“So this is what you were doing, eating fruit in the middle of the night,” said Ann.
“It’s nice watermelon,” said Woozly, hoping to lead Ann further off the track.
“Little boys are tastier,” said Ann.
Woozly was not aware that Charlie was hiding inside that piece of watermelon.
“Try it and see how tasty it is,” said Woozly.
Charlie, crouching inside the watermelon cavity, began to tremble all over.
“Just this once, I shall taste this fruit diet of yours,” said Ann.
She began raising the piece of watermelon on the long journey to her mouth. Charlie wanted to scream “don’t!”, but that would have made his fate far more certain. He watched the woman’s mouth open and saw her teeth, and her tongue, as the watermelon went into her mouth. He fell out of the watermelon and onto the back of her tongue. He had no idea how he would ever get out of her mouth, but his immediate instinct was to remain on the tongue, and avoid sliding to either side and bumping against her teeth.
“I’m going to be the main course, and Ann doesn’t even know she’s about to swallow me down,” thought Charlie, and began to wonder whether he should gamble on calling out to her.
Yet why would Ann spare him?
The giantess Ann still had her mouth open. Charlie saw the grape fall out of the melon, and end up between the teeth on the left hand side of her giant mouth.
Suddenly Ann coughed the lot out of her mouth. It flew into the bowl and landed softly on the pile of fruit which had so far remained untouched. Charlie ducked down further under another piece, in case Ann should look at the bowl again.
“You put those awful red grapes into the watermelon!” said Ann, “That tasted awful! Every night you could have been off happy as can be, gobbling juicy little boys.”
“Eating little boys is unfair,” said Woozly.
“They are gulpable and scrumptious,” said Ann, “And tonight, I am off to England to swallow a little boy from the village.”
“Horrible,” said Woozly, “You should be ashamed of yourself.”
“Other giantesses are saying they want to go to England tonight to gulp down school boys,” said Ann, “I am very fond of them. Perhaps I will go to the boarding school instead.”
“You are terrible,” said Woozly.
“And you’re a disgrace to our family,” said Ann, “Mother would be so disappointed in you. She told us tales of all the giantesses in our ancestry who have eaten little boys.”
Ann stormed out of the room and closed the door.
Charlie climbed up and revealed himself.
“Are you alright?” asked Woozly.
“I was in her mouth!” said Charlie.
“Oh no. Look out the window,” said Woozly, “They’re meeting Miss Yoop in our garden.”
Woozly put Charlie down on the window sill and they looked out into the lamp lit garden. Miss Yoop, Ann and Jumbeelia were all heading down to the beanstalk, and beginning to climb.
“I know where there is a boarding house full of prep school boys,” said Miss Yoop, “All I have to do is reach in and grab myself a boy. English boys taste extra lick-swishy.”