Chapter XI.
The Giant Self.
And now at last, the journey past,
“Home, home!” they shout with cheers.
When, ghastly and cold, that sinner of old,
The Giant him-Self appears.
They fight him and catch him, and horribly scratch him,
Till a biddable slave is he;
Then, back to the Mother, Truss, Flim, and the brother,
With Self and the Monkey flee.
Chorus:
Oh-o-o-o! what dangerous foes they fought and felled
While travelling through the land!
The last monster these little warriors had to fight was the Giant Self, and he turned out to be the most terrible of all the foes they had encountered. They met him in all his hideous reality on the outmost border of his own land.
Frightful though the other monsters had been, they were as nothing to this giant, who resembled a horrid tortoise in form, with a hard, hard shell, and was so tall that his head was lost in the clouds. His country was very rugged, bleak and cold—all covered with ice and snow.
It was while the pilgrims were climbing a mountain top that they came unexpectedly on this monster, who made a grasp at them with one of his fearful claws.
With a shriek Flimsy put her paws on her head and dived over a precipice. Dick fell backwards with horror over the same precipice. By good fortune they both fell on soft snow and were not hurt. Trusty, however, did not fall. He made a brave onset, but, after a struggle, was obliged to retreat. They hid themselves in a snow-cave and sat down to talk.
“Oh, dear!” sighed Dick, “what sort of weapon will kill a monster like that, I wonder?”
“We must fight him with all our weapons,” returned Trusty, “but no weapon will kill him, because he cannot be killed by mortal kitten or cat. Like Monkey Fun he must be reduced to obedience and slavery, else he will destroy us.”
Trusty now gave minute directions as to what was to be done, and how they were to do it; then they sallied forth to renew the fight.
With his sword Dick cut off the giant’s tremendous claws. This was so far well. Then Flimsy gave him a terrible shock by pushing a darning needle into his marrow bones. After that Dick managed to climb up his rough back until he reached his awful parrot-like beak, which he cut off with one sweep. Then he began to hack at and peal off his hard shell, but Trusty, after his first bold assault, merely sat down and encouraged the warriors. It must not be supposed that Giant Self submitted quietly. He struggled and roared, and stamped with fury, but his sight was bad and fury only made it worse. Moreover, the kittens never for a moment took their eyes off him; besides, being active, they hopped out of his way when he rushed at them. But, oh! it was an awful fight, and went on for many weeks continually, except at nights, when they all lay down to rest and recover strength for the morrow’s battle.
The great difficulty was to get Self’s hard shell peeled off. When Dick, with many hacks and cuts, got a bit of it split and turned back, then Flimsy laid hold with teeth and claws and held on until the struggles of the giant tore the piece off his body. Dick meanwhile was cutting away at a new piece of the shell, but he got many an ugly fall and bruise in the process, and both he and Flim used to be terribly tired at night when Trusty bound up their wounds, comforted them, and gave them good advice.
“You should not give him so many back-handed cuts, Dick,” he said one night, “they do little good, and never go deep; and he soon recovers from them. Straightforward, down-right, slashing cuts are the sort of thing, my boy. And, Flim, you are too fond of giving him sly pokes with your needles and pins. Dig ’em into him well and deep, and be more in earnest, dear. That’s the way to get the better of Self.”
Acting on this advice next day the warrior kittens made splendid play with their weapons, insomuch that they got the shell completely off, and were amazed to find that the body inside of it was not much larger than themselves! Then Dick cut one of Self’s large arteries and drew off nearly all his blood, which made him become smaller and smaller. At last they got hold of him by the neck and heels and threw him on his back, when he cried for mercy.
“No! no mercy for you, Self,” cried Dick, “until we have shackles on your neck and legs and tongue, and compel you to walk in the right way. You’ve been in the wrong way all your life, and now you must go home with us—behind us, Sir, and be our slave.”
To their joy Self gave up struggling at once, and agreed to do this, so they turned their faces homeward that very night. They would not even wait for morning, so pleased were they with that victory, but began the journey by moonlight.
Now, it is a strange fact that as these little pilgrims travelled homeward, Self and the Monkey began to change in appearance until they even became pretty. They also became more obedient and gentle day by day, so that instead of being troublesome foes, as they used to be, they became useful servants—and even agreeable companions. They always walked behind the pilgrims, and never presented themselves, or tried to join in the conversation, unless they thought they were wanted. Sometimes, of course, they made mistakes, but when quietly told to fall back they did so instantly. At other times, being encouraged, they became very chatty, and the Monkey often kept the party in roars of laughter. It was also observed that as they drew nearer home Giant Self grew still more beautiful in person till he became quite lovely and active, as well as very strong. Strangest thing of all, he even forgot himself at times!
At last they reached the garden gate, near to which they had fought their first great battle—with Worm Sloth. Here they walked very fast, and became excited at the prospect of meeting “Mother!”
“Oh! I can’t walk; I must—I must run!” exclaimed Flimsy, and away she went, tail-up, as fast as she could go.
Dick kept pace with her, but would not go a-head of her, though he could have done so with ease.
“I wonder if she expects us,” said Dick.
“Expects us! Of course she does!” gasped Flimsy. “See, there she is!”
And, sure enough, there was their Mother running—already more than half-way down the garden—to meet them.
Flimsy sprang at her throat in front and got her round the neck. Dick sprang at her back and got her round the neck behind. Trusty lay down on his back and rolled about for joy, while Self and Monkey Fun joined hands and danced with delight. Then they went up the garden together until they reached the house—Home!—where supper was ready awaiting them. They advanced, clasped together in a kind of jumble of joy. Then Monkey Fun lifted the Mother’s tail and acted the part of train-bearer as they entered the house, while Self brought up the rear and laughed to himself with triumphant satisfaction to think that the Kitten Pilgrims had actually finished their course, and fought all their battles, and returned home at last—Victorious!