There's no place like home 2/9

“Whatever is the matter?” she asked.

“I’m fed up,” he answered, “you and Barnacle Bill keep coming and going, telling me tales about the wonderful time you’re both having, while I’m stuck here doing nothing but cry. It may be my job but I don’t think it’s fair!”

“Well I might be able to help you feel more comfortable in the bad weather. What do you do when it rains?”

The giant looked at her in amazement. First of all he stopped looking miserable, then he started to grin and finally he burst out laughing.

“I get wet!” he said at last when he got his breath back. He was laughing so much that Jennifer Jane had to hold on to his collar very tightly indeed to prevent herself from being shaken off.

At last he quietened down to the point where she as able to speak to him again. She described the waterproof cloak that the giant in the other world had used that morning.

“I thought that the goblins could get together and make you something similar, or maybe one of the witches would magic up something to suit. Then when it rained or got cold, you could be warm and comfortable while you’re working.”

The giant agreed to give it a try. “Although my father never had one, nor any of my family that I know of.”

“I’ll go off and get something organised at once,” said Jennifer Jane.

The giant gently put her back onto the ground and she headed for the goblin village. He was crying with laughter again which was a good thing. She could hear him repeating his latest joke to himself as she walked along. ‘What happens when it rains? ... I get wet!’

The goblins agreed to make him a cloak for nothing. After all, he’d been helping them with their uncrackable nut problem for a long time now and they felt they owed him a favour.

“I don’t suppose you can think of a way to help us feed him?” asked Mr. Kernell, “it can be very difficult at times in the winter when food gets a bit short and he never thinks he’s had enough even when we’ve plenty to give him.”

“That’s a smashing idea, I wonder I didn’t think of it myself. I know just the thing, but I’ll have to go and see the witches first.”

Mr Kernell looked very pleased with himself, he’d actually thought of an idea before Jennifer Jane and he couldn’t remember that ever happening before.

Jennifer Jane thanked him and rushed off back to the Witches’ Home to ask their opinion about his idea. The first witch she met said she was too busy to deal with her.

She was told to go and see Rebecca, who was friendly with Abigail and more likely to know the sort of thing she was looking for. She eventually found Rebecca in the Refectory having a cup of tea.