The BFG by Roald Dahl Read Free Book Online Page B

rocks.’
    ‘They would never eat you though, would they?’ Sophie asked.
    ‘Giants is never guzzling other giants,’ the BFG said. ‘They is fighting and squarreling a lot with each other, but never guzzling. Human beans is more tasty to them.’
    The giants had already spotted the BFG and all heads were turned, watching him as he jogged forward. He was aiming to pass well to the right of the group.
    Through her little peep-hole, Sophie saw the Fleshlumpeating Giant moving over to intercept them. He didn’t hurry. He just loped over casually to a point where the BFG would have to pass. The others loped after him. Sophie counted nine of them altogether and she recognized the Bloodbottler in the middle of them. They were bored. They had nothing to do until nightfall. There was an air of menace about them as they loped slowly across the plain with long lolloping strides, heading for the BFG.
    ‘Here comes the runty one!’ boomed the Fleshlumpeater. ‘Ho-ho there, runty one! Where is you splatch-winkling away to in such a hefty hurry?’ He shot out an enormous arm and grabbed the BFG by the hair. The BFG didn’t struggle. He simply stopped and stood quite still and said, ‘Be so kind as to be letting go of my hair, Fleshlumpeater.’
    The Fleshlumpeater released him and stepped back a pace. The other giants stood around, waiting for the fun to start.
    ‘Now then, you little grobsquiffler!’ boomed the Fleshlumpeater. ‘We is all of us wanting to know where you is galloping off to every day in the daytime. Nobody ought to be galloping off to anywhere until it is getting dark. The human beans could easily be spotting you and starting a giant hunt and we is not wanting that to happen, is we not?’
    ‘We is not!’ shouted the other giants. ‘Go back to your cave, runty one!’
    ‘I is not galloping to any human bean country,’ the BFG said. ‘I is going to other places.’
    ‘I is thinking,’ said the Fleshlumpeater, ‘that you is catching human beans and keeping them as pets!’
    ‘Right you is!’ cried the Bloodbottler. ‘Just now I is hearing him chittering away to one of them in his cave!’
    ‘You is welcome to go and search my cave from frack to bunt,’ the BFG answered. ‘You can go looking into every crook and nanny. There is no human beans or stringy beans or runner beans or jelly beans or any other beans in here.’
    Sophie crouched still as a mouse inside the BFG’s pocket. She hardly dared breathe. She was terrified she might sneeze. The slightest sound or movement would give her away. Through the tiny peep-hole she watched the giants clustering around the poor BFG. How revolting they were! All of them had piggy little eyes and enormous mouths with thick sausage lips. When the Fleshlumpeater was speaking, she got a glimpse of his tongue. It was jet black, like a slab of black steak. Every one of them was more than twice as tall as the BFG.
    Suddenly, the Fleshlumpeater shot out two enormous hands and grabbed the BFG around the waist. He tossed him high in the air and shouted, ‘Catch him, Manhugger!’
    The Manhugger caught him. The other giants spread out quickly in a large circle, each giant about twenty yards from his neighbour, preparing for the game they were going to play. Now the Manhugger threw the BFG high and far, shouting ‘Catch him, Bonecruncher!’
    The Bonecruncher ran forward and caught the tumbling BFG and immediately swung him up again. ‘Catch him, Childchewer!’ he shouted.
    And so it went on. The giants were playing ball with the BFG, vying with each other to see who could throw him the highest. Sophie dug her nails into the sides of the pocket, trying to prevent herself from tumbling out when she was upside down. She felt as though she were in a barrel going over the Niagara Falls. And all the time there was the fearful danger that one of the giants would fail to catch the BFG and he would go crashing to the ground.
     

    ‘Catch him, Meatdripper!’…
    ‘Catch