Jack the Giant-killer Jack the Giant-killer of «English Fairy Tales» by Joseph Jacobs: the whole text, 180 sentences and 4347 words. Every sentence has its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself; 2 of them are in the tales treebank and were checked by a teacher model.
1 and presented him with a sword and a belt, on which were written these words embroidered in letters of gold: 2 “Here's the right valiant Cornish man, Who slew the giant Cormoran.” 3 The news of Jack's victory soon spread over all the West of England, so that another giant, named Blunderbore, hearing of it, vowed to be revenged on Jack, if ever he should light on him. 4 This giant was the lord of an enchanted castle situated in the midst of a lonesome wood. 5 Now Jack, about four months afterwards, walking near this wood in his journey to Wales, being weary, seated himself near a pleasant fountain and fell fast asleep. 6 While he was sleeping, the giant, coming there for water, discovered him, and knew him to be the far-famed Jack the Giant-killer by the lines written on the belt. 7 Without ado, he took Jack on his shoulders and carried him towards his castle. 8 Now, as they passed through a thicket, the rustling of the boughs awakened Jack, who was strangely surprised to find himself in the clutches of the giant. 9 His terror was only begun, for, on entering the castle, he saw the ground strewed with human bones, and the giant told him his own would ere long be among them. 10 After this the giant locked poor Jack in an immense chamber, leaving him there while he went to fetch another giant, his brother, living in the same wood, who might share in the meal on Jack. 11 After waiting some time Jack, on going to the window beheld afar off the two giants coming towards the castle. 12 “Now,” quoth Jack to himself, “my death or my deliverance is at hand.” 13 Now, there were strong cords in a corner of the room in which Jack was, and two of these he took, and made a strong noose at the end; and while the giants were unlocking the iron gate of the castle he threw the ropes over each of their heads. 14 Then he drew the other ends across a beam, and pulled with all his might, so that he throttled them. 15 Then, when he saw they were black in the face, he slid down the rope, and drawing his sword, slew them both. 16 Then, taking the giant's keys, and unlocking the rooms, he found three fair ladies tied by the hair of their heads, almost starved to death. 17 “Sweet ladies,” quoth Jack, “I have destroyed this monster and his brutish brother, and obtained your liberties.” 18 This said he presented them with the keys, and so proceeded on his journey to Wales. 19 Jack made the best of his way by travelling as fast as he could, but lost his road, and was benighted, and could find any habitation until, coming into a narrow valley, he found a large house, and in order to get shelter took courage to knock at the gate. 20 But what was his surprise when there came forth a monstrous giant with two heads; yet he did not appear so fiery as the others were, for he was a Welsh giant, and what he did was by private and secret malice under the false show of friendship. 21 Jack, having told his condition to the giant, was shown into a bedroom, where, in the dead of night, he heard his host in another apartment muttering these words: 22 “Though here you lodge with me this night, You shall not see the morning light My club shall dash your brains outright!” 23 “Say'st thou so,” quoth Jack; “that is like one of your Welsh tricks, yet I hope to be cunning enough for you.” 24 Then, getting out of bed, he laid a billet in the bed in his stead, and hid himself in a corner of the room. 25 At the dead time of the night in came the Welsh giant, who struck several heavy blows on the bed with his club, thinking he had broken every bone in Jack's skin. 26 The next morning Jack, laughing in his sleeve, gave him hearty thanks for his night's lodging. 27 “How have you rested?” quoth the giant; “did you not feel anything in the night?” 28 “No,” quoth Jack, “nothing but a rat, which gave me two or three slaps with her tail.” 29 With that, greatly wondering, the giant led Jack to breakfast, bringing him a bowl containing four gallons of hasty pudding. 30 Being loth to let the giant think it too much for him, Jack put a large leather bag under his loose coat, in such a way that he could convey the pudding into it without its being perceived. 31 Then, telling the giant he would show him a trick, taking a knife, Jack ripped open the bag, and out came all the hasty pudding. 32 Whereupon, saying, “Odds splutters hur nails, hur can do that trick hurself,” the monster took the knife, and ripping open his belly, fell down dead. 33 Now, it happened in these days that King Arthur's only son asked his father to give him a large sum of money, in order that he might go and seek his fortune in the principality of Wales, where lived a beautiful lady possessed with seven evil spirits. 34 The king did his best to persuade his son from it, but in vain; so at last gave way and the prince set out with two horses, one loaded with money, the other for himself to ride upon. 35 Now, after several days' travel, he came to a market-town in Wales, where he beheld a vast crowd of people gathered together. 36 The prince asked the reason of it, and was told that they had arrested a corpse for several large sums of money which the deceased owed when he died. 37 The prince replied that it was a pity creditors should be so cruel, and said: “Go bury the dead, and let his creditors come to my lodging, and there their debts shall be paid.” 38 They came, in such great numbers that before night he had only twopence left for himself. 39 Now Jack the Giant-Killer, coming that way, was so taken with the generosity of the prince, that he desired to be his servant. 40 This being agreed upon, the next morning they set forward on their journey together, when, as they were riding out of the town, an old woman called after the prince, saying, “He has owed me twopence these seven years; pray pay me as well as the rest.” 41 Putting his hand to his pocket, the prince gave the woman all he had left, so that after their day's food, which cost what small spell Jack had by him, they were without a penny between them. 42 When the sun got low, the king's son said: “Jack, since we have no money, where can we lodge this night?” 43 But Jack replied: “Master, we'll do well enough, for I have an uncle lives within two miles of this place; he is a huge and monstrous giant with three heads; he'll fight five hundred men in armour, and make them to fly before him.” 44 “Alas!” quoth the prince, “what shall we do there? 45 He'll certainly chop us up at a mouthful. 46 Nay, we are scarce enough to fill one of his hollow teeth!” 47 “It is no matter for that,” quoth Jack; “I myself will go before and prepare the way for you; therefore stop here and wait till I return.” 48 Jack then rode away at full speed, and coming to the gate of the castle, he knocked so loud that he made the neighbouring hills resound. 49 The giant roared out at this like thunder: “Who's there?” 50 Jack answered: “None but your poor cousin Jack.” 51 Quoth he: “What news with my poor cousin Jack?” 52 He replied: “Dear uncle, heavy news, God wot!” 53 “Prithee,” quoth the giant, “what heavy news can come to me? 54 I am a giant with three heads, and besides thou knowest I can fight five hundred men in armour, and make them fly like chaff before the wind.” 55 “Oh, but,” quoth Jack, “here's the king's son a-coming with a thousand men in armour to kill you and destroy all that you have!” 56 “Oh, cousin Jack,” said the giant, “this is heavy news indeed! 57 I will immediately run and hide myself, and thou shalt lock, bolt, and bar me in, and keep the keys until the prince is gone.” 58 Having secured the giant, Jack fetched his master, when they made themselves heartily merry whilst the poor giant lay trembling in a vault under the ground. 59 Early in the morning Jack furnished his master with a fresh supply of gold and silver, and then sent him three miles forward on his journey, at which time the prince was pretty well out of the smell of the giant. 60 Jack then returned, and let the giant out of the vault, who asked what he should give him for keeping the castle from destruction. 61 “Why,” quoth Jack, “I want nothing but the old coat and cap, together with the old rusty sword and slippers which are at your bed's head.” 62 Quoth the giant: “You know not what you ask; they are the most precious things I have. 63 The coat will keep you invisible, the cap will tell you all you want to know, the sword cuts asunder whatever you strike, and the shoes are of extraordinary swiftness. 64 But you have been very serviceable to me, therefore take them with all my heart.” 65 Jack thanked his uncle, and then went off with them. 66 He soon overtook his master and they quickly arrived at the house of the lady the prince sought, who, finding the prince to be a suitor, prepared a splendid banquet for him. 67 After the repast was concluded, she told him she had a task for him. 68 She wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, saying: “You must show me that handkerchief to-morrow morning, or else you will lose your head.” 69 With that she put it in her bosom. 70 The prince went to bed in great sorrow, but Jack's cap of knowledge informed him how it was to be obtained. 71 In the middle of the night she called upon her familiar spirit to carry her to Lucifer. 72 But Jack put on his coat of darkness and his shoes of swiftness, and was there as soon as she was. 73 When she entered the place of the Old One, she gave the handkerchief to old Lucifer, who laid it upon a shelf, whence Jack took it and brought it to his master, who showed it to the lady next day, and so saved his life. 74 On that day, she gave the prince a kiss and told him he must show her the lips to-morrow morning that she kissed last night, or lose his head. 75 “Ah!” he replied, “if you kiss none but mine, I will.” 76 “That is neither here nor there,” said she; “if you do not, death's your portion!” 77 At midnight she went as before, and was angry with old Lucifer for letting the handkerchief go. 78 “But now,” quoth she, “I will be too hard for the king's son, for I will kiss thee, and he is to show me thy lips.” 79 Which she did, and Jack, when she was not standing by, cut off Lucifer's head and brought it under his invisible coat to his master, who the next morning pulled it out by the horns before the lady. 80 This broke the enchantment and the evil spirit left her, and she appeared in all her beauty. 81 They were married the next morning, and soon after went to the court of King Arthur, where Jack for his many great exploits, was made one of the Knights of the Round Table. 82 Jack soon went searching for giants again, but he had not ridden far, when he saw a cave, near the entrance of which he beheld a giant sitting upon a block of timber, with a knotted iron club by his side. 83 His goggle eyes were like flames of fire, his countenance grim and ugly, and his cheeks like a couple of large flitches of bacon, while the bristles of his beard resembled rods of iron wire, and the locks that hung down upon his brawny shoulders were like curled snakes or hissing adders. 84 Jack alighted from his horse, and, putting on the coat of darkness, went up close to the giant, and said softly: “Oh! are you there? 85 It will not be long before I take you fast by the beard.” 86 The giant all this while could not see him, on account of his invisible coat, so that Jack, coming up close to the monster, struck a blow with his sword at his head, but, missing his aim, he cut off the nose instead. 87 At this, the giant roared like claps of thunder, and began to lay about him with his iron club like one stark mad. 88 But Jack, running behind, drove his sword up to the hilt in the giant's back, so that he fell down dead. 89 This done, Jack cut off the giant's head, and sent it, with his brother's also, to King Arthur, by a waggoner he hired for that purpose. 90 Jack now resolved to enter the giant's cave in search of his treasure, and, passing along through a great many windings and turnings, he came at length to a large room paved with freestone, at the upper end of which was a boiling caldron, and on the right hand a large table, at which the giant used to dine. 91 Then he came to a window, barred with iron, through which he looked and beheld a vast number of miserable captives, who, seeing him, cried out: “Alas! young man, art thou come to be one amongst us in this miserable den?” 92 “Ay,” quoth Jack, “but pray tell me what is the meaning of your captivity?” 93 “We are kept here,” said one, “till such time as the giants have a wish to feast, and then the fattest among us is slaughtered! 94 And many are the times they have dined upon murdered men!” 95 “Say you so,” quoth Jack, and straightway unlocked the gate and let them free, who all rejoiced like condemned men at sight of a pardon. 96 Then searching the giant's coffers, he shared the gold and silver equally amongst them and took them to a neighbouring castle, where they all feasted and made merry over their deliverance. 97 But in the midst of all this mirth a messenger brought news that one Thunderdell, a giant with two heads, having heard of the death of his kinsmen, had come from the northern dales to be revenged on Jack, and was within a mile of the castle, the country people flying before him like chaff. 98 But Jack was not a bit daunted, and said: “Let him come! 99 I have a tool to pick his teeth; and you, ladies and gentlemen, walk out into the garden, and you shall witness this giant Thunderdell's death and destruction.” 100 The castle was situated in the midst of a small island surrounded by a moat thirty feet deep and twenty feet wide, over which lay a drawbridge. ← previous Jack the Giant-killernext → Childe Rowland↑ back to English Fairy Tales This page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg7439/23/