The Giant Forest - COMPLETED - True to life adventures of preteens.

Slow Talking Doesn't Equal Stupid

People generally think that because giants talk and move slowly that they are also dull. But giants are not always dimwitted, simpleminded.

Og, as he had been tagged by Mousi, had been 'fishing' for something to eat. Giants don't fish in streams for water-y creatures. They fish in forests. Instead of using little fishies to catch big fish, giants use little animals to catch bigger animals. Og had tied one of the dogs to the end of a string on one of his hooks, hung it from the pole attached to his back and threw it, the god into the woods the way a fisherman would throw a worm on a hook into a lake. Giants are strong enough to throw a medium-sized dog farther than most 5th and 6th graders can kick a soccer ball.

Mousi fell for Og's bait. She was tricked. Worms can't sing. Minnows can't pretend to be in distress. Og was really good at impersonating an injured puppy. He could fool a big cat into thinking he was a big rat. The big rat part came to him and his kind naturally.

To his utter delight Og had reeled in Mousi, his first human. Mousi had thought there was a dog in distress. Og had thought he might catch something ... just not sure what, a bobcat or small bear perhaps. He had never anticipated catching a human.

Og was also quite good at mimicking desperate dogs when his dog 'bait' wouldn't cooperate. Animals in a stew are easy pickings for bigger animals who are hungry ... not realizing they will put in a giant stew.

Og had a poem he liked to recite when he was fishing.

"When ... my ... dog ... bait ...

Won't ... co ... op ... er ... ate.

I'll ... make ... a ... sound

Much ... like ... hound.

I'll ... bring ... some ... dinner.

I'll ... be ... a ... winner.

My ... fun ... ny ... noise

Will ... please ... the ... boys.

When ... I ... sound ... like ... a ... dog.

They'll ... sure ... ly ... say, "Well ... done ... Og."

Then he'd do a silly giant laugh. "Worf. Worf, zoo zooo Barrrf!"

Mousi had fallen for his shenanigans. She followed the bait and now, she was trapped! She had hope to be of help and now was needing help.

Og reached down and grabbed Mousi by her nape. Mousi might have screamed but she was too taken aback to do so. Besides Og had just grabbed her jumper, not her skin. His clumsy calloused fingers couldn't tell the difference. Og stuffed Mousi into his pouch. Mousi was perhaps for the first time that she put on tights as a kindergartner, happy her mom had made her go to gymnastics classes. Quite flexible, she was able to bend without breaking and still fit in the leather bag that hung at Og's side. Despite her 70-ish pounds, Og didn't have to lean unnaturally to continue the extra weight.

Og started shuffling towards his friends. Giants may sometimes be smart and sometimes stupid, but they are always slow.

"We ... are ... going ... to ... need ... more ... wood ... boys" he drawled on.

Mousi peered out of the pouch and saw that she and Og were being followed by one of her canine friends, a one-eyed, one and half eared dog who walked as if one leg was shorter than the other three. The dog's hair would have been white had it ever had a bath. Instead, its fur color was mud brown, red in other places from having lost in fights with other bigger and meaner dogs. There were just a few splotches of white, er, off-white. Its fur was never the same length in any two places. Were you to look up the word 'mangy' in a dictionary, there would be a picture of this dog to go with it!

Mousi remembered this dog. She had called him Bligh after a captain she had read in a book. The book was about pirates or a mutiny. She could remember the name of the dog but not the book. She was too disoriented to remember exactly. Still thinking more of her friends than her own predicament Mousi tried to shoo Bligh away for his protection.

Bligh would have nothing of it. He wasn't there to be protected. He was there this time to protect her.

In between two big clunky Og steps, Bligh growled.

Og didn't notice.

Bligh dug deep into his soul and shook it violently. His tail didn't move but his body moved all over as if being attacked by a throng of mosquitos. Bligh mustered all his power and shook as if he had fallen in a creek and wanted to shake all the wet off in one big jolt.. Bligh howled again.

"Ooooo! Waaah! BlAARF!"

Bligh caught a glance from Og for the first time.

They stared at one another.

Unlike Mousi, Bligh showed no fear. Instead Bligh showed Og his teeth.

Unable to control himself, Og began to laugh. The laughter grew quickly till he was roaring with laughter so loudly that his friends stopped poking at the fire and looked up in surprise to see what all the fuss was about.

They saw Og bent over, reaching out with one hand as if he were going to pet a very small animal.

Og showed Bligh his teeth. Then growled viciously.

Bligh didn't budge.

"Boys ...! We ... are ... going ... to ... have ... dessert ... tonight, ... too."

Still Bligh was unmoved. He howled again.

There was a rustling sound that caused Og's three friends to stop what they were doing and look around. The three dropped the kindling they were going to add to the fire and Og stood up straight.

Mousi smiled for the first time since she had left the campground as she realized what was happening around her.

Og unexpectedly took off the pouch with Mousi in it and slowly placed it on the ground.

The four goliaths looked at one another, then decided they'd better make tracks. At least for now.