[b] Part B
He walked on till
after sunset, when, to his great joy, he espied a large
mansion. This agreeable sight revived his drooping
spirits; he redoubled his speed, and soon reached it. A plain-looking woman was at the door—he accosted
her, begging she would give him a morsel of bread
and a night's lodging. She expressed the greatest
surprise at seeing him; and said it was quite
uncommon to see a human being near their house, for
it was well known that her husband was a large and very powerful giant, and that he would never eat any
thing but human flesh, if he could possibly get it; that
he did not think any thing of walking fifty miles to
procure it, usually being out the whole day for that
purpose.
This account greatly terrified Jack, but still he hoped to elude the giant, and therefore he again entreated the
woman to take him in for one night only, and hide him
where she thought proper. The good woman at last
suffered herself to be persuaded, for she was of a
compassionate and generous disposition, and took
him into the house. First, they entered a fine large hall, magnificently furnished; they then passed through
several spacious rooms, all in the same style of
grandeur; but they appeared to be quite forsaken and
desolate. A long gallery was next; it was very dark—
just light enough to show that, instead of a wall on one
side, there was a grating of iron, which parted off a dismal dungeon, from whence issued the groans of
those poor victims whom the cruel giant reserved in
confinement for his own voracious appetite. Poor Jack
was half dead with fear, and would have given the
world to have been with his mother again, for he now
began to fear that he should never see her more, and gave himself up for lost; he even mistrusted the good
woman, and thought she had let him into the house
for no other purpose than to lock him up among the
unfortunate people in the dungeon. At the farther end
of the gallery there was a spacious kitchen, and a
very excellent fire was burning in the grate. The good woman bid Jack sit down, and gave him plenty to eat
and drink. Jack, not seeing any thing here to make him
uncomfortable, soon forgot his fear, and was just
beginning to enjoy himself, when he was aroused by
a loud knocking at the street-door, which made the
whole house shake: the giant's wife ran to secure him in the oven, and then went to let her husband in. Jack
heard him accost her in a voice like thunder, saying:
"Wife, I smell fresh meat." "Oh! my dear," replied she,
"it is nothing but the people in the dungeon." The giant
appeared to believe her, and walked into the very
kitchen where poor Jack was concealed, who shook, trembled, and was more terrified than he had yet
been. At last, the monster seated himself quietly by
the fire-side, whilst his wife prepared supper. By
degrees Jack recovered himself sufficiently to look at
the giant through a small crevice. He was quite
astonished to see what an amazing quantity he devoured, and thought he never would have done
eating and drinking. When supper was ended, the
giant desired his wife to bring him his hen. A very
beautiful hen was then brought, and placed on the
table before him. Jack's curiosity was very great to
see what would happen: he observed that every time the giant said "Lay!" the hen laid an egg of solid gold.
The giant amused himself a long time with his hen;
meanwhile his wife went to bed. At length the giant
fell asleep by the fire-side, and snored like the roaring
of a cannon.
At daybreak, Jack, finding the giant still asleep, and not likely to awaken soon, crept softly out of his
hiding-place, seized the hen, and ran off with her. He
met with some difficulty in finding his way out of the
house, but at last he reached the road with safety. He
easily found the way to the bean-stalk, and
descended it better and quicker than he expected. His mother was overjoyed to see him; he found her crying
bitterly, and lamenting his hard fate, for she concluded
he had come to some shocking end through his
rashness. Jack was impatient to show his hen, and
inform his mother how valuable it was. "And now,
mother," said Jack, "I have brought home that which will quickly make us rich; and I hope to make you
some amends for the affliction I have caused you
through my idleness, extravagance, and folly." The
hen produced as many golden eggs as they desired:
they sold them, and in a little time became possessed
of as much riches as they wanted. For some months Jack and his mother lived very happily together; but
he being very desirous of travelling, recollecting the
fairy's commands, and fearing that if he delayed, she
would put her threats into execution, longed to climb
the bean-stalk, and pay the giant another visit, in
order to carry away some more of his treasures; for, during the time that Jack was in the giant's mansion,
whilst he lay concealed in the oven, he learned from
the conversation that took place between the giant
and his wife, that he possessed some wonderful
curiosities. Jack thought of his journey again and
again, but still he could not summon resolution enough to break it to his mother, being well assured that she
would endeavour to prevent his going. However, one
day he told her boldly that he must take a journey up
the bean-stalk; she begged and prayed him not to
think of it, and tried all in her power to dissuade him:
she told him that the giant's wife would certainly know him again, and that the giant would desire
nothing better than to get him into his power, that he
might put him to a cruel death, in order to be
revenged for the loss of his hen. Jack, finding that all
his arguments were useless, pretended to give up the
point, though resolved to go at all events. He had a dress prepared which would disguise him, and
something to colour his skin. He thought it impossible
for any one to recollect him in this dress.
In a few mornings after this, he arose very early,
changed his complexion, and, unperceived by any
one, climbed the bean-stalk a second time. He was greatly fatigued when he reached the top, and very
hungry. Having rested some time on one of the
stones, he pursued his journey to the giant's mansion.
He reached it late in the evening: the woman was at
the door as before. Jack addressed her, at the same
time telling her a pitiful tale, and requesting that she would give him some victuals and drink, and also a
night's lodging.
She told him (what he knew before very well) about
her husband being a powerful and cruel giant; and
also that she one night admitted a poor, hungry,
friendless boy, who was half dead with travelling; that the little ungrateful fellow had stolen one of the giant's
treasures; and, ever since that, her husband had been
worse than before, used her very cruelly, and
continually upbraided her with being the cause of his
misfortune. Jack was at no loss to discover that he
was attending to the account of a story in which he was the principal actor. He did his best to persuade
the good woman to admit him, but found it a very
hard task. At last she consented; and as she led the
way, Jack observed that every thing was just as he
had found it before. She took him into the kitchen, and
after he had done eating and drinking, she hid him in an old lumber-closet. The giant returned at the usual
time, and walked in so heavily, that the house was
shaken to its foundation. He seated himself by the fire,
and soon after exclaimed: "Wife! I smell fresh meat!"
The wife replied, it was the crows, who had brought a
piece of raw meat, and left it on the top of the house. Whilst supper was preparing, the giant was very ill-
tempered and impatient, frequently lifting up his hand
to strike his wife, for not being quick enough; she,
however, was always so fortunate as to elude the
blow. He was also continually up-braiding her with the
loss of his wonderful hen. The giant at last having ended his voracious supper, and eaten till he was
quite satisfied, said to his wife: "I must have
something to amuse me; either my bags of money or
my harp." After a great deal of ill-humour, and having
teased his wife some he commanded her to bring
down his bags of gold and silver. Jack, as before, peeped out of his hiding-place, and presently his wife
brought two bags into the room: they were of a very
large size; one was filled with new guineas, and the
other with new shillings. They were both placed
before the giant, who began reprimanding his poor
wife most severely for staying so long; she replied, trembling with fear, that they were so heavy, that she
could scarcely lift them; and concluded, at last, that
she would never again bring them down stairs;
adding, that she had nearly fainted, owing to their
weight This so exasperated the giant, that he raised
his hand to strike her; she, however, escaped, and went to bed, leaving him to count over his treasure,
by way of amusement. The giant took his bags, and
after turning them over and over, to see that they
were in the same state as he left them, began to count
their contents. First, the bag which contained the
silver was emptied, and the contents placed upon the table. Jack viewed the glittering heaps with delight,
and most heartily wished them in his own possession.
The giant (little thinking he was so narrowly watched)
reckoned the silver over several times; and then,
having satisfied himself that all was safe, put it into
the bag again, which he made very secure. The other bag was opened next, and the guineas placed upon
the table. If Jack was pleased at the sight of the silver,
how much more delighted he felt when he saw such a
heap of glittering gold! He even had the boldness to
think of gaming both bags; but suddenly recollecting
himself, he began to fear that the giant would sham sleep, the better to entrap any one who might be
concealed. When the giant had counted over the gold
till he was tired, he put it up, if possible, more secure
than he had put up the silver before; he then fell back
on his chair by the fire-side, and fell asleep. He snored
so loud, that Jack compared his noise to the roaring of the sea in a high wind, when the tide is coming in. At
last, Jack concluded him to be asleep, and therefore
secure, stole out of his hiding-place, and approached
the giant, in order to carry off the two bags of money;
but just as he laid his hand upon one of the bags, a
little dog, whom he had not perceived before, started from under the giant's chair, and barked at Jack most
furiously, who now gave himself up for lost. Fear
riveted him to the spot. Instead of endeavouring to
escape, he stood still, though expecting his enemy to
awake every instant. Contrary, however, to his
expectation, the giant continued in a sound sleep, and the dog grew weary of barking. Jack now began to
recollect himself, and on looking round, saw a large
piece of meat; this he threw to the dog, who instantly
seized it, and took it into the lumber-closet, which Jack
had just left. Finding himself delivered from a noisy
and troublesome enemy, and seeing the giant did not awake, Jack boldly seized the bags, and throwing
them over his shoulders, ran out of the kitchen. He
reached the street door in safety, and found it quite
daylight. In his way to the top of the bean-stalk, he
found himself greatly incommoded with the weight of
the money-bags; and really they were so heavy that he could scarcely carry them. Jack was overjoyed
when he found himself near the bean-stalk; he soon
reached the bottom, and immediately ran to seek his
mother; to his great surprise, the cottage was
deserted; he ran from one room to another, without
being able to find any one; he then hastened into the village, hoping to see some of the neighbours, who
could inform him where he could find his mother. An
old woman at last directed him to a neighbouring
house, where she was ill of a fever. He was greatly
shocked on finding her apparently dying, and could
scarcely bear his own reflections, on knowing himself to be the cause. On being informed of our hero's safe
return, his mother, by degrees, revived, and gradually
recovered. Jack presented her with his two valuable
bags. They lived happily and comfortably; the cottage
was rebuilt, and well furnished.[/b]