ched the top of the bean, and found himself in a
beautiful country, finely wooded; and not far from the place where he
had got off the bean-stalk stood a fine and strong castle.

Jack wondered very much that he had never heard of 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.

[Illustration: JACK CLIMBS THE BEAN-STALK.]

Jack took off his hat to the old lady, and she said, pointing to the
castle, "Boy, that castle belongs to you. A wicked giant killed your
father, and took it from your mother; try and win it back from the
monster who now has it." As she ceased speaking she suddenly
disappeared, and of course Jack knew she was a fairy.

[Illustration: JACK ASKS ABOUT THE CASTLE.]

He was much surprised; however, he walked up to the castle door and
knocked, and an old giantess came out. She did not wait till he spoke,
but pulled him in at once, for she thought he would make a nice supper
for her when her husband was asleep. Just at that moment, however, she
heard the giant's step approaching, so she put Jack into a press, and
told him to hide there, or the giant would eat him. As soon as the Ogre
came in, he cried in a terrible voice

"Fee, fa, fie, fo, fum,
I smell the breath of an Englishman."

"Oh!" said his wife, "there is nobody here. You only smell a crow that
is flying over the chimney." Then the giant sat down to dinner, which
was quite ready, and when he had eaten a whole sheep, he said, "Bring me
my hen."

The giantess brought a hen, and put it on the table before him, and then
she went away. "Lay," said the giant to the hen, and she laid a golden
egg. Jack could see quite plainly through a little hole which he had
bored in the door. Three times the giant said "Lay," and each time the
hen laid a solid gold egg. Then the Ogre, being drowsy, shut his eyes,
and soon snored very loudly. Directly Jack found that the giant was
asleep, he stole out of the press, caught up the hen, ran out of the
room, opened the door of the castle, which the giant had left ajar, and
descended the bean-stalk as fast as he could go. His mother was glad to
see him again, and much surprised at seeing the hen, which laid them
three gold eggs every day. Jack