Oom boomed out something in his bass voice, grinned cheerfully, and hurried out. A little later he came back, and following him, a number of giant women. Each one bore a wooden platter or slab of bark which answered for a plate. The plates were covered with broad palm leaves, and when they had been set down on low benches, and the coverings removed, our friends saw they had food in abundance.
There was some boiled lamb, some roasted fowls, some cereal that looked like boiled rice, some sweet potatoes, a number of other things which could only be guessed at, and a big gourd filled with something that smelled like sweet cider.
"Say, this is a feast all right, after what we've been living on!" cried Tom.
Once more Oom laughed joyfully, pointing to the food and to our friends in turn.
"Oh, we'll eat all right!" exclaimed Tom. "Don't worry about that!"
The good-natured giant showed them where they could find rude wooden dishes and table implements, and then he left them alone. It was rather awkward at first, for though the bench or table looked low in comparison to the size of the room, yet it was very high, to allow for the long legs of the giants getting under it.
"If we stay here long enough we can saw off the table legs," said the young inventor. "Now for our first meal in giant land."
They were just helping themselves when there arose a great shouting outside.
"I wonder what's up now?" asked Tom, pausing with upraised fork.
"Maybe the king is coming to see us," suggested Ned.