IN the reign1 of the famous King Arthur there lived in Cornwall a lad named Jack2, who was a boy of a bold temper, and took delight in hearing or reading of conjurers, giants, and fairies; and used to listen eagerly to the deeds of the knights4 of King Arthur’s Round Table.
In those days there lived on St. Michael’s Mount, off Cornwall, a huge giant, eighteen feet high and nine feet round; his fierce and savage5 looks were the terror of all who beheld6 him.
He dwelt in a gloomy cavern7 on the top of the mountain, and used to wade8 over to the mainland in search of prey9; when he would throw half a dozen oxen upon his back, and tie three times as many sheep and hogs10 round his waist, and march back to his own abode11.
The giant had done this for many years when Jack resolved to destroy him.
Jack took a horn, a shovel12, a pickaxe, his armor, and a dark lantern, and one winter’s evening he went to the mount. There he dug a pit twenty-two feet deep and twenty broad. He covered the top over so as to make it look like solid ground. He then blew his horn so loudly that the giant awoke and came out of his den13 crying out: “You saucy14 villain15! you shall pay for this I’ll broil16 you for my breakfast!”
He had just finished, when, taking one step further, he tumbled headlong into the pit, and Jack struck him a blow on the head with his pickaxe which killed him. Jack then returned home to cheer his friends with the news.
Another giant, called Blunderbore, vowed17 to be revenged on Jack if ever he should have him in his power. This giant kept an enchanted18 castle in the midst of a lonely wood; and some time after the death of Cormoran Jack was passing through a wood, and being weary, sat down and went to sleep.
The giant, passing by and seeing Jack, carried him to his castle, where he locked him up in a large room, the floor of which was covered with the bodies, skulls19 and bones of men and women.
Soon after the giant went to fetch his brother who was likewise a giant, to take a meal off his flesh; and Jack saw with terror through the bars of his prison the two giants approaching.
Jack, perceiving in one corner of the room a strong cord, took courage, and making a slip-knot at each end, he threw them over their heads, and tied it to the window-bars; he then pulled till he had choked them. When they were black in the face he slid down the rope and stabbed them to the heart.
Jack next took a great bunch of keys from the pocket of Blunderbore, and went into the castle again. He made a strict search through all the rooms, and in one of 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 condemned20 them to be starved to death because they would not eat the flesh of their own dead husbands.
“Ladies,” said Jack, “I have put an end to the monster and his wicked brother; and I give you this castle and all the riches it contains, to make some amends21 for the dreadful pains you have felt.” He then very politely gave them the keys of the castle, and went further on his journey to Wales.
As Jack had but little money, he went on as fast as possible. At length he came to a handsome house. Jack knocked at the door, when there came forth22 a Welsh giant. Jack said he was a traveler who had lost his way, on which the giant made him welcome, and let him into a room where there was a good bed to sleep in.
Jack took off his clothes quickly, but though he was weary he could not go to sleep. Soon after this he heard the giant walking backward and forward in the next room, and saying to himself:
“Though here you lodge23 with me this night,
You shall not see the morning light;
My club shall dash your brains out quite.”
“Say you so?” thought Jack. “Are these your tricks upon travelers? But I hope to prove as cunning as you are.” Then, getting out of bed, he groped about the room, and at last found a large thick billet of wood. He laid it in his own place in the bed, and then hid himself in a dark corner of the room.
The giant, about midnight, entered the apartment, and with his bludgeon struck many blows on the bed, in the very place where Jack had laid the log; and then he went back to his own room, thinking he had broken all Jack’s bones.
Early in the morning Jack put a bold face upon the matter, and walked into the giant’s room to thank him for his lodging24. The giant started when he saw him, and began to stammer25 out: “Oh! dear me; is it you? Pray how did you sleep last night? Did you hear or see anything in the dead of the night?”
“Nothing to speak of,” said Jack, carelessly; “a rat, I believe, gave me three or four slaps with its tail, and disturbed me a little; but I soon went to sleep again.”
The giant wondered more and more at this; yet he did not answer a word, but went to bring two great bowls of hasty-pudding for their breakfast. Jack wanted to make the giant believe that he could eat as much as himself, so he contrived26 to button a leathern bag inside his coat, and slip the hasty-pudding into this bag, while he seemed to put it into his mouth.
When breakfast was over he said to the giant: “Now I will show you a fine trick. I can cure all wounds with a touch; I could cut off my head in one minute, and the next put it sound again on my shoulders. You shall see an example.” He then took hold of the knife, ripped up the leathern bag, and all the hasty-pudding tumbled out upon the floor.
“Ods splutter hur nails!” cried the Welsh giant, who was ashamed to be outdone by such a little fellow as Jack, “hur can do that hurself”; so he snatched up the knife, plunged27 it into his own stomach, and in a moment dropped down dead.
Jack, having hitherto been successful in all his undertakings28, resolved not to be idle in future; he therefore furnished himself with a horse, a cap of knowledge, a sword of sharpness, shoes of swiftness, and an invisible coat, the better to perform the wonderful enterprises that lay before him.
He traveled over high hills, and on the third day he came to a large and spacious29 forest through which his road lay. Scarcely had he entered the forest when he beheld a monstrous30 giant dragging along by the hair of their heads a handsome knight3 and his lady. Jack alighted from his horse, and tying him to an oak tree, put on his invisible coat, under which he carried his sword of sharpness.
When he came up to the giant he made several strokes at him, but could not reach his body, but wounded his thighs31 in several places; and at length, putting both hands to his sword and aiming with all his might, he cut off both his legs. Then Jack, setting his foot upon his neck, plunged his sword into the giant’s body, when the monster gave a groan32 and expired.
The knight and his lady thanked Jack for their deliverance, and invited him to their house, to receive a proper reward for his services. “No,” said Jack, “I cannot be easy till I find out this monster’s habitation.” So, taking the knight’s directions, he mounted his horse and soon after came in sight of another giant, who was sitting on a block of timber waiting for his brother’s return.
Jack alighted from his horse, and, putting on his invisible coat, approached and aimed a blow at the giant’s head, but, missing his aim, he only cut off his nose. On this the giant seized his club and laid about him most unmercifully.
“Nay,” said Jack, “if this be the case I’d better dispatch you!” so, jumping upon the block, he stabbed him in the back, when he dropped down dead.
Jack then proceeded on his journey, and traveled over hills and dales, till arriving at the foot of a high mountain he knocked at the door of a lonely house, when an old man let him in.
When Jack was seated the hermit33 thus addressed him: “My son, on the top of this mountain is an enchanted castle, kept by the giant Galligantus and a vile34 magician. I lament35 the fate of a duke’s daughter, whom they seized as she was walking in her father’s garden, and brought hither transformed into a deer.”
Jack promised that in the morning, at the risk of his life, he would break the enchantment36; and after a sound sleep he rose early, put on his invisible coat, and got ready for the attempt.
When he had climbed to the top of the mountain he saw two fiery37 griffins, but he passed between them without the least fear of danger, for they could not see him because of his invisible coat. On the castle gate he found a golden trumpet38, under which were written these lines:
“Whoever can this trumpet blow
Shall cause the giant’s overthrow39.”
As soon as Jack had read this he seized the trumpet and blew a shrill40 blast, which made the gates fly open and the very castle itself tremble.
The giant and the conjurer now knew that their wicked course was at an end, and they stood biting their thumbs and shaking with fear. Jack, with his sword of sharpness, soon killed the giant, and the magician was then carried away by a whirlwind; and every knight and beautiful lady who had been changed into birds and beasts returned to their proper shapes. The castle vanished away like smoke, and the head of the giant Galligantus was then sent to King Arthur.
The knights and ladies rested that night at the old man’s hermitage, and next day they set out for the Court. Jack then went up to the King, and gave his Majesty41 an account of all his fierce battles.
Jack’s fame had now spread through the whole country, and at the King’s desire the duke gave him his daughter in marriage, to the joy of all his kingdom. After this the King gave him a large estate, on which he and his lady lived the rest of their days in joy and contentment.
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reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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3
knight
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| n.骑士，武士；爵士 | |
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knights
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| 骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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6
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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7
cavern
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| n.洞穴，大山洞 | |
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wade
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| v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉 | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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hogs
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| n.（尤指喂肥供食用的）猪( hog的名词复数 )；（供食用的）阉公猪；彻底地做某事；自私的或贪婪的人 | |
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abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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12
shovel
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| n.铁锨，铲子，一铲之量；v.铲，铲出 | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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14
saucy
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| adj.无礼的；俊俏的；活泼的 | |
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15
villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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16
broil
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| v.烤，烧，争吵，怒骂；n.烤，烧，争吵，怒骂 | |
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17
vowed
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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enchanted
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| adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词 | |
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19
skulls
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| 颅骨( skull的名词复数 )； 脑袋； 脑子； 脑瓜 | |
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condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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21
amends
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| n. 赔偿 | |
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22
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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23
lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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24
lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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25
stammer
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| n.结巴，口吃；v.结结巴巴地说 | |
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26
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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27
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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undertakings
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| 企业( undertaking的名词复数 )； 保证； 殡仪业； 任务 | |
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spacious
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| adj.广阔的，宽敞的 | |
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30
monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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31
thighs
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| n.股，大腿( thigh的名词复数 )；食用的鸡（等的）腿 | |
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32
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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33
hermit
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| n.隐士，修道者；隐居 | |
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34
vile
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| adj.卑鄙的，可耻的，邪恶的；坏透的 | |
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35
lament
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| n.悲叹，悔恨，恸哭；v.哀悼，悔恨，悲叹 | |
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36
enchantment
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| n.迷惑，妖术，魅力 | |
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37
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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38
trumpet
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| n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘 | |
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39
overthrow
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| v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆 | |
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40
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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41
majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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