r brains out quite."

When he heard this, Jack got out of bed, and, taking a large, thick
piece of wood, he laid it in his own place in the bed, and hid himself
in a dark corner of the room.

In the middle of the night, the giant came with his great club, and
struck several heavy blows upon the bed. Then he went off, thinking he
had broken all Jack's bones.

Early next morning Jack walked into the giant's room and thanked him
for the night's lodging. The giant was terribly startled to see him,
and stammered out:

"Oh, dear me! Is it you? Pray, how did you sleep last night? Did you
hear or see anything to disturb you?"

"Nothing worth speaking of, thank you," answered Jack, carelessly. "A
rat, I believe, gave me three or four slaps with his tail; but that was
all."

The giant said nothing; but went and fetched two bowls of hasty pudding
for their breakfast.

Jack did not wish the giant to think that he could not eat as much as
himself, so he contrived to fasten a leathern bag inside his coat. He
then managed to slip the pudding into this bag, while pretending to eat
it. When breakfast was done, he said to the giant:

"Now I will show you a fine trick. I can cure all wounds with a touch.
You shall see an example." He then took a knife, ripped up the leathern
bag, and all the hasty pudding tumbled out upon the floor.

"Ods splutter hur nails!" cried the giant, who was ashamed to be outdone
by such a little fellow. "Hur can do that hurself!" and, snatching up
the knife, he plunged it into his stomach and fell down dead.

[Illustration]

After this, Jack went farther on his journey. In a few days he met King
Arthur's only son, who was traveling into Wales to deliver a beautiful
lady from the power of a wicked magician. Jack attached himself to the
Prince, and they traveled on together.

The Prince was very generous, and soon gave away all the money he
possessed.

After having parted with his last penny to an old beggar-woman, he was
very uneasy as to where they were to pass the night.

[Illustration]

"Sir," said Jack, "two miles farther on there lives a giant with three
heads, who can fight five hundred men at once and make them fly. I will
go on and visit him--do you wait here until I return."

Jack rode on to the gates of the castle, and gave a loud knock. The
giant, with a voice like thunder, roared out:

"Who is there?"

"No one but your poor Cousin Jack."

"Well, what news, Cousin Jack?"

"D