Last of the Huggermuggers | Page 3

within
sight. Now, Little Jacket had read Robinson Crusoe, and Gulliver's
Travels, and had half believed the wonderful stories of Brobdignag; but
he never thought that he should ever be actually wrecked on a giant's
island. There now seemed to be a probability that it might be so, after
all. What meant these enormous weeds, and trees, and rocks, and grains
of sand, and these huge shells? What meant these great cliffs in the
distance? He began to feel a little afraid. But he thought about Gulliver,
and how well he fared after all, and, on the whole, looked forward
rather with pleasure at the prospect of some strange adventure. Now
and then he thought he could make out something like huge footprints

on the shore--but this might be fancy. At any rate, they would hide
themselves if they saw the giant coming. And if they could only find
some food to live upon, they might get on tolerably well for a time.
And perhaps this was only a fancy about giants, and they might yet find
civilized beings like themselves living here.
Now Little Jacket began to be very hungry, and so did his
companions--there were six of them--and they all determined to look
about as far inland as they dared to go, for some kind of fruit or
vegetable which might satisfy their appetites. They were not long in
discovering a kind of beach-plum, about as big as watermelons, which
grew on a bush so tall, that they had to reach the fruit at arm's length,
and on tiptoe. The stalks were covered with very sharp thorns, about a
foot long. Some of these thorns they cut off, (they had their knives in
their pockets still,) for Little Jacket thought they might be of service to
them in defending themselves against any wild animal which might
prowl around at night. It chanced that Little Jacket found good use for
his in the end, as we shall see. When they had gathered enough of these
great plums, they sat down and dined upon them.
They found them a rather coarse, but not unpalatable fruit. As they
were still very wet, they took off their clothes, and dried them in the
sun: for the storm had ceased, and the sun now came out very warm.
The great waves, however, still dashed up on the beach. When their
clothes were dry, they put them on, and feeling a good deal refreshed,
spent the rest of the day in looking about to see what was to be done for
the future. As night came on, they felt a good deal dispirited; but Little
Jacket encouraged his companions, by telling stories of sailors who had
been saved, or had been taken under the protection of the kings of the
country, and had married the king's daughters, and all that. So they
found a group of the great shells near each other, seven of them, lying
high and dry out of the reach of the dashing waves, and, after bidding
each other good night, they crept in. Little Jacket found his dry and
clean, and having curled himself up, in spite of his anxiety about the
future, was soon fast asleep.
CHAPTER FOUR.

HOW HUGGERMUGGER CAME ALONG.
Now it happened that Little Jacket was not altogether wrong in his
fancies about giants, for there was a giant living in this island where the
poor sailors were wrecked. His name was Huggermugger, and he and
his giantess wife lived at the foot of the great cliffs they had seen in the
distance. Huggermugger was something of a farmer, something of a
hunter, and something of a fisherman. Now, it being a warm, clear,
moonlight night, and Huggermugger being disposed to roam about,
thought he would take a walk down to the beach to see if the late storm
had washed up any clams [Footnote: The "clam" is an American
bivalve shell-fish, so called from hiding itself in the sand. A "clam
chowder" is a very savory kind of thick soup, of which the clam is a
chief ingredient. I put in this note for the benefit of little English boys
and girls, if it should chance that this story should find its way to their
country.] or oysters, or other shell-fish, of which he was very fond.
Having gathered a good basket full, he was about returning, when his
eye fell upon the group of great shells in which Little Jacket and his
friends were reposing, all sound asleep.
[Illustration: THE GIANT PICKS UP LITTLE JACKET'S
BEDROOM.]
"Now," thought Huggermugger, "my wife has often asked me to fetch
home one of these big shells. She thinks it would look pretty on her
mantel-piece, with sunflowers sticking in it. Now I may as well gratify
her, though I