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 salutation and friendly greeting, they parted, the king and his nobles to their courtly palaces, and Jack the Giant-killer, to the eager pursuit of fortune's favour's, taking with him his cap of knowledge, sword of sharpness, shoes of swiftness, and likewise the invisible coat, the better to perfect and complete the dangerous enterprizes that lay before him.

CHAP. IX

How Jack slew a Giant, and delivered a knight and his lady from death.

ACK travelling over vast hills and wonderful mountains, when at the end of three days, he came to a large and spacious wood, through which he must needs pass, when on a sudden to his great amazement, he heard dreadful shrieks and cries, whereupon casting his eyes around to observe what it might be, he beheld with wonder a Giant rushing along with a worthy knight and his fair lady, whom he held by the hair of their heads in his hands, with as much ease as if they had been a pair of gloves, the sight of which melted poor Jack into tears of pity and compassion: whereupon he alighted from off his horse, which he left tied to an oak tree, and putting on his invisible coat, under which he carried his sword of sharpness, he came up to the Giant, and though he made several passes at him, yet nevertheless it could not reach the trunk of his body, by reason of his height, though it wounded his thighs in several places: but at length giving him a swinging stroke, he cut off both his legs just below the knees, so that the trunk of his body made not only the ground to shake, but likewise the trees to tremble with the force of his fall, at which, by mere fortune, the knight and the lady escaped his rage, then had Jack time to talk with him, setting his foot upon his neck, said, Thou savage and barbarous wretch, I am come to execute upon you the just reward of your villany.