Page:Jack the giant-killer.pdf/8

8 large thick billet of wood. He laid it in his own place in the bed, and then hid himself in a dark corner of the room.

In the middle of the night the giant came with his great club, and struck many heavy blows on the bed, in the very place where Jack had laid the billet; and then he went back to his own room, thinking he had broken all Jack's bones. Early in the morning Jack put a bold face upon the matter, and walked into the giant's room to thank him for his lodging. The giant startled when he saw him, and began to stammer out—"Oh! dear me! is it you? Pray how did you sleep last night? Did you hear or see any thing in the dead of the night?"

"Nothing worth speaking of," said Jack carelessly; "a rat, I believe, gave me three or four slaps with its tail, and disturbed me a little; but I soon went to sleep again."

The giant wondered more and more at this; yet he did not answer a word, but went to bring two great bowls of hasty-pudding for their breakfast. Jack wanted to make the giant believe that he could eat as much as himself; so he contrived to button a leatheren bag inside his coat, and slipt the hasty-pudding into this bag, while he seemed to put into his mouth.

When breakfast was over, he said to the giant,—"Now I will show you a fine trick. I can cure all wounds with a touch. I could cut of my head in one minute, and the next put it sound again on my shoulders. You shall see an example." He then took hold of the knife, ripped up the leathern bag, and all the hasty-pudding tumbled out upon the floor. "Ods splutter hur nails," cried the Welsh giant, who was ashamed to be outdone by such a little fellow as Jack, "hur can do that