The Littlest Giant – Read and Print

By Rachel Dunstan Muller, copyright 2022

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There were once three giants, a sister and two brothers, who lived on the far side of the Blastwiggle mountains.

Humphrey was the oldest giant; he was so big, that when he sneezed, it was like a hurricane that blew all the leaves from the trees.

Isadora was the middle giant; she was so big, that when she burped, it was like an earthquake that made even the mountains tremble!

And Tristan? He was the youngest giant. He was so big, that when he coughed, or yawned or blew his nose – well, it was just like you or me coughing, or yawning, or blowing our noses. Which is to say, that Tristan really wasn’t that big at all – at least, for a giant.

One bright morning, Humphrey, Tristan and Isadora decided to go for a little stroll across the mountains to visit their grandparents. Now, when I say little stroll – it was actually a very, very long way! In fact, if you or I were to try and walk from one side of the Blastwiggle mountains to the other, it would take us at least a year. But Humphrey’s legs were so big, that he could cross those mountains in just a few steps. And Isadora? Her legs were so enormous, that she could cross those mountains in a single leap. And Tristan? Well – he cheated, and caught a ride in his sister’s pocket.

Oh, their grandparents were so excited when they felt the ground shudder and saw their three grandchildren coming. “Oh-eee!” their grandmother said, clapping her hands. “It’s my three favourite grand-giants! You young’uns must be hungry. Come in, we’ll see what we can find to fill your bellies!”

“I am hungry,” said Humphry, rubbing his stomach. “I’m so hungry, I could eat a forest!”

“I’m hungry too,” said Isadora. “I’m so hungry, I could eat a mountain!”

“I’m hungry too!” Tristan said proudly. “I’m so hungry – I could eat a whole grilled cheese sandwich!”  

So, Tristan’s grandmother made him a grilled cheese sandwich – a giant-size grilled cheese sandwich – which was far too big for little Tristan. He ate as much as he could, and left the rest for his big brother and sister.

“Well, now,” their grandmother said next. “I imagine you’ll want some water to wash that food down.”

Humphrey puffed out his chest. “I’m so thirsty, I could drink a river!” he said.

“I’m so thirsty, I could drink a lake!” said Isadora.

“I’m thirsty too,” Tristan said. “I’m so thirsty, I could drink two whole cups of water!”  

So, Tristan’s grandmother brought him two cups of water – but those cups were so big, they were like swimming pools. Tristan drank as much as he needed, and left the rest for Humphrey and Isadora.

“Well, now that you’ve filled your bellies,” their grandfather said, “it’s time to show me how strong you are.”

“I’m so strong, I could pull up this tree!” said Humphrey. And he did.

“I’m so strong, I could pull up three trees at the same time!” said Isadora. And she did.

“I’m strong too,” Tristan said proudly. “I’m so strong, I could break this stick in half!” And he picked up a stick from the ground, and he bent it, and he bent it, and he bent it – until finally it snapped in two.

“That’s very nice, dear,” said his grandmother.

That night, as Tristan was lying in bed – trying not to sink down and get lost under the mountain of blankets – he heard his grandmother and grandfather talking.

“Oh, I do love him dearly,” he heard his grandmother say. “But I worry about little Tristan. He’s such a wee thing. He’s hardly a giant at all.”

“Poor little tyke,” his grandfather agreed.

Well, by the next morning, Tristan had made up his mind. He didn’t want anyone feeling sorry for him, just because he wasn’t as big as the others. He was going to show his family what a little giant could do. So, when he got to the kitchen table, he made a suggestion. “Let’s play hide and seek after breakfast,” he said.

Now, if you’ve ever played hide and seek with a giant, you know that it’s almost impossible for a real giant to hide. Sure, they can curl up behind a mountain, but even then, some part of their body will still be peeking out for everyone to see – the back of their head, or an elbow, or a big toe. That’s just the way it is with giants. And so it was with Humphrey and Isadora and their grandparents – they were just too big to stay hidden, no matter how hard they tried to find the perfect hiding place. But when it was Tristan’s turn to hide – well, he was small enough to fit almost anywhere he wanted. He simply crawled under a fallen tree, and had a little nap. After two hours of looking high and low, the other giants finally had to give up. Tristan was the winner of that game!

“Let’s play ‘keeper of the keys,’” Tristan said after lunch. That meant that one of the giants had to wear a blindfold and sit in the middle of a field guarding a ring of keys. And the other giants had to take turns sneaking up on the first giant as quietly as they could – without being heard. But of course it’s impossible for a giant to sneak up on anyone. With every step they take, even on their tippy toes, the ground shakes beneath them.  . . unless you’re a very little giant, like Tristan. He was able to sneak up on his sister Isadora – and steal the ring of keys – without any trouble at all.  

“One more game,” Tristan said, when the last game was finished. “I call it, ‘buy a bun from the baker.’”

“I don’t think I know that game,” said Tristan’s grandmother.

“It’s very simple,” said Tristan. “To win, all you have to do is go down to the village of Blastwiggle and buy a bun from the baker in the bakeshop.”

The other giants looked at each other in surprize. You see, the villagers of Blastwiggle were ordinary people like you and me. And people the size of you and me tend to be terrified of giants the size of mountains.

“That’s impossible,” said Humphrey. “We can’t go down into Blastwiggle. The villagers will throw sticks and stones and flowerpots at us as soon as they see us coming. Ouch!”

Tristan smiled and stood as tall and proud as he could. “They won’t throw flowerpots at me,” he said. “You may be bigger, and stronger, and faster than I am, but sometimes it’s good to be small. I can go down into the village, and no one will be afraid. I can buy sweet buns for everyone.”

And that is exactly what the littlest giant did. Which just goes to show – sometimes it is good to be small.

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