"How!" cried his uncle. "Are you not warmed by the fire? Does not this
food sustain you?"
"I see the food to be wholesome," said Jack; "and still it is no proof
that a man should wear a gyve on his right leg."
Now at this the appearance of his uncle gobbled like a turkey.
"Jupiter!" cried Jack, "is this the sorcerer?"
His hand held back and his heart failed him for the love he bore his
uncle; but he heaved up the sword and smote the appearance on the head;
and it cried out aloud with the voice of his uncle; and fell to the
ground; and a little bloodless white thing fled from the room.
The cry rang in Jack's ears, and his knees smote together, and conscience
cried upon him; and yet he was strengthened, and there woke in his bones
the lust of that enchanter's blood. "If the gyves are to fall," said he,
"I must go through with this, and when I get home I shall find my uncle
dancing."
So he went on after the bloodless thing. In the way, he met the
appearance of his father; and his father was incensed, and railed upon
him, and called to him upon his duty, and bade him be home, while there
was yet time. "For you can still," said he, "be home by sunset; and then
all will be forgiven."
"God knows," said Jack, "I fear your anger; but yet your anger does not
prove that a man should wear a gyve on his right leg."
And at that the appearance of his father gobbled like a turkey.
"Ah, heaven," cried Jack, "the sorcerer again!"
The blood ran backward in his body and his joints rebelled against him
for the love he bore his father; but he heaved up the sword, and plunged
it in the heart of the appearance; and the appearance cried out aloud
with the voice of his father; and fell to the ground; and a little
bloodless white thing fled from the room.
The cry rang in Jack's ears, and his soul was darkened; but now rage came
to him. "I have done what I dare not think upon," said he. "I will go
to an end with it, or perish. And when I get home, I pray God this may
be a dream, and I may find my father dancing."
So he went on after the bloodless thing that had escaped; and in the way
he met the appearance of his mother, and she wept. "What have you done?"
she cried. "What is this that you have done? Oh, come home (where you
may be by bedtime) ere you do more ill to me and mine; for it is enough
to smite my brother and your father."
"Dear mother, it is not these that I have smitten," said Jack; "it was
but the enchanter in their shape. And even if I had, it would not prove
that a man should wear a gyve on his right leg."
And at this the appearance gobbled like a turkey.
He never knew how he did that; but he swung the sword on the one side,
and clove the appearance through the midst; and it cried out aloud with
the voice of his mother; and fell to the ground; and with the fall of it,
the house was gone from over Jack's head, and he stood alone in the
woods, and the gyve was loosened from his leg.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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