In a place not so very far away there was town; a very special town. The town itself was not particularly attractive nor for that matter particularly wealthy, but it was a very, very happy town. It was a special town because a very special giant lived there. The giant was not an especially large giant as far as giants go but his good nature and quirky smile managed to brighten the life of each and every inhabitant of the town.

Out of nowhere the giant had simply appeared one early summer’s morning. The villagers were apprehensive at first not knowing quite what to make of him. But it didn’t take long for them to succumb to his disarming smile and casual charming manner. They fell in love with him taking him quickly to their hearts. In fact they were so taken by him that no one had ever bothered to ask him were he had come from; it seemed of little importance.

Almost immediately the giant began to involve himself in every aspect of the town’s life. He would strut about the town with a great big smile and cheerful “hello” to everybody he met, making sure not to miss a single sole. It was important that they all liked him. His manner was so infectious that pretty soon everybody began doing exactly the same. No task or person ever seemed to be able to make him angry, at least not noticeably anyway. His inane jokes rarely made any sense but his sheer exuberance and mannerism made up for it and he always had everybody in fits of laughter.
He was truly a Pleasant Giant!

The Giant adored children and never tired of the same old routines. He would play with them endlessly. With every village child on his back he would crawl around on all fours until he could crawl no more. As a “hide and seek” player he seemed particularly poor for he was always found hiding behind something just a little too small. And see-saw, that was always great fun; the children continually struggled in vain to counter balance his great weight. Story time always provided a great treat. The Giant spoke to them for hours of great heroes and of ordinary men of great journeys and of boring home chores.
He was truly a Gentle Giant!

It was easy for the giant to do those very difficult tasks; those that most townsfolk found almost impossible to do. He could unscrew stubborn jars, mow overgrown lawns, take out the heaviest garbage, clip the dog’s long hair, feed and clean the birds and even drench sheep. If he had a mind to do it that is. And most importantly, he knew just how to consol a distressed child. He would hug them until they could no longer remember what it was that had made them sad.
He was truly a Thoughtful Giant!

The giant was very proud of his appearance and made sure he was always immaculately groomed. For what would the town think of an untidy giant? He was conscious of the fact that his presence was always obvious to the entire town. After all you couldn’t miss him given his size. No matter where or what he was doing he stood out like a beacon so that it was imperative that he was on his best behaviour all of the time.
He was truly a Beautiful Giant!

“Everything has a reason” he would say. And for every question he had an answer. It seemed there was nothing that this giant did not know. Or at least it appeared that way. He explained all those complicated things to them like which way bird nests should face and the best way to catch fish as well as endless other facts. His audiences were often transfixed by his lengthy dissertations on orbits and spin, of valency and bonds and countless other boring things. He attended all the council meetings and listened carefully to every issue. And although, sometimes he appeared half a sleep he would at the end of every argument be able to extract all the relevant facts and then present them along with his own very clever points.
His life’s philosophy was simple: “If meaning has life then life has meaning”.
He was truly a Clever Giant!

Until the townspeople noticed the “SP” monogram on the giants clothing they had always called him “giant”. When asked what the monogram stood for, he responded in a very serious voice “Simply Perfect!” he replied. He waited while they stared at him in disbelief. Then after a lengthy pause he burst out in raptures of laughter – for he had no clue himself.
Unable to ever discern any truth he became known simply as “SP”.
He was truly a Silly Giant!

Unlike SP’s passions which would ebb and flow like a boat tossed around on the ocean his ethics never faltered. He was always true to his word and always spoke his mind regardless of the ramifications. Of himself however he never spoke a word. Interfering in somebody else’s relationship could not be tolerated, for it would cause damage regardless of how lightly one tread. And he never cheated. Though, it is just as possible that he was far too smart to ever be caught.
He was truly an Ethical Giant!

The town quickly recognized SP’s special talents, so they tried to bestow all kinds of benefits on him. They would make him mayor. They would give him the keys to the town. But his response was always the same “I don’t deserve it”. No amount of argument could ever change his point of view. They tried to pay him for his services but he refused. Money had little value in his realm, it couldn’t buy him the things he either needed or wanted. It couldn’t buy him peace of mind! Inexpensive trinkets given out of pure love was what he appreciated the most. The givers happiness always became his own.
He was truly a Modest Giant!

A whole industry had sprung up just to cater for SP. His huge appetite kept the village kitchens going all day with the larders maintained well stocked in case of that unexpected midnight snack. To the town the cost was well worth it. The spinning wheels too had to spin all day. A small army of people were employed in order to provide the yarn and then the cloth to produce SP’s wardrobe of fine clothes. Each item of clothing was always carefully monogrammed with his own personnel insignia. The shoemakers toiled in a labour of love to source the leather and then manufacture SP’s collection of elegant shoes.
Accommodation was provided courtesy of the townsfolk along with the aid of SP. Together they had built a barn of grandiose size. Regardless of its magnitude however, it was still only just large enough to cater for his bed.
He was truly a Loved Giant!

But jealous people from other towns had begun to suggest “He is too good to be true. He must be after something”. At first reluctant the townsfolk slowly began to side with their point of view. “Let’s test his motive. Instead of cajoling him lets ignore him and see how he reacts. We will soon learn what he’s up too”. The townsfolk didn’t agree but then they thought “What harm could there be, SP was so clever that he would immediately see through their innocent ploy.
He was truly an Innocent Giant!

So the townsfolk withdrew their affection and ignored all of SP’s advances. They giggled behind his back and waited in readiness for the inevitable outburst of pious rage. But it never came. For what had been contrived as simple mischievous banter SP had mistaken for derision and spite and instead of confronting it he had tried to bury it inside. It made no sense! But then despair set in and a new reality began to form. Although he couldn’t quite work out how it had to be true. He was obviously the one at fault.
He wasn’t special after all!
He was simply being tolerated.
He was a bad Giant.
He was a wicked Giant.
He didn’t deserve the town.
He had always been a burden and now he had to make it end.
Later that same night he packed his bags and stole away.
He was truly a Depressed Giant!

Overnight, the town reverted back to being an ordinary town again. Now that SP had gone they had realised the folly of their actions. They had been utterly blinded by their passion for him. His presence so overwhelmed them that they had never gotten the chance to actually know him. By losing him they had lost a great deal of their own lives and its meaning. They prayed for his return, but all they ever got were the occasional rumours that he had moved far, far away. Hopefully he had found somewhere were he would not be misunderstood and were he couldn’t misunderstand.
He was truly a Great Giant!