“I’d like to tell you why I returned,” said Oyshwan, “Early this morning, I dreamt that I hadn’t escaped from you last time. In the dream, you came back late in the day, sat down at the table by that lovely window view and prepared to gobble me down.”

“That is a lovely spot, but I was going to do it in the dining room,” said Louise, “What happened next?”

“It was like the sight of you eating the last piece of the last sandwich out here at lunch time that day. Your hand put me gently into your mouth, like you did with that last piece, which didn’t need to be bitten off, as it was small enough to go in your mouth as it was. I was inside your mouth, on your tongue, and then you gobbled me down.”

“Sounds like a happy ending, for me anyway,” said Louise, “I could have used a dream like that myself, after you mysteriously gave me the slip. Still it was sweet of you to come back and tell me about it.”

“It felt very exciting for me in the dream,” said Oyshwan, “But I also had a sense that I was enjoying it. The dream ended somewhere deep down in the darkness of your throat. So I never dreamt what it might have been like being in your tummy. Yet I awoke, thrilled by the whole experience. When I escaped you, I didn’t expect it would be like that. You’ve stirred up something in me that I wasn’t fully aware of until now, Mrs Louise. I suppose, at the very least, I came back to thank you.”

“And at the very most?” she asked.

“I came to say that maybe I shouldn’t have run out on you. If you give me another chance, I’m sure I could still be a nice dinner for you.”

“Of course I’d still like you for dinner. I admire you for coming back and telling me all this,” said Louise, “I could eat you tonight, if you like.”

“That sounds perfect,” said Oyshwan.

“It’s a date then,” said Louise, “The only problem is getting you down from that tree.”

“Could you catch me in your hands?” he asked.

“That might be a bit jarring for you, if you jump from that height,” said Louise, “Why don’t we try something a little more creative?”

She walked over and stood below his branch, pulling up the bottom of her dress front, and holding it out like a safety net.

“You could jump into there,” she said.

“Geronimo!” said Oyshwan, and stepped off the branch into a great many feet of fresh Brobdingnag air, to land softly in her dress.

Keeping it in her hands, she sat down on the grass, lowering his portion of the dress gently to the ground, and was then able to take him in her hand.

“Where’s your teleportation machine?” she asked, “You won’t be needing it after I’ve eaten you, and I’d find it very useful for making visits to England. I’ve used a rather roundabout way of getting there and here in the past.”