Facing a Giant

It was a bright day in the middle of the path I was walking on. I was on a journey to a distant land and I had found myself deep in a cavern valley, the wall high around me and a deep river running next to me. The shrubbery grew only up to my waist, meaning there was little shade and little covering. I was tired and was looking for the way out of this cavern. That’s when there I saw it—a giant—standing in the way of the path, guarding the crossing out. It was big and ugly and had the meanest face, resembling somewhat of a man but with only in the vaguest of resemblances. Over three times my height, it stood there on the lookout for anyone who would dare cross its path. It’s clothes were of good quality but not fully put together, like it stole a few rich men’s clothes and joined them all together to fit for himself. It wore armor and a helmet but even through its helmet, I could still see its eyes, its beady, red, evil eyes.

And those eyes darted over to where I was walking, so I quickly ducked behind a bush to avoid it noticing me. I crouched there, behind that bush, frozen. What was I to do? I couldn’t challenge it, I couldn’t take it on, it was huge and ugly and mean and there was no way I could ever get past it. But there also was no way that I was able to get out of this cavern without going past it—I was stuck.

Could giants be reasoned with, I wondered. Could they be bargained into moving? Or was the only way to stand and fight? My heart raced at the thought, to face down something that evil and menacing frightened me. They said giants were in these parts, why did I still choose to go this way? I could have easily avoided this!

I crawled out from behind my bush to get a better vantage point. Maybe, if I ran fast enough, it wouldn’t see me and I could get past its legs. But I knew that wouldn’t be possible. It was too on guard and too much on the lookout. Accepting momentary defeat, I sat and stayed off to the side of road, waiting for an opportunity to open. I knew that there was no impossible thing that could stand in my way, especially on the path I was traveling. I knew at one point or another, my path would open up and my way would be made clear.

Hours later, I saw my window. There was a bird that was flying by. And not just any bird, an eagle. I watched the bird, and as it veered off course and swoop down. I realized that it was set on attacking the giant. It swooped down and starting clawing at its face, pecking its eyes.

It was now or never! But as I ran out and saw the giant again, I froze. I couldn’t do this, it was three times my height! But I knew that bird was sent there to help me, sent there to help. I didn’t even have any weapons on me, so I grabbed my bag and used it as shield as I faced down this giant.

I ran towards it and even though the eagle was attacking it head, it still saw me coming. It tried to fend off both threats and tried to run towards me to stomp me with its feet. But I darted left and I darted right and I continued to run forward. It tried to reach down and swat at a me, but I dodged its hand and was able to give a shove from behind that put it off-balance. The eagle then took one last dive towards the giant and I saw my opportunity—I took a turn near the river and the river’s edge. It reached towards me and the eagle started to claw at its eye. As it reached back to stop the eagle, it lost its balance and fell straight into the river! The river was rushing hard through the cavern and with a blink of an eye, the giant was swept away down the river.

I stood there at the river’s edge in shock, still looking at where the giant had fallen into the water. I looked up and saw the eagle looking at me, almost as if he was aware of what happened. But maybe I was just seeing things because before I knew it, the eagle was already flying away, most likely off to look for his next meal.

So I picked up my bag I dropped back where the giant had been and dusted myself off. I looked behind me at the cavern I had come out of and towards the newly opened path out. I had never expected for this to have been the journey I ended up on, but somehow I knew it was the journey I needed. I really had faced a giant, and won. Now, there was nothing I couldn’t do.