rom his horse, and
put him into a thicket; then with his Coat of darkness he came near to
behold his figure, and said, "Oh! are you there? It will not be long
before I take you by the beard."

The Giant could not see him by reason of his invisible Coat: so Jack
fetching a blow at his head with his Sword of sharpness, and missing
somewhat of his aim, cut off the Giant's nose, whose nostrils were wider
than a pair of jack-boots; the pain was terrible; he put up his hand to
feel for his nose, and when he could not find it he raved and roared
louder than thunder; and though he turned up his large eyes, he could
not see from whence the blow came, nevertheless, he took up his
iron-headed club and began to thrash about him like one stark mad.

"Nay," quoth Jack, "if you be for that sport, then I will dispatch you
quickly, for fear of an accidental blow."

Then Jack makes no more to do, but runs his sword up to the hilt in the
Giant's fundament, where he left it sticking for a while, and stood
himself laughing, to see the Giant caper and dance with the sword in his
body, crying out, "I shall die with the gripping of my guts."

Thus did the Giant continue raving for an hour or more, and at length
fell down dead.

This being done, Jack cut off both the Giants' heads, and sent them to
King Arthur by a waggoner, whom he hired for the purpose.

Jack having dispatched these two monsters, resolved to enter the cave in
search of the Giants' treasure. He passed through many turnings and
windings, which led him at length to a room paved with freestone, at the
upper end of which was a boiling caldron; on the right hand stood a
large table, where the Giants used to dine. Then he came to an iron
gate, where was a window secured with bars of iron, through which he
looked, and beheld a vast many captives, who, seeing Jack, said, "Young
man, art thou come to be one among us in this miserable den?"

"Nay," quoth Jack, "I hope I shall not tarry long here; but what is the
meaning of your captivity?"

"Why," said one of them, "we have been taken by the Giants, and here we
are kept till they have a feast, then the fattest among us is
slaughtered for their devouring jaws. It is not long since they took
three of us for the purpose."

"Say you so," quoth Jack; "well, I have given them both such a dinner
that it will be long enough ere they need any more. You may believe me,
for I have slain them both, and as for their monstrous heads, I sent