Large tears rolled down the cheeks of Master No-book while watching
this scene, and remembering that if he had known what was best for
him, he might have been as happy as the happiest of these excellent
boys, instead of suffering ennui and weariness, as he had done at the
fairy Do-nothing's, ending in a miserable death. But his attention was
soon after most alarmingly roused by hearing the giant Snap-'em-up
again in conversation with his cook, who said that, if he wished for a
good large dish of scolloped children at dinner, it would be necessary
to catch a few more, as those he had already provided would scarcely
be a mouthful.

As the giant kept very fashionable hours, and always waited dinner for
himself till nine o'clock, there was still plenty of time; so, with a
loud grumble about the trouble, he seized a large basket in his hand,
and set off at a rapid pace towards the fairy Teach-all's garden. It
was very seldom that Snap-'em-up ventured to think of foraging in this
direction, as he never once succeeded in carrying off a single captive
from the enclosure, it was so well fortified and so bravely defended;
but on this occasion, being desperately hungry, he felt as bold as a
lion, and walked, with outstretched hands, straight towards the fairy
Teach-all's dinner-table, taking such prodigious strides that he
seemed almost as if he would trample on himself.

A cry of consternation arose the instant this tremendous giant
appeared, and, as usual on such occasions, when he had made the same
attempt before, a dreadful battle took place. Fifty active little boys
bravely flew upon the enemy, armed with their dinner-knives, and
looked like a nest of hornets, stinging him in every direction, till
he roared with pain, and would have run away; but the fairy Teach-all,
seeing his intention, rushed forward with the carving-knife, and
brandishing it high over her head, she most courageously stabbed him
to the heart.

If a great mountain had fallen to the earth it would have seemed like
nothing in comparison with the giant Snap-em-up, who crushed two or
three houses to powder beneath him, and upset several fine monuments
that were to have made people remembered for ever. But all this would
have seemed scarcely worth mentioning had it not been for a still
greater event which occurred on the occasion, no less than the death
of the fairy Do-nothing, who had been indolently looking on at this
great battle without taking the trou