Its branches were all golden , and silver fruit hung down from them , and underneath it stood the little boy he had loved . Downstairs ran the Giant in great joy , and out into the garden . He hastened across the grass , and came near to the child . And when he came quite close his face grew red with anger , and he said , `` Who hath dared to wound thee ? '' For on the palms of the child 's hands were the prints of two nails , and the prints of two nails were on the little feet . `` Who hath dared to wound thee ? '' cried the Giant ; `` tell me , that I may take my big sword and slay him . '' `` Nay ! '' answered the child ; `` but these are the wounds of Love . '' `` Who art thou ? '' said the Giant , and a strange awe fell on him , and he knelt before the little child . And the child smiled on the Giant , and said to him , `` You let me play once in your garden , to-day you shall come with me to my garden , which is Paradise . '' And when the children ran in that afternoon , they found the Giant lying dead under the tree , all covered with white blossoms . THE DEVOTED FRIEND One morning the old Water-rat put his head out of his hole . He had bright beady eyes and stiff grey whiskers and his tail was like a long bit of black india-rubber . The little ducks were swimming about in the pond , looking just like a lot of yellow canaries , and their mother , who was pure white with real red legs , was trying to teach them how to stand on their heads in the water . `` You will never be in the best society unless you can stand on your heads , '' she kept saying to them ; and every now and then she showed them how it was done . But the little ducks paid no attention to her . They were so young that they did not know what an advantage it is to be in society at all . `` What disobedient children ! ''
cried the old XXXXX ; `` they really deserve to be drowned . ''
Giant Paradise Water-rat afternoon anger canaries child india-rubber morning society