Page:History of Jack and the giants (4).pdf/2



n the reign of King Arthur, near the Lands-end of England, namely the country of Cornwall there lived a wealthy Farmer, who had one only Son, commonly known by the name of Jack the Giant Killer. He was briſk and of a ready wit; ſo that whatever he could not perform by ſtrength he completed by ingenious wit and policy: Never was any perſon heard of that could worſt him; Nay the very learned many times he baffled by his cunning ſharp and ready inventions.

For inſtance when he was no more than ſeven years of age his Father, the Farmer, ſent him into the field to look after his Oxen, which were then feeding in a pleaſant paſture: A country Vicar by chance coming acroſs the field, call'd to Jack, and aſk d him ſeveral queſtions; in particular, How many commandments there were? Jack told him there were nice. The parſon reply'd There are ten. Nay (quoth Jack.) Maſter parſon, you are out of that, it is true there was ten, but you broke one of them with your own maid Margery. The parſon reply'd thou art an arch Wag Jack. Well Maſter parſon quoth Jack, you have aſked me one queſtion, and I have anſwered it; I beſeech you let me aſk you another. Who made theſe Oxen? the parſon reply'd, God made them Child. You are out again (quoth Jack) for God made them bulls, but my Father, and his man Hobſon, made Oxen of them. Theſe were the witty anſwers of Jack. The parſon finding