But the woman shook her head. "I can't let anyone in. One night I let in a poor boy like yourself, and he stole my husband's favorite treasure. My husband is a cruel Giant, and since his hen was stolen he has been worse than ever." "Oh, _please_ let me come in just for to-night. If you don't I shall have to lie here on the ground and die." "Well, I can't let you do that. But mind, I shall have to hide you in the lumber-closet, or my husband may find you and eat you up." Of course, Jack was very glad to agree to do this. As soon as he was safely hidden away he heard a tremendous noise, and knew that the Giant had come home. The big fellow walked so heavily that he shook the whole house. "Fe, fi, fo, fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman!" he shouted. "Oh, no, my dear," she answered. "It is an old piece of meat that a crow left on the roof." "All right," said the Giant. "Now, hurry and get my supper." And with that he tried to strike his poor wife. Jack could see from where he was hiding that the Giant was even uglier than before. "It was you who let in the boy that stole my hen," he kept saying to her. And when Jack heard this he shivered for fear. After his supper the Giant said in a very cross voice: "Now, wife, bring me my bags of gold and silver." So the old woman brought in two huge bags and put them down on the table. The Giant opened each and poured out a great heap of silver and gold. For a long while he sat counting the money. But at last he began to get drowsy. So he put the gold carefully back and fell over in his chair asleep. Jack thought maybe the Giant was only pretending to be asleep, so that he could catch anyone who might try to take his gold. But when the Giant had been snoring some time, the boy carefully opened the door of the closet and tip-toed over to the table. Not a sound could be heard except the terrible snoring of the Giant. Slowly Jack reached out to take the bags of money. "Bow, wow, wow!" And a little dog, which Jack had not seen before, jumped up from a corner by the fire, barking furiously. Jack had never been so frightened in his life as now. Surely the Giant would wake and kill him. But the Giant never woke at all. He had eaten so much that he couldn't! So Jack snatched the bags, and dashed for the beanstalk. When at last he reached the bottom, he ran at once to the cottage to show his mother the treasure. For three years Jack and his mother lived very happily together. But all this time Jack could not forget his promise to the Fairy, and what might happen to him if he did not keep it. At last he felt that he must go and kill the wicked Giant. He got some yellow paint and another queer suit, so that he would not look like himself at all. Early one morning, when it was barely light, he crept softly out of the house and climbed up into the Giant's country.