Her laughter was joy. When Susanna laughed, it was as if ten thousand glass jars filled with fond memories and happy moments were crashing to the ground and being released into the world.

It was magic.

"I'm going to have to give you a name, you know." Susanna said to the little man resting in her palm.

"If you wish," he answered. He never had a name before and he had done well enough without one until now. However, he understood the convenience of the idea, and the more he considered it the more he found it appealing.

"Is there any name you prefer?"

"I don't know of any," he confessed. "The only name I know is 'Susanna.' I like the name, but perhaps it might be confusing..."

"Ha! Susanna is a girl's name, and yes, it would be very confusing," she said. "Let me think..." She began brainstorming ideas, thinking through the great multitude of potential names, nixing the ones that belonged to any of her relatives, ex-boyfriends, or dogs. "How about Jeffrey?"

He thought about it for a moment. "If that is what you wish to call me..." he said, sounding unconvinced.

"What's wrong with Jeffrey?" she asked. "Oh, I suppose you're not a Jeffrey. What about Brian? Felix?" With each suggestion, Susanna was coming to realize that she was not the best at naming people. She often named rocks and trees, but those were different. A person's name was much more permanent. It mattered. It need time and thought and consideration. "Let me think about it. I'll get back to you."

"Certainly," said her still nameless friend. He was losing interest anyway and was wandering away from her palm and up Susanna's forearm. While harmless, his little boots were tickling her and her body started to shake as she tried to hold in her giggles. It became near impossible as she watched him trying to maintain his balance on her arm, ultimately failing and falling to the surface of her dress below. He bounced on contact and landed square on his rump unharmed.

Susanna could no longer contain herself and broke out into laughter. "I thought you could fly!" she said in between laughs.

"It, uh...well, it doesn't quite work that way," he said as he picked himself up, trying his best to maintain some dignity. While the cotton of her dress was very soft and comfortable, it was very difficult for him to stand. He wobbled around with difficulty while trying to find his balance. He eventually stopped trying and just sat back down.

"Of course it doesn't," spoke Susanna's smiling face, looming sixty feet above him. "For a man no taller than my thumb, you are full of mysteries. I'll have you know that I am very intrigued."

Susanna undoubtedly had many unanswered questions, but the day was still young. She was still enchanted by the flourishing garden in bloom around her and she wondered how much her new friend had to do with it. Just what was he capable of?

Without warning, the calm of the moment was abruptly broken.

The little man, still resting in Susanna's lap, leapt to his feet and into a defensive stance, his eyes darting around to find the source of the great roar that had just pierced the air. There were not many predators in the woods of Cairnbridge. It was possible that a cougar had wandered into the area from the mountains in the north, but one had not been seen in a hundred years. Whatever it was, it caused Susanna's body to tremble.

"Don't be afraid, Susanna! We are safe in this glade," he said, somewhat reassuringly, though there was a hint of fear in his voice. It was true that this was a safe haven, but should something happen...how could he protect her? Despite his size, he was determined to do whatever he could and more.

He was about to take off into the air and scout out the area before the voice above him replied:

"Um...actually, I'm not really afraid," Susanna said, biting her lip bashfully.

"Your courage is admirable, Susanna.  But your lack of concern is...well, I'm not sure if I understand," he said with wariness mingled with confusion.

Once again, he could hear the beast's growling roar echoing through the air, shaking Susanna's very body. He glanced around.  It sounded closer--very close.  He craned his neck upwards to check on Susanna. Her cheeks were as red as the roses nearby and she wore a face of embarrassment.

"Susanna?  Are you okay?"

"Like I said, I'm not afraid," Susanna explained. "I'm...hungry."

It finally dawned on him. The beast had been located and it was right in front of him. It was Susanna's stomach.

"Oh," said the man, mostly relieved.

Out of great curiosity, he carefully walked up her dress to the vast wall that was Susannah's abdomen. He did not have to put his ear to it to hear her belly rumbling and gurgling, informing its woman that it needed to be fed. How large could it be that it would make such a loud noise? Of course, he did not wonder such a thing out loud, lest he embarrass Susanna further. And yet, his mind could not help but consider that to his eyes, her stomach would be a great cavern that would fit him five times over...a cavern that he did not wish to explore. She is going to need a lot of food to fill it, he thought.

"Well, then," he said, trying to divert his thoughts away and regain his focus. "Let's fix that, shall we?"

Susannah smiled and nodded in agreement.

"I actually planned ahead, thinking that you might be desirous of some food when you awoke."

"Well, you were right!" replied Susanna. "I'm absolutely starved. After all, I fainted before eating dinner yesterday." She had intended on eating in the town after her walk. Cairnbridge Manor was vacant at this time of year and she was the only one there. These days, it was all but a summer home for her cousins. She did not particularly like that branch of her family and would rather avoid them when she could. Besides, she much preferred visiting Cairnbridge in the spring.

The little friend pointed to a patch of daisies. "Look there behind you and you'll find some food."

"Well, those daisies are absolutely lovely! But...am I to eat them?"

He laughed and explained, "No, look behind them."

Susanna stood up, which was the first time that morning actually. Stretching her legs, she made her way through the lilies and azaleas. She stooped down and looked through the daisy patch. Sure enough, she found a basket! It was made from twigs and leaves and long blades of grass, woven together in resemblance to a bird's nest. Inside, she found it filled with all sorts of delicious-looking berries and a variety of nuts. There was even a honeycomb there, dripping with its sweet nectar!

"This all looks amazing!" exclaimed Susanna. "Where did you get all of this?"

"I found it!" he said proudly. "Well, I gathered it, that is. It did not take me long. The forest is bountiful, if you know to look in the right places."

"Even the honeycomb?"

"Ah yes. Well, that one...proved difficult," he said, the look on his eyes attesting to the truth of his story. "I do not have many friends among the bees..."

"Well, then I am especially thankful. You are very generous.  I cannot wait to try these blueberries!" Susanna was truly giddy with enthusiasm. She carried the basket back to her patch of grass, which was still flattened to the ground in the shape of her sleeping form. Sitting back down, she lightly kissed the man on his head to demonstrate her appreciation.

Under normal circumstances, Susanna was very dainty and ladylike, raised by her mother to maintain proper manners, especially at the dinner table. However, her mother was not here and with no offense meant to her friend, she doubted that the little man of the forest knew the rules of etiquette. On top of that, she was famished and her mouth salivated at the thought of tasting the ambrosial selection before her.

She scooped a handful of blueberries into her hand and lifted them to her mouth. Blueberries were a childhood favorite of hers. Just as she did back then, she allowed them roll out of the cup of her hand, seemingly of their own volition, tumbling over her lips and onto her anxiously awaiting tongue.

"MMMmmm..." Susanna sounded with satisfaction. The taste of those berries would be an experience she would remember for a very long time. Future blueberries would have the daunting challenging of having to be compared to these. They were very plump and sweet and succulent and had no tartness or bitterness to them at all.

The blueberries were even juicier than she anticipated. They burst under very little pressure and filled her mouth with their sweet liquid, causing a little stream of blueberry juice to seep out of the corners of her mouth and dribble down her chin.

These were good berries.

Licking her lips, Susanna eagerly reached down for another handful when she noticed her little friend standing on the ground and staring up at her with wide eyes and his mouth agape. He did not mean to stare, but he was simply in awe. It took him a few bites to eat just one of those berries, and by then he would be quite satiated. After all, one blueberry came up to his knees. But he had just witnessed this woman consume about a dozen of them--a mere handful for her-- and she was looking for more! He was not disgusted by any means; he was truly amazed.

"Oh...I'm sorry," Susanna said, sheepishly. Perhaps she had gone too far in rejecting propriety. "I guess I was a little too...enthusiastic?"

He snapped out of his stare and quickly apologized. "Oh no, my apologies! I didn't mean to stare. Please don't feel ashamed! I'm glad you're enjoying them," he said, taking another bite of the walnut he had been nibbling on.

"Well...just so you know: this is the best breakfast I have had in a very long time." She reached back into the basket to continue her meal, eyeing the honey before remembering something. "Oh, and one more thing..."

"Yes?"

"I thought of a name for you."

"Really? Tell me!" he said with barely contained enthusiasm.

"Vincent."