But before them , as bandmaster and fugleman , ran a gentleman shearing a pig ; the melodious strains of which animal led them for ever , if not to conquest , still to flight ; and kept up their spirits mightily with the thought that they would at least have the pig 's wool for their pains . And running after them , day and night , came such a poor , lean , seedy , hard-worked old giant , as ought to have been cockered up , and had a good dinner given him , and a good wife found him , and been set to play with little children ; and then he would have been a very presentable old fellow after all ; for he had a heart , though it was considerably overgrown with brains . He was made up principally of fish bones and parchment , put together with wire and Canada balsam ; and smelt strongly of spirits , though he never drank anything but water : but spirits he used somehow , there was no denying . He had a great pair of spectacles on his nose , and a butterfly-net in one hand , and a geological hammer in the other ; and was hung all over with pockets , full of collecting boxes , bottles , microscopes , telescopes , barometers , ordnance maps , scalpels , forceps , photographic apparatus , and all other tackle for finding out everything about everything , and a little more too . And , most strange of all , he was running not forwards but backwards , as fast as he could . Away all the good folks ran from him , except Tom , who stood his ground and dodged between his legs ; and the giant , when he had passed him , looked down , and cried , as if he was quite pleased and comforted , - `` What ? who are you ? And you actually do n't run away , like all the rest ? '' But he had to take his spectacles off , Tom remarked , in order to see him plainly . Tom told him who he was ; and the giant pulled out a bottle and a cork instantly , to collect him with . But Tom was too sharp for that , and dodged between his legs and in front of him ; and then the giant could not see him at all . `` No , no , no ! '' said Tom , `` I 've not been round the world , and through the world , and up to Mother Carey 's haven , beside being caught in a net and called a Holothurian and a Cephalopod , to be bottled up by any old giant like you . '' And when the giant understood what a great traveller Tom had been , he made a truce with him at once , and would have kept him there to this day to pick his brains , so delighted was he at finding any one to tell him what he did not know before . `` Ah , you lucky little dog ! '' said he at last , quite simply -- for he was the simplest , pleasantest , honestest , kindliest old Dominie Sampson of a giant that ever turned the world upside down without intending it -- `` ah , you lucky little dog ! If I had only been where you have been , to see what you have seen ! '' `` Well , '' said Tom , `` if you want to do that , you had best put your head under water for a few hours , as I did , and turn into a water - baby , or some other baby , and then you might have a chance . '' `` Turn into a baby , eh ? If I could do that , and know what was happening to me for but one hour , I should know everything then , and be at rest .
But I ca n't ; I ca n't be a little child again ; and I suppose XXXXX I could , it would be no use , because then I should then know nothing about what was happening to me .
after as at except from if into of that through