Jack the Giant-Killer

Jack the Giant-Killer by Dinah Mulock

Jack, a farmer's bold son from near the Land's End of Cornwall in the days of King Arthur, resolves to destroy the eighteen-foot giant Cormoran, who ravages the countryside from his cave on St. Michael's Mount. Jack digs a deep pit, lures the giant out by blowing his horn, and kills him with a pickaxe when he falls in; for this the Cornwall justices name him Jack the Giant Killer and give him a sword and belt inscribed with his feat. Traveling toward Wales, Jack is captured by the giant Blunderbore, who carries him to an enchanted castle strewn with human remains. While Blunderbore fetches a second giant to share Jack for dinner, a mournful voice warns Jack of his danger. Jack nooses both giants as they return through the gate, strangles them nearly senseless, then kills them with his sword. He frees three starving ladies imprisoned in the castle, whose husbands the giants had killed, and gives them the castle and its riches before continuing on. Lost at night, Jack takes shelter with a two-headed Welsh giant who plans to club him to death in his sleep. Jack substitutes a billet of wood in the bed and escapes harm. At breakfast he tricks the giant with a hidden leather bag that secretly catches his hasty-pudding, then pretends to cut himself open unharmed; the Welsh giant, trying to imitate him, stabs himself fatally. Jack next joins King Arthur's son, who is traveling to Wales to free a lady held by enchantment, after the prince gives away all his money to an old woman. Jack tricks a three-headed giant into hiding in his own cellar by pretending the prince approaches with an army, then locks him in and loots his treasure for the prince before releasing him. The prince rewards the giant's release, and in return the giant gives Jack an old coat, cap, sword, and shoes he no longer wants—these prove magical: an invisible coat, a cap of knowledge, a sword of sharpness, and shoes of swiftness. At the palace of the enchanted lady, the prince must name the owner of a handkerchief or lose his head. Using his cap of knowledge, Jack learns the lady nightly meets a wicked magician in the forest; invisible, Jack follows and beheads the magician, breaking the enchantment. The lady marries the prince, and Jack is made a Knight of the Round Table. Seeking further exploits with the king's blessing, Jack rides into Wales and finds a giant dragging off a knight and lady; he cuts off the giant's legs and kills him, freeing the couple. Despite their pleas, he seeks out the giant's brother at a nearby cave, cuts off his nose while invisible, then stabs him in the back and kills him. In the giants' cave he frees captives held for eating, feasts them, and divides the giants' treasure among them before returning to the knight and lady, who hold a feast in his honor and give him an engraved ring. During the feast, a herald announces that Thundel, a two-headed giant kin to the slain brothers, is approaching for revenge. Jack has the drawbridge over the knight's moat cut nearly through, taunts the giant while invisible, then lures him across the bridge, which collapses under his weight and drops him into the moat. Jack drags him out with a cart-rope and horses and beheads him, sending the heads to King Arthur as before. Jack then travels on and lodges with a hermit, who tells him of the enchanted castle of the giant Galligantus atop a nearby mountain, guarded by two fiery griffins, where a duke's daughter has been transformed into a deer along with other captive knights and ladies. Using his invisible coat, Jack passes the griffins, finds a golden trumpet at the castle gate inscribed with words promising the giant's overthrow if blown, and sounds it. The gates burst open; Jack kills Galligantus with his sword of sharpness while the magician is swept away by a whirlwind, and all the transformed captives return to their proper shapes as the castle vanishes. Jack sends the giant's head to King Arthur and returns to court with the freed knights and ladies, recounting his battles to the king. As reward, the duke gives Jack his daughter in marriage, and the king grants him a large estate, where Jack and his lady live out their days in joy and content.

By Dinah Mulock · First published 1880 · Genre: Fairy tale, Adventure, Fantasy · 6,392 words

First lines

In the reign of the famous King Arthur, there lived, near the Land's End of England, in the county of Cornwall, a worthy farmer, who had an only son named Jack. Jack was a boy of a bold temper; he took pleasure in hearing or reading stories of wizards, conjurors, giants, and fairies; and used to listen eagerly while his father talked of the great deeds of the brave knights of King Arthur's Round Table. When Jack was sent to take care of the sheep and oxen in the fields, he used to amuse himself with planning battles, sieges, and the means to conquer or surprise a foe. He was above the common sports of children, but hardly any one could equal him at wrestling; or, if he met with a match for himself in strength, his skill and address always made him the victor. In those days there lived on St. Michael's Mount, of Cornwall, which rises out of the sea at some distance from the mainland, a huge giant.

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Jack the Giant-Killer is listed on Textopian as a novella by Dinah Mulock, dated 1880 CE.

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fairy tale · giants · heroism · adventure · fantasy · magic · bravery · mythical creatures · quests · good vs evil · courage · legend

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