id, "Play," to the harp, and it played so
delightfully that Jack was charmed.

[Illustration: JACK TAKES THE TALKING HARP.]

By-and-by, however, the giant snored so loud that he could not hear the
music; and Jack quickly stole out, and seizing the harp, ran away with
it. But the harp was a fairy belonging to the giant, and as Jack ran, it
cried out, "Master! Master!" The giant woke up slowly and rushed after
Jack, but the boy was very nimble and outran him. You may imagine how
fast Jack went down the bean-stalk this time, hearing all the while
the tramp of the giant's feet behind him.

[Illustration: THE GIANT BREAKS HIS NECK.]

Just as he reached the bottom he saw the Ogre looking down on him.

The next moment his great feet were on the bean-stalk.

"Mother, mother! bring me the axe," cried Jack.

His mother hastened with it, and just as the giant was half way down the
bean-stalk, Jack succeeded in chopping it in halves; the lower half
fell; the upper half swung away, and the giant, losing his hold, fell
heavily to the ground on his head and broke his neck.

The same moment the fairy again stood beside Jack, and touching the
broken bean-stalk was turned into a flight of broad, easy steps.

"Go up," she said, "and take possession of your own home, so long kept
from you. The Ogress is dead, and there is no more danger. You have been
brave and good. May you be happy."

Jack thanked the fairy very warmly for her aid, and she again departed
to Fairyland, after explaining to Jack that she had been the butcher who
sold him the beans.

TOM THUMB.

In the days of good king Arthur there lived a countryman and his wife
who, though they had plenty to eat and to drink, and a very comfortable
cottage to live in, were not at all happy.

They had no children, and they both wished very much for a baby. The
wife was often in tears when her husband was out at work and she was all
alone, because she had not an infant to take care of and nurse. One day,
as she sat weeping by herself, more than usually sad, she said aloud,
"If I only had a dear little baby, I should not care what it was like. I
should be thankful for one if it were _no bigger than my husband's
thumb_."

Now it happened that the Queen of the Fairies was passing by, though the
poor woman could not see her, and as she knew the farmer's wife was kind
to the poor and likely to be a good mother, she thought she would grant
her wish.

[Illustration: THE