_One should always be willing to help the aged and infirm whether
he is paid for it or not._
Once there was a little boy named Jack who lived near a great wood.
One day while he was picking up sticks in the wood he saw an old
woman bending under a huge bundle of fagots.
“My poor woman,” said Jack, “I will take your bundle for you.”
“Thank you, kind little boy,” answered the old woman, and gave her
bundle to Jack. When they reached the road the old woman gave Jack
her walking stick of thick wood, saying he must use it carefully
for it had the strength of a giant. Then the old woman disappeared.
Jack took the stick and looked at it in wonder. He struck it on the
ground, and lo! it dug a big hole; he struck it on an old stump,
and see! there was nothing there but kindling wood.
“I must be careful what I hit,” said Jack, and went on home with
his bundle of twigs, and the magic stick under his arm.
Now, there was a giant who lived in a cave deep in the woods, of
whom everybody was afraid. He would capture travelers, and it was
said that he would eat them, though nobody had ever seen him. Still
everybody was afraid to go far into the woods for fear of the giant.
Jack was also afraid of the giant, and was ready to run if he
should hear a loud voice. After the old woman gave him the magic
stick he always took it with him, for he could break off twigs and
even branches with a single blow.
One day his little sister went into the woods with him to help
gather wood. They had wandered farther than usual. Suddenly he
heard her scream, and then a great tramping in the bushes. “The
giant has caught my little sister!” said Jack in great alarm, and
seizing his magic stick he ran in the direction of the cry.
He followed the big footsteps through the woods, across streams and
up the mountain side until he came to the door of a cave. The giant
had rolled a big rock in front to close it, but Jack crushed it
with a blow and ran in.
The giant had braced the inside with beams of wood, but Jack broke
them to pieces with one stroke. Far inside the cave he saw the
dreadful giant about to devour his little sister. As the giant
raised his arm Jack’s stick broke it in two. The giant leaped to
his feet and raised his sword with his other arm, but Jack’s stick
broke arm and sword into pieces. The giant roared and rushed at
Jack. Jack hurled the stick at the giant and struck him full in the
face.
So great was the blow that the giant’s head rolled off his
shoulders--rolled out of the cave and down the mountain side, and
may be rolling yet for all we know. At any rate Jack did not wait
to see, for he grabbed his stick, seized his little sister and ran
home as fast as he could.
“I am glad I helped that old woman,” said Jack, “for her stick made
the last of that giant!”