Giant Whirlhead

Tony, one of the water sprites was a loner, not least because of the hat he wore which attracted much teasing from his brother sprites. And one day, some time after Bobby had been dragged off by his sister, he was sitting by the water, all alone, minding his own business, when he heard a slight noise, behind him to his left. He looked round and then up and gasped at this tall figure. But then he heard an even slighter noise behind him to his right. So he looked there and then up and up further and was even more amazed. He had been visited by an enormous giant. Well he had heard of giants of course, everyone has heard of giants, but who was the somewhat shorter person? He was soon to find out, because the giant spoke to his lesser companion in a voice like thunder and with words that indicated that said companion was a sort of servant or squire, or as he would later describe himself a general dogsbody, overworked, undervalued and very unjustly treated.

Among the giants words, Tony discerned the phrase: Pick it up Squire, pick it up. And then, as the squire grasped Tony about the middle and lifted him high into the air. Give it to me. And Tony found himself sitting in the Giant's hand where he could see the Giant's head and, although he didn't yet know the giant's name, it was easy to guess because his head turned round and around.

If it had not, then perhaps "Baldy" would have done! But eventually his head stopped. He tucked his squire under his left arm and with Tony in his right hand, they set off at a great pace, as it seemed to Tony, not just forwards but upwards, and arrived at an Enormous Castle in the clouds.

Tony was not afraid at first, but became just a little alarmed when the giant dropped his squire unceremoniously onto the floor and popped poor Tony into a jar of water and screwed down the lid. Then he placed the jar on a shelf next to an enormous vase of daffodils. Tony tried to kick at the jar but it was no use, so he just settled down to watch what the giant was doing. At least the glass attenuated the giants voice enough for him to hear it more clearly.

But since he had never seen a human before, he was more interested in the squire. What was he for?, he thought, apart from picking up things. Well two other things it seemed. The giant had quite a collection of paintings on his walls, but space for only one more. And, since he had two painting unhung, he had to decide which one to hang. Unfortunately he was not what you would call decisive, so the squire had to stand on a chair and display the last two to him while he thought about the matter.

This made the giant very hot and bothered, so the squire then had his second job which was to stand on the table and fan the giant, since this was hot work he did something which astonished our Tony. He took off his robe. Sprites, you see, dear reader, do not have removable clothes. Their sartorial appearance can be peeled in places but not removed. And, if damaged, can be, very conveniently, re-grown.

Fascinating! thought Tony. Then he noticed that, above his undergarment, the squire had a dark coloured belt. Water Sprites are not unfamiliar with belts since in the water their peelable coverings are likely to peel and drop unannounced and a belt of platted grass or straw was often tied around their middles. But the squire's belt did not, it seemed to Tony, perform such a purpose.
While this and other questions went through Tony's mind the giant went to sleep and the exhausted squire sat down on the table. When he had recovered and being, like Tony, of inquisitive nature, he unscrewed Tony's jar and got him out. And they were soon in deep conversation. It began with the squire's complaints as conversations often do. He was treated like a general dogsbody, overworked, undervalued and very unjustly treated. It went on with him asking lots of questions about sprites. But eventually Tony could ask his questions and the dark coloured "belt" was, he discovered, a "Band of Truth" placed there by the Giant so that the Squire, whose name was Donald could not tell lies. You'll get one tomorrow said Donald confidently. But I never tell lies, said Tony, mortified at the very idea. Good said Donald Then your Band of Truth will be white, it only goes darker when you try to tell a lie, and you won't have to hide it. What about your head band? asked Tony. Ah said Donald sadly, When I learn to face the truth as well as tell the truth, that will be replaced by a helmet. And then I shall be free. A helmet, thought Tony, clutching his troublesome hat of which he was very fond, I wonder if my hat will do?