is wife what he had done, to wit, that he
had taken a couple of prisoners, and cast them into his dungeon for
trespassing on his grounds. Then he asked her also what he had best to
do further to them. So she asked him what they were, whence they came,
and whither they were bound, and he told her. Then she counselled him,
that when he arose in the morning he should beat them without mercy. So
when he arose, he getteth him a grievous crabtree cudgel, and goes down
into the dungeon to them, and there first falls to rating of them as if
they were dogs, although they never gave him a word of distaste. Then he
falls upon them, and beats them fearfully, in such sort that they were
not able to help themselves, or to turn them upon the floor. This done,
he withdraws, and leaves them there to condole their misery, and to
mourn under their distress: so all that day they spent their time in
nothing but sighs and bitter lamentations. The next night, she, talking
with her husband further about them, and understanding that they were
yet alive, did advise him to counsel them to make away with themselves.
So when morning was come, he goes to them in a surly manner, as before,
and perceiving them to be very sore with the stripes that he had given
them the day before, he told them, that since they were never like to
come out of that place, their only way would be forthwith to make an end
of themselves, either with knife, halter, or poison; for why, said
he, should you choose to live, seeing it is attended with so much
bitterness? But they desired him to let them go. With that he looked
ugly upon them, and, rushing to them, had doubtless made an end of them
himself, but that he fell into one of his fits (for he sometimes, in
sunshiny weather, fell into fits), and lost for a time the use of his
hands; wherefore he withdrew, and left them as before to consider what
to do.

Well, towards evening the giant goes down into the dungeon again, to see
if his prisoners had taken his counsel. But when he came there, he found
them alive; and, truly, alive was all; for now, what for want of bread
and water, and by reason of the wounds they received when he beat them,
they could do little but breathe. But, I say, he found them alive; at
which he fell into a grievous rage, and told them, that seeing they had
disobeyed his counsel, it should be worse with them than if they had
never been born.

At this they trembled greatly, and I think that Christian fe