gargantua comes back from fairy-land.—after which pantagruel prepares for another trip.

one day gargantua came back from fairy-land.

it was a day above all others long to be remembered by pantagruel, when he first heard, on coming home from a visit to one of his cities, where he had gone to decide a knotty case between that city and a neighboring town, the sharp bark of a dog. "why! i know that bark," he said. "that is the bark of little kyne, my father's dog. my father must surely have come back!" so, joyfully, he followed kyne, who went bounding and frisking back to the great door of the palace. there he found his old father, with his arms stretched wide open to clasp his son. everybody was glad to see that wonderful meeting of father and son high up in the air.

"my dear son!"

"my dear and honored father!"

that was all they could hear, as the old giant and the young giant, arm in arm, passed through the door, and went up the broad stairway into the great hall. we may be sure that snapsauce and the two other very fat cooks were soon doing their best to get together a good dinner, during which pantagruel heard all about fairy-land, its queen, and her kind fairies. when a fresh flagon of wine rested between them, father gargantua said:—

"i praise god, my beloved son, that he has given thee such wisdom and virtue. had it not been for thee, i would still have been in fairy-land, for thou hast been wise while i was away. i would like to speak to thee now on a subject which much troubled me there. thou art now old enough to take a wife, and i desire to see thee marry. hast thou ever thought of a wife?"

"to tell the truth, most dear father, i have never yet thought of one. but, in choosing a wife, i am always thy son, and thou shalt choose for me."

"i believe thee in that, my son. but thou shalt choose for thyself when the time comes for a wife. when thou findest her, bring her home; she shall find a father waiting for her."

pantagruel stretched out one big hand across the table. it met another big hand, only that other was more knotty and wrinkled than his own. then the two mighty hands clasped.

"but this is not all that i wanted to say, my boy. it is time thou shouldst travel. thou needest rest. hast thou not been king in my place?" the old giant laughed as he said this. "hast thou not filled my throne, thou young rogue, for this score of years and more? thou art not so strong as thou wast; thou hast need of a holiday."

"hast thou also thought, father, of a plan for all this whilst thou wert in fairy-land?"

"well, yes. i had nothing else to do there but think. i know thou dost love to travel and see strange things. thou shalt start at once. don't crawl on land. spread out thy white sails, and try the seas. take with thee thy friend panurge,—he looks like a keen fellow,—my old friend friar john, my old master ponocrates, who would be better for a trip; also master epistemon, and such others as thou pleasest. put thy open hand into my treasure-box, and draw out thy closed fist with what thou wantest of my gold. thou wilt find at my arsenal, thalasse, all that thou needest; besides pilots, sailors, and stout soldiers. at the first fair wind, set sail. when thou art away, my boy, i shall make ready for thy wife, and for a splendid feast when thou shalt bring her safe home."