CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 6[002]

The wounds of love.[020]

One winter morning, when he is getting up, the Giant looks out of his window.[031]The winter doesn’t matter to him now.[037]The spring is sleeping at that time of the year, he knows, and the flowers are in their beds under the ground.[051]

Suddenly, he sees something wonderful.[059]

‘Can it be true?’ he cries.[066]

Far across the garden in one corner, there is a tree with beautiful white blossoms all over it.[081]There are silver apples on its golden branches.[088]And the little boy — his favorite — is standing under the tree.[098]

He is all in white.[104]

The Giant runs down to his front door, and out into the garden.[113]He goes quickly across it to the child.[120]

But when he comes near, his face is suddenly angry.[128]

‘Where do these wounds come from?’ he cries.[135]

Because there on the boy’s hands are the wounds of two nails. And the wounds of two nails are on his little feet.[152]

‘Who is guilty of this? Tell me, and I can take my big sword and kill him!’[168]

‘No,’ the child answers.[172]

‘Because these are the wounds of love.’[178]

‘Who are you?’ the Giant says quietly, and he kneels ‘before the child.[190]

Then the child smiles at the Giant, and tells him,[199]

‘You remember me from before, here in your garden.[206]

And today you are coming away with me to my garden — Paradise.’[219]

When the children run into the garden that afternoon, they find the Giant under the tree.[231]

He is dead now. And there are beautiful white blossoms all over him.