NEXT UP! 1 24 ‘You do unless you is wanting to become so thin you will be disappearing into a thick ear.’ ‘Into thin air,’ Sophie said. ‘A thick ear is something quite different.’ Once again that sad winsome look came into the BFG’s eyes. ‘Words,’ he said, ‘is oh such a twitch-tickling problem to me all my life. So you must simply try to be patient and stop squibbling. As I am telling you before, I know exactly what words I am wanting to say, but somehow or other they is always getting squiff-squiddled around.’ ‘That happens to everyone,’ Sophie said. ‘Not like it happens to me,’ the BFG said. ‘I is speaking the most terrible wigglish.’ ‘I think you speak beautifully,’ Sophie said. ‘You do?’ cried the BFG, suddenly brightening. ‘You really do?’ ‘Simply beautifully,’ Sophie repeated. ‘Well, that is the nicest present anybody is ever giving me in my whole life!’ cried the BFG. ‘Are you sure you is not twiddling my leg?’ ‘Of course not,’ Sophie said. ‘I just love the way you talk.’ ‘How wondercrump!’ cried the BFG, still beaming. ‘How whoopsey-splunkers! How absolutely squiffling! I is all of a stutter.’ ‘Listen,’ Sophie said. ‘We don’t have to eat snozzcumbers. In the fields around our village there are all sorts of lovely vegetables like cauliflowers and carrots. Why don’t you get some of those next time you go visiting?’ The BFG raised his great head proudly in the air. ‘I is a very honourable giant,’ he said. ‘I would rather be chewing up rotsome snozzcumbers than snitching things from other people.’ ‘You stole me,’ Sophie said. ‘I did not steal you very much,’ said the BFG, smiling gently. ‘After all, you is only a tiny little girl.’ […] winsome – sjarmerandi patient – þolinmóður to brighten – að lýsa upp to twiddle – hér: snúa to beam – skína a stutter – stam a cauliflower – blómkál proudly – með stolti honourable – heiðvirður gently – varlega Quentin Saxby Blake (born 1932) is a British illustrator, cartoonist and author of children’s books. He is perhaps best known for his illustrations in Roald Dahl’s books, but he has illustrated more than 300 books by several authors, including his own.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjIxNzc=