THE
WONDERFUL HISTORY
OP
JACK
THE
GIANT KILLER
LONDON :
ORLANDO HODGSON, CLOTH FAIR.
x Jtybris
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES
Collection of
Children's Books
Jack killi the Giant and releases the Knight
and Lady.
The Grant pursues Jack over the Drawbridge.
HODGSON'S IMPROVED EDITION.
THK
SURPRISING HISTORY
OF
! np /&. /jpfi ^S-^P
J/ A .,0; K
THE GIANT KILLER,
RELATING HOW HE
OVERCAME SEVERAL HUGE GIAXTS,
ONE WITH TWO HEADS.
fDfs ^Harrtage tutiij Ujc Qukf'S Daughter,
AND OTHER INTERESTING EXPLOITS.
TO WHICH IS ADDKI),
THE NOBLE BASKET TtlAKER,
Embellished with Ttrclre 'Iteautiful Coloured Engraving*
ORLANDO HODGSON,
21, MAIDEN LANB, WOOD STREET.
PRICK SIXPKNC.B.
JACK
THE GIANT KILLER.
IN the reign of the famous king Arthur, there
lived near the Land's End of England, in the
county of Cornwall, a worthy farmer, who had
an only son named Jack. Jack was a boy of a
bold temper; he took pleasure in hearing or
reading stories of wizards, conjurers, giants, and
fairies ; and used to listen eagerly while his father
talked of the great deeds of the brave knights of
King Arthur's Round Table.
When Jack was sent to take care of the sheep
and oxen in the fields, he used to amuse himself
with planning battles, sieges, and the means to
conquer or surprise a foe. Me was above the
common sports of children ; but hardly any one
4 JACK THU CHANT K1LLKR.
could equal him at wrestling;; or, if he mot wit'i
a match for himself in strength, his skill and ad-
dress always made him the victor.
In those days there lived on St. Michael's
Mount of Cornwall, which rises out of the sea at
some distance from the main land, a huge giant.
He was eighteen feet high, and three yards
round ; and his fierce and savage looks were the
terror of all his neighbours.
He dwelt in a gloomy cavern on the very top of
the mountain, -and used to wade over to the main
land in search of his prey. When he came near
the people left their house?; and after he had
glutted his appetite upon their cattle, he would
throw half a dozen oxen upon his back, and tie
three times as many sheep and hogs round his
waist, and so march back to his own abode.
The giant had done this for many years, and the
coast of Cornwall was greatly hurt by his thefts,
when Jack boldly resolved to destroy him.
Jack therefore took a horn, a shovel, pick-axe,
and a oark lantern; and earlv in a long winter's
evening he swam to the mount. There he fell to
work at once; and before morning he had dug a
pit twenty-two feet deep, and almost as many
broad. He covered it at the top with sticks and
straw, and strewed some of the earth over them,
to make it look just like solid pronnd. He thc.n
put his horn to hi* mouth, and blew such a lond
JACK THE GIANT KILLER. 5
and long tantivy, that the giant awoke and came
towards Jack, roaring like thunder " You saucy
villain, you shall pay dearly for breaking my rest,
I will broil you for my breakfast."
He had hardly spoken' these words, when he
came advancing one step farther; but then he
tumbled headlong into the pit, and his fall shook
the very mountain.
"O ho, Mr. Giant!" said Jack, looking into
the pit, " have you found your way so soon to
the bottom ? How is your appetite now ? Will
nothing serve you for breakfast this cold morning
but broiling poor Jack ] "
The Giant now tried to rise ; but Jack struck
him a blow on the crown of the head with his
pick-axe, which killed him at once. Jack then
made haste back to rejoice his friends with the
news of the giant's death.
Now when the justices of Cornwall heard of
this valiant action, they sent for Jack, and de-
clared that he should always be called Jack the
Giant Killer, and they also gave him a sword
and belt, upon which was written in letters of
gold
This is the valiant Cornish man
Who slew the giant Cormoran.
JACK THE GIANT KILLER-
The news of Jack's exploit was soon spread
over the western parts of England ; and another
Giant, called Old Blunderbore, vowed to have his
revenge on Jack, if it should ever be his fortune
to get him into his power.
This Giant kept an enchanted castle in the
midst of a lonely wood. Now about four month*
after the death of Cormoran, as Jack was taking
a journey to Wales, he passed through this wood;
and as he was very weary, he sat down to rest by
the side of a pleasant fountain, and there he fell
into a deep sleep.
The Giant came to the fountain for water just
at this time, and found Jack there; and as the
lines on Jack's belt showed who he was, the
Giant lifted him up and laid him gently upon his
shoulder to carry him to his castle. Bui as he
passed through the thicket, the rustling of the
leaves waked Jack ; and he was sadly afraid when
he found himself in the clutches of Blunderbore.
Yet this was nothing to his fright soon after;
for when they reached the castle, he beheld the
floor covered all over with the skulls and bones
of men and women.
The Giant took him into a large room, where
lay the hearts and limbs of persons that had been
lately killed; and he told Jack, with a horrid grin,
that men's 'hearts, eaten with pepper and vinegar,
were his nicest food ; and also, that he thought
JACK I n K 1 A N T KILLER. 7
he should make a dainty meal on his heart.
When he had said this, he locked Jack jp in
that room, while he went to fetch another Giant
who lived in the same wood, to enjoy a dinner
off Jack's flesh with him.
While he was away, Jack heard dreadful
shrieks, groans, and cries, from many parts of
the castle ; and soon after he heard a mournful
voice repeat these li*ies
Haste, valiant stranger, haste away,
Lest you become the Giant's prey.
On his return he'll bring another
Still more savage than his brother
A horrid, cruel monster, who
Before he kills will torture you.
Oh valiant stranger! haste away,
Or you'll become these Giants' prey.
This warning was so shocking to poor Jack,
that he was ready to go mad. He ran to the
window, and saw the two Giants coming along
arm in arm. This window was right over the
gates of the castle " Now," thought Jack,
*' either my death or freedom is at hand."
Now there were two strong cords in the room,
Jack made a large noose with a slip knot at the
ends of both these, and as the giants were com-
ing through the iron gates, he threw the ropes
over theii heads. He then made the other ends
ast to a beam in the ceiling, and pulled with all
his might till he had almost strangled them. When
8 JACK THE GIANT KILLER.
he saw that they were both quite black in the
face, and had not the least strength left, he drew
his sword, and slid down the ropes ; he then killed
the giants, and thus saved himself from the cruel
death they meant to put him to. Jack next took
a great bunch of keys from the pocket of Blunder-
bore, and went into the castle again. He made a
strict search through all the rooms ; and in them
found three ladies tied up by the hair of their
heads, and almost starved to death. They told
him that their husbands had been killed by the
giants; who had then condemned them to be
starved to death, because they would ot eat the
flesh of their own dead husbands.
" Ladies," said Jack, " I have put an end to
the monster and his wicked brother ; and I give
you this castle, and all the riches that it contains,
to make you some amends for the dreadful pains
you have felL" He then very politely gaye them
the keys of the castle, and went further in his
journey to Wales.
As Jack had not taken any of the giant's riches
for himself, and so had very little money of his
own, he thought it best to travel as fast as he
could. At length he lost his way, and when night
came on he was in a lonely valley between two
lofty mountains, where he walked about for some
hours without seeing any dwelling place, so he
thought himself very lucky at last, in finding a
large and handsome house.
JACK THE GIANT KILLEIl. 9
He went up to it boldly, and knocked loudly at
the gate; when, to his great terror and surprise,
there came forth a monstrous Giant with two
heads. He spoke two Jack very civily, for he was
a Welch Giant, and all the mischief he did was
by private and secret malice, under the show of
friendship and kindness. Jack told him that he
was a traveller who had lost his way, on which
the huge monster made him welcome, and led
him into a room, where there was a good bed to
pass the night in.
Jack took off his clothes quickly ; but though
he was so weary he could not go to sleep. Soon
after this he heard the giant walking backward
and forward in the next room, and saying to
himself
** Though 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?" thought Jack; "are these
your tricks upon travellers ? But I hope to prove
as cunning as you are."
Then getting out of bed, he groped about the
room, and at last found a large thick billet of
wood ; he laid it in his own place in the bed, and
then hid himself in a dark corner of the room.
In the middle of the night the Giant came with
his great club, and struck many heavy blowg on
10
JACK THE OIAKT KILLER.
he bed, in the very f lace where Jack had laid
the billet, and then he went back to his own room
thinking he had broken all Jack's bones.
Early in the morning Jack put a bold face upon
the matter, and walked into the Giant's room to
thank him for his lodging.
The Giant started when he saw him, and he
began to stammer out " Oh, dear me ! Is it
you? Pray, how did you sleep last night? Did
you hear or see any thing in the dead of the
night?"
" Nothing worth speaking of," said Jack, care-
lessly ; " a rat, I believe, gave me three or four
slaps with his tail, and disturbed me a little ; but
I soon went to sleep again."
The Giant wondered more and more at this ;
yet he did not answer a word, but went to bring
two great bowls of hasty- pudding for their break-
fast.
Jack wanted to make the Giant believe that he
could eat as much as himself, so he contrived to
button a leathern bag inside his coat, and slipped
the hasty-pudding into this bag, while he seemed
to put it into his mouth.
When breakfast was over, he said to the
Giant "Now I will show you a fine trick; I
JACK THE GIANT K-ILLER. 11
can cure all wounds with a touch ; I could cut off
my head one minute, and the next put it sound
again on my shoulders. You shall see an ex-
ample.
He then took hold of the knife, ripped up the
leathern bag, and all the hasty-pudding tumbled
out upon the floor.
"Ods splutter hur nails," cried the Welsh
Giant, who was ashamed to be outdone by such
a little fellow as Jack, " hur can do that her-
self."
So he snatched up the knife, plunged it into
his stomach, and in a moment dropped down
dead.
As soon as Jack had thus tricked the Welsh
monster, he went further on his journey ; and a
few days after he met with king Arthur's only-
son, who had got his father's leave to travel into
Wales, to deliver a beautiful lady from the power
of a wicked magician, that held her in his en-
chantments.
When Jack found that the young prince had
no servants with him, he begged leave to attend
him ; and the prince at once agreed to this, and
gave Jack many thanks for his kindness.
The prince was a handsome, polite, and brare
12 JACK THE GIANT KILLER.
knight, and so good-natured that he gave money
to every body he met.
At length he gave his last penny to an old wo-
man, and then turned to Jack and said " How
are we to get food for ourselves the rest of our
journey ?"
" Leave that to me, sir," said Jack ; " I will
provide for my prince."
Night now came on, and the prince began to
grow uneasy at thinking where they should lodge.
" Sir," said Jack, " be of good heart ; two
miles farther (here lives a large Giant, whom I
know well ; he has three heads, and will fight five
hundred men, and make them fly before him."
"Alas!" replied the king's son, " we had better
never have been born than meet with such a
monster/'
"My lord," said Jack, "leave me to manage
him, and wait here in quiet till 1 return."
The prince now staid behind, while Jack rode
on full speed : and when he came to the gates of
the castle, he gave a loud knock.
The Giant with a voice like thunder, roared
out "Who is there?"
Jack arrives at (he Castle of the Giant with
JlireeJIeads.
Jack marries the Duke's Daughter.
JACK THE C.IANT KILLER. 13
And Jack made answer, and said " No one
but your poor cousin Jack."
"Well," said the Giant, " what news, cousin
Jack?"
" Dear uncle," said Jack, " I have heavy
news."
" Pooh ! " said the Giant, " what heavy news
can come to me? I am a Giant with three heads;
and can fight five hundred men, and make them
fly before me."
"Alas ! " said Jack, " here is the king's son
coming with two thousand men, to kill you, and
to destroy the castle and all that you have."
"Oh, cousin Jack," said the Giant, " this is
heavy news indeed ! But I have a large cellar
under ground, where I will hide myself, and you
shall lock, bolt, and bar me in, and keep the keys
till the king's son is gone."
Now when Jack had made the Giant fast in the
vault, he went back and fetched the prince to the
castle; and they both made themselves mtrry
with the wine and other dainties that were in the
house. So that night they rested very pleasantly,
while the poor Giant lay trembling and shaking
with fear in the cellar under ground.
Early in the morning, Jack gave the king's SOD
14 JACK THE GIANT KILLER.
gold and silver out of the Giant's treasure, and
set him three miles forward on his journey.
He then went back to let his uncle out of the
hole, who asked Jack what he should give him as
a reward for saving of his castle.
" Why, good uncle," said Jack, " I desire no-
thing but the old coat and cap, with the old rus-
ty sword and slippers, that are hanging at your
bed's head."
Then said the Giant " You shall have them,
and pray keep them for my sake, for they are
things of great use : the coat will keep you invi-
sible, the cap will give you knowledge, the sword
cut through any thing, and the shoes are of vast
swiftness ; these may be useful to you in all times
of danger, so take them with all my heart."
Jack gave many thanks to the Giant, and then
set off to the prince. When he had come up with
the king's son, they soon arrived at the dwelling
of the beautiful lady, who was under the power
of a wicked magician. She received the prince
very politely, and made a noble feast for him ; and
when it was ended, she rose, and wiping her
mouth with a fine handkerchief, said "My lord,
you must submit to the custom of my palace; to-
morrow morning I command you to tell me on
whom I bestow this handkerchief, or lose your
head." She then went out of the room.
JACK THE GIANT KILLER )5
The young prince went to bed very mournful :
but Jack put on his cap of knowledge, which told
him that the lady was forced, by the power of
enchantment, to meet the wicked magician every
night in the middle of the forest. Jack now put
on his coat of darkness, and his shoes of swift-
ness, and was there before her. When the lady
came, she gave the handkerchief to the magician.
Jack with his sword of sharpness, at one blow,
cut off his head; the enchantment was then
ended in a moment, and the lady was restored to
her former virtue and goodness.
She was married to the prince on the next day,
and soon after went back with her royal husband,,
and a great company, to the court of King
Arthur, where they were received with loud and
joyful welcomes ; and the valiant hero Jack, for
the many great exploits he had done for the good
of his country, was made one of the Knights of
the Round Table.
As Jack had been so lucky in all his adven-
tures, he resolved not to be idle for the future,
but still to do what services he could for the ho-
nour of the king and the nation. He therefore
humbly begged his majesty to furnish him with a
horse and money, that he might travel in search
of new and strange exploits." For," 1 said he to
the king, " there are many Giants yet living in
the remote parts of Wales, to the great terror
and distress of your majesty's subjects ; therefore
16 JACK THE GIANT KILLER.
if it please you, sire, to favour me in my design,
I will soon rid your kingdom of these giants and
monsters in human shape."
Now when the king heard this offer, and began
to think of the cruel deeds of these blood thirsty
giants and savage monsters, he gave Jack every
thing proper for such a journey.
After this Jack took leave of the king, the
prince, and all the knights, and set off'; taking
with him his cap of knowledge, his sword of
sharpness, his shoes of swiftness, and his invisible
coat, the better to perform the great exploits that
might fall in his way.
He went along over high hills and lofty moun-
tains, and on the third day he came to a large
wide* forest, through which his road led. He
had hardly entered the forest, when on a sudden
he heard very dreadful shrieks and cries He for-
ced his way through the trees, and saw a mon-
strous Giant dragging along by the hair of their
heads a handsome knight and his beautiful lady.
Their tears and cries melted the heart of honest
Jack to pity and compassion : he alighted from
his horse, and tying him to an oak tree, put on
his invisible coat, under which he carried his
sword of sharpness.
When he came up to the Giant, he mado seve-
ral strokes at him, but could not reach his body,
JACK THE GIANT KILLER. 17
on account of the enormous height of the terrible
creature ; but he wounded his thighs in several
places, and, at length, putting both hands to his
sword, and aiming with all his might, he cut off
both the Giant's legs just below the garter ; and
the trunk of his body tumbling to the ground,
made not only the trees shake, but the earth
itself tremble with the force of his fall.
Then Jack, setting his foot upon his neck, ex-
claimed " Thou barbarous and savage wretch,
behold 1 am come to execute upon thee the just
reward for all thy crimes ;" and instantly plunged
his sword into the Giant's body. The huge mon-
ster gave a hideous groan, and yielded up his life
into the hands of the victorious Jack the Giant
Killer, whilst the noble knight and the virtuous
lady were both joyful spectators of his sudden
death and their deliverance.
The courteous knight and his fair lady, not only
returned Jack hearty thanks for their deliverance
but also invited him to their house, to refresh
himself after his dreadful encounter, as likewise
to receive a reward for his good services.
" No," said Jack, " I cannot be at ease till I
find out the den that was this monster's habita-
tion."
The knight hearing this grew sorrowful, and
replied '* Noble stranger, it i, ages, entailed the name of Solomon's
Islands on the whole, by the effect of that wis-
dom wherewith he polished the manners of his
people.
A descendant of one of the great men of this
happy island, becoming a gentleman tc so im-
proved a degree as to despise the good qualities
which had originally ennobled his familj, thought
of nothing but how to support and distinguish
his dignit) by the pride of an ignorant mind, and
a disposition abandoned to pleasure. He had a
house on the sea-side, where he spent great part
of his time in hunting and fishing; but found
himself at a loss in pursuit of those important
diversions, by means of a long slip of marsh land,
overgrown with high reeds that lay between his
THE BASKF.T MAKER 31
house and the sea. Resolving, at length, that
it became not a man of his quality to submit to
a restraint in his pleasures, for the ease or con-
venience of an obstinate mechanic ; and having
often endeavoured in vain, to buy out the owner,
who was an honest poor basket-maker, and
whose livelihood depended on working up the
flags of those reeds, in a manner peculiar to
himself, the gentleman took advantage of a very
high wind, and commanded his servants to burn
down the barrier. The basket-maker, who saw
himself undone, complained of the oppression,
in terms, more suited to his sense of the injury,
than the respect due to the rank of the offender:
the reward this imprudence procured him, was
the additional injustice of blows and reproaches
and all kinds of insult and indignity. There was
but one way to a remedy, and he took it. For
going to the capital, with the marks of his hard
usage upon him, he threw himself at the feet of
the king, and procured a citation for his oppres-
sor's appearance ; who confessing the charge,
proceeded to justify his behaviour by the pooi
unrnindfulness of the submission due from the
vulgar to gentlemen of rank and distinction.
But pray, replied the king, what distinction
of rank had the grandfather of your father, when,
being a cleaver of wood in the palace of my an-
cestors, he was raised from among those vulgar
you speak of with ^o much contempt, in reward
for an instance he gave of his courage and loyalty
in defence of his master ? Yet his distinction was
nobler than yours ; it was the distinction of soul,
32 THE BASKET MAKER
not of birth; the superiority of worth, not of
fortune ! I am sorry I have a gentleman in my
kingdom, who is base enough to be ignorant that
ease and distinction of fortune were bestowed on
him but to this end, that, being at rest from all
cares of providing for himself he might apply his
heart, head, and hand, for the advantage of
others,
Here the king, discontinuing his speech, fixed
an eye of indignation on a sullen resentment of
mein which he observed in the haughty offender,
who muttered out his dislike of the encouragement
this way of thinking must give to the commonalty,
who, he said, were to be considered as persons
of no consequence, in comparison of men who
were born to be honoured.
" Where reflection is wanting," replied the
king, with a smile of disdain, " men must find
their defects in the pain of their suffering,
" Yanhuma." added he, turning to a captain of
gallies, " strip the injured and the injurer ; and,
conveying them to one of the most barbarous
and remote islands, set them ashore in the night,
and leave them both to their fortune."
The place in which they were landed, was a
marsh under cover of their flags ; the gentleman
was in hopes of concealing himself and giving
the slip to his companion, whom he thought it
a disgrace to be with : but the lights in the gal-
ley having given the alarm to the savages, a
considerable body of them came down, and
discovered in the morning, the two strangers m
their hiding place. Setting up a dismal yel^
THE BASKET MAKER. 3'J
they surrounded them ; and advancing nearer
and nearer with a kind of clubs, see.ned de-
termined to dispatch them, without sense of hos-
pitality or mercy.
Here the gentleman began to discover that the
superiority of his blood was imaginary; for, be-
tween the consciousness of shame and cold,
under the nakedness he had never been used to;
a fear of the event from the fierceness of the
savages approach ; and the want of an idea
whereby to soften or divert their asperity, he- fell
behind the poor sharer of his calamity, and with
an unsinewed, apprehensive, unmanly sneaking-
ness of mien, gave up the post of honour, and
made a leader of the man whom he had thought
it a cfisgrace to consider as his companion.
The basket-maker, on the contrary, to whom
the poverty of his condition had made nakedness
habitual ; to whom a life of pain and mortifica-
tion represented death as not dreadful ; and
whose remembrance of his skill in arts, of which
these savages were ignorant, gave him hopes of
becoming safe, from demonstrating that he should
be useful ; moved with bolder and more freedom,
and having plucked a handful of the flags, sat
down without emotion, and making signs that
he would show them something worthy of their
attention, fell to work with smiles and nodding ;
while the savages drew near, and gazed with ex-
pectation of the consequence. It was not long
before he had wreathed a kind of coronet of
pretty workmanship ; and rising with respect and
feaifoJftes*, approached the savage that appeared
34 THE BASKtT MAKER.
the chief, and placed it gently on his head ;
whose figure, under this new ornament, so
charmed and struck his followers, that they all
threw down their clubs, and formed a dance of
welcome and congratulation round the author of
so prized a favour. Erery one of them shewed
marks of his impatience to be made as fine as
the captain ; so the poor basket-maker had his
hands full of employment. And the savages,
observing one quite idle, while the other was so
busy in their service, took up arms in behalf of
natural justice, and began to lay on arguments
in favour ot their purpose.
The basket-maker's pity effaced the remem-
brance of his sufferings ; so he arose and rescued
his oppressor, by making signs that he was ig-
norant of the art; but might, if they thought fit,
be usefully employed in waiting on the work,
and fetching flags to his supply, as fast as he
should want them.
This proposition luckily fell in with a desire
the savages expressed to keep themselves at
leisure, that they might crowd round, and mark
the progress of a work they took such pleasure
in. They left the gentleman therefore to his
duty in the basket-maker's service; and consider-
ed him, from that time forward, as one who was
and ought to be treated as inferior to their bene-
factor. Men, women, and children, from all
corners of the island, came in droves for coro-
nets ; and setting the gentleman to work to ga-
ther bows and poles made a fine hut to lodge
the basket-maker ; and brought down daily from
THE BASKET MAKER. 35
the country such provisions as they lived upon
themselves, taking care to offer the imagined
servant nothing till his master had done eating.
Three months reflection in this mortified con-
dition, gave a new ad just turn to our gentle-
man's improved ideas ; insomuch that, lying
weeping and awake one night, he thus confessed
his sentiments in favour of the basket-maker.
I have been to blame, and wanted judgment to
distinguish between accident and excellence.
When I should have measured nature, I but
looked to vanity. The preference which fortune
gives, is empty and imaginary ; and I perceive
too late, that only things of use are naturally
honorable. I am ashamed, when I compare my
malice, to remember your humanity : but if the
gods should please to call me to a repossession
of my rank and happiness, I would divide all
with you in atonement for my justly punished
arrogance. He promised, and performed his
promise ; for the king, soon after, sent the cap-
tain, who had landed them, with presents to the
savages ; and ordered him to bring both back
again. And it continues to this day a custom ia
that island, to degrade all gentlemen who cannot
give a better reason for their pride, than that
they were burn to do nothing ; and the word for
this due punishment is, " Send him to the bas-
ket-maker."
END OF THE BASKET-MAKER.
