The Giant the Antman and The Mermaid Read online

  Dedication

  For my children: son Joe, and daughters Nicola, Kerry, Lucy and all the children in the world who like to dream.

  Foreword

  If you enjoy reading this adventure from Joe & Lucy’s Story Box, then you may like to read their other adventures:

  THE TWIG PEOPLE OF MOSSDOWN WOODS

  THE MONKEYBOY AND THE GRUFFITS

  Also you may like to read; ‘THE ADVENTURES OF PRIMROSE PERFECT’ written by the same author.

  Introduction

  (Another story in the adventures of the Thomson family)

  (Staring Joe & Lucy)

  Having heard the story of The Giant, The Antman and The Mermaid, Joe and Lucy want to find out if it was true? They ask mum and dad to take them to the village of Grow Grow next to the sea side in Sealand where it all was said to have happened. Mum and dad agreed it would make a nice weekend holiday when they finished school on the Friday. So it was from then their journey began to the beautiful village of Grow Grow.

  Having arrived, it was not long before Joe & Lucy were wanting to explore the village. They were soon very lucky to meet Chuckles the local story teller who they asked if the story they had heard was true. He advised they must ask their parents permission before talking to a stranger. The children said they would do so and so Chuckles agreed to tell them the story himself.

  He tells them about a kind local magician who finds a tiny antman hiding in a matchbox. He learns his name is Benny and he has been blown across the sea from Teeny Weeny Land. The magician promises to help him by reading a spell to make himself grow taller. When he has done this he places Benny on a leaf at the top of a tree where the wind blows him home to Teeny Weeny Land again. But the magician has forgotten to read the second verse from his magic spell book. He is so huge and tall that he cannot get back to his normal size again. So knowing he cannot get back into his house, he goes to live in a cave down by the sea. All the people in the village run away from him. Each night he is heard crying so the people name him Teardrops.

  As the weeks pass by, he finds a mermaid trapped in a dry cave. Feeling sorry for her, he cries and cries so much that his tears fill up the mermaid’s deep cave and she floats back up to the top where Teardrops rescues her. Having taken her down to the sea, the mermaid asks if there is anything she can do to help him? Teardrops tells her his story. On hearing this she swims across the sea to Teeny Weeny Land to bring Benny the antman back on her nose. Benny agrees to climb through the giant’s keyhole in his door and bring him the page with the magic spell.

  When this has happened, Teardrops the giant reads the second verse and happily shrinks back down to his normal size again. He returns to the village of Grow Grow and repairs his house.

  It is said, that anyone who is touched by a mermaid will live forever! Read the story to find out just what Joe & Lucy discovered. You too can share their secret too!

  THE GIANT, THE ANTMAN AND THE MERMAID

  It was a hot sunny day in the village of Grow Grow. Lots of old flint stone houses could be seen and their gardens were full of beautiful flowers. The grass lawns were so nice, that they looked like huge green carpets. Birds chirped and sang, as they flew from tree to tree. Only the visitors came to disturb the peace in the village of Grow Grow.

  It was on a hot sunny day when some strangers had arrived. It was the Thomson family. They had heard about this quiet peaceful village by the sea. Their children Joe and Lucy, wanted to know if it was true, that a giant called Teardrops had once lived there? That he had helped Benny the ant man and rescued a mermaid trapped in a cave. It was said that his footprints were still there. The children wanted to find out. They wanted to meet Chuckles the storyteller whom they had been told still lived in the village.

  Both Joe and Lucy were excited. It had been a long journey down from London to Sealand where Grow Grow village was. They always enjoyed travelling in dads’ camper van. This was where they would sleep and eat during their week’s holiday.

  They had brought their usual things with them. A bucket and spade together with fishing net and a torch to see in the dark. This they used to search for crabs that hid under the rocks when evening came. Collecting pretty sea shells was always great fun too. Like every other holiday, there was always plenty to do. But it seemed to the children that this one was extra special!

  The village of Grow Grow was perched on top of a hill which looked over the open sea. A gentle slope led down to a crisp yellow sandy beech where huge rocks and caves could be seen. The children wondered what they might find there.

  Mum and dad Thomson had begun to unpack the food ready for a meal. Already, Joe and Lucy wanted to go for a walk around the village and take pictures with their cameras.

  ‘Don’t be late for tea’ said dad, as mum started to cook eggs and sausages on the camping stove. ‘We wont’ the children answered, and off they went. The sun was still shining even though it was late afternoon.

  2

  While out walking, the children came across two horses in a field and stopped to look at them. They had been horse riding on a previous holiday in Cornwall which they had enjoyed. While they stood watching the horses, a chubby man with rosy cheeks and sparkling blue eyes walked over towards them. He was dressed in a green open necked shirt and old blue trousers held up by a leather belt.

  The man was smiling and appeared quite friendly. ‘Do you like horses?’ he asked.

  Joe nudged Lucy who answered, ‘Yes, we were just saying how beautiful they are.’

  ‘What are your names?’ he enquired. The children told him.

  ‘My name is Chuckles’ he replied, ‘These are my horses and my friends. Come, I shall take you to meet them.’ Both Joe and Lucy’s faces lit up into a smile.

  ‘Are you the storyteller man?’ they asked him. ‘Yes I am’ he replied as they walked over to the horses. The horses were nibbling at the lush green grass. They both looked up at the children while Chuckles pulled two cubes of sugar from his pocket. ‘Here’ he invited, ‘Give them one each.’ Joe and Lucy took the sugar which the horses had seen. ‘What are their names?’ asked Joe. Chuckles smiled. ‘The big brown horse is called Teardrops and the silver one is called Mermaid.’ he answered.

  The children could not believe their ears. ‘Teardrops! Mermaid!’ they repeated with surprise.

  ‘Why children you do sound surprised’ he told them.

  ‘We are’ replied Lucy. ‘Is it true, there was a giant called Teardrops, who helped an ant man, and rescued a mermaid trapped in a cave?’ Chuckles eyes gave a twinkle as he looked up into the sky. For a few moments he was silent until Lucy asked him again.

  This time Chuckles rosy face spread into a big warm smile then he answered, ‘Yes children, it is true. If you really want to know then I shall tell you the whole story.’

  ‘We do. We do want to know’ pleaded Joe. ‘Very well then I shall tell you’ said Chuckles. ‘But first you must ask your parents permission if you want to speak to a stranger. Tell them you have met Chuckles the storyteller. Then come back and meet me tomorrow.’

  The children thanked Chuckles for being so kind. They would now go to ask their mum and dad they told him. So with a friendly wave, they said goodbye and set off back to the campervan. What a great start this was to their holiday, they agreed.

  When they arrived, the smell of sizzling sausages and fried eggs made them feel hungry. Dad wanted to know where they had been while mum was telling them to wash their hands.

  After they have finished telling mum and dad about Chuckles and the horses, they told about his promise to tell them the story about The Giant, the Ant man and the Mermaid. Dad smiled, and said he would like to hear it too.

  The children ate up every bit of their food. They next decided to play some computer games. Joe had brought Suzy the Hedgehog, while Lucy had brought her favourite stories called ‘The Twig People of Mossdown Wood’ and ‘The Monkey boy and The Gruffits.’ Now they were settled in for the evening as mum and dad watched TV. It wasn’t long before Joe and Lucy were ready for bed. Looking forward to tomorrow, they soon went to sleep with a smile on their faces.

  3

  The night passed peacefully into morning. The Thomson family awoke to a warm fresh smell of the sea. Lots of different birds could be heard singing, as the early morning sun began to shine over the village of Grow Grow. A flock of hungry squawking seagulls had also landed to claim whatever they could find to eat.

  Mum was already at the camping stove frying up some eggs and bacon. A saucepan was boiling baked beans while a kettle whistled on the boil for making tea. Joe and Lucy licked their lips ready for breakfast. Good old dad was finishing off his last snores, but soon awoke when the children threw their pillows at him. Amid the noise of laughter, dad pretended to chase them with a growl. Mum soon had the plates piled up with food and they were now all tucking in to a hearty breakfast.

  It didn’t take long to eat. Dad washed up while the children took turns to dry the plates. Clean as you go, was dad’s motto. The children knew that the sooner it was all done, the quicker they could meet up with Chuckles and the horses. So, with breakfast finished, the beds made up, and everyone washed, it was agreed that’s what they would do.

  Out they stepped into a warm glorious sunshine. The smell of the sea was in the air and the beautiful countryside gave them a feeling of peace and contentment. A gentle breeze blew over them as they strolled down the long winding slope to the beech
. Dad said he could taste the salt of the sea in his mouth. But mum laughed, and said it was more like the fresh crispy bacon he had eaten for breakfast. As usual, dad gave a grunt.

  Soon they arrived onto the golden sand. They looked across at the calm blue sea. Some ships and boats could be seen in the distance, while on the beech some people were collecting sea shells as others threw stones for their dogs. Lucy had brought her camera and took some pictures as mum and dad held hands and walked over the sand to the edge of the tide. Joe was more interested in finding a crab.

  As they wandered along the beech, they could see some rocks and caves ahead of them. It wasn’t long before they lost interest in taking pictures and finding crabs. On seeing the caves they became excited, and started to run through the puddles of sea water towards them. They kicked through the sand as they raced each other. Lucy was in the lead until Joe put on a fast turn of foot to get in front of her. ‘Wait for me! Wait for me!’ she protested.

  Joe arrived at the caves first with Lucy close on his heels. It was a close run race. They had passed by where a sign was pointing. It read; TO THE GIANTS CAVE. Was this where the mermaid had been trapped? And Teardrops the giant, had he been here too? They would soon find out when Chuckles told them the story, they agreed. Now their imagination was getting the better of them as they dared each other to go inside the caves. Mum and dad warned them away saying they must wait for Chuckles to show them the inside of the caves. After all, he was the local storyteller they were told. Maybe he would bring them here, they wondered.

  ‘Can we go to see Chuckles now?’ Lucy asked. Joe got excited about the idea. ‘Can he tell us the story he promised?’ she added. Mum and dad smiled. It was just a fairy tale, they thought. But it would be nice to hear it from the children afterwards. ‘Ok’ said dad. ‘Come back to the camper van when you are ready.’ Joe and Lucy jumped up and down excitedly, ‘Whoopee! Pukka!’ they shouted. After giving mum and dad a kiss, they ran off up the long winding slope back to the village of Grow Grow.

  4

  Soon they arrived at the horses. Both of them were swishing their tails as they nibbled at the grass. Chuckles was sitting a few feet away making a string of braid from twisted grass. The children shouted a big hello as he turned to look at them. ‘I somehow knew you would come here today.’ he said, ‘So I thought I would do some weaving while I waited for you.’

  ‘What are you making?’ asked Joe. Chuckles eyes gave a twinkle. ‘I am making a straw hat from this long grass that I picked.’ he answered. ‘You can make anything by weaving it together, and that is what Teardrops the giant made his clothes from. Now I shall tell you the story from beginning to end. Would you like that?’

  ‘Oh yes please Chuckles’ they answered. He then stood up and pointed to a big oak tree at the top of a hill. ‘That is where Benny the ant man was placed on a leaf right at the very top of it by a magician named Selk Cuhc [pronounced Cooh]. It was from there that the wind blew him back home to Teeny Weenie Land.’ Both Joe and Lucy looked towards the big oak tree as Chuckles continued.

  ‘Now Selk Cuhc was a nice man. He always liked to help people and he lived in a village called Worg Worg. One day, about two hundred years ago, he found a tiny little ant man living inside a matchbox. At first, the magician thought he was some kind of an ant because he was so small and tiny. Then as he looked upon him, the tiny little ant man jumped out of the box and on to his nose then into his ear. This tickled Selk Cuhc and he fell about laughing.’

  Chuckles continued. ‘Suddenly, the magician heard a laud scream in his ear as a hair pricked the tiny ant man and made him cry. Then the crying filled up the magicians head so much that he started to cry himself. ‘Oh dear, I can’t stop crying’ he sobbed. Then he sneezed so loudly, that he shook the ant man back out of his ear and onto his nose again. ‘Please don’t be frightened’ he told him. ‘I am Selk Cuhc the magician.’

  ‘Then please don’t hurt me’ pleaded the tiny ant man. ‘My name is Benny. I have been hiding in this matchbox for a long time, so afraid that the sea gulls will eat me. I come from the land of the Teeny Weeny people and was blown here by the wind. The gulls will be sure to eat me if I can’t get back to Teeny Weeny land. If only I could climb a tree to catch the wind. Then I could sail home on a leaf.’

  Selk Cuhc scratched his head sadly and once again began to cry. He felt sorry for the tiny little ant man. If only he could help him, he thought.

  He looked at the tiny ant man on the end of his nose. He was so small that he was afraid to sneeze again in case he blew him away. I know, he thought, I shall place him on a leaf at the top of a tree, and then the wind will come and blow him back home to Teeny Weeny land. Yes, that sounded like a good idea, he told himself. But first he would need to look in his book of magic spells. If he could become tall enough to reach a leaf at the top of a tree he could help Benny the ant man, he thought.

  Selk Cuhc told the ant man what he planned to do. ‘You can sit on my nose until I find the spell to make me grow tall’ he told him. Benny thanked the magician, and so they set off back to his house.

  As he turned the pages, he saw a spell and it read; HOW TO BECOME TWELVE FEET TALL AND THEN RETURN TO BEING SMALL. ‘Aha! Aha! That’s the one’ he shouted. Then he read out to Benny what he must do to make the spell work. First;

  Find a fig and boil a stone.

  Mix with honey and a bone.

  Add two dandelion drops,

  Then mix until the bubbles stop.

  Stir the brew until night falls,

  Then drink one cup to grow up tall.

  Selk Cuhc smiled at the ant man on his nose. ‘Come’ he told him. ‘We shall collect what we need for the magic brew.’ Now he went about to prepare the potion. Shortly after, Selk Cuhc had all the things he needed in a cooking pot. Then he stirred and stirred until night had fallen over the village of Worg Worg. Satisfied that the secret brew was ready, he let it cool down then poured himself a cup to drink. Sip, drink and swallow, it went into his mouth. After the last drop was gone, he took a deep breath and waited.

  It wasn’t long before his eyes began to roll around in his head. Then his hair began to stand up. Next his nose grew bigger as Benny held on tightly. His fingers grew longer and his toes popped through the end of his shoes. Then his arms and legs burst through his jacket and trousers. Then slowly he rose upwards like a cake in an oven. Up and up he grew until he burst through the roof of his house. And for all this time, Benny the ant man sat on the end of his nose.

  Now Selk Cuhc had grown so tall, he was able to take a giant step over the roof and on to the grass outside. Breathing in a great gulp of air, he started to walk through the village of Worg Worg. The windows of the houses rattled as his footsteps thudded across the grass.

  All the time, he was growing bigger and bigger until his village seemed like a little toy town to him. Yet the magician was happy. For all his life, he had been helping people in the village. It made him feel happy to help anyone in need. This time, he felt especially good at being able to help Benny the ant man, that nothing was too much trouble for him. Even to become a giant, which now he was.

  5

  Making his way to the big oak tree at the top of the hill, he knew that the wind was stronger there. When he arrived, he searched for the biggest leaf he could find at the very top of the tree. Tenderly, he took the little ant man from his nose and placed him upon it. Then as the wind began to blow, it slowly lifted the ant man up as if he were on a magic carpet. ‘Goodbye Benny my little friend’ the giant said.