Wait! Don't Go! (Soft g)

This is Sen, and he is not your average boy. Well, normal for a giant! Sen and his family live in a huge cave underground, near the edge of a village. They do not come out often. But today, Sen wants to explore. He grips the rocky edges of the cave and crawls out, eyes wide with excitement. The world above is bright and strange, and Sen cannot wait to see it all!

Not far from the cave, three village children are playing near the edge of the woods. Kem spots something strange moving in the distance. 'Look!' he whispers. They all crouch behind the thick green hedge and peek out through the leaves. Lan's eyes go wide. 'What is that?' she asks. Through the leaves, they can see something enormous coming their way.

Sen trudges into the village, grinning from ear to gigantic ear. Then he spots something wonderful by a cottage, with two wheels, a seat, and shiny yellow handles. 'Ooooh!' Sen gasps, since he has never seen such a gadget before. He gives it a gentle pat, gentle for a giant, and waves at the empty street. 'Hello? Anybody? I am very friendly!'

The children have been watching from behind their hedge. Kem, the oldest, shrinks back at the sight of the giant so close to their home. "Is it a monster?" he says. Suddenly, the giant grins wide and presses his huge hand down on one of their bikes. The wheel crunches flat beneath his palm as he laughs with delight. "Oh no! He's smashing our bike! Run!" Kem shouts.

Kem grabs the bike and charges toward the village house, with the others scrambling after him. 'Wait! Don't go!' Sen calls. But a giant's voice is huge. His shout rattles the windows and sends pigeons screaming from the trees, and the children run even faster. Sen stands alone in the yard, fist clenched, and not one child turns around.

Sen looks down at his huge hands. Those same hands had bent the bike like a twig. 'I just wanted to play,' he says. His voice comes out tiny, smaller than a mouse, smaller than a whisper, which sounds strange coming from someone so big. Then giant tears roll down his cheeks and splash on the ground like buckets of rain.

Inside the house, the children huddle together. They hear a strange noise outside, like heavy rain falling on the village. "Is it raining?" asks Lan. Kem edges toward the door. "I wonder if he has gone," he says. He wants to check, but he is not brave enough yet.

After a while, Kem slips outside and sits by the edge of the house. He holds the broken bike wheel in his hands and looks toward the woods. The giant boy is out there somewhere, crying. "He is not a monster," Kem says. His voice is gentle. "I think he is just a boy. A giant boy who wanted to play with us."

Kem can see Sen now, sitting on the grass at the edge of the woods with his face buried in his huge hands. With every sob, the trees shake and leaves swirl through the air. "He is really upset," Kem says. "The giant just wanted to make friends. I should go and talk to him."

Kem sets the wheel down and walks toward Sen. 'Hey there! I'm Kem. What's your name?' he calls in a gentle voice. Sen lifts his large head and looks at Kem sadly. 'I am Sen. I am sorry I broke your bike,' he says. Kem smiles up at him. 'Don't worry about it.'

'Would you like to play with me and my friends?' asks Kem. Sen's mouth opens in a huge grin, and his eyes squeeze shut with joy. His fists clench as he tries not to jump and shout. This is just what he wished for back in his giant cave. A wild dance might scare his gentle new friend, so he holds still. 'Yes, I would love to,' says Sen.

After a long day of playing, Sen takes his new friends back to the giant cave. Inside, there is a big feast of food piled high on every ledge. "Wow, there is so much food here!" Kem says from up on Sen's shoulder. Lan stands on a rock, arms raised with excitement. "Have as much as you like," says Sen. "You are my friends now, and I am so glad I found you!"