The next moment she was sitting among the flowers, once more her proper size, with the Giant, once more his proper size too, standing by her.
“And now, may I begin to pick a bunch for Mummie?” she asked.
“Certainly,” said the Giant. “There’s no one to stop you; they’re all your own.” He sat down on a hedge near by, which immediately sank with his weight, the trees that grew on it toppling down in all directions. “There, now I’m comfortable,” said he, “and I think I’ll have a nap. I never slept a wink last night.” And he lay down across what was left of the hedge, closed his eyes, and started snoring at once.
CHAPTER IV
THE SLEEPY GIANT
“Poor Giant,” said little Peggy, climbing up the hedge to look down at his round, good-tempered face, and wide-open mouth. “Sometimes he talks so grandly, but he’s not a bit grand really. I’ll let him stay asleep for a nice long time whilst I pick a huge, big bunch to send Mummie,” and she jumped down into the field again.
“I’ve only two wishes left now,” she thought to herself, as she ran in and out amongst the daisies. “Or really only one that’s any good, for I suppose I must use the last to get me home. I really think,” she went on, as she sat down to tie a bit of grass round a bunch of scarlet daisies, “that the Giant ought to get me home himself without making me waste a wish on it! I’m sure that’s always done in books. I’ll speak to him about it when he wakes.”
The running about in the hot sun had made Peggy quite thirsty, and after some searching she found a dear little stream running right through the field, at which a lot of butterflies were drinking. It was a beautiful golden colour, and when she tasted it she found it was the most delicious lemonade, and it had crystallised rose leaves floating here and there upon it. The butterflies flew round her in hundreds and allowed her to stroke their soft red and blue and yellow wings, and when she suggested a game of hide-and-seek they were all delighted, and fluttered round in such quantities that she could scarcely breathe.
This is the picture Peggy drew of the Second Adventure. It was a very difficult one to do. The Butterflies are just coming up in hundreds and hundreds to try and wake the Giant. Mother showed Peggy how to draw the butterflies, but she did nearly all the rest quite by herself. The Giant sometimes wore that red hat, and sometimes a green pointed one. The Butterflies and Daisies were the most fun to paint. I hope you see the Ring.