The gentle giant

Authors: Antonis Charalambous, Stavros Nikola and

 Anna-Maria Evagorou

Talis Project: Tales from Cyprus, Nigeria and Kenya

Once upon a time, in a peaceful little island called Cyprus, a very big and strong man used to live there. That man didn’t have a place to live, so he often lived in caves under the cold weather of the mountains. Because he didn’t have any friends he slept all day and only got out of the cave in order to find food. He mainly ate loquat* and other fruits from the trees because he respected the other creatures of the forest and he thought that maybe they would notice his kindness and try to become friends with him.

One day, that started like all the others, with the giant sleeping in his cave, he felt some loud noises coming from under the mountain. Shaken from the tremors, he woke up and with his big nostrils smelled smoke. And where there is smoke, there is usually a fire. With that in mind, the big giant went outside and saw a horde of ships approaching the island. From the ships, a distinct sound could be heard, the sound of drums being aggressively pounded on. The primal instincts of the giant kicked in and he immediately realised that the island was in grave danger. In a bid to save the island and his forest friends, with one huge swing of his arm, he grabbed the very top of the high mountain and with one giant leap of his legs he jumped to the shore where the ships were coming from. Prepared to sacrifice himself in order to save the island, he threw a giant rock against the horde of ships, destroying almost all of their fleet. The rest, terrified by the power and courage shown by the giant, they turned their ships around and as they fled, a loud voice could be heard from the shore saying: “I won’t let anyone hurt my friends or my home. Go, and never come back!”.

The giant, exhausted from the fight, returned to the mountain and went once again to sleep in his cave. But, this time, he wasn’t alone. All the other creatures were there, waiting for him, so he wouldn’t sleep alone anymore. And the giant, for the first time felt loved. He then gently placed his arms around all his friends and they slept together for the rest of times.

Even today, the marks of the giant’s hand from when he grabbed onto the mountain can be seen from afar, and the rock he threw to the enemy ships is still there, at the shore of Paphos, reminding everyone of the great giant that saved the island.

*loquat: a traditional yellow cypriot plant with a sweet taste