Oh, I was hungry. I stood outside my hut, howling with hunger. I was ready to eat anything, even my own child. Then who do I see coming towards me out of the forest but a man. Not much meat on him, but enough to quiet my groaning belly.

“It is well that you have come, for it has been a long time since I’ve eaten,” I said to the man. “I’ll have you for supper.”

I expected him to at least flinch, but he stood straight as a young tree and said, “I’d rather you didn’t. I don’t like to be eaten; but if you have a wish to eat, I have quite enough here to satisfy you.”

“If that be true, then rest easy,” I said. “I was only going to devour you because I had nothing else to eat.”

To be honest, I’m not that fond of human flesh. I would prefer to have a man join me for supper rather than be my supper. The fellow had an endless supply of food in his bag, and after we had a good meal, he asked me directions to the castle of Stromberg. I’d never heard of it, and so I consulted my maps. Couldn’t find the place, even on the oldest maps in the cupboards upstairs, so we waited for my brother to come home.

Hungry Giant in The Raven, Grimms. Painting by Francisco Goya.