THE LAND OF WIND.
Another: ' Will none of you join me in '9' this exquisite south?' and so on.
Pantagruel wondered at all this whistling; but he opened his eyes wider than ever when he caught sight of a big, bloated fellow whipping, with his slipper, a servant-man and a boy. When he asked what was the matter, he was told that the bloated fellow had accused the man and the boy of stealing from him the better half of a large leathern bag of southerly wind, which he had put by for his own private winter-use. All Pantagruel said to this was, 'This is very strange.' While he was on his way to the King's palace, on invitation, he saw several of the islanders, with large fans in their hands, taking a walk. The rich islanders were all stout. The poor islanders were all thin. It was a fight for wind ; and the windmills and big fans won it.
The people of Ruach had these two proverbs always in their mouths : —
SMALL FANS MAKE SMALL WIND.
GREAT FANS MAKE GREAT WIND.
These were the only proverbs which had ever been known among them.
When he met the King of the island, Pantagruel began to pay him compliments on the cheapness of the food of the people. 'You live on wind ; it costs you nothing; you have only to breathe to take in your food; you and your people must be very happy.'
' Not so happy as you may think, noble Giant. We have our troubles, like any other people.'
' Troubles ! Why, what troubles can you have? '
' I will tell you. Every year, in the spring, a wicked Giant, named Widenostrils, who lives, I believe, in the Island of Tohu, comes here for his health by the advice of his physicians. The moment he steps on shore he begins to swallow our windmills. We are not afraid of Widenostrils for ourselves, although he is so horrid a monster; but we have a mortal fear of him for our windmills. It will not be long before there will be no more windmills left! Then what are we to do ? We must have wind ; for without wind we must die.'
' Have you never tried to keep that wicked giant away ? '
'Yes; often and often; and it was only last spring that we hit upon what we thought to be a good plan. About the time we were expecting a visit from Widenostrils, we sent to a neighboring island to get us a supply of cocks and hens. As soon as we got them, we filled our largest windmills with them. As usual, Widenostrils, when he landed, began to gobble up one windmill after another. Very soon the roosters began to crow, and the hens began to cackle, and both began to fly about inside his stomach. Then Widenostrils got very sick, and lay down in yonder field gasping for a whole day. As he lay down the strangest thing happened.'
' What was that, friend? '
'Ofcourse, with the cocks and hens crowing and cackling and
WITHOUT WIND WE MUST DIE.
making such a to-do in his stomach, here and there, Widenostrils kept his mouth open, hoping they would get tired and fly out. Seeing his big mouth open, what should all the foxes in the neighborhood, which are very tame, as we never hunt them, scenting the cocks and hens inside, do but scamper after them through the monster's throat ? We were afraid to have the wicked Giant die among us, so we managed to rouse him, although he was very sick, and even helped him to reach
his ship, which sailed away at once. But of what use after all ? Oui curse will be back next spring. If the cocks and hens and foxes don't kill him, what can we do?'
!f Have no more fear, friend,' said Pantagruel; ' Widenostrils, the giant, the swallower of your windmills, is dead. I am sure of that, for I myself saw his corpse in Tohu. One of my friends here can tell you more. What, ho I Pan urge I '
'That can I, your majesty,' cried Panurge, stepping briskly forward. 'The Giant Widenostrils died from having too many cocks and hens and foxes in his stomach. I heard in his stomach, with my own ears,—which are pretty sharp ones, — as he lay stretched out in the meadow, cocks crowing, hens cackling, foxes yelping, and by my faith, I thought the foxes were getting the better of the cocks and the hens.'
'Thank Heaven I We can build our dear windmills again, and we shall not die,' cried the King, who at once sent his herald to announce the good news through the island.
CHAPTER XLII.
HOW PANTAGRUEL WITH HIS DARTS KILLS A MONSTER WHICH CANNON-BALLS COULD NOT HURT. THE POWER OF THE SIGN OF THE CROSS.
BOUT sundown of the day when the fleet left Ruach, as they were coming near Wild Island, PantagrueFs keen eye spied, far off, a huge whale, which, raised above the waters higher than the maintop, came straight towards the fleet, blowing and spouting from its horrid nostrils so high a stream of water that it seemed to be a swollen river rushing down a mountain's side.
Pantagruel pointed out the whale to the pilot and to Xenomanes. James Brayer was the first one to give advice, and his advice was always worth listening to. What he advised was that the trumpets of the Thalmege should be sounded so as to warn all the fleet to stand close, and look to themselves. At this alarm, every ship, galleon, frigate, and brigantine (according to naval discipline) placed itself in such order as to form the Greek Y, — the flag-ship being in the centre. This proved that James Brayer, while being a good sailor, had been landsman enough sometimes to watch cranes fly in the air. For the letter Y is just the figure that the cranes in their journeys — the leader always being in front — choose in winging their long or short ways across the sky.
Of course the first one to get on the forecastle, where he could have a word with the grenadiers, was Friar John ! Brave Friar John ! He was the right-hand where anything strong or good was to be done. As to Panurge, he began to cry and howl at the top of his voice.
'Boo! boo! boo! This is a worse business than that of the other day,' he blubbered, shrugging up his shoulders and shivering in his fright. ' That frightful thing over there is the horrid Leviathan Job spoke of! I am sure he is coming to swallow us all up, ships, sails, men and all, like so many pills. Ah ! friends, let's escape the monster. The land is near; let us go on shore !'
' Panurge,' said Pantagruel, turning round, ' all thou hast to do is to trust to me. Have no fear ; I shall do its business presently.'
PANTAGRUEL SPIES A MONSTER.
' Oh, Your Highness knows well enough that I aru never afraid except when there is danger ! Boo ! boo ! boo ! '
While Panurge was whimpering, the monster had got fairly into the Greek Y made by the fleet. It was the whale which began the fight. The moment it found itself inside the angle, and saw the ships on each side of it, it wheeled around and began to spout water by whole tons upon them. Then it was that the ships took up the war. They all set to work as though they were mad, to hurl against the whale on every side arrows, spears, darts, javelins, and harpoons. Never had there been seen such a storm of deadly weapons whistling through the air at one time.
SHOOTING AT THE WHALE.
You may be sure that Friar John did not spare himself.
Panurge nearly died from fright.
The artillery belched out its largest balls; but they didn't do the least harm. All they did was to strike the monster's tough, black hide and slant off. When he saw how so much good powder was being wasted, Pantagruel
