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Once upon a time there lived in Cornwall, England, a lad whose name
was Jack, and who was very brave and knowing. At the same time there
was a great Giant, twenty feet high and nine feet round, who lived in
a cave, on an island near Jack's house. The Giant used to wade to the
mainland and steal things to live upon, carrying five or six bullocks
at once, and stringing sheep, pigs, and geese around his waist-band;
and all the people ran away from him in fear, whenever they saw him
coming.

Jack determined to destroy this Giant; so he got a pickaxe and
shovel, and started in his boat on a dark evening; by the morning he
had dug a pit deep and broad, then covering it with sticks and
strewing a little mould over, to make it look like plain ground, he
blew his horn so loudly that the Giant awoke, and came roaring
towards Jack, calling him a villain for disturbing his rest, and
declaring he would eat him for breakfast. He had scarcely said this
when he fell into the pit. "Oh! Mr. Giant," says Jack, "where are you
now? You shall have this for your breakfast." So saying, he struck
him on the head so terrible blow with his pickaxe that the Giant fell
dead to the bottom.

Just at this moment, the Giant's brother ran out roaring vengeance
against Jack; but he jumped into his boat and pulled to the opposite
shore, with the Giant after him, who caught poor Jack, just as he was
landing, tied him down in his boat, and went in search of his
provisions. During his absence, Jack contrived to cut a large hole in
the bottom of the boat, and placed therein a piece of canvas. After
having stolen some oxen, the Giant returned and pushed off the boat,
when, having got fairly out to sea, Jack pulled the canvas from the
hole, which caused the boat to fill and quickly capsize. The Giant
roared and bellowed as he struggled in the water, but was very soon
exhausted and drowned, while Jack dexterously swam ashore.

One day after this, Jack was sitting by a well fast asleep. A Giant
named Blundebore, coming for water, at once saw and caught hold of
him, and carried him to his castle. Jack was much frightened at
seeing the heaps of bodies and bones strewed about. The Giant then
confined him in an upper room over the entrance, and went for another
Giant to breakfast off poor Jack. On viewing the room, he saw some
strong ropes, and making a noose at one end, he put the other through
a pulley which chanced to be over the window, and when the Gian