Jack the Giant Slayer

During the reign of the good King Arthur, in the county of Cornwall, at the cape of Land's End, there lived a peasant who had an only son named Jack. Jack was a clever lad, so smart that no one could match him in anything.

In those days, on an islet called St. Michael's Mount, there lived a fearsome giant named Cormoran. He was eighteen feet tall, three yards in girth, and his face was a horror to behold. He was so fierce and dreadful that all the nearby towns and villages trembled before him. Cormoran lived in a cave at the heart of the mount, and when he was hungry, he would wade across the water to the mainland and seize whatever he could find. At the sight of him, people would flee their homes and scatter in all directions. The giant would catch their livestock—he could easily carry half a dozen oxen on his back at once, and sheep and pigs he would string on his belt like a bundle of tallow candles. For many years, he was the terror of all Cornwall and brought its inhabitants to utter despair.

And so, a council was convened in the town hall to decide how to deal with the giant, and it so happened that Jack walked in and asked:

"What reward will the one who kills Cormoran receive?"

"All the giant's treasures!" they replied to Jack.

"Then leave this task to me!" he said.

He procured a horn, a pickaxe, and a shovel, and as soon as the dark winter evening fell, he made his way to St. Michael's Mount and set to work. By morning, he had dug a pit twenty-two feet deep and twenty feet across, covered it with long branches and straw, and sprinkled earth on top to make it look like level ground. Jack sat on the edge of the pit, far from the giant's dwelling, and when day broke, he put the horn to his lips and played a lively gallop. The giant awoke and rushed out of his cave with a roar:

"Ah, you scoundrel! How dare you disturb my peace? I won't tolerate this! You'll pay dearly for this! I'll catch you and roast you whole for breakfast!"

But before the giant could finish his threats, he tumbled into the pit—even St. Michael's Mount shook from the impact.

"Well, giant, caught you, have I?" Jack shouted. "Now you're headed straight to hell! There you'll get what you deserve for your threats. And what about roasting me for breakfast? Maybe you'd better feast on something else—why bother with poor Jack?"

After mocking the giant, Jack struck him with all his might on the crown of his head with the heavy pickaxe, killing him instantly. Then he filled the pit with earth and went to search for Cormoran's cave. He found the cave, and in it—a heap of treasures!

The town magistrates learned of Jack's feat and declared to all that from then on, Jack should be called:

**Jack the Giant Killer**

And they presented him with a sword and a belt on which were embroidered in gold the words:

*This Cornish lad so bold,
Has Cormoran's life controlled.*

The news of Jack's victory soon spread throughout the West of England, reaching another giant, Blunderbore, who vowed to take revenge on Jack at their first meeting. Blunderbore owned an enchanted castle deep in a dense forest.

About four months later, Jack set out for Wales and was passing through the edge of this forest. He was very tired and sat down to rest by a cheerful spring, where he fell into a deep sleep. While he slept, Blunderbore himself came to the spring for water; seeing Jack, he read the inscription on his belt and immediately recognized him as Jack the Giant Killer. Without hesitation, the giant hoisted Jack onto his shoulders and carried him off to his castle.

On the way, they had to make their way through thick undergrowth, and the rustling of branches woke Jack. Jack was terrified when he realized he was in the giant's clutches, but the worst was yet to come!

When Blunderbore entered his castle, Jack saw that the ground was strewn with human bones. The giant also said that soon Jack's bones would be lying there too. Then Blunderbore locked poor Jack in a huge room and went to fetch another giant—his brother, who lived in the same forest—so they could feast on the young man together.

Jack waited and waited, then went to the window and saw two giants in the distance: they were approaching the castle.

"Well," thought Jack, "now I'll either die or save myself!" Then he noticed that in the corner of the room lay some sturdy ropes. Jack took two ropes, tied a secure noose at the end of each, and as the giants were unlocking the iron door, he threw the nooses around their necks, tossed the ends of the ropes over a beam, and pulled down with all his might. The giants choked. Jack released the ropes, drew his sword, and ran both brothers through. Then he took Blunderbore's keys and unlocked all the rooms. In the rooms, he found three beautiful maidens; they were tied together by their hair and were dying of hunger.

"Fair ladies!" Jack said to them. "I have slain the monster and his cruel brother. You are free!"

Jack then handed the maidens all the keys and went on his way to Wales.

Jack hurried and walked very quickly, but he got lost. Night overtook him on the road, and there was no shelter nearby. Finally, Jack stumbled into a hollow and saw a large house. Summoning his courage, he knocked on the gate. To his astonishment, a huge two-headed giant emerged from the house.

However, he did not seem as fierce as the other giants. For this was a Welsh giant, and he harmed people slyly, pretending to be their friend. Jack asked for a place to spend the night, and the giant led him to a bedroom. In the middle of the night, Jack heard his host muttering in the next room:

*Though you lie upon my bed,
From that bed you'll soon be dead,
For the clubs will dance instead!*

"So that's your plan!" Jack whispered. "I know your Welsh tricks! But I'll outsmart you!"

Jack jumped out of bed, placed a log in his place, and hid in the corner. Late at night, the Welsh giant entered the room and began to beat the bed with a heavy club. He was sure he had crushed all of Jack's bones, but in the morning, Jack emerged from his corner and, with a smile, thanked his host for the night's lodging.
— Did you sleep well? — asked the giant. — Was there anything bothering you during the night?

— Not really! — replied Jack. — Except for some rat that brushed against me with its tail a couple of times.

The giant was surprised. Then he took Jack to breakfast and placed a massive bowl of flour pudding in front of him. Jack didn’t want to admit that he couldn’t eat that much. So, he hid a large leather bag under his jacket and, while eating, secretly transferred the pudding into it. After breakfast, he told the giant that he would now show him a miracle. He took a knife, cut open the bag, and all the pudding spilled out!

— Damn it! — exclaimed the giant. — We can show you a miracle like that too!

He grabbed a knife, slit his own belly open, and immediately fell dead.

At the same time, the only son of King Arthur asked his father for a large sum of money, as he wanted to try his luck in Wales, where a beauty lived, possessed by seven evil spirits. The king tried to dissuade his son in every way, but to no avail. Finally, he had to give in, and the prince set off with two horses — one for himself and the other to carry the money.

A few days later, the prince rode into a Welsh town and saw a large crowd in the square. He asked the people why they had gathered, and they replied that they were guarding a dead man — they wouldn’t let him be buried because he owed them a lot of money during his lifetime. The prince was shocked by the creditors’ cruelty and said:

— Go and bury him, and let the creditors come to me — I will pay them in full.

So many people came to the prince that by evening, only two pennies remained of all his money.

At that time, Jack the Giant Killer was passing through the town. The prince’s generosity impressed him, and the young man asked to join his service. The prince agreed to take Jack, and the next morning they set off together. As they were leaving the town, an old woman called out to the prince. She said:

— It’s been seven years since the dead man borrowed two pennies from me. I beg you, pay me as you paid the others!

The prince reached into his pocket, took out his last coins, and gave them to the woman. True, Jack still had a few coins left, but the travelers spent them on lunch that same day and were left penniless.

Just before sunset, the prince said:

— Where will we spend the night, Jack? We don’t have any money.

To which Jack replied:

— We’ll find shelter, my lord! Two miles from here lives my uncle — a huge, terrifying giant with three heads. He can easily fight five hundred armored warriors and scatter them like flies!

— Well, — said the prince, — then we have no business there! The giant will swallow us in one gulp. Heck, we’d fit inside a rotten tooth of his!

— Nonsense! — Jack retorted. — I’ll go ahead and prepare for your arrival. Stay here and wait until I return!

And Jack galloped off at full speed. He approached the castle gates and knocked so loudly that the sound echoed across the surrounding hills. The giant roared in response with a thunderous voice:

— Who’s there?

Jack said:

— It’s me, your poor nephew Jack.

The giant asked:

— What news does my poor nephew Jack bring?

— By God, bad news, dear uncle! — replied Jack.

— Oh-ho! — said the giant. — How can you bring me bad news? I am the Three-Headed Giant. As you know, I can fight five hundred armored warriors, and they scatter in all directions like straw in the wind.

— Yes, but the king’s son is coming here with a thousand armed warriors! — said Jack. — They want to kill you and destroy all your property!

— Is that so, nephew Jack! — said the giant. — Well, that’s truly bad news! I’ll go hide, and you lock me up with a lock, a bolt, and a bar, and keep the keys with you until the prince leaves.

Jack locked up the giant and went to fetch the prince. The travelers enjoyed themselves in the castle, while the poor giant lay in the dungeon, trembling with fear.

The next morning, Jack stocked up on gold and silver for his master early and advised him to ride three miles ahead — for the giant couldn’t sense the prince from that distance. Then Jack returned and released his uncle from the dungeon.
— How shall I reward you for saving my castle from ruin? — asked the giant.

— Oh, it’s nothing! — replied Jack. — I don’t need anything. Well, maybe just give me your worn-out jacket, your hat, that old rusty sword, and the slippers lying under your bed.

— You don’t know what you’re asking for! — said the giant. — These are my most precious treasures. If you put on the jacket, you’ll become invisible. The hat will tell you everything you wish to know. The sword will cut to pieces anything you strike with it. And the slippers will carry you wherever you desire in an instant. But so be it! You’ve served me well. I give you what you ask for, from the bottom of my heart!

Jack thanked the giant, took the gifts, and left.

He quickly caught up with his master, and soon they arrived at the house of the beauty the prince had been seeking. She had learned that the prince had come to ask for her hand and treated him to a splendid feast. After the banquet, the beautiful lady announced to the prince that she wanted to set him a task. She wiped her lips with a handkerchief and said:

— Tomorrow morning, you must show me this very handkerchief. Otherwise, you’ll lose your head!

And she hid the handkerchief in her bosom. The prince went to bed in great distress. But Jack’s all-knowing hat told them how to retrieve the handkerchief.

At midnight, the beauty summoned her spirit companion and ordered him to take her to Lucifer. Meanwhile, Jack put on his invisible jacket and his swift shoes and followed her to Satan. She entered Lucifer’s abode and immediately handed over her handkerchief to him, and he placed it on a shelf. Jack quickly snatched the handkerchief and brought it to his master. In the morning, the prince showed the handkerchief to the beautiful lady, thus saving his life.

That day, the lady kissed the prince and said that the next morning he must show her the lips she had kissed the previous night. Otherwise, he would lose his head!

— Very well, I’ll show them! — replied the prince. — But promise not to kiss anyone else but me!

— Be that as it may, — said the beauty, — if you fail to fulfill my command, death awaits you.

At midnight, she went to Lucifer again and scolded him for failing to keep her handkerchief safe.

— This time, — said the beauty, — I’ll show no mercy to the prince! I’ll kiss you, and he’ll have to show me your lips!

And she kissed Satan. But as soon as she stepped away, Jack cut off Lucifer’s head, hid it under his invisible jacket, and brought it to his master.

In the morning, the prince lifted Satan’s head by its horns and showed it to the beauty. Immediately, the enchantment was broken; the evil spirit left the beautiful lady, and she appeared before the prince in all her glory.

The next day, they were married and soon left for King Arthur’s court. There, Jack was knighted at the Round Table for his great deeds.

Some time later, Jack set out again in search of giants. He hadn’t gone far when he saw a cave. At its entrance, sitting on a wooden stump, was a giant with a knotted iron club at his side. The giant’s bulging eyes burned like fire, his ugly face was fierce, his cheeks resembled pork hams, and his beard bristled like iron rods. His hair fell over his mighty shoulders like writhing snakes, like hissing vipers.

Jack dismounted, put on his invisible jacket, and approached the giant, muttering to himself:

— Aha, there you are! You won’t even blink before I grab you by the beard!

The giant couldn’t see Jack, for he was wearing the invisible jacket. Jack crept up to the monster and struck him with his sword, but missed his head and instead cut off his nose. The giant roared like thunder and, in a rage, began swinging his iron club. But Jack ran behind him and drove his sword into the giant’s back up to the hilt. The giant fell dead to the ground. Jack then cut off his head and sent it, along with the head of another giant—his brother—to King Arthur. For this, he had to hire a carter and load the heads onto a cart.

Afterward, Jack decided to explore the giant’s cave in search of his treasures. He walked through long tunnels and passages until he finally reached a large room paved with rough stone. At the far end of the room stood a boiling cauldron, and to the right of it was a massive table—where the giant always dined. In an adjacent room, there was a window with iron bars. Jack looked through it and saw a huge crowd of miserable prisoners. They noticed Jack and cried out:

— Oh, young man, will you too perish with us in this terrible den?

— Yes, — replied Jack. — But tell me, why are you locked up here?

— We’re kept here until the giants feel like eating, — answered one prisoner, — and then they slaughter the fattest among us.

— Well, that’s just great! — Jack replied.

He immediately unlocked the gates and set all the prisoners free. They rejoiced as condemned men do when granted a pardon.

Then Jack searched the giants’ chests, divided the gold and silver equally among the prisoners, and finally escorted them to a nearby castle, where they feasted and celebrated their liberation.

But suddenly, in the midst of the revelry, a messenger arrived with news that the two-headed giant Thunderdell had heard of the deaths of his kin and had come from the northern valleys to take revenge on Jack; that he was now just a mile away from the castle, and that all the nearby inhabitants were fleeing in terror. But Jack wasn’t frightened in the least.

— Let him try to come here, and I’ll count all his teeth! And you, gentlemen, I invite to the garden to watch the giant Thunderdell be slain!

The castle stood on an island surrounded by a moat thirty feet deep and twenty feet wide. The moat was filled with water, and the only way across was a drawbridge.

So Jack hired men to cut the bridge almost to the middle from both sides. Then he put on his invisible jacket and went out to face the giant with a sharp sword in hand. The giant couldn’t see Jack but caught his scent and shouted:
Fee-fi-fo-fum!
I smell the blood of an Englishman!
Be he alive or be he dead,
I'll grind his bones to make my bread!

"Ah, so that's how it is!" said Jack. "What a glutton you are!"

And the giant shouted again:
"So it’s you, you scoundrel, who killed my kin?! I’ll tear you apart with my teeth, suck the blood from your veins, and grind your bones to powder!"

"First, you have to catch me!" replied Jack, and he threw off his invisible coat so the giant could see him.

Then he put on his swift-running shoes and dashed away. The giant chased after him, and it seemed as though a castle itself had come to life and the earth trembled with every step he took.

Jack led the giant on a long chase—he wanted to amuse the ladies and gentlemen. Then he decided it was time to end the game and easily ran up onto a bridge. The giant, swinging his club, charged after him at full speed. But before he could reach the middle, the bridge collapsed under his heavy weight, and the giant tumbled headfirst into the water, thrashing about like a whale. Jack stood by the moat, laughing at him. No matter how furious the giant became, hearing Jack’s taunts, no matter how he flailed in the water, he couldn’t escape the moat to settle the score with his enemy.

Finally, Jack grabbed some reins, threw them over the giant’s heads, and with the help of a team of horses, dragged him to the shore. Then he cut off both of the giant’s heads with his sharp sword and sent them to King Arthur.

For some time, Jack enjoyed feasts and festivities, but then he left the fair ladies and knights once more and set off in search of new adventures. Jack traveled through many forests until he finally came to the foot of a tall mountain. There, late at night, he saw a lonely house. He knocked on the door, and an old man with hair as white as snow opened it.

"Father," said Jack, "let me stay the night! I’ve lost my way, and night has caught me on the road."

"Come in, come in!" replied the old man. "Welcome to my humble hut."

Jack entered, and they sat down together. The old man began to speak:

"My son, I see from the inscription on your belt that you are the great Giant-Slayer. So listen, my son! At the top of this mountain stands an enchanted castle. It is ruled by the giant Galligantua. With the help of an old sorcerer, the giant lures knights and ladies to his castle and, using magical spells, turns them into various creatures. But what grieves me most is the fate of the duke’s daughter. They seized her in her father’s garden and carried her through the air in a fiery chariot pulled by fire-breathing dragons. In the castle, they locked her up and turned her into a white doe. Many knights have tried to break the spell and free the maiden, but none have succeeded—two fearsome griffins guard the castle gates, and they destroy anyone who comes near. But you, my son, will pass by them unseen. On the castle gates, you will find an inscription carved in large letters. It will tell you how to break the enchantment."

Jack thanked the old man and promised that in the morning he would try to free the duke’s daughter, even if it cost him his life.

The next morning, Jack rose, put on his invisible coat, his magic hat, and his swift-running shoes, and prepared for battle.

As soon as he reached the mountain’s summit, he saw the fire-breathing griffins. But he walked past them without fear—for he was wearing his invisible coat. On the castle gates, a golden trumpet hung from a silver chain, and beneath it were carved the words:

*Who blows this golden horn,
Shall break the castle’s curse forlorn;
The fierce giant shall die,
And happiness to men shall fly.*

As soon as Jack read these lines, he blew into the trumpet, and the great castle shook to its very foundations. The giant and the sorcerer were thrown into great confusion. They began to bite their elbows and tear at their hair, sensing that the end of their evil reign was near!

Suddenly, the giant bent down to grab his club, but with one stroke, Jack cut off his head. The sorcerer rose into the air, and a whirlwind carried him away.

The evil spells were broken. All who had been turned into birds and beasts became human again, and the castle vanished in a cloud of smoke.

Jack, as always, sent the head of the giant Galligantua to King Arthur’s court, and the next day, he himself set off there with the knights and ladies he had freed.

As a reward for his loyal service, the king persuaded the duke to give his daughter’s hand in marriage to the honorable Jack.

They were wed, and the entire kingdom rejoiced at their wedding. Then the king gifted Jack a magnificent castle with rich lands, and Jack lived there with his wife for the rest of his days in love and harmony.

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