[From a Chap–book printed and sold in Aldermary Churchyard, London.
Probable date, 1780.]
In the reign of King Arthur, near to the Land’s End of England, in the
County of Cornwall, lived a wealthy farmer, who had a son named Jack.
He was brisk and of a ready wit, so that whatever he could not perform
by force and strength he completed by wit and policy. Never was any
person heard of that could worst him. Nay, the very learned many times
he has baffled by his cunning and sharp inventions.
In those days the Mount of Cornwall was kept by a large and monstrous
giant of eighteen feet high, and about three yards in circumference, of
a fierce and grim countenance, the terror of the neighbouring towns and
villages.
His habitation was in a cave in the midst of the Mount. Never would
he suffer any living creature to keep near him. His feeding was on
other men’s cattle, which often became his prey, for whenever he
wanted food, he would wade over to the mainland, where he would well
furnish himself with whatever he could find, for the people at his
approach would all forsake their habitations. Then would he seize upon
their cows and oxen, of which he would think nothing to carry over
upon his back half a dozen at one time; and as for their sheep and
boys, he would tie them round his waist like a bunch of candles. This
he practised for many years, so that a great part of the county of
Cornwall was very much impoverished by him.
Jack having undertaken to destroy this voracious monster, he furnished
himself with a horn, a shovel, and a pickaxe, and over to the mount
he went in the beginning of a dark winter’s evening, where he fell to
work, and before morning had dug a pit twenty–two feet deep, and in
width nearly the same, and covering it over with sticks and straw, and
then strewing a little mould over it, it appeared like plain ground.
Then, putting his horn to his mouth, he blew tan–tivy, tan–tivy, which
noise awoke the giant, who came roaring towards Jack, crying out—
“You incorrigible villain, you shall pay dearly for disturbing me, for
I will broil you for my breakfast.”
These words were no sooner spoke, but he tumbled headlong into the pit,
and the heavy fall made the foundation of the Mount to shake.
“O Mr. Giant, where are you now? Oh, faith, you are gotten into Lob’s
Pound, where I will surely plague you for your threatening words. What
do you think now of broiling me for your breakfast? Will no other diet
serve you but poor Jack?”
Having thus spoken and made merry with him a while, he struck him such
a blow on the crown with his pole–axe that he tumbled down, and with a
groan expired. This done, Jack threw the dirt in upon him and so buried
him. Then, searching the cave, he found much treasure.
Now when the magistrates who employed Jack heard that the job was over,
they sent for him, declaring that he should be henceforth called Jack
the Giant Killer, and in honour thereof presented him with a sword and
an embroidered belt, upon which these words were written in letters of
gold—
“Here’s the valiant Cornish man,
Who slew the giant, Cormoran.”
The news of Jack’s victory was soon spread over the western parts, so
that another giant, called Old Blunderbore, hearing of it, vowed to be
revenged on Jack, if it ever was his fortune to light on him. The giant
kept an enchanted castle situated in the midst of a lonesome wood.
About four months after as Jack was walking by the borders of this
wood, on his journey towards Wales, he grew weary, and therefore sat
himself down by the side of a pleasant fountain, when a deep sleep
suddenly seized him. At this time the giant, coming there for water,
found him, and by the lines upon his belt immediately knew him to be
Jack, who had killed his brother giant. So, without any words, he took
him upon his shoulder to carry him to his enchanted castle. As he
passed through a thicket, the jostling of the boughs awoke Jack, who,
finding himself in the clutches of the giant was very much surprised,
though it was but the beginning of his terrors, for, entering the walls
of the castle, he found the floor strewn and the walls covered with the
skulls and bones of dead men, when the giant told him his bones should
enlarge the number of what he saw. He also told him that the next day
he would eat him with pepper and vinegar, and he did not question but
that he would find him a curious breakfast. This said, he locks up poor
Jack in an upper room, leaving him there while he went out to fetch
another giant who lived in the same wood, that he also might partake of
the pleasure they should have in the destruction of honest Jack. While
he was gone dreadful shrieks and cries affrighted Jack, especially a
voice which continually cried—
“Do what you can to get away,
Or you’ll become the giant’s prey;
He’s gone to fetch his brother who
Will likewise kill and torture you.”
This dreadful noise so affrighted poor Jack, that he was ready to run
distracted. Then, going to a window he opened the casement, and beheld
afar off the two giants coming.
“So now,” quoth Jack to himself, “my death or deliverance is at hand.”
There were two strong cords in the room by him, at the end of which
he made a noose, and as the giants were unlocking the iron gates, he
threw the ropes over the giants’ heads, and then threw the other end
across a beam, when he pulled with all his might till he had throttled
them. Then, fastening the ropes to a beam, he returned to the window,
where he beheld the two giants black in the face, and so sliding down
the ropes, he came upon the heads of the helpless giants, who could
not defend themselves, and, drawing his own sword, he slew them both,
and so delivered himself from their intended cruelty. Then, taking
the bunch of keys, he entered the castle, where, upon strict search,
he found three ladies tied up by the hair of their heads, and almost
starved to death.
“Sweet ladies,” said Jack, “I have destroyed the monster and his
brutish brother, by which means I have obtained your liberties.”
This said, he presented them with the keys of the castle, and proceeded
on his journey to Wales.
Jack having got but little money, thought it prudent to make the best
of his way by travelling hard, and at length, losing his road, he was
benighted, and could not get a place of entertainment, till, coming to
a valley between two hills, he found a large house in a lonesome place,
and by reason of his present necessity he took courage to knock at
the gate. To his amazement there came forth a monstrous giant, having
two heads, yet he did not seem so fiery as the other two, for he was
a Welsh giant, and all he did was by private and secret malice, under
the false show of friendship. Jack, telling his condition, he bid him
welcome, showing him into a room with a bed, where he might take his
night’s repose. Upon this Jack undressed himself, but as the giant
was walking to another apartment Jack heard him mutter these words to
himself—
“Tho’ here you lodge with me this night,
You shall not see the morning light,
My club shall dash your brains out quite.”
“Say you so?” says Jack. “Is this one of your Welsh tricks? I hope to
be as cunning as you.”
Then, getting out of bed, and feeling about the room in the dark, he
found a thick billet of wood, and laid it in the bed in his stead, then
he hid himself in a dark corner of the room. In the dead time of the
night came the giant with his club, and he struck several blows on the
bed where Jack had artfully laid the billet. Then the giant returned
back to his own room, supposing he had broken all his bones. Early in
the morning Jack came to thank him for his lodging.
“Oh,” said the giant, “how have you rested? Did you see anything in the
night?”
“No,” said Jack, “but a rat gave me three or four slaps with his tail.”
Soon after the giant went to breakfast on a great bowl of hasty
pudding, giving Jack but a small quantity. Jack, being loath to let
him know he could not eat with him, got a leather bag, and, putting
it artfully under his coat, put the pudding into it. Then he told the
giant he would show him a trick, and taking up a knife he ripped open
the bag and out fell the pudding. The giant thought he had cut open his
stomach and taken the pudding out.
“Odds splutters,” says he, “hur can do that hurself,” and, taking the
knife up, he cut himself so badly that he fell down and died.
Thus Jack outwitted the Welsh giant and proceeded on his journey.
King Arthur’s only son desired his father to furnish him with a certain
sum of money, that he might go and seek his fortune in the principality
of Wales, where a beautiful lady lived, whom he had heard was possessed
with seven evil spirits.
The king, his father, counselled him against it, yet he could not
be persuaded, so the favour was granted, which was one horse loaded
with money, and another to ride on. Thus he went forth without
any attendants, and after several days’ travel he came to a large
market–town in Wales, where he beheld a vast crowd of people gathered
together. The king’s son demanded the reason of it, and was told that
they had arrested a corpse for many large sums of money, which the
deceased owed before he died. The king’s son replied—
“It is a pity that creditors should be so cruel. Go, bury the dead,
and let the creditors come to my lodgings, and their debts shall be
discharged.”
Accordingly they came, and in such great numbers that before night he
had almost left himself penniless. Now Jack the Giant Killer being
there, and seeing the generosity of the king’s son, desired to be his
servant. It being agreed on, the next morning they set forward. As they
were riding out of the town’s end, an old woman cried out—
“He has owed me twopence seven years, pray, sir, pay me as well as the
rest.”
The king’s son put his hand in his pocket and gave it her, it being the
last money he had, then, turning to Jack, he said—
“Take no thought nor heed. Let me alone, and I warrant you we will
never want.”
Now Jack had a small spell in his pocket, the which served for a
refreshment, after which they had but one penny left between them. They
spent the forenoon in travel and familiar discourse, until the sun grew
low, when the king’s son said—
“Jack, since we have got no money where can we lodge to–night?”