quoth the giant ; for he had no unkind feeling towards Hercules , and was merely acting with a too selfish consideration of his own ease . `` For just five minutes , then , I 'll take back the sky . Only for five minutes , recollect ! I have no idea of spending another thousand years as I spent the last . Variety is the spice of life , say I. '' Ah , the thick-witted old rogue of a giant ! He threw down the golden apples , and received back the sky , from the head and shoulders of Hercules , upon his own , where it rightly belonged . And Hercules picked up the three golden apples , that were as big or bigger than pumpkins , and straightway set out on his journey homeward , without paying the slightest heed to the thundering tones of the giant , who bellowed after him to come back . Another forest sprang up around his feet , and grew ancient there ; and again might be seen oak-trees , of six or seven centuries old , that had waxed thus again betwixt his enormous toes . And there stands the giant , to this day ; or , at any rate , there stands a mountain as tall as he , and which bears his name ; and when the thunder rumples about its summit , we may imagine it to be the voice of Giant Atlas , bellowing after Hercules ! TANGLEWOOD FIRESIDE . AFTER THE STORY . `` Cousin Eustace , '' demanded Sweet Fern , who had been sitting at the story-teller 's feet , with his mouth wide open , `` exactly how tall was this giant ? '' `` O Sweet Fern , Sweet Fern ! '' cried the student , `` do you think I was there , to measure him with a yardstick ? Well , if you must know to a hair 's - breadth , I suppose he might be from three to fifteen miles straight upward , and that he might have seated himself on Taconic , and had Monument Mountain for a footstool . '' `` Dear me ! '' ejaculated the good little boy , with a contented sort of a grunt , `` that was a giant , sure enough ! And how long was his little finger ? '' `` As long as from Tanglewood to the lake , '' said Eustace . `` Sure enough , that was a giant ! ''
repeated Sweet Fern , in an ecstasy XXXXX the precision of these measurements .
AFTER about around at for of quoth than towards upon