That's a good boy,' said the Giantess, nodding her head; 'it is lucky
for you that you did not scream out when you saw me, as the other boys
who have been here did, for if you had done so my husband would have
awakened and have eaten you, as he did them, for breakfast. Come here,
child; go into my wardrobe: he never ventures to open THAT; you will be
safe there.'

And she opened a huge wardrobe which stood in the great hall, and shut
him into it. But the keyhole was so large that it ad-mitted plenty of
air, and he could see everything that took place through it. By-and-by
he heard a heavy tramp on the stairs, like the lumbering along of a
great cannon, and then a voice like thunder cried out;

'Fe, fa, fi-fo-fum,
I smell the breath of an Englishman.
Let him be alive or let him be dead,
I'll grind his bones to make my bread.'

'Wife,' cried the Giant, 'there is a man in the castle. Let me have him
for breakfast.'

'You are grown old and stupid,' cried the lady in her loud tones. 'It
is only a nice fresh steak off an elephant, that I have cooked for you,
which you smell. There, sit down and make a good breakfast.'

And she placed a huge dish before him of savoury steaming meat, which
greatly pleased him, and made him forget his idea of an Englishman being
in the castle. When he had breakfasted he went out for a walk; and then
the Giantess opened the door, and made Jack come out to help her. He
helped her all day. She fed him well, and when evening came put him back
in the wardrobe.

THE HEN THAT LAYS GOLDEN EGGS.

The Giant came in to supper. Jack watched him through the keyhole, and
was amazed to see him pick a wolf's bone, and put half a fowl at a time
into his capacious mouth.

When the supper was ended he bade his wife bring him his hen that laid
the golden eggs.

'It lays as well as it did when it belonged to that paltry knight,' he
said; 'indeed I think the eggs are heavier than ever.'

The Giantess went away, and soon returned with a little brown hen, which
she placed on the table before her husband. 'And now, my dear,' she
said, 'I am going for a walk, if you don't want me any longer.'

'Go,' said the Giant; 'I shall be glad to have a nap by-and-by.'

Then he took up the brown hen and said to her:

'Lay!' And she instantly laid a golden egg.

'Lay!' said the Giant again. And she laid another.

'Lay!' he repeated the third time. And again a golden egg lay on the
table.