"The treasures of the Giant's Cave," quoth they. "Every whit of it?" quoth Jack, who was never to be done. "To the last farthing," quoth they. "Then will I undertake the task," said Jack, and forthwith set about the business. It was winter-time, and having got himself a horn, a pickaxe, and a shovel, he went over to the Mount in the dark evening, set to work, and before dawn he had dug a pit, no less than twenty-two feet deep and nigh as big across. This he covered with long thin sticks and straw, sprinkling a little loose mould over all to make it look like solid ground. So, just as dawn was breaking, he planted himself fair and square on the side of the pit that was farthest from the giant's cave, raised the horn to his lips, and with full blast sounded: "Tantivy! Tantivy! Tantivy!" just as he would have done had he been hunting a fox. Of course this woke the giant, who rushed in a rage out of his cave, and seeing little Jack, fair and square blowing away at his horn, as calm and cool as may be, he became still more angry, and made for the disturber of his rest, bawling out, "I'll teach you to wake a giant, you little whipper-snapper. You shall pay dearly for your tantivys, I'll take you and broil you whole for break--" He had only got as far as this when crash--he fell into the pit! So there was a break indeed; such an one that it caused the very foundations of the Mount to shake. But Jack shook with laughter. "Ho, ho!" he cried, "how about breakfast now, Sir Giant? Will you have me broiled or baked? And will no diet serve you but poor little Jack? Faith! I've got you in Lob's pound now! You're in the stocks for bad behaviour, and I'll plague you as I like. Would I had rotten eggs; but this will do as well." And with that he up with his pickaxe and dealt the giant Cormoran such a most weighty knock on the very crown of his head, that he killed him on the spot. Whereupon Jack calmly filled up the pit with earth again and went to search the cave, where he found much treasure. Now when the magistrates heard of Jack's great exploit, they proclaimed that henceforth he should be known as-- JACK THE GIANT-KILLER. And they presented him with a sword and belt, on which these words were embroidered in gold: Here's the valiant Cornishman Who slew the giant Cormoran. II Of course the news of Jack's victory soon spread over all England, so that another giant named Blunderbore who lived to the north, hearing of it, vowed if ever he came across Jack he would be revenged upon him. Now this giant Blunderbore was lord of an enchanted castle that stood in the middle of a lonesome forest. It so happened that Jack, about four months after he had killed Cormoran, had occasion to journey into Wales, and on the road he passed this forest. Weary with walking, and finding a pleasant fountain by the wayside, he lay down to rest and was soon fast asleep.