The giant towered over everyone else.  His hardened scowl and flaming face embedded in me a fear of his irascible nature.  The giant conversed with the jailor for a quarter hour, and to my surprise the pair approached my cell and unlocked it.  Wrapping a chain around my neck the jailor bestowed me to the giant. Dragged by the iron yolk on my shoulders I journeyed to the giant’s home.

The giant lived in the last remaining castle amongst the ruins of many others.  Its grounds were filled with dead trees and gnarled weeds, its walls were decayed and slowly crumbling.  As I passed the castle’s wide threshold, I feared how such a decrepit place might be furnished; however, I was amazed to find well kept rooms, paintings covering every wall, and a warm fire in the fireplace.  At this point, the giant removed the chain from my neck. I started to feel more at ease.

The giant left for another room and returned with two saucers, placing them on the floor.  The first contained a pool of water. The second was piled with meats and grains. I ate heartily, for it was more food than I had ever received in a single day at the prison.  After I had finished, the giant spoke to me in words I could not understand. He then walked off to a dilapidated throne, sat down, and fell into a deep sleep.

With the giant asleep, I headed to the door of the castle.  The door was made of stone, etched with symbols entirely foreign to me.  I pushed against its base in hopes to gain my freedom, but, no matter my effort, its weight held it firmly still. I wandered the castle’s long halls, looking for another way to escape… there were none. Only rooms shelved with ancient books, horns kept on every table, and half finished sketches on a half dozen canvases.  My exhaustion from the search forced me to sleep. With no bed in sight, I sat down in the corridor outside the throne room, and spent the night on the castle’s hard floor.

In the morning I awoke with my body aching.  I looked around to see the giant still asleep on his throne.  I began to search the castle once again, hoping I had missed something the day before.  Eventually I felt a rumbling in my stomach and remembered the food the giant gave me previously.  I tried to continue my search, but the rumbling inevitably turned to pain. I reluctantly made my way toward the giant’s throne.

The giant was still asleep.  To awaken him, I had to push against his leg almost as hard as  I had pushed against the stone door. The giant stood up and looked at me, he then went and got two saucers of food and water as he did before.  I feasted once again, but afterwards the giant rewrapped the chain around my neck and led me out to the castle grounds.

The giant stopped, but yanked the chain and me in front of him.  He started speaking, though I still could not understand, while pointing to a brownish mass writhing on the ground.  I had to get closer to see what it was: a cluster of mice. I looked back at the giant who remained pointing at the mice.  I was confused for a while, until I realized he wanted me to chase them down. I walked toward the mice, but the chain stopped me.  I turned towards the giant, and the giant looked. His face shifted, seemingly recognizing his mistake, and he removed the chain from my neck.  I thought of running now that I was unchained, but I considered that the giant’s longer legs would make an escape attempt futile. Afraid to run for my freedom I approached the mice, which seemed not to notice me, but when I got close enough to grab one they ran off.  I chased mice for nearly an hour… unsuccessfully. I collapsed in the grass and looked up to see a disappointed giant scowling at me. The giant reattached the chain and drug me back into the castle.

I received no more food that day and had to sleep on the hard floor again.  In the morning I felt the same pain in my stomach. I approached the still sleeping giant in order to get my morning meal.  I pushed on his leg to awaken him, but he pushed me away with his foot. I tried again to get his attention, but was kicked back.  I tried one final time, but it sealed our fates.

He stood up and grabbed me, lifting me into the air.  He unleashed a raging and incomprehensible torrent of words.  I feared what the giant was going to do and tried to protect myself, but my limbs were constrained by his hands.  Foolishly, I bit him. The giant recoiled, dropping me to the floor, but he then fell into the castle’s unstable walls.  The last thing the two of us saw was the approaching stone ceiling.