Page:History of Jack and the giants (3).pdf/20

 CHAP. XIII.

How Jack overthrew the Giant on the moat, and cut of both his heads.

HE situation of the knight's house, take as follows: it was placed in the midst of a small island, encompassed round with a vast moat, thirty feet deep, and twenty feet wide, over which lay a draw-bridge. Wherefore Jack employed two men to cut it on both sides, almost to the middle, and then dressing himself in his coat of darkness likewise putting on his shoes of swiftness, he marches forth against the Giant, with his sword of sharpness ready drawn; yet when he came close up to him, the Giant could not see Jack, by reason of his invisible coat, which he had on, yet nevertheless he was sensible of some approaching danger, which made him cry out in these following words:

Says thou so, quoth Jack, then thou art a monstrous miller indeed; but how if I should serve thee as I did the two Giants, in my conscience I should spoil your practice for the future. At which time the Giant spoke with a voice as loud as thunder; Art thou that villain which destroyed my two kinsmen? then will I tear thee with my teeth, suck thy blood; You must catch me first, quoth Jack, and with that he threw off his coat of darkness that the Giant might see him clearly, and then run from him as through fear. The Giant with foaming mouth and glaring eyes, following after like a walking castle, making the foundation of the earth, as it were, to tremble at every step. Jack led him a dance three or four times round the moat that belonged to the knight's house, that the ladies and gentlemen might take a full view of