dearly loves human flesh. Day after day he tramps over the country seeking men and women to devour. He would walk fifty miles any day to get a little boy like you for his supper."

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18. "But you are good and kind," said Jack, or you would not have told me of my danger. You can take me in and give me something to eat and hide me where I can sleep safely. In the morning I will go on my way."

19. To this the woman agreed. She took Jack to the kitchen and gave him some bread and cheese and a glass of milk. In the midst of his meal he felt the he felt the castle shake. "Thump, thump, thump," came a heavy tread.

20. "Here comes my husband," said the woman, "if you do not hide quickly you will be lost." The giant was so close at hand there was no time to lose. The great oven right at hand was not in use; the woman

opened the door and pushed Jack into it.

21. Just then the giant stalked into the He seemed to think that something

room.

was wrong.

He walked about the room and sniffed the air. "I smell fresh meat, wife, I smell fresh meat." He came and stood over the oven and said,

"Fee-fi-fo-fum

I smell the blood of an Englishman."

23. "You smell the leg of mutton on the back porch," said his wife; "sit down and I will bring your supper."

23. The giant sat down at the table. Jack peeped through a crack in the oven. The giant took a loaf of bread at a bite, and a pitcher of water at a sup. He ate enough to feed an army.

24. When he was through his wife cleared the table.

"Now bring my hen," cried the giant in a voice of thunder.

25. His wife brought a fine, plump hen and set her on the table in front of him.

"Now lay an egg," said the giant.

The hen laid an egg of pure gold.
"Now lay another," said the giant.

The hen laid another egg of gold, larger than the first.

26. The giant kept the hen laying golden eggs for a long time, till he grew tired and sleepy. Pretty soon his head sank back in his chair and he snored aloud with a sound like the roar of a cannon.

27. Jack crept out of the oven without making a sound. He seized the hen and ran off with her. Soon he reached the beanstalk and ran down it.

28. He burst into the cottage and placed the hen on the table before his mother. "Now lay an egg he said."

The hen laid an egg of pure gold.

"Now lay another," he said.

The hen laid another, larger than the first. 29. Jack kept the hen laying golden eggs till he had riches enough to buy everything that was needed. For a long time they lived happily in the little cottage.

PART THREE

30. But Jack looked at the beanstalk every morning and thought of the strange country and the castle and the giant, at the top of the sky. One day, overcome by his wish to visit this country again, he stepped upon the beanstalk ladder and climbed upward and upward.

31. When he came to the top, he found the country as before. He sat on the same rock and rested. Then he went down the road to the castle gate. The woman stood at the door as before.

32. She told Jack that the giant would be more anxious than before to catch him since he had run off with the hen that laid the golden eggs. She said he had better not go into the castle.

33. Jack said he was sure she could hide him and he was not afraid to go in. So the woman took him in the kitchen and hid him in the china closet.