Once upon a time there lived in Cornwall, England, a lad whose name
was Jack, and who was very brave and knowing. At the same time there
was a great Giant, twenty feet high and nine feet round, who lived in
a cave, on an island near Jack's house. The Giant used to wade to the
mainland and steal things to live upon, carrying five or six bullocks
at once, and stringing sheep, pigs, and geese around his waist-band;
and all the people ran away from him in fear, whenever they saw him
coming.
Jack determined to destroy this Giant; so he got a pickaxe and
shovel, and started in his boat on a dark evening; by the morning he
had dug a pit deep and broad, then covering it with sticks and
strewing a little mould over, to make it look like plain ground, he
blew his horn so loudly that the Giant awoke, and came roaring
towards Jack, calling him a villain for disturbing his rest, and
declaring he would eat him for breakfast. He had scarcely said this
when he fell into the pit. "Oh! Mr. Giant," says Jack, "where are you
now? You shall have this for your breakfast." So saying, he struck
him on the head so terrible blow with his pickaxe that the Giant fell
dead to the bottom.
Just at this moment, the Giant's brother ran out roaring vengeance
against Jack; but he jumped into his boat and pulled to the opposite
shore, with the Giant after him, who caught poor Jack, just as he was
landing, tied him down in his boat, and went in search of his
provisions. During his absence, Jack contrived to cut a large hole in
the bottom of the boat, and placed therein a piece of canvas. After
having stolen some oxen, the Giant returned and pushed off the boat,
when, having got fairly out to sea, Jack pulled the canvas from the
hole, which caused the boat to fill and quickly capsize. The Giant
roared and bellowed as he struggled in the water, but was very soon
exhausted and drowned, while Jack dexterously swam ashore.
One day after this, Jack was sitting by a well fast asleep. A Giant
named Blundebore, coming for water, at once saw and caught hold of
him, and carried him to his castle. Jack was much frightened at
seeing the heaps of bodies and bones strewed about. The Giant then
confined him in an upper room over the entrance, and went for another
Giant to breakfast off poor Jack. On viewing the room, he saw some
strong ropes, and making a noose at one end, he put the other through
a pulley which chanced to be over the window, and when the Giants
were unfastening the gate he threw the noose over both their heads,
and pulling it immediately, he contrived to choke them both. Then
releasing three ladies who were confined in the castle, he departed
well pleased.
About five or six months after, Jack was journeying through Wales,
when, losing his way, he could find no place of entertainment, and
was about giving up all hopes of obtaining shelter during the night
when he came to a gate, and, on knocking, to his utter astonishment
it was opened by a Giant, who did not seem so fierce as the others.
Jack told him his distress, when the Giant invited him in, and, after
giving him a hearty supper, showed him to bed. Jack had scarcely got
into bed when he heard the Giant muttering to himself:
"Though you lodge with me this night,
You shall not see the morning light;
My club shall dash your brains out quite."
"Oh, Mr. Giant, is that your game?" said Jack to himself; "then I
shall try and be even with you." So he jumped out of bed and put a
large lump of wood there instead. In the middle of the night the
Giant went into the room, and thinking it was Jack in the bed, he
belaboured the wood most unmercifully; he then left the room,
laughing to think how he had settled poor Jack. The following morning
Jack went boldly into the Giant's room to thank him for the night's
lodging. The Giant was startled at his appearance, and asked him how
he slept, or if anything had disturbed him in the night? "Oh, no,"
says Jack, "nothing worth speaking about: I believe that a rat gave
me a few slaps with his tail, but, being rather sleepy, I took no
notice of it." The Giant wondered how Jack survived the terrific
blows of his club, yet did not answer a word, but went and brought in
two monstrous bowls of hasty pudding, placed one before Jack, and
began eating the other himself. Determined to be revenged on the
Giant somehow, Jack unbuttoned his leather provision bag inside his
coat, and slyly filling it with hasty pudding, said, "I'll do what
you can't." So saying, he took up a large knife, and ripping up the
bag, let out the hasty pudding. The Giant, determined not to be
outdone, seized hold of the knife, and saying, "I can do that,"
instantly ripped up his belly, and fell down dead on the spot.
After this Jack fought and conquered many giants, married the king's
daughter and lived happily.
[Illustration: Jack Climbing Beanstalk.]