And , in truth , what a pair of shoulders they must have been ! As I told you , a long while ago , they once upheld the sky . The Pygmies , being ten times as vivacious as their great numskull of a brother , could not abide the Giant 's slow movements , and were determined to have him on his feet . So they kept shouting to him , and even went so far as to prick him with their swords . `` Get up , get up , get up , '' they cried . `` Up with you , lazy bones ! The strange Giant 's club is bigger than your own , his shoulders are the broadest , and we think him the stronger of the two . '' Antaeus could not endure to have it said that any mortal was half so mighty as himself . This latter remark of the Pygmies pricked him deeper than their swords ; and , sitting up , in rather a sulky humor , he gave a gape of several yards wide , rubbed his eyes , and finally turned his stupid head in the direction whither his little friends were eagerly pointing . No sooner did he set eyes on the stranger , than , leaping on his feet , and seizing his walking stick , he strode a mile or two to meet him ; all the while brandishing the sturdy pine tree , so that it whistled through the air . `` Who are you ? '' thundered the Giant . `` And what do you want in my dominions ? '' There was one strange thing about Antaeus , of which I have not yet told you , lest , hearing of so many wonders all in a lump , you might not believe much more than half of them . You are to know , then , that whenever this redoubtable Giant touched the ground , either with his hand , his foot , or any other part of his body , he grew stronger than ever he had been before . The Earth , you remember , was his mother , and was very fond of him , as being almost the biggest of her children ; and so she took this method of keeping him always in full vigor . Some persons affirm that he grew ten times stronger at every touch ; others say that it was only twice as strong . But only think of it ! Whenever Antaeus took a walk , supposing it were but ten miles , and that he stepped a hundred yards at a stride , you may try to cipher out how much mightier he was , on sitting down again , than when he first started . And whenever he flung himself on the earth to take a little repose , even if he got up the very next instant , he would be as strong as exactly ten just such giants as his former self .
It was well for the world that Antaeus happened to be of a sluggish disposition and liked ease better than exercise ; for , if he had frisked about like the XXXXX , and touched the earth as often as they did , he would long ago have been strong enough to pull down the sky about people 's ears .
Antaeus Earth Pygmies dominions first gape hearing numskull repose whither