large sum of money to enable him to journey to
Wales, and there strive to set free a certain beautiful lady who was
possessed by seven evil spirits. In vain the King denied him; so at last
he gave way and the Prince set out with two horses, one of which he
rode, the other laden with gold pieces. Now after some days' journey the
Prince came to a market-town in Wales where there was a great commotion.
On asking the reason for it he was told that, according to law, the
corpse of a very generous man had been arrested on its way to the grave,
because, in life, it had owed large sums to the money-lenders.

"That is a cruel law," said the young Prince. "Go, bury the dead in
peace, and let the creditors come to my lodgings; I will pay the debts
of the dead."

So the creditors came, but they were so numerous that by evening the
Prince had but twopence left for himself, and could not go further on
his journey.

Now it so happened that Jack the Giant-Killer on his way to Wales passed
through the town, and, hearing of the Prince's plight, was so taken with
his kindness and generosity that he determined to be the Prince's
servant. So this was agreed upon, and next morning, after Jack had paid
the reckoning with his last farthing, the two set out together. But as
they were leaving the town, an old woman ran after the Prince and called
out, "Justice! Justice! The dead man owed me twopence these seven years.
Pay me as well as the others."

And the Prince, kind and generous, put his hand to his pocket and gave
the old woman the twopence that was left to him. So now they had not a
penny between them, and when the sun grew low the Prince said:

"Jack! Since we have no money, how are we to get a night's lodging?"

Then Jack replied, "We shall do well enough, Master; for within two or
three miles of this place there lives a huge and monstrous giant with
three heads, who can fight four hundred men in armour and make them fly
from him like chaff before the wind."

"And what good will that be to us?" quoth the Prince. "He will for sure
chop us up in a mouthful."

"Nay," said Jack, laughing. "Let me go and prepare the way for you. By
all accounts this giant is a dolt. Mayhap I may manage better than
that."

So the Prince remained where he was, and Jack pricked his steed at full
speed till he came to the giant's castle, at the gate of which he
knocked so loud that he made the neighbouring hills resound.

On this the giant roared from