Grandgousier

How Gargantua was carried eleven months in his mother's belly.

Grandgousier was a good fellow in his time, and notable jester.

He loved to drink neat as much as any man that then was in the world, and would willingly eat salt meat.

To this intent he was ordinarily well furnished with gammons of bacon, both of Westphalia, Mayence, and Bayonne.

Chapter Six: How Gargantua Was Born in a Strange Manner.

Whilst they were on this discourse and pleasant tattle of drinking, Gargamelle began to be a little unwell in her lower parts.

Whereupon Grandgousier arose from off the grass and fell to comfort her very honestly and kindly, suspecting that she was in travail, and told her that it was best for her to sit down upon the grass under the willows, because she was like very shortly to see young feet.

And that therefore it was convenient she should pluck up her spirits and take a good heart of new at the fresh arrival of her baby.

Chapter three: How Gargantua was carried eleven months in his mother's belly.

Grandgousier was a good fellow in his time, and notable jester.

He loved to drink neat, as much as any man that then was in the world, and would willingly eat salt meat.

To this intent he was ordinarily well furnished with gammons of bacon, both of Westphalia, Mayence, and Bayonne, with store of dried neat's tongues, plenty of links, chitterlings, and puddings in their season, together with salt beef and mustard, a good deal of hard rose of powdered mullet called bottargos, great provision of sausages, not of Bologna, for he feared the Lombard Boccone, but of Bigarre, Longoni, Braine, and Rouargues.

Translated by Sir Thomas Urquhart.

Chapter six: How Gargantua was born in a strange manner.

Whilst they were on this discourse and pleasant tattle of drinking, Gargamelle began to be a little unwell in her lower parts; whereupon Grandgousier arose from off the grass and fell to comfort her very honestly and kindly, suspecting that she was in travail, and told her that it was best for her to sit down upon the grass under the willows, because she was like very shortly to see young feet, and that therefore it was convenient she should pluck up her spirits and take a good heart of new at the fresh arrival of her baby.

Saying to her withal that although the pain was somewhat grievous to her, it would be but of short continuance.

There are so many of them that I would soon grow tired of giving, and you of hearing, even their names.

All that we care about knowing is that, in a straight line from Hertali, the giant who rode on the Blessed Ark, the fifty-fourth was Grandgousier, who was the father of Gargantua, who in his turn was the father of Pantagruel.

These are the three giants whose story I am about to tell, two of whom will prove more wonderful heroes than are to be read of either in ancient or modern history.

End of chapter one.

Three Good Giants by François Rabelais.

Gargantua is born.

King Grandgousier, the fifty-seventh in a straight line from Chalbroth, the first giant, was a jovial king in his day.

Although a giant, he was the pink of politeness and kindly feeling.

How Gargantua was carried eleven months in his mother's belly.

Grandgousier was a good fellow in his time, and notable jester.

He loved to drink neat as much as any man that then was in the world, and would willingly eat salt meat.

To this intent he was ordinarily well furnished with gammons of bacon, both of Westphalia, Mayence, and Bayonne, with store of dried neat's tongues, plenty of links, chitterlings, and puddings in their season, together with salt beef and mustard, a good deal of hard rows of powdered mullet called bottargos, great provision of sausages, not of Bologna, for he feared the Lombard boccone, but of Bigarre, Longoni, Braine, and Rouargues.

It was therefore concluded that they should be all of them gulched up without losing anything.

To this effect, they invited all the burghers of Senay, of Souille, of the Rosse Clairmaraude, of Valgadrie, without omitting the Caudray, Monpensier, the Gue de Vade, and other neighbors, all stiff drinkers, brave fellows, and good players at the kyles.

The good man Grandgousier took great pleasure in their company and commanded there should be no want nor pinching for anything.

Nevertheless, he bade his wife eat sparingly because she was near her time and that these tripes were no very commendable meat.

Queen Gargamelle liked to be in the open air and see games of ninepins and ball and leapfrog played by nimble men and women.

And Grangousier at such games was always found seated at her side like a good husband, seeming to enjoy them as much as she did.

At last, one fine day, a little boy was born to them.

He must have been a wonderful baby, because just as soon as he was born, instead of crying, "Me, me, me," as any other baby would have done, he shouted out at the top of his lungs, "Drink, drink, drink!" There never were such lungs as his, everybody said.

The old doctor himself and the three wise old women who were there all declared that he had the biggest throat ever known, not even accepting his father's.

Now it happened that of all the days of the year, the very day the royal herald proclaimed with flourish of trumpets for the famous Feast of Tripes was the very day on which the baby prince was born.

When the great news was carried to King Grangousier, who was drinking and making merry with his friends, that he had a son and that the young prince was already bawling for his drink, his joy almost choked him, and he could only find breath to say in French, "Qui grand' tua," meaning, "What a big throat thou hast." Everybody, including Queen Gargamelle when she heard of it, the family doctor, and the three old wise women laughed at this joke of the king and declared that it was the very best name that could be given to the royal babe.

From that moment, they began, when talking to him or speaking of him, to call him Little Prince Qui Grand' Tua.

How Gargantua was carried eleven months in his mother's belly.

Grandgousier was a good fellow in his time and notable jester.

He loved to drink neat as much as any man that then was in the world and would willingly eat salt meat.

To this intent, he was ordinarily well furnished with gammons of bacon, both of Westphalia, Mayence, and Bayonne, with store of dried neat's tongues, plenty of links, chitterlings, and puddings in their season, together with salt beef and mustard, a good deal of hard rows of powdered mullet called bottargos, great provision of sausages, not of Bologna, for he feared the Lombard boccone, but of Bigarre, Longoni, Braine, and Rouergue.

It was therefore concluded that they should be all of them gulched up without losing anything.

To this effect, they invited all the burghers of Senez, of Souil, of the Rosclermaud, of Vaugadry, without omitting the Caudray, Monpensier, the Gue devaid, and other neighbors, all stiff drinkers, brave fellows, and good players at the kyles.

The good man Grandgousier took great pleasure in their company, and commanded there should be no want nor pinching for anything.

Nevertheless, he bade his wife eat sparingly because she was near her time, and that these tripes were no very commendable meat.