The Complete Fairy Books. Andrew Lang

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СКАЧАТЬ he took up the brown hen and said to her:

      ‘Lay!’ And she instantly laid a golden egg.

      ‘Lay!’ said the Giant again. And she laid another.

      ‘Lay!’ he repeated the third time. And again a golden egg lay on the table.

      Now Jack was sure this hen was that of which the fairy had spoken.

      By-and-by the Giant put the hen down on the floor, and soon after went fast asleep, snoring so loud that it sounded like thunder.

      Directly Jack perceived that the Giant was fast asleep, he pushed open the door of the wardrobe and crept out; very softly he stole across the room, and, picking up the hen, made haste to quit the apartment. He knew the way to the kitchen, the door of which he found was left ajar; he opened it, shut and locked it after him, and flew back to the Beanstalk, which he descended as fast as his feet would move.

      When his mother saw him enter the house she wept for joy, for she had feared that the fairies had carried him away, or that the Giant had found him. But Jack put the brown hen down before her, and told her how he had been in the Giant’s castle, and all his adventures. She was very glad to see the hen, which would make them rich once more.

      THE MONEY BAGS.

      Jack made another journey up the Beanstalk to the Giant’s castle one day while his mother had gone to market; but first he dyed his hair and disguised himself. The old woman did not know him again, and dragged him in as she had done before, to help her to do the work; but she heard her husband coming, and hid him in the wardrobe, not thinking that it was the same boy who had stolen the hen. She bade him stay quite still there, or the Giant would eat him.

      Then the Giant came in saying:

      ‘Fe, fa, fi-fo-fum,

       I smell the breath of an Englishman.

       Let him be alive or let him be dead,

       I’ll grind his bones to make my bread.’

      ‘Nonsense!’ said the wife, ‘it is only a roasted bullock that I thought would be a tit-bit for your supper; sit down and I will bring it up at once.’ The Giant sat down, and soon his wife brought up a roasted bullock on a large dish, and they began their supper. Jack was amazed to see them pick the bones of the bullock as if it had been a lark. As soon as they had finished their meal, the Giantess rose and said:

      ‘Now, my dear, with your leave I am going up to my room to finish the story I am reading. If you want me call for me.’

      ‘First,’ answered the Giant, ‘bring me my money bags, that I may count my golden pieces before I sleep.’ The Giantess obeyed. She went and soon returned with two large bags over her shoulders, which she put down by her husband.

      ‘There,’ she said; ‘that is all that is left of the knight’s money. When you have spent it you must go and take another baron’s castle.’

      ‘That he shan’t, if I can help it,’ thought Jack.

      The Giant, when his wife was gone, took out heaps and heaps of golden pieces, and counted them, and put them in piles, till he was tired of the amusement. Then he swept them all back into their bags, and leaning back in his chair fell fast asleep, snoring so loud that no other sound was audible.

      Jack stole softly out of the wardrobe, and taking up the bags of money (which were his very own, because the Giant had stolen them from his father), he ran off, and with great difficulty descending the Beanstalk, laid the bags of gold on his mother’s table. She had just returned from town, and was crying at not finding Jack.

      ‘There, mother, I have brought you the gold that my father lost.’

      ‘Oh, Jack! you are a very good boy, but I wish you would not risk your precious life in the Giant’s castle. Tell me how you came to go there again.’

      And Jack told her all about it.

      Jack’s mother was very glad to get the money, but she did not like him to run any risk for her.

      But after a time Jack made up his mind to go again to the Giant’s castle.

      THE TALKING HARP.

      So he climbed the Beanstalk once more, and blew the horn at the Giant’s gate. The Giantess soon opened the door; she was very stupid, and did not know him again, but she stopped a minute before she took him in. She feared another robbery; but Jack’s fresh face looked so innocent that she could not resist him, and so she bade him come in, and again hid him away in the wardrobe.

      By-and-by the Giant came home, and as soon as he had crossed the threshold he roared out:

      ‘Fe, fa, fi-fo-fum,

       I smell the breath of an Englishman.

       Let him be alive or let him be dead,

       I’ll grind his bones to make my bread.’

      ‘You stupid old Giant,’ said his wife, ‘you only smell a nice sheep, which I have grilled for your dinner.’

      And the Giant sat down, and his wife brought up a whole sheep for his dinner. When he had eaten it all up, he said:

      ‘Now bring me my harp, and I will have a little music while you take your walk.’

      The Giantess obeyed, and returned with a beautiful harp. The framework was all sparkling with diamonds and rubies, and the strings were all of gold.

      ‘This is one of the nicest things I took from the knight,’ said the Giant. ‘I am very fond of music, and my harp is a faithful servant.’

      So he drew the harp towards him, and said:

      ‘Play!’

      And the harp played a very soft, sad air.

      ‘Play something merrier!’ said the Giant.

      And the harp played a merry tune.

      ‘Now play me a lullaby,’ roared the Giant; and the harp played a sweet lullaby, to the sound of which its master fell asleep.

      Then Jack stole softly out of the wardrobe, and went into the huge kitchen to see if the Giantess had gone out; he found no one there, so he went to the door and opened it softly, for he thought he could not do so with the harp in his hand.

      Then he entered the Giant’s room and seized the harp and ran away with it; but as he jumped over the threshold the harp called out:

      ‘MASTER! MASTER!’

      And the Giant woke up.

      With a tremendous roar he sprang from his seat, and in two strides had reached the door.

      But Jack was very nimble. He fled like lightning with the harp, talking to it as he went (for he saw it was a fairy), and telling it he was the son of its old master, the knight.

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