or seen this castle
before; but when he reflected on the subject, he saw that it was as much
separated from the village by the perpendicular rock on which it stood
as if it were in another land.

While Jack was standing looking at the castle, a very strange-looking
woman came out of the wood, and advanced towards him.

She wore a pointed cap of quilted red satin turned up with ermine, her
hair streamed loose over her shoulders, and she walked with a staff.
Jack took off his cap and made her a bow.

'If you please, ma'am,' said he, 'is this your house?'

'No,' said the old lady. 'Listen, and I will tell you the story of that
castle.

'Once upon a time there was a noble knight, who lived in this castle,
which is on the borders of Fairyland. He had a fair and beloved wife and
several lovely children: and as his neighbours, the little people,
were very friendly towards him, they bestowed on him many excellent and
precious gifts.

'Rumour whispered of these treasures; and a monstrous giant, who lived
at no great distance, and who was a very wicked being, resolved to
obtain possession of them.

'So he bribed a false servant to let him inside the castle, when the
knight was in bed and asleep, and he killed him as he lay. Then he went
to the part of the castle which was the nursery, and also killed all the
poor little ones he found there.

'Happily for her, the lady was not to be found. She had gone with her
infant son, who was only two or three months old, to visit her old
nurse, who lived in the valley; and she had been detained all night
there by a storm.

'The next morning, as soon as it was light, one of the servants at the
castle, who had managed to escape, came to tell the poor lady of the sad
fate of her husband and her pretty babes. She could scarcely believe
him at first, and was eager at once to go back and share the fate of her
dear ones; but the old nurse, with many tears, besought her to remember
that she had still a child, and that it was her duty to preserve her
life for the sake of the poor innocent.

'The lady yielded to this reasoning, and consented to remain at her
nurse's house as the best place of concealment; for the servant told her
that the giant had vowed, if he could find her, he would kill both her
and her baby. Years rolled on. The old nurse died, leaving her cottage
and the few articles of furniture it contained to her poor lady,
who dwelt in it, working as a peasant for her daily bre