, because they are the heaviest to carry," thundered he.

She brought them, staggering under the weight--two bags, one filled
with new guineas and the other with new shillings. She emptied them
out on the table, and the giant began counting them in great glee.
"Now you may go to bed, you old fool." So the wife crept away.

Jack from his hiding-place watched the counting of the money, which he
knew was his poor father's, and wished it was his own; it would give
him much less trouble than going about selling the golden eggs. The
giant, little thinking he was so narrowly observed, reckoned it all
up, and then replaced it in the two bags, which he tied up very
carefully and put beside his chair, with his little dog to guard them.

At last he fell asleep as before, and 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, concluding all secure, stole out, in
order to carry off the two bags of money; but just as he laid his hand
upon one of them, the little dog, which he had not perceived before,
started from under the giant's chair and barked most furiously.
Instead of endeavoring to escape, Jack stood still, though expecting
his enemy to awake every instant.

Contrary, however, to his expectation, the giant continued in a sound
sleep, and Jack, seeing a piece of meat, threw it to the dog, who at
once ceased barking and began to devour it. So Jack carried off the
bags, one on each shoulder, but they were so heavy that it took him
two whole days to descend the bean-stalk and get back to his mother's
door.

[Illustration: Just as he laid his hand upon one of them, the
little dog barked most furiously]

When he came he found the cottage 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 neighbors, who could inform him
where he could find his mother. An old woman at last directed him to a
neighboring house, where she was ill of a fever. He was greatly
shocked at finding her apparently dying, and blamed himself bitterly
as the cause of it all. However, at sight of her dear son, the poor
woman revived and slowly recovered her health. Jack gave her his two
money-bags. They had the cottage rebuilt and well furnished, and lived
happier than they had ever done before.

For three years Jack heard no more of the bean-stalk, but he could not
forget it, though h