truth, and that there was nothing in +the boot which could in any way interfere with the entrance of Mr. +Huggermugger's toes. For a whole month and a day, it puzzled him to +know what it could have been that pricked him so sharply. + +Leaving the giant and his wife to their wonderment, let us return to +Little Jacket. As soon as he found the dwarf was gone, and that all +was quiet, he came out from under the pile of old shoes, and looked +around to see how he should get out. The door was shut, and locked on +the outside, for Kobboltozo had no wife to look after the shop while +he was out. The window was shut too, the only window in the shop. This +window, however, not being fastened on the outside, the little sailor +thought he might be able to open it by perseverance. It was very high, +so he pushed along a chair towards a table, on which he succeeded in +mounting, and from the table, with a stick which he found in the room, +he could turn the bolt which fastened the window inside. This, to his +great joy, he succeeded in doing, and in pulling open the casement. He +could now, with ease, step upon the window sill. The thing was now to +let himself down on the other side. By good luck, he discovered a +large piece of leather on the table. This he took the and cut into +strips, and tying them together, fastened one end to a nail inside, +and boldly swung himself down in sailor fashion, as he had done at the +giant's, and reached the ground. Then looking around, and seeing +nobody near, he ran off as fast as his legs could carry him. But alas! +he knew not where he was. If he could but find a road which would lead +him back to the seaside where his companions were, how happy would he +had been! He saw nothing around him but huge rocks and trees, with +here and there an enormous fence or stone wall. Under these fences, +and through the openings in the stone walls he crept, but could find +no road. He wandered on for some time, clambering over great rocks and +wading through long grasses, and began to be very tired and very +hungry; for he had not eaten any thing since the evening before, when +he feasted on the huge beach plums. He soon found himself in a sort of +blackberry pasture, where the berries were as big as apples; and +having eaten some of these, he sat down to consider what was to be +done. He felt that he was all alone in a great wilderness, and out of +which he feared he never could free himself. Poor Jacky felt lonely +and sad enough, and almost wished he had discovered himself to the +dwarf, for whatever could have happened to him, it could not have been +worse than to be left to perish in a wilderness alone. + + + + +CHAPTER SEVEN. + +HOW HE MADE USE OF HUGGERMUGGER IN TRAVELLING. + + +While Little Jacket sat pondering over his situation, he heard voices +not far off, as of two persons talking. But they were great voices, as +of trumpets and drums. He looked over the top of the rock against +which he was seated, and saw for the first time the entire forms of +Huggermugger and his wife, looming up like two great light-houses. He +knew it must be they, for he recognized their voices. They were +standing on the other side of a huge stone wall. It was the giant's +garden. + +[Illustration: A PEEP AT THE HUGGERMUGGERS.] + +"Wife," said Huggermugger, "I think now I've got my long boots on +again, and my toe feels so much better, I shall go through the marsh +yonder and kill a few frogs for your dinner; after that, perhaps I may +go down again to the seashore, and get some more of those delicious +clams I found last night." + +"Well husband," says the wife, "you may go if you choose for your +clams, but be sure you get me some frogs, for you know how fond I am +of them." + +So Huggermugger took his basket and his big stick, and strode off to +the marsh. "Now," thought the little sailor, "is my time. I must watch +which way he goes and if I can manage not to be seen, and can only +keep up with him--for he goes at a tremendous pace--we shall see!" + +So the giant went to the marsh, in the middle of which was a pond, +while Little Jacket followed him as near as he dared to go. Pretty +soon, he saw the huge fellow laying about him with his stick, and +making a great splashing in the water. It was evident he was killing +Mrs. Huggermugger's frogs, a few of which he put in his basket, and +then strode away in another direction. Little Jacket now made the best +use of his little legs that he ever made in his life. If he could only +keep the giant in sight! He was much encouraged by perceiving that +Huggermugger, who, as I said before, was a lazy giant, walked at a +leisurely pace, and occasionally stopped to pick the berries that grew +everywhere in the fields. Little Jacket could see his large figure +towering up some miles ahead. Another fortunate circumstance, too, +was, that the giant was smoking his pipe as he went, and even when +Little Jacket almost lost sight of him, he could guess where he was +from the clouds of smoke floating in the air, like the vapor from a +high-pressure Mississippi steamboat. So the little sailor toiled +along, scrambling over rocks, and through high weeds and grasses and +bushes, till they came to a road. Then Jacky's spirits began to rise, +and he kept along as cautiously, yet as fast as he could, stopping +only when the giant stopped. At last, after miles and miles of +walking, he caught a glimpse of the sea through the huge trees that +skirted the road. How his heart bounded! "I shall at least see my +messmates again," he said, "and if we are destined to remain long in +this island, we will at least help each other, and bear our hard lot +together." + +It was not long before he saw the beach, and the huge Huggermugger +groping in the wet sand for his shell-fish. "If I can but reach my +companions without being seen, tell them my strange adventures, and +all hide ourselves till the giant is out of reach, I shall be only too +happy." Very soon he saw the group of beautiful great shells, just as +they were when he left them, except that _his_ shell, of course, +was not there, as it graced Mrs. Huggermugger's domestic fireside. +When he came near enough, he called some of his comrades by name, not +too loud, for fear of being heard by the shell-fish-loving giant. They +knew his voice, and one after another looked out of his shell. They +had already seen the giant, as they were out looking for their lost +companion, and had fled to hide themselves in their shells. + +"For heaven's sake," cried the little sailor. "Tom, Charley, all of +you! don't stay here; the giant will come and carry you all off to his +house under the cliffs; his wife has a particular liking for those +beautiful houses of yours. I have just escaped, almost by miracle. +Come, come with me--here--under the rocks--in this cave--quick, before +he sees us!" + +So Little Jacket hurried his friends into a hole in the rocks, where +the giant would never think of prying. Huggermugger did not see them. +They were safe. As soon as he had filled his basket, he went off, and +left nothing but his footprints and the smoke of his pipe behind him. + +After all, I don't think the giant would have hurt them, had he seen +them. For he would have known the difference between a sailor and a +shell-fish at once, and was no doubt too good-natured to injure them, +if they made it clear to his mind that they were not by any means +fish: but, on the contrary, might disagree dreadfully with his +digestion, should he attempt to swallow them. + + + + +CHAPTER EIGHT. + +HOW LITTLE JACKET AND HIS FRIENDS LEFT THE GIANT'S ISLAND. + + +Very soon the sailors found a nice, large, dry cave in the rocks. +There they brought dry sea-weed and made it into beds, and lived on +the fish and fruits, which they had not much difficulty in obtaining. +They even dragged their beautiful shells into the cave, and made +little closets and cupboards of them. Their cups and plates were made +of smaller bivalve shells. Their drink was clear spring-water, which +they discovered near by, mixed with the juice of fruits. + +They lived in this way for several weeks, always hoping some good luck +would happen. At last, one day, they saw a ship a few miles from the +shore. They all ran to the top of a rock, and shouted and waved their +hats. Soon, to their indescribable joy, they saw a boat approaching +the shore. They did not wait for it to reach the land, but being all +good swimmers, with one accord plunged into the sea and swam to the +boat. The sailors in the boat proved to be all Americans, and the ship +was the Nancy Johnson, from Portsmouth, N. H., bound to the East +Indies, but being out of water had made for land to obtain a supply. + +The poor fellows were glad enough to get on board ship again. As they +sailed off, they fancied they saw in the twilight, the huge forms of +the great Mr. and Mrs. Huggermugger on the rocks, gazing after them +with open eyes and mouths. + +They pointed them out to the people of the ship, as Little Jacket +related his wonderful adventures: but the sailors only laughed at +them, and saw nothing but huge rocks and trees; and they whispered +among themselves, that the poor fellows had lived too long on tough +clams and sour berries, and cold water, and that a little jolly life +on board ship would soon cure their disordered imaginations. + + + + +CHAPTER NINE. + +MR. NABBUM. + + +Little Jacket and his friends were treated very kindly by the Captain +and crew of the Nancy Johnson, and as a few more sailors were wanted +on board, their services were gladly accepted. They all arrived safely +at Java, where the ship took in a cargo of coffee. Little Jacket often +related his adventures in the giant's island, but the sailors, though +many of them were inclined to believe in marvellous stories, evidently +did not give much credit to Jacky's strange tale, but thought he must +have dreamed it all. + +There was, however, one man who came frequently on board the ship +while at Java, who seemed not altogether incredulous. He was a tall, +powerful Yankee, who went by the name of Zebedee Nabbum. + +He had been employed as an agent of Barnum, to sail to the Indies and +other countries in search of elephants, rhinoceroses, lions, tigers, +baboons, and any wild animals he might chance to ensnare. He had been +fitted out with a large ship and crew, and all the men and implements +necessary for this exciting and dangerous task, and had been +successful in entrapping two young elephants, a giraffe, a lion, +sixteen monkeys, and a great number of parrots. He was now at Java +superintending the manufacture of a very powerful net of grass-ropes, +an invention of his own, with which he hoped to catch a good many more +wild animals, and return to America, and make his fortune by +exhibiting them for Mr. Barnum. + +Now Zebedee Nabbum listened with profound attention to Little Jacket's +story, and pondered and pondered over it. + +[Illustration: MR. NABBUM HEARS LITTLE JACKET'S STORY.] + +"And after all," he said to himself, "why shouldn't it be true? Don't +we read in Scripter that there war giants once? Then why hadn't there +ought to be some on 'em left--in some of them remote islands whar +nobody never was? Grimminy! If it should be true--if we should find +Jacky's island--if we should see the big critter alive, or his +wife--if we could slip a noose under his legs and throw him down--or +carry along the great net and trap him while he war down on the beach +arter his clams, and manage to tie him and carry him off in my ship! +He'd kick, I know. He'd a kind o' roar and struggle, and maybe swamp +the biggest raft we could make to fetch him. But couldn't we starve +him into submission? Or, if we gave him plenty of clams, couldn't we +keep him quiet? Or couldn't we give the critter _Rum?_--I guess +he don't know nothin' of ardent sperets--and obfusticate his wits--and +get him reglar boozy--couldn't we do any thing we chose to, then? An't +it worth tryin', any how? If we _could_ catch him, and get him to +Ameriky alive, or only his skeleton, my fortune's made, I cal'late. I +kind o' can't think that young fellow's been a gullin' me. He talks as +though he'd seen the awful big critters with his own eyes. So do the +other six fellows--they couldn't all of 'em have been dreamin'." + +So Zebedee had a conversation one day with the Captain of the Nancy +Johnson, and found out from him that he had taken the latitude and +longitude of the coast where they took away the shipwrecked sailors. +The Captain also described to Zebedee the appearance of the coast; +and, in short, Zebedee contrived to get all the information about the +place the Captain could give him, without letting it appear that he +had any other motive in asking questions than mere curiosity. + + + + +CHAPTER TEN. + +ZEBEDEE AND JACKY PUT THEIR HEADS TOGETHER. + + +Zebedee now communicated to Little Jacket his plans about sailing for +the giant's coast, and entrapping Huggermugger and carrying him to +America. Little Jacket was rather astonished at the bold scheme of the +Yankee, and tried to dissuade him from attempting it. But Zebedee had +got his head so full of the notion now, that he was determined to +carry out his project, if he could. He even tried to persuade Little +Jacket to go with him, and his six companions, and finally succeeded. +The six other sailors, however, swore that nothing would tempt them to +expose themselves again on shore to the danger of being taken by the +giant. Little Jacket agreed to land with Zebedee and share all danger +with him, on condition that Zebedee would give him half the profits +Barnum should allow them from the exhibition of the giant in America. +But Little Jacket made Zebedee promise that he would be guided by his +advice, in their endeavors to ensnare the giant. Indeed, a new idea +had entered Jacky's head as to the best way of getting Huggermugger +into their power, and that was to try persuasion rather than stratagem +or force. I will tell you the reasons he had for so thinking. + +1. The Huggermuggers were not Ogres or Cannibals. They lived on fish, +frogs, fruit, vegetables, grains, &c. + +2. The Huggermuggers wore clothes, lived in houses, and were +surrounded with various indications of civilization. They were not +savages. + +3. The Huggermuggers spoke English, with a strange accent, to be sure. +They seemed sometimes to prefer it to their own language. They must, +then, have been on friendly terms with English or Americans, at some +period of their lives. + +4. The Huggermuggers were not wicked and blood-thirsty. How different +from the monsters one reads about in children's books! On the +contrary, though they had little quarrels together now and then, they +did not bite nor scratch, but seemed to live together as peaceably and +lovingly, on the whole, as most married couples. And the only time he +had a full view of their faces, Little Jacket saw in them an +expression which was really good and benevolent. + +All these facts came much more forcibly to Jacky's mind, now that the +first terror was over, and calm, sober reason had taken the place of +vague fear. + +He, therefore, told Mr. Nabbum, at length, his reasons for proposing, +and even urging, that unless Huggermugger should exhibit a very +different side to his character from that which he had seen, nothing +like force or stratagem should be resorted to. + +"For," said Little Jacket, "even if you succeeded, Mr. Nabbum, in +throwing your net over his head, or your noose round his leg, as you +would round an elephant's, you should consider how powerful and +intelligent and, if incensed, how furious an adversary you have to +deal with. None but a man out of his wits would think of carrying him +off to your ship by main force. And as to your idea of making him +drunk, and taking him aboard in that condition, there is no knowing +whether drink would not render him quite furious, and ten times more +unmanageable than ever. No, take my word for it, Mr. Nabbum, that I +know Huggermugger too well to attempt any of your tricks with him. You +cannot catch him as you would an elephant or a hippopotamus. Be guided +by me, and see if my plan don't succeed better than yours." + +"Well," answered Zebedee, "I guess, arter all, Jackie, you may be +right. You've seen the big varmint, and feel a kind of o' acquainted +with him, so you see I won't insist on my plan, if you've any better. +Now, what I want to know is, what's your idee of comin' it over the +critter?" + +"You leave that to me," said Little Jacket; "if talking and making +friends with him can do any thing, I think I can do it. We may coax +him away; tell him stories about our country, and what fun he'd have +among the people so much smaller than himself, and how they'd all look +up to him as the greatest man they ever had, which will be true, you +know: and that perhaps the Americans will make him General +Huggermugger, or His Excellency President Huggermugger; and you add a +word about our nice oysters, and clam-chowders. + +"I think there'd be room for him in your big ship. It's warm weather, +and he could lie on deck, you know; and we could cover him up at night +with matting and old sails; and he'd be so tickled at the idea of +going to sea, and seeing strange countries, and we'd show him such +whales and porpoises, and tell him such good stories, that I think +he'd keep pretty quiet till we reached America. To be sure, it's a +long voyage, and we'd have to lay in an awful sight of provisions, for +he's a great feeder; but we can touch at different ports as we go +along, and replenish our stock. + +"One difficulty will be, how to persuade him to leave his wife--for +there wouldn't be room for two of them. We must think the matter over, +and it will be time enough to decide what to do when we get there. +Even if we find it impossible to get him to go with us, we'll get +somebody to write his history, and an account of our adventures, and +make a book that will sell." + + + + +CHAPTER ELEVEN. + +THEY SAIL FOR HUGGERMUGGER'S ISLAND. + + +So Little Jacket sailed with Mr. Zebedee Nabbum, in search of the +giant's island. They took along a good crew, several bold +elephant-hunters, an author to write their adventures, an artist to +sketch the Huggermuggers, Little Jacket's six comrades, +grappling-irons, nets, ropes, harpoons, cutlasses, pistols, guns, the +two young elephants, the lion, the giraffe, the monkeys, and the +parrots. + +They had some difficulty in finding the island, but by taking repeated +observations, they at last discovered land that they thought must be +it. They came near, and were satisfied that they were not deceived. +There were the huge black cliffs--there were the rocky promontory--the +beach. It was growing dusk, however, and they determined to cast +anchor, and wait till morning before they sent ashore a boat. + +Was it fancy or not, that Little Jacket thought he could see in the +gathering darkness, a dim, towering shape, moving along like a pillar +of cloud, now and then stooping to pick up something on the +shore--till it stopped, and seemed looking in the direction of the +ship, and then suddenly darted off towards the cliffs, and disappeared +in the dark woods. + + + + +CHAPTER TWELVE. + +THE HUGGERMUGGERS IN A NEW LIGHT. + + +I think the giant must have seen the ship, and ran home at full speed +to tell his wife about it. For in the morning early, as Little Jacket +and Nabbum and several others of the boldest of the crew had just +landed their boat, and were walking on the beach, whom should they see +but Huggermugger and his wife hastening towards them with rapid +strides. Their first impulse was to rush and hide themselves, but the +Huggermuggers came too fast towards them to allow them to do so. There +was nothing else to do but face the danger, if danger there was. What +was their surprise to find that the giant and giantess wore the most +beaming smiles on their broad faces. They stooped down and patted +their heads with their huge hands, and called them, in broken English, +"pretty little dolls and dears, and where did they come from, and how +long it was since they had seen any little men like them--and wouldn't +they go home and see them in their big house under the cliffs?" Mrs. +Huggermugger, especially, was charmed with them, and would have taken +them home in her arms--"she had no children of her own, and they +should live with her and be her little babies." The sailors did not +exactly like the idea of being treated like babies, but they were so +astonished and delighted to find the giants in such good humor, that +they were ready to submit to all the good woman's caresses. + +Little Jacket then told them where they came from, and related his +whole story of having been shipwrecked there, and all his other +adventures. As he told them how Huggermugger had carried home the big +shell with him in it, sound asleep; how he had let himself down from +the mantel-piece, and had tried to escape by cutting at the door; and +how, when he heard Huggermugger coming, he had rushed into the boot, +and how he had pricked the giant's toe when he attempted to draw his +boot on, and how the boot and he were taken to the cobbler's--then +Huggermugger and his wife could contain themselves no longer, but +burst into such peals of laughter, that the people in the ship, who +were watching their movements on shore through their spy-glasses, and +expected every moment to see their companions all eaten alive or +carried off to be killed, knew not what to make of it. Huggermugger +and his wife laughed till the tears ran down their faces, and made +such a noise in their merriment, that the sailors wished they were +further off. They, however, were in as great glee as the giant and +giantess, and began to entertain such a good opinion of them, that +they were ready to assent to anything the Huggermuggers proposed. In +fact, except in matter of size, they could see very little difference +between the giants and themselves. All Zebedee Nabbum's warlike and +elephant-trapping schemes melted away entirely, and he even began to +have a sort of conscientious scruple against enticing away the big +fellow who proved to be such a jolly good-humored giant. He was +prepared for resistance. He would have even liked the fun of throwing +a noose over his head, and pulling him down and harpooning him, but +this good-humored, merry laughter, this motherly caressing, was too +much for Zebedee. He was overcome. Even Little Jacket was astonished. +The once dreaded giant was in all respects like them--only O, so much +bigger! + +So, after a good deal of friendly talk, Huggermugger invited the whole +boat's crew to go home with him to dinner, and even to spend some days +with him, if they would. Little Jacket liked the proposal, but Zebedee +said they must first send back a message to the ship, to say where +they were going. Huggermugger send his card by the boat, to the rest +of the ship's company--it was a huge piece of pasteboard, as big as a +dining-table--saying, that he and Mrs. H. would be happy, some other +day, to see all who would do him the honor of a visit. He would come +himself and fetch them in his fish-basket, as the road was rough, and +difficult for such little folks to travel. + + + + +CHAPTER THIRTEEN. + +HUGGERMUGGER HALL. + + +The next morning Huggermugger appeared on the beach with his big +basket, and took away about half a dozen of the sailors. Zebedee and +Little Jacket went with them. It was a curious journey, jogging along +in his basket, and hanging at such a height from the ground. Zebedee +could not help thinking what a capital thing it would be in America to +have a few big men like him to lift heavy stones for building, or to +carry the mail bags from city to city, at a railroad speed. But, as to +travelling in his fish-basket, he certainly preferred our +old-fashioned railroad cars. + +[Illustration: A NEW MODE OF CONVEYANCE.] + +They were all entertained very hospitably at Huggermugger Hall. They +had a good dinner of fish, frogs, fruit, and vegetables, and drank a +kind of beer, made of berries, out of Mrs. Huggermugger's thimble, +much to the amusement of all. Mrs. Huggermugger showed them her +beautiful shell, and made Little Jacket tell how he had crept out of +it, and let himself down by the fishing-line. And Huggermugger made +him act over again the scene of hiding in the boot. At which all +laughed again. The little people declined their hosts' pressing +invitation to stay all night, so Huggermugger took them all back to +their boat. They had enough to tell on board ship about their visit. +The next day, and the day after, others of the crew were entertained +in the same way at Huggermugger Hall, till all had satisfied their +curiosity. The giant and his wife being alone in the island, they felt +that it was pleasant to have their solitude broken by the arrival of +the little men. There were several dwarfs living here and there in the +island, who worked for the giants, of whom Kobboltozo was one; but +there were no other giants. The Huggermuggers were the last of their +race. Their history, however, was a secret they kept to themselves. +Whether they or their ancestors came from Brobdignag, or whether they +were descended from Gog and Magog, or Goliath of Gath, they never +would declare. + +Mr. Scrawler, the author, who accompanied the ship, was very curious +to know something of their history and origin. He ascertained that +they learned English of a party of adventurers who once landed on +their shore, many years before, and that the Huggermugger race had +long inhabited the island. But he could learn nothing of their origin. +They looked very serious whenever this subject was mentioned. There +was evidently a mystery about them, which they had particular reasons +never to unfold. On all other subjects they were free and +communicative. On this, they kept the strictest and most guarded +silence. + + + + +CHAPTER FOURTEEN. + +KOBBLETOZO ASTONISHES MR. SCRAWLER. + + +Now it chanced that some of the dwarfs I have spoken of, were not on +the best of terms with the Huggermuggers. Kobboltozo was one of these. +And the only reason why he disliked them, as far as could be +discovered, was that they were giants, and he (though a good deal +larger than an ordinary sized man) was but a dwarf. He could never be +as big as they were. He was like the frog that envied the ox, and his +envy and hatred sometimes swelled him almost to bursting. All the +favors that the Huggermuggers heaped upon him, had no effect in +softening him. He would have been glad at almost any misfortune that +could happen to them. + +Now Kobboltozo was at the giant's house one day when Mr. Scrawler was +asking questions of Huggermugger about his origin, and observed his +disappointment at not being furnished with all the information he was +so eager to obtain; for Mr. Scrawler calculated to make a book about +the Huggermuggers and all their ancestors, which would sell. So while +Mr. Scrawler was taking a stroll in the garden, Kobboltozo came up to +him and told him he had something important to communicate to him. +They then retired behind some shrubbery, where Kobboltozo, taking a +seat under the shade of a cabbage, and requesting Mr. Scrawler to do +the same, looked around cautiously, and spoke as follows:-- + +"I perceive that you all are very eager to know something about the +Huggermugger's origin and history. I think that I am almost the only +one in this island besides them, who can gratify your curiosity in +this matter. But you must solemnly promise to tell no one, least of +all the giants, in what way you came to know what I am going to tell +you, unless it be after you have left the island, for I dread +Huggermugger's vengeance if he knows the story came from me." + +"I promise," said Scrawler. + +"Know then," said Kobboltozo, "that the ancestors of the +Huggermuggers--the Huggers on the male side, and the Muggers on the +female--were men smaller than me, the poor dwarf. Hundred of years ago +they came to this island, directed hither by an old woman, a sort of +witch, who told them that if they and their children, and their +children's children, ate constantly of a particular kind of +shell-fish, which was found in great abundance here, they would +continue to increase in size, with each successive generation, until +they became proportioned to all other growth on the island--till they +became giants--such giants as the Huggermuggers. But that the last +survivors of the race would meet with some great misfortune, if this +secret should ever be told to more than one person out of the +Huggermugger family. I have reasons for believing that Huggermugger +and his wife are the last of their race; for all their ancestors and +relations are dead, and they have no children, and are likely to have +none. _Now there are two persons who have been told the secret. It +was told to me, and I tell it to you_!" + +As Kobboltozo ended, his face wore an almost fiendish expression of +savage triumph, as if he had now settled the giants' fate forever. + +"But," said Scrawler, "how came _you_ into possession of this +tremendous secret; and, if true, why do you wish any harm to happen to +the good Huggermuggers?" + +"I hate them!" said the dwarf. "They are rich--I am poor. They are big +and well-formed--I am little and crooked. Why should not my race grow +to be as shapely and as large as they; for _my_ ancestors were as +good as theirs, and I have heard that they possessed the island before +the Huggermuggers came into it? No! I am weary of the Huggermuggers. I +have more right to the island than they. But they have grown by +enchantment, while my race only grew to a certain size, and then we +stopped and grew crooked. But the Huggermuggers, if there should be +any more of them, will grow till they are like the trees of the +forest. + +"Then as to the way I discovered their mystery. I was taking home a +pair of shoes for the giantess, and was just about to knock at the +door, when I heard the giant and his wife talking. I crept softly up +and listened. They have great voices--not difficult to hear +_them_. They were talking about a secret door in the wall, and of +something precious which was locked up within a little closet. As soon +as their voices ceased, I knocked, and was let in. I assumed an +appearance as if I had heard nothing, and they did not suspect me. I +went and told Hammawhaxo, the carpenter--a friend of mine, and a dwarf +like me. I knew he didn't like Huggermugger much. Hammawhaxo was +employed at the time to repair the bottom of a door in the giant's +house, where the rats had been gnawing. So he went one morning before +the giants were up, and tapped all around the wainscoting of the walls +with his hammer, till he found a hollow place, and a sliding panel, +and inside the wall he discovered an old manuscript in the ancient +Hugger language, in which was written the secret I have told you. And +now we will see if the old fortune-teller's prophecy is to come true +or not." + + + + +CHAPTER FIFTEEN. + +MRS. HUGGERMUGGER GROWS THIN AND FADES AWAY. + + +Scrawler, though delighted to get hold of such a story to put into his +book, could not help feeling a superstitious fear that the prediction +might be verified, and some misfortune before the good Huggermuggers. +It could not come from him or any of his friends, he was sure; for +Zebedee Nabbum's first idea of entrapping the giant was long since +abandoned. If he was ever to be taken away from the island, it could +only be by the force of persuasion, and he was sure that Huggermugger +would not voluntarily leave his wife. + +Scrawler only hinted then to Huggermugger, that he feared Kobboltozo +was his enemy. But Huggermugger laughed, and said he knew the dwarf +was crabbed and spiteful, but that he did not fear him. Huggermugger +was not suspicious by nature, and it never came into his thoughts that +Kobboltozo, or any other dwarf could have the least idea of his great +secret. + +Little Jacket came now frequently to the giant's house, where he +became a great favorite. He had observed, for some days, that Mrs. +Huggermugger's spirits were not so buoyant as usual. She seldom +laughed--she sometimes sat alone and sighed, and even wept. She ate +very little of shell-fish--even her favorite frog had lost its relish. +She was growing thin--the once large, plump woman. Her husband, who +really loved her, though his manner towards her was sometimes rough, +was much concerned. He could not enjoy his lonely supper--he scarcely +cared for his pipe. To divert his mind, he would sometimes linger on +the shore, talking to the little men, as he called them. He would +strip off this long boots and his clothes, and wade out into the sea +to get a nearer view of the ship. He could get near enough to talk to +them on board. "How should you like to go with us," said the little +men, one day, "and sail away to see new countries? We can show you a +great deal that you haven't seen. If you went to America with us, you +would be the greatest man there." + +Huggermugger laughed, but not one of his hearty laughs--his mind was +ill at ease about his wife. But the idea was a new one, of going away +from giant-land to a country of pygmies. Could he ever go? Not +certainly without his wife--and she would never leave the island. Why +should he wish to go away? "To be sure." he said, "it is rather lonely +here--all our kindred dead--nobody to be seen but little ugly dwarfs. +And I really like these little sailors, and shall be sorry to part +with them. No, here I shall remain, wife and I, and here we shall end +our days. We are the last of the giants--let us not desert our native +soil." + +Mrs. Huggermugger grew worse and worse. It seemed to be a rapid +consumption. No cause could be discovered for her sickness. A dwarf +doctor was called in, but he shook his head--he feared he could do +nothing. Little Jacket came with the ship's doctor, and brought some +medicines. She took them, but they had no effect. She could not now +rise from her bed. Her husband sat by her side all the time. The +good-hearted sailors did all they could for her, which was not much. +Even Zebedee Nabbum's feelings were touched. He told her Yankee +stories, and tales of wild beasts--of elephants, not bigger than one +of her pigs--of lions and bears as small as lapdogs--of birds not +larger than one of their flies. All did what they could to lessen her +sufferings. "To think," said Zebedee, "aint it curious--who'd a +thought that great powerful critter could ever get sick and waste away +like this!" + + + + +CHAPTER SIXTEEN. + +THE SORROWS OF HUGGERMUGGER. + + +At last, one morning while the sailors were lounging about on the +beach, they saw the great Huggermugger coming along, his head bent +low, and the great tears streaming down his face. They all ran up to +him. He sat, or rather threw himself down on the ground. "My dear +little friends," said he, "it's all over. I never shall see my poor +wife again--never again--never again--I am the last of the +Huggermuggers. She is gone. And as for me--I care not now whither I +go. I can never stay here--not here--it will be too lonely. Let me go +and bury my poor wife, and then farewell to giant-land! I will go with +you, if you will take me!" + +They were all much grieved. They took Huggermugger's great hands, as +he sat there, like a great wrecked and stranded ship, swayed to and +fro by the waves and surges of his grief, and their tears mingled with +his. He took them into his arms, the great Huggermugger, and kissed +them. "You are the only friends left me now," he said, "take me with +you from this lonely place. She who was so dear to me is gone to the +great Unknown, as on a boundless ocean; and this great sea which lies +before us is to me like it. Whether I live or die, it is all one--take +me with you. I am helpless now as a child!" + + + + +CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. + +HUGGERMUGGER LEAVES HIS ISLAND + + +Zebedee Nabbum could not help thinking how easily he had obtained +permission of his giant. There was nothing to do but to make room for +him in the ship, and lay in a stock of those articles of foods which +the giant was accustomed to eat, sufficient for a long voyage. + +Huggermugger laid his wife in a grave by the sea-shore, and covered it +over with the beautiful large shells which she so loved. He then went +home, opened the secret door in the wall, took out the ancient +manuscript, tied a heavy stone to it, and sunk it in a deep well under +the rocks, into which he also threw the key of his house, after having +taken everything he needed for his voyage, and locked the doors. + +The ship was now all ready to sail. The sailors had made a large raft, +on which the giant sat and paddled himself to the ship, and climbed on +board. The ship was large enough to allow him to stand, when the sea +was still, and even walk about a little; but Huggermugger preferred +the reclining posture, for he was weary and needed repose. + +During the first week or two of the voyage, his spirits seemed to +revive. The open sea, without any horizon, the sails spreading calmly +above him, the invigorating salt breeze, the little sailors clambering +up the shrouds and on the yards, all served to divert his mind from +his great grief. The sailors came to around him and told him stories, +and described the country to which they were bound; and sometimes Mr. +Nabbum brought out his elephants, which Huggermugger patted and +fondled like dogs. But poor Huggermugger was often sea-sick, and could +not sit up. The sailors made him as comfortable as they could. By +night they covered him up and kept him warm, and by day they stretched +an awning above him to protect him from the sun. He was so accustomed +to the open air, that he was never too cold nor too warm. But poor +Huggermugger, after a few weeks more, began to show the symptoms of a +more serious illness then sea-sickness. A nameless melancholy took +possession of him. He refused to eat--he spoke little, and only lay +and gazed up at the white sails and the blue sky. By degrees, he began +to waste away, very much as his wife did. Little Jacket felt a real +sorrow and sympathy, and so did they all. Zebedee Nabbum, however, it +must be confessed "though he felt a kind o' sorry for the poor +critter," thought more of the loss it would be to him, as a money +speculation, to have him die before they reached America. "It would be +too bad," he said, "after all the trouble and expense I've had, and +when the critter was so willin', too, to come aboard, to go and have +him die. We must feed him well, and try hard to save him; for we can't +afford to lose him. Why, he'd be worth at least 50,000 dollars--yes, +100,000 dollars, in the United States." So Zebedee would bring him +dishes of his favorite clams, nicely cooked and seasoned, but the +giant only sighed and shook his head. "No," he said, "my little +friends, I feel that I shall never see your country. Your coming to my +island has been in some way fatal for me. My secret must have been +told. The prophecy, ages ago, has come true!" + + + + +CHAPTER EIGHTEEN. + +THE LAST OF HUGGERMUGGER. + + +Mr. Scrawler now thought it was time for him to speak. He had only +refrained from communicating to Huggermugger what the dwarf had told +him, from the fear of making the poor giant more unhappy and ill than +ever. But he saw that he could be silent no longer, for there seemed +to be a suspicion in Huggermugger's mind, that it might be these very +people, in whose ship he had consented to go, who had found out and +revealed his secret. + +Mr. Scrawler then related to the giant what the dwarf had told him in +the garden, and about the concealed MS., and the prophecy it +contained. + +Huggermugger sunk his head in his hands, and said: "Ah, the dwarf--the +dwarf! Fool that I was; I might have known it. His race always hated +mine. Ah, wretch! that I had punished thee as thou deservest! + +"But, after all, what matters it?" he added, "I am the last of my +race. What matters it, if I die a little sooner than I thought? I have +little wish to live, for I should have been very lonely in my island. +Better it is it that I go to other lands--better, perhaps, that I die +here ere reaching land. + +"Friends, I feel that I shall never see your country--and why should I +wish it? How could such a huge being as I live among you? For a little +while I should be amused with you, and you astonished at me. I might +find friends here and there, like you; but your people could never +understand my nature, nor I theirs. I should be carried about as a +spectacle; I should not belong to myself, but to those who exhibited +me. There could be little sympathy between your people and mine. I +might, too, be feared, be hated. Your climate, your food, your houses, +your laws, your customs--every thing would be unlike what mine has +been. I am too old, to weary of life, to begin it again in a new +world." + +So, my young readers, not to weary you with any more accounts of +Huggermugger's sickness, I must end the matter, and tell you plainly +that he died long before they reached America, much to Mr. Nabbum's +vexation. Little Jacket and his friends grieved very much, but they +could not help it, and thought that, on the whole, it was best it +should be so. Zebedee Nabbum wished they could, at least, preserve the +giant's body, and exhibit it in New York. But it was impossible. All +they could take home with them was his huge skeleton; and even this, +by some mischance, was said to be incomplete. + +Some time after the giant's death, Mr. Scrawler, one day when the ship +was becalmed, and the sailors wished to be amused, fell into a poetic +frenzy, and produced the following song, which all hands sung, (rather +slowly) when Mr. Nabbum was not present, to the tune of Yankee +Doodle:-- + + Yankee Nabbum went to sea + A huntin' after lions; + He came upon an island where + There was a pair of giants. + He brought his nets and big harpoon, + And thought he'd try to catch 'em; + But Nabbum found out very soon + There was no need to fetch 'em. + + Yankee Nabbum went ashore, + With Jacky and some others; + But Huggermugger treated them + Just like his little brothers. + He took 'em up and put 'em in + His thunderin' big fish basket;-- + He took 'em home and gave them all + they wanted, ere they asked it. + + The giants were as sweet to them + As two great lumps of sugar,-- + A very Queen of Candy was + Good Mrs. Huggermugger. + But, Ah! The good fat woman died, + The giant too departed, + And came himself on Nabbum's ship, + Quite sad and broken hearted. + He came aboard and sailed with us, + + A sadder man and wiser-- + But pretty soon, just like his wife, + He sickened and did die, Sir. + But Nabbum kept his mighty bones-- + How they will stare to see 'em, + When Nabbum has them all set up + in Barnum's great Museum! + +Nothing is dearly known, strange to say, as to what became of this +skeleton. In the Museum, at Philadelphia, there are some great bones, +which are usually supposed to be those of the Great Mastodon. It is +the opinion, however, of others, that they are none other than those +of the great Huggermugger--all that remains of the last of the giants. + +NOTE:--I was told, several years hence, that Mr. Scrawler's narrative +of his adventures in Huggermugger's Island, was nearly completed, and +that he was only waiting for a publisher. As, however, nothing has as +yet been heard of his long expected book, I have taken the liberty to +print what I have written, from the story, as I heard it from Little +Jacket himself, who is now grown to be a man. I have been told that +Little Jacket, who is now called Mr. John Cable, has left the sea, and +is now somewhere out in the Western States, settled down as a farmer, +and has grown so large and fat, that he fears he must have eaten some +of those strange shell-fish, by which the Huggermugger race grew to be +so great. Other accounts, however, say that he is as fond of the sea +as ever, and has got to be the captain of a great ship; and that he +and Mr. Nabbum are still voyaging round the world, in hopes of finding +other Huggermuggers. + + + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Last of the Huggermuggers, by +Christopher Pierce Cranch + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LAST OF THE HUGGERMUGGERS *** + +***** This file should be named 6914.txt or 6914.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/6/9/1/6914/ + +Produced by Steve Schulze, Charles Franks and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team. 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