A messenger brought the dismal tidings of the approach of one
Thunderful, a huge giant with two heads, who, having heard of the death
of his kinsmen, the above-named giants, was come in search of Jack, to
be revenged on him for their terrible downfall, and was within a mile of
the knight's seat, the people flying before him from their habitations.
When they had related this, Jack said, "Let him come. I am prepared with
a tool to pick his teeth, and you, gentlemen and ladies, walk forth into
the garden, and you shall be the joyful spectators of this monstrous
giant's death." To which they consented, wishing him good fortune in
that great enterprise.
The situation of the knight's house was in a small island, encompassed
with a vast moat, thirty feet deep and twenty feet wide, over which lay
a draw-bridge. Wherefore Jack employed two men to cut it on both sides,
and then, dressing himself in his coat of darkness, putting on his shoes
of swiftness, he marched against the giant, with his sword of sharpness
ready drawn. When he came close up, the giant could not see Jack, by
reason of his invisible coat; nevertheless, he was sensible of
approaching danger, which made him cry out--
"Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman; be he living or be
he dead, I'll grind his bones to mix my bread."
"Sayest thou so," quoth Jack; "then thou art a monstrous miller. But
how? If I serve thee as I did the two giants of late, I should spoil
your practice for the future."
At which time the giant spoke with a voice as loud as thunder--"Art thou
that villain which destroyed my kinsmen? Then I will tear thee with my
teeth, and suck thy blood. I will grind thy bones to powder."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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