Grangousier saw them coming. “Cooks, cooks, cooks!” he cried. “Fire up your ovens, and spread the finest banquet since the days of King Ahasuerus!”
And the cooks did. That day Gargantua feasted with his father, and Ponocrates, Gymnast, and Eudemon (who arrived just in time), and all the victorious army. And this is what they ate, according to Ulrich Gallet’s list:
- Sixteen roasted beeves,
- Thirty-two calves,
- Sixty-three kids,
- Ninety-five sheep,
- Two hundred and twenty partridges,
- Four hundred capons,
- Seven hundred snipe,
- Twelve thousand pullets and pigeons,
- Fourteen hundred hares,
- One hundred and forty pheasants;
and deer, turkeys, ducks, geese, and vegetables without number. And after they had finished that, there was served up a whole ton of the hottest, most fragrant little cakes in all the world, baked by Marquet and the captain of Picrochole’s guard.
“A fine feast!” cried Gargantua.
“A fine son!” beamed Grangousier, happy as only a giant can be.
“A fine father!” called Gargantua.
“And fine cakes!” said Queen Gargamelle.
—Adapted from Rabelais’ “Gargantua.”