Poor little Dick; what a gay, blithe fellow he was! He used to go singing and whistling about nearly all day: he was always merry, and scarcely anything could make him sad.
One day, little Dick thought he would have a ramble in a large forest, at some distance from his home. He had often been to the sides of it before, but it looked so dark he was afraid to enter.
But Dick was more merry than usual on this day, for the sun shone so brightly, and the flowers looked so lovely, that he sang and whistled till he made the woods ring again. He delighted himself for some time among the trees and flowers; and, at last, seemed quite glad to have found out such a sweet spot.
There was a clear brook ran through the wood; and the waters looked so clean, that Dicky, being very thirsty, stooped down to drink; but, just at that moment, he was suddenly seized from behind, and found himself in the hands of a great, tall, fierce, ugly-looking giant, a hundred times as big as himself; for Dick was not much bigger than the giant’s thumb. The giant looked at him with savage delight; his mouth opened wide, and he made a noise which seemed to Dick quite terrible.
Dick thought the giant would have eaten him up alive, at one mouthful: he did not, however, do this, but took and put him into a large bag, and carried him off.
The poor little captive tried all he could to get out of the bag, but to no purpose,—the giant held him fast. He screamed, he struggled, he tried to tear a passage—the giant laughed, and carried him quite away.
At last the giant came to his house—a gloomy looking place, with a high wall all round it, and no trees or flowers. When he got in he shut the door, and took Dick out of the bag.
Dick now thought his time was come. When he looked round he saw a large fire, and before it hung four victims like himself, roasting for the giant’s supper.
The giant, however, did not kill Dick; he took him by the body, and gave him such a squeeze as put him to great pain; he then threw him into a prison which he had prepared for him. It was quite dark, and iron bars were all round it, to prevent his getting out.
Dick beat his head against the iron bars; he dashed backwards and forwards in his dungeon, for he was almost driven mad. The giant gave him a piece of dry bread, and a drop of water, and left him.