he rooms; and in them found three ladies tied up by the hair of their
heads, and almost starved to death. They told him that their husbands
had been killed by the Giants, who had then condemned them to be
starved to death, because they would not eat the flesh of their own
husbands.

"Charming Ladies," said Jack, "I have put an end to the monster and
his wicked brother; and I give you this castle, and all riches that
it contains, to make you some amends for the dreadful pains you have
felt."

He then very politely gave them the keys of the castle, and went
further in his journey to Wales.

[Illustration: A Giant looketh out for Jack. _Initial_]

Caring very little for riches, Jack had not taken any of the Giant's
wealth for himself, and having but little money of his own, he thought
it best to travel as fast as he could.

At length he lost his way; and when night came on, he was in a valley
between two lofty mountains. He thought himself lucky at last in
finding a large and handsome house. He went to it, and knocked at the
gate; when, to his surprise, there came forth a Giant with two heads.
He spoke to Jack very civilly, for he was a Welsh Giant, and all the
mischief he did was done under a show of friendship. Jack told him he
was a benighted traveller, when the monster bade Jack welcome, and led
him into a room where he could pass the night. But though he was weary
he could not sleep, for he heard the Giant walking backward and
forward in the next room, saying,

"_Though here you lodge with me this night,
You shall not see the morning-light;
My club shall dash your brains out quite_."

"Say you so?" quoth Jack; "that is like one of your Welsh tricks."

Then getting out of bed, Jack groped about the room, and at last found
a billet of wood; he laid it in his place in the bed, and hid himself
in a corner of the room. In the middle of the night the Giant came
with his great club, and struck many heavy blows on the bed, in the
very place where Jack had laid the billet; and then went to his own
room, thinking he had broken all Jack's bones.

[Illustration: The deceitful Civility of the Welsh Giant]

Early in the morning Jack walked into the Giant's room to thank him
for his lodging. The Giant started when he saw him, and began to
stammer out,--

"Pray, how did you sleep last night? Did you hear or see any thing in
the dead of the night?"

"Nothing worth speaking of," said Jack, carelessly; "a rat, I