Early in the morning Jack furnished his master with a fresh supply of
gold and silver, and then sent him three miles forward on his journey,
at which time the prince was pretty well out of the smell of the giant.
Jack then returned, and let the giant out of the vault, who asked what
he should give him for keeping the castle from destruction. “Why,” quoth
Jack, “I want nothing but the old coat and cap, together with the old
rusty sword and slippers which are at your bed's head.” Quoth the giant:
“You know not what you ask; they are the most precious things I have.
The coat will keep you invisible, the cap will tell you all you want to
know, the sword cuts asunder whatever you strike, and the shoes are
of extraordinary swiftness. But you have been very serviceable to me,
therefore take them with all my heart.” Jack thanked his uncle, and then
went off with them. He soon overtook his master and they quickly arrived
at the house of the lady the prince sought, who, finding the prince to
be a suitor, prepared a splendid banquet for him. After the repast was
concluded, she told him she had a task for him. She wiped his mouth with
a handkerchief, saying: “You must show me that handkerchief to-morrow
morning, or else you will lose your head.” With that she put it in
her bosom. The prince went to bed in great sorrow, but Jack's cap of
knowledge informed him how it was to be obtained. In the middle of the
night she called upon her familiar spirit to carry her to Lucifer. But
Jack put on his coat of darkness and his shoes of swiftness, and was
there as soon as she was. When she entered the place of the Old One, she
gave the handkerchief to old Lucifer, who laid it upon a shelf, whence
Jack took it and brought it to his master, who showed it to the lady
next day, and so saved his life. On that day, she gave the prince a kiss
and told him he must show her the lips to-morrow morning that she kissed
last night, or lose his head.
“Ah!” he replied, “if you kiss none but mine, I will.”
“That is neither here nor there,” said she; “if you do not, death's your
portion!”
At midnight she went as before, and was angry with old Lucifer for
letting the handkerchief go. “But now,” quoth she, “I will be too hard
for the king's son, for I will kiss thee, and he is to show me thy
lips.” Which she did, and Jack, when she was not standing by, cut off
Lucifer's head and brought it under his invisible coat to his master,
who the next morning pulled it out by the horns before the lady. This
broke the enchantment and the evil spirit left her, and she appeared in
all her beauty. They were married the next morning, and soon after went
to the court of King Arthur, where Jack for his many great exploits, was
made one of the Knights of the Round Table.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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