After waiting some time Jack, on going to the window beheld afar off the
two giants coming towards the castle. “Now,” quoth Jack to himself, “my
death or my deliverance is at hand.” Now, there were strong cords in a
corner of the room in which Jack was, and two of these he took, and made
a strong noose at the end; and while the giants were unlocking the iron
gate of the castle he threw the ropes over each of their heads. Then
he drew the other ends across a beam, and pulled with all his might, so
that he throttled them. Then, when he saw they were black in the face,
he slid down the rope, and drawing his sword, slew them both. Then,
taking the giant's keys, and unlocking the rooms, he found three fair
ladies tied by the hair of their heads, almost starved to death. “Sweet
ladies,” quoth Jack, “I have destroyed this monster and his brutish
brother, and obtained your liberties.” This said he presented them with
the keys, and so proceeded on his journey to Wales.
Jack made the best of his way by travelling as fast as he could, but
lost his road, and was benighted, and could find any habitation until,
coming into a narrow valley, he found a large house, and in order to
get shelter took courage to knock at the gate. But what was his surprise
when there came forth a monstrous giant with two heads; yet he did not
appear so fiery as the others were, for he was a Welsh giant, and
what he did was by private and secret malice under the false show of
friendship. Jack, having told his condition to the giant, was shown into
a bedroom, where, in the dead of night, he heard his host in another
apartment muttering these words:
“Though here you lodge with me this night,
You shall not see the morning light
My club shall dash your brains outright!”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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