Jack, standing up with his sword of sharpness, cut off the evil
spirit’s head, and brought it under his invisible coat to his master,
who laid it at the end of his bolster, and in the morning, when the
lady came up, he pulled it out and showed her the lips which she kissed
last. Thus, she having been answered twice, the enchantment broke, and
the evil spirit left her, to their mutual joy and satisfaction. Then
she appeared her former self, both beauteous and virtuous. They were
married the next morning, and soon after returned with joy to the court
of King Arthur, where Jack, for his good services, was made one of the
knights of the Round Table.
II.
[From a Chap–book, printed and sold at Newcastle, by J. WHITE, 1711.]
Jack, having been successful in all his undertakings, and resolved not
to be idle for the future, but to perform what service he could for
the honour of his king and country, humbly requested of the king, his
royal master, to fit him with a horse and money, to travel in search
of strange and new adventures. “For,” said he, “there are many giants
yet living in the remote parts of the kingdom, and in the dominions
of Wales, to the unspeakable damage of your majesty’s liege subjects,
wherefore, may it please your majesty to give me encouragement, and I
doubt not but in a short time to cut them all off, root and branch,
and so rid the realm of those cruel giants and devouring monsters in
nature.”
Now, when the king had heard these noble propositions, and had duly
considered the mischievous practices of those bloodthirsty giants,
he immediately granted what honest Jack requested. And on the first
day of March, being thoroughly furnished with all necessaries for his
progress, he took his leave, not only of King Arthur, but likewise of
all the trusty and hardy knights belonging to the Round Table, who,
after much salutation and friendly greeting, parted, the king and
nobles to their courtly palaces, and Jack the Giant Killer to the eager
pursuit of Fortune’s favours, taking with him the cap of knowledge,
sword of sharpness, shoes of swiftness, and likewise the invisible
coat, the latter to perfect and complete the dangerous enterprises that
lay before him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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