52957 exercise reading

GIANT JOHN
Revised by M.Russell

There was once a giant called Giant John and he wanted a wife. He
looked here and there and at last found her. She was kind and very
beautiful, her name was Emmelina.
There was just one problem, Emmelia only reached to his knee. “I am
very fond of you, Giant John” she told him, “but I can not marry you, I
am afraid you might squash me flat”.
So Giant John went away and sat sadly on a rock. He rested his chin in
his hands and thought what he could do. Just then a little green frog
jumped up beside him, “something wrong, eh”?
Giant John gently picket up the frog with his hand and told him what
was the matter. “Ah”, said the frog wisely, “I know just what you must
do. Go to the other side of the world and there you will find a field of
purple daisies. Make a daisy crown for your Emmelina, then bring it
home and place it on her head. Soon she will grow as tall as you”. “Are
you sure”? Asked the giant. “Yes” said the frog.
“Well that’s wonderful” He set of on his journey, his long legs made big
steps and he was soon on the other side of the world. After searching
for a while he found the field, made a daisy crown
and came home again. “Look Emmelina” he said, holding out the
crown. “If you wear this, you will become tall like me, and then we can
get married”.
“Oh no“, said
Emmelina. “I
don’t want to
be big. I love
you deeply.
Giant John,
but if I was a

giant like you
I would
never be able
to visit my
mother and
father, or my
brothers and
sisters, for
fear I might
squash them
all flat”.


Poor Giant John, he went away again and sat on his rock, he was very
unhappy. Then the little green frog came by his side and told him:
“On the other side of the world you will find a lake of wine, it is said
that those who drink it, will become as small as they wish”.
“Really?" said the giant, feeling cheered. “Then I will try it, if Emmelina
won’t become a giant then I don’t mind at all being her size, it will be
a nice change”.
So off he went to the other side of the world and there he found the
lake of wine. After a few sips, he began to shrink and soon he was the
size to be Emmelina’s husband.
He danced and sang and then he saw how foolish he had been. Here
he was on the other side of the world with only ordinary legs to get
him back home. He should have waited until his giant legs had carried
him home, before drinking the wine. Thinking of Emmelina he bravely
set of to walk all the way back to her.
It was seven long years before he arrived home, in the end he was
very tired.

When he came to Emmelina’s house, he heard someone crying in the
garden. “Can I help you”? He asked and then he saw it was his dear
Emmelina. She turned around, looked at him and said; “seven years
ago today, I told Giant John that I could not marry him and then he
went away, but I am so very sad, if only he would come back to me”.
John told her who he was and what had happened to him.
Within a very short time they were married and one of the guest’s was
of course, the little green frog.