spent it you must go and take another baron's castle.'

'That he shan't, if I can help it,' thought Jack.

The Giant, when his wife was gone, took out heaps and heaps of golden
pieces, and counted them, and put them in piles, till he was tired of
the amusement. Then he swept them all back into their bags, and leaning
back in his chair fell fast asleep, snoring so loud that no other sound
was audible.

Jack stole softly out of the wardrobe, and taking up the bags of money
(which were his very own, because the Giant had stolen them from his
father), he ran off, and with great difficulty descending the Beanstalk,
laid the bags of gold on his mother's table. She had just returned from
town, and was crying at not finding Jack.

'There, mother, I have brought you the gold that my father lost.'

'Oh, Jack! you are a very good boy, but I wish you would not risk your
precious life in the Giant's castle. Tell me how you came to go there
again.'

And Jack told her all about it.

Jack's mother was very glad to get the money, but she did not like him
to run any risk for her.

But after a time Jack made up his mind to go again to the Giant's
castle.

THE TALKING HARP.

So he climbed the Beanstalk once more, and blew the horn at the Giant's
gate. The Giantess soon opened the door; she was very stupid, and did
not know him again, but she stopped a minute before she took him in. She
feared another robbery; but Jack's fresh face looked so innocent that
she could not resist him, and so she bade him come in, and again hid him
away in the wardrobe.

By-and-by the Giant came home, and as soon as he had crossed the
threshold he roared 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.'

'You stupid old Giant,' said his wife, 'you only smell a nice sheep,
which I have grilled for your dinner.'

And the Giant sat down, and his wife brought up a whole sheep for his
dinner. When he had eaten it all up, he said:

'Now bring me my harp, and I will have a little music while you take
your walk.'

The Giantess obeyed, and returned with a beautiful harp. The framework
was all sparkling with diamonds and rubies, and the strings were all of
gold.

'This is one of the nicest things I took from the knight,' said the
Giant. 'I am very fond of music, and my harp is a faithful servant.'

So he drew the harp towards him, and said:

'Play!'