“Here’s the valiant Cornish man,
Who slew the giant, Cormoran.”
The news of Jack’s victory was soon spread over the western parts, so
that another giant, called Old Blunderbore, hearing of it, vowed to be
revenged on Jack, if it ever was his fortune to light on him. The giant
kept an enchanted castle situated in the midst of a lonesome wood.
About four months after as Jack was walking by the borders of this
wood, on his journey towards Wales, he grew weary, and therefore sat
himself down by the side of a pleasant fountain, when a deep sleep
suddenly seized him. At this time the giant, coming there for water,
found him, and by the lines upon his belt immediately knew him to be
Jack, who had killed his brother giant. So, without any words, he took
him upon his shoulder to carry him to his enchanted castle. As he
passed through a thicket, the jostling of the boughs awoke Jack, who,
finding himself in the clutches of the giant was very much surprised,
though it was but the beginning of his terrors, for, entering the walls
of the castle, he found the floor strewn and the walls covered with the
skulls and bones of dead men, when the giant told him his bones should
enlarge the number of what he saw. He also told him that the next day
he would eat him with pepper and vinegar, and he did not question but
that he would find him a curious breakfast. This said, he locks up poor
Jack in an upper room, leaving him there while he went out to fetch
another giant who lived in the same wood, that he also might partake of
the pleasure they should have in the destruction of honest Jack. While
he was gone dreadful shrieks and cries affrighted Jack, especially a
voice which continually cried—
“Do what you can to get away,
Or you’ll become the giant’s prey;
He’s gone to fetch his brother who
Will likewise kill and torture you.”
This dreadful noise so affrighted poor Jack, that he was ready to run
distracted. Then, going to a window he opened the casement, and beheld
afar off the two giants coming.
“So now,” quoth Jack to himself, “my death or deliverance is at hand.”
There were two strong cords in the room by him, at the end of which
he made a noose, and as the giants were unlocking the iron gates, he
threw the ropes over the giants’ heads, and then threw the other end
across a beam, when he pulled with all his might till he had throttled
them. Then, fastening the ropes to a beam, he returned to the window,
where he beheld the two giants black in the face, and so sliding down
the ropes, he came upon the heads of the helpless giants, who could
not defend themselves, and, drawing his own sword, he slew them both,
and so delivered himself from their intended cruelty. Then, taking
the bunch of keys, he entered the castle, where, upon strict search,
he found three ladies tied up by the hair of their heads, and almost
starved to death.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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