ning, 'm," he said.
"I've come to ask you for breakfast, for I had no supper, and I'm as
hungry as a hunter."

"Go away, bad boy!" replied the ogre's wife. "Last time I gave a boy
breakfast my man missed a whole bag of gold. I believe you are the same
boy."

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not," said Jack, with a laugh. "I'll tell you
true when I've had my breakfast; but not till then."

So the ogre's wife, who was dreadfully curious, gave him a big bowl full
of porridge; but before he had half finished it he heard the ogre
coming--

Thump! THUMP! THUMP!

"In with you to the oven," shrieked the ogre's wife. "You shall tell me
when he has gone to sleep."

This time Jack saw through the steam peep-hole that the ogre had three
fat calves strung to his belt.

"Better luck to-day, wife!" he cried, and his voice shook the house.
"Quick! Roast these trifles for my breakfast! I hope the oven's hot?"

And he went to feel the handle of the door, but his wife cried out
sharply:

"Roast! Why, you'd have to wait hours before they were done! I'll broil
them--see how bright the fire is!"

"Umph!" growled the ogre. And then he began sniffing and calling out:

"_Fee-fi-fo-fum,
I smell the blood of an Englishman.
Be he alive, or be he dead,
I'll grind his bones to make my bread._"

"Twaddle!" said the ogre's wife. "It's only the bones of the boy you had
last week that I've put into the pig-bucket!"

"Umph!" said the ogre harshly; but he ate the broiled calves, and then
he said to his wife, "Bring me my hen that lays the magic eggs. I want
to see gold."

So the ogre's wife brought him a great big black hen with a shiny red
comb. She plumped it down on the table and took away the breakfast
things.

Then the ogre said to the hen, "Lay!" and it promptly laid--what do you
think?--a beautiful, shiny, yellow, golden egg!

"None so dusty, henny-penny," laughed the ogre. "I shan't have to beg as
long as I've got you." Then he said, "Lay!" once more; and, lo and
behold! there was another beautiful, shiny, yellow, golden egg!

Jack could hardly believe his eyes, and made up his mind that he would
have that hen, come what might. So, when the ogre began to doze, he just
out like a flash from the oven, seized the hen, and ran for his life!
But, you see, he reckoned without his prize; for hens, you know, always
cackle when they leave their nests after laying an egg, and this one set
up such a scrawing that