“Well you can’t say I haven’t given you every chance,” she said, “Anyone would think you wanted to be eaten.”

Snip remained silent, while she stared at him relentlessly. Then he saw a sudden look of surprise in her eyes.

“Is that it?” she asked, but this time she spoke without opening her mouth, exactly as a ventriloquist would do, “You DO want to be eaten, don’t you? It’s unheard of! Please tell me honestly, little Snip. Is that what you want?”

“Yes,” said Snip.

“Why, may I ask, would you want me to eat you?” asked Olda, still without opening her mouth.

“Your tummy looks nice. I’d like to go into it,” said Snip.

“That’s the most unusual reaction I’ve ever had,” said Olda, “You do know that you’ll have to go into my mouth first.”

So this was why she had spoken like a ventriloquist. She had wanted to see whether or not he had been admiring the view of her tongue up until the moment that she had started to speak with a closed mouth.

“That looks nice too,” said Snip, “Except I can’t see inside it when you talk now.”

Then he saw the pretty giantess open her mouth wide with delight and start speaking normally again.

“You’re such a sweet looking little boy. I suppose I really will have to finish those buttons myself now.”

“I will sort them for you, if you still eat me anyway,” said Snip, as she lowered him to a position in front of her lips.

Olda smiled and ran the tip of her tongue around his upper body and neck and cheeks.

“It’s a bargain,” she said, “You can consider yourself eaten.”

She sat at the table and talked with him while he went to work on the buttons. He explained to her, in the language of an eight year old boy, how her first account of what happened to Nils had begun to stir unusual yearnings in him, and how it had built to the anticipation that he had gleefully enjoyed in the oven.

Finally the buttons were sorted. She placed open small bags beside the table in turn, and used her hand to sweep each pile of buttons into a separate bag.

“Thank you, Snip,” she said, “If you haven’t changed your mind, it must be past time for an enjoyable meal for both of us. Do you still want me to eat you?”

“Yes please,” said Snip, “Do you still want to eat me?”

“I’d love to eat you very much,” said Olda, “You’re the most extraordinairy little boy I’ve ever caught. I know you’re going to be a wonderful meal for me.”

Olda took him to the table, licked him again, and then slid him into her mouth and swallowed him. He reached her tummy with pre-adolescent ecstasy and snuggled against its inner flesh. He thought back to the outer views of that tummy, to the warnings she had given him, and to the reaction of adoration she had given him after learning of his true intentions, until he tingled into nothingness.