White Robert suddenly grew back to his full size, forcing Alice to release her grip on him.

“It seems I can’t make a treat of you after all,” she said, “I suppose I shall just go hungry for a time. Still, I do recall that your kisses were appealing. Perhaps we should rest for a moment, and enjoy a few more.”

“You were really going to eat me!” stammered White Robert.

Yet he could not bring himself to pull away from Alice’s embrace, as she kissed him. It went on for a few minutes, and then he felt that his lips were being surrounded by hers. Then they were covering his whole face. Alice was growing! She quickly lay down flat, so that the large room would still accommodate her. White Robert found himself standing on the ground.

“The cake must make people shrink, and the drink must make people grow,” said White Robert.

“This is a most awkward position,” said Alice, “If I am unable to sit up, I may be unable to swallow you.”

“Alice, please, don’t think of eating me again.”

Yet he saw her squeezing her arm around in front of her head to try to grab for him. Robert turned and ran along the floor, and around the curved room, and heard Alice crawling slowly after him.

“I’ll fetch you back!” she said. He came to the end of the building and looked back to see Alice slowly making her way around the curve. In time she would catch him and insist on using the mouth he had kissed for other purposes.

Robert looked to the side and saw a door just his height with a key in it. He turned the key and ran out the door, just in time to avoid being seized by Alice. He saw her peeking through the doorway.

“What a lovely little garden,” she said, “If I could only get out there, I would soon snatch you up and eat you up, little Robert. Contrariwise, if I could get out there, I would no longer be large enough to eat you.”

Robert ran off into the strange Wonderland under the earth, and began to explore.

In the days ahead, Jack had two things to consider. Firstly, he had been lucky to escape the prospect of being eaten by Serena’s beautiful giant mother. Secondly, he was completely in love with the woman. It was quite a conundrum. In his own safety interests, Jack resisted the urge to return to the giant land of Brobdingnag for over a week. Finally, he could contain his feelings no longer. He had to see her again, if only to admire her from afar.

How did giants become giants? It was a question which played on his mind. Were they born that way? Were they once ordinairy sized people who had found a way to grow? Could he too find a way to grow?

Jack climbed up the beanstalk again and cautiously made his way into the giant garden. He heard the sound of music, and walked a little way, until he saw Serena sitting on the grass, playing her harp.

“Jack!” she said, “What are you doing back here? You know what will happen if Mother finds you.”