She took one of the mysterious seeds and tossed it into the pond.  Sweat was pouring down her face.  I hope this works, she thought.  The thunder of footsteps boomed in the distance.  Please, please work!

Suddenly the pond began to bubble and churn.  Fish, frogs and crawdads floated belly-up to the surface.  The ground shook as the giants topped the hill.  They stood like mountains against the sky.  She gulped, muttering pleas and prayers and threw the remaining seeds into the pond. 

Carrots the size of tree trunks rolled in the boiling gray water.  Stalks of celery resembling pale green canoes battled the fast moving current.  Long strips of tomato arched gracefully and then curled back under like a pod of red whales breaking for air.  The steam coming off the pond smelled so good that her stomach let out a growl that rivaled the harshest retort of any giant. 

They came closer, eyes closed and snuffling the air, the scent of the stew leading them.  Fat drops of saliva rained down all around her.  She retreated to the cave and smiled as they drained the pond to the last drop, shrinking seeds and all.

© 2008 Julie Hartman. Original for CCF  (Hartman grants CCF  first electronic rights for one month; CCF may archive the material indefinitely and include it in an eBook anthology).