ong gallery came next; it was very
dark--just light enough to show that, instead of a wall on one side,
there was a grating of iron which parted off a dismal dungeon, from
whence issued the groans of those victims whom the cruel giant
reserved in confinement for his own voracious appetite. Poor Jack was
half dead with fear, and would have given the world to have been with
his mother again, for he now began to doubt if he should ever see her
more; he even mistrusted the good woman, and thought she had let him
into the house for no other purpose than to lock him up among the
unfortunate people in the dungeon. However, she bade Jack sit down,
and gave him plenty to eat and drink; and he, not seeing anything to
make him uncomfortable, soon forgot his fear and was just beginning to
enjoy himself, when he was startled by a loud knocking at the outer
door, which made the whole house shake.

"Ah! that's the giant; and if he sees you he will kill you and me
too," cried the poor woman, trembling all over. "What shall I do?"

"Hide me in the oven," cried Jack, now as bold as a lion at the
thought of being face to face with his father's cruel murderer. So he
crept into the oven--for there was no fire near it--and listened to
the giant's loud voice and heavy step as he went up and down the
kitchen scolding his wife. At last he seated himself at table, and
Jack, peeping through a crevice in the oven, was amazed to see what a
quantity of food he devoured. It seemed as if he never would have done
eating and drinking; but he did at last, and, leaning back, called to
his wife in a voice like thunder:

"Bring me my hen!"

She obeyed, and placed upon the table a very beautiful live hen.

"Lay!" roared the giant, and the hen laid immediately an egg of solid
gold.

"Lay another!" and every time the giant said this the hen laid a
larger egg than before.

He amused himself a long time with his hen, and then sent his wife to
bed, while he fell asleep by the fireside, and snored like the roaring
of cannon.

As soon as he was asleep, Jack crept out of the oven, seized the hen,
and ran off with her. He got safely out of the house, and finding his
way along the road he came, reached the top of the bean-stalk, which
he descended in safety.

His mother was overjoyed to see him. She thought he had come to some
ill end.

"Not a bit of it, mother. Look here!" and he showed her the hen. "Now
lay;" and the hen obeyed him as readily as the gi