A Trogglehumper for the Fleshlumpeater
‘They is always having fifty winks¹ before they goes scumpering off to hunt human beans in the
evening,’ the BFG said. He stopped for a few moments to let Sophie have a better look. ‘Giants is
only sleeping every then and now,’ he said. ‘Not nearly as much as human beans. Human beans is
crazy for sleeping. Is it ever occurring to you that a human bean who is fifty is spending about twenty
years sleeping fast?’
‘I must admit that never occurred to me,’ Sophie said.
‘You should allow it to occur to you,’ the BFG said. ‘Imagine it please. This human bean who
says he is fifty has been fast asleep for twenty years and is not even knowing where he is! Not even
doing anything! Not even thinking!’
‘It’s a funny thought,’ Sophie said.
‘Exunckly,’ the BFG said. ‘So what I is trying to explain to you is that a human bean who says
he is fifty is not fifty, he is only thirty.’
‘What about me?’ Sophie said. ‘I am eight.’
‘You is not eight at all,’ the BFG said. ‘Human bean babies and little chiddlers is spending half
their time sleeping, so you is only four.’
‘I’m eight,’ Sophie said.
‘You may think you is eight,’ the BFG said, ‘but you has only spent four years of your life with
your little eyes open. You is only four and please stop higgling me. Titchy little snapperwhippers like
you should not be higgling around with an old sage³ and onions who is hundreds of years more than
you.’
‘How much do giants sleep?’ Sophie asked.
‘They is never wasting much time snozzling,’ the BFG said. ‘Two or three hours is enough.’
‘When do you sleep?’ Sophie asked.
‘Even less,’ the BFG answered. ‘I is sleeping only once in a blue baboon⁴.’
Sophie, peeping out from her pocket, examined the nine sleeping giants. They looked even more
grotesque⁵ now than when they were awake. Sprawled⁶ out across the yellow plain, they covered an

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