JACK THE Then he got out of bed and put a great log of

GIANT

KILLER

wood in his place, and concealed himself in a
corner,
About midnight the giant entered the room, and
with his cudgel struck several heavy blows on the
bed, in the very place where Jack had laid the log.
After that, thinking he had killed the sleeper, he
stumped back to his own room.
Early in the morning Jack put a bold face on the
matter, and walked downstairs and found the
giant at breakfast, and very much surprised the
ogre was at seeing him.
‘Halloo!’ said he, ‘you here! How did you sleep
last night?’ ;
‘Pretty well,’ answered Jack. ‘I should have slept
better, had not a rat given me three or four slaps
with its tail.’
This speech mightily surprised the giant, but he
said nothing. He then brought out two huge
bowls of hasty pudding, one of which he set before
Jack, and the other he took himself. Jack, instead
of eating his, contrived to pour it down his neck ~
into a leather bag which hung before him.
When they had finished, Jack said—
‘Now I can do what you cannot. I can run a
knife in here,’ pointing to his bag, ‘without killing
myself.’
He then seized the knife, plunged it into the
leathern bag, and out fell the pudding.
The giant was surprised at this, and not liking to be
outdone in such a matter, he also seized the knife,
plunged it into his body, and died on the spot.
Now Jack ransacked his house, and found ‘in it
four great treasures: a cloak which would make
those who wore it invisible, a cap of knowledge
which when put on told one all one desired to
know, a sword of sharpness that would cut through
anything it touched, and shoes of fleetness which
when wee made the wearer run like the wind.
I