Jack was not at all
scared. He remembered what had happened before, and thought he was
quite safe.

But this time the Giant would not listen to anything his wife said. He
jumped up and began stumping around the room, shouting: "There is fresh
meat here! I can smell it! Where is it?" And he put his hand right on
the boiler.

Jack held his breath tight, and did not move a muscle. Just when he felt
sure the Giant was going to lift off the lid and find him, he heard him
say: "Well, never mind now. Bring me my supper." And then he went over
to the table and began to eat.

It seemed to Jack that he ate more than ever. But suddenly he stopped
and called out: "Wife, bring me my harp."

The poor woman ran at once and brought back the most beautiful harp Jack
had ever seen. She placed it beside her husband, and he commanded:
"Play!" And the most surprising thing happened: The harp began to play
the loveliest tunes without anyone touching it at all. Jack thought he
had never seen anything so wonderful, and said to himself:

"That harp really belongs to my mother. I shall get it away from the
Giant and take it to her."

Soon the Giant fell asleep. Jack crawled very quietly out of the boiler
and up toward the table. He stretched out his hand to seize the harp;
but just as his fingers touched it, it shouted: "Master, master, wake
up!"

Jack was horrified, for he saw at once that the harp was the Giant's
fairy, and was trying to help him.

The Giant opened his eyes, but before he could get to his feet Jack was
running for his life. Down the winding stair and through the dark hall
he went. He felt the floor tremble as the Giant came roaring after him.
He was panting for breath when he reached the front door, but did not
dare to stop. If he did, he knew the Giant would catch him, and that
would be the end of him.

And this is what surely would have happened, but the Giant had eaten so
much for his supper that he could hardly run at all. Even so, he was
close behind him all the way. And all the time he kept roaring and
shouting, which frightened Jack all the more.

As soon as Jack reached the beanstalk he called out: "Someone quick! get
me a hatchet!" Then he almost fell down the beanstalk in his hurry.

When he reached the bottom the Giant had already started to come down.
"Oh, now," thought poor Jack, "he will come and burn our house, and kill
my mother and me."

Just then a neighbor ran up to Jack with a hatchet. Jack