CO ATE FARM. 23 



rested on the fender, for he had crossed his 

 knees. His ragged and dingy trouser, full of 

 March dust, and earth-stained by labour, was 

 drawn up somewhat higher than the boot. It 

 took the mouse several trials to reach the 

 trouser, but he succeeded, and audaciously 

 mounted to Iden's knee. Another quickly 

 followed, and there the pair of them feasted 

 on the crumbs of bread and cheese caught in 

 the folds of his trousers. 



" One great brown hand was in his pocket, 

 close to them a mighty hand, beside which 

 they were pigmies indeed in the land of the 

 giants. What would have been the value of 

 their lives between a finger and thumb that 

 could crack a ripe and strong-shelled walnut ? 



" The size the mass the weight of his 

 hand alone was as a hill overshadowing 

 them ; his broad frame like the Alps ; his 

 head high above as a vast rock that overhung 

 the valley. 



" His thumb-nail widened by labour with 

 spade and axe his thumb-nail would have 

 covered either of the tiny creatures as his 

 shield covered Ajax. 



