Supper was not yet over, when there arrived at the Jolly Sandboys two more travellers bound for the same haven¹ as the rest, who had been walking in the rain for some hours, and came in shining and heavy with water. One of these was the proprietor² of a giant, and a little lady without legs or arms, who had jogged forward in a van; the other, a silent gentleman who earned his living by showing tricks upon the cards, and who had rather deranged³ the natural expression of his countenance⁴ by putting small leaden lozenges into his eyes and bringing them out at his mouth, which was one of his professional accomplishments⁵. The name of the first of these newcomers was Vuffin; the other, probably as a pleasant satire⁶ upon his ugliness, was called Sweet William. To render them as comfortable as he could, the landlord bestirred himself nimbly, and in a very short time both gentlemen were perfectly⁷ at their ease.

‘How’s the Giant?’ said Short, when they all sat smoking round the fire.

‘Rather weak upon his legs,’ returned Mr Vuffin. ‘I begin to be afraid he’s going at the knees.’

‘That’s a bad look-out,’ said Short.

‘Aye! Bad indeed,’ replied Mr Vuffin, contemplating⁸ the fire with a sigh. ‘Once get a giant shaky on his legs, and the public care no more about him than they do for a dead cabbage stalk.’

‘What becomes of old giants?’ said Short, turning to him again after a little reflection.

‘They’re usually kept in carawans to wait upon the dwarfs¹⁰,’ said Mr Vuffin.

‘The maintaining of ’em must come expensive, when they can’t be shown, eh?’ remarked Short, eyeing him doubtfully.

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