(A) Now I will tell you a story. There lived a young boy named Nick. He would sing and whistle nearly all day. He was as merry as a lark. One day Nick went out taking a walk in the forest, at some distance from his home. When he reached a clear stream he felt very thirsty and bent down to drink water. But, just at that moment, he was suddenly seized and found himself in the hands of a fierce giant, a hundred times bigger than himself. For some time the giant held Nick in his big hands, and looked at (a) him with great delight.
(B) Nick was very miserable, for he had never before been deprived of his liberty. He dashed backward and forward in his prisonhouse, but he could not escape. (b) He thought of his own pleasant home, his companions, the sunlight, the trees, and the flowers. He screamed and tried to get out between the iron bars, but he only tore himself, and all in vain. In a moment, the giant came again to the prison.
(C) He then put him into a large bag, and carried (c) him away. Poor Nick, who was in great fear, did all he could do to escape from his cruel captor. He tried to tear the bag, but the giant only laughed at (d) him. At last, the giant came to his own house with a high wall all around it, and no trees, nor flowers. He put Nick into a prison. It was quite a dark room, with iron bars all around it.
(D) He told Nick to sing, the same as he did when he was in his own home. “Sing! sing! sing!” said he, “Why don’t you sing?” But Nick was too sad to sing. Who could sing in a prison! At length the giant grew very angry, and took Nick out of the prison to make him sing. (e) He shook him, and then ordered him to sing. Nick felt terrified while missing whatever he enjoyed with freedom at his home. Now I will tell you who they were. Nick was a little bird and that giant was a cruel boy