[CHAPTER XXXI.]
THE STRANGE WAY IN WHICH PANTAGRUEL OBTAINED A VICTORY OVER THE THIRSTY PEOPLE.
When the trophy had been raised, Pantagruel had his prisoner brought before him and sent him away with these words:—
"Get thee back to thy King in his camp, and tell him what thou hast seen. Be sure you tell him to be ready to welcome me to-morrow, at noon. All I am waiting for are my galleys, which, are on the sea. As soon as they come, which will be to-morrow morning, at the very latest, I shall prove to thy King, by eighteen hundred thousand men and seven thousand giants,—each of those giants taller and larger than thou see'st me here,—that he has been an idiot to attack my country."
Of course, in all this talk about having an army on the sea, Pantagruel was only trying to frighten the King of the Thirsty People.
The prisoner made haste to assure Pantagruel that he was his humble slave, and that he would be only too glad, not only if he never should see his people again, but, also, if he should be allowed to fight under the Prince against them. Pantagruel shook his great head at this. No! no! he must leave at once, and do what he had been told to do. He gave him at the same time a box full of a strange paste, made with some grains of black chameleon-thistle, steeped in brandy, ordering him to place this in the hands of his King, and say to him that, if he could eat even one ounce of the mixture without wanting to drink after it, he would be able to resist Pantagruel and his whole army without fear.
THE KING OF THE THIRSTY PEOPLE.
Then the prisoner began to wring his hands, begging Pantagruel in the hour of battle to have pity on him.