AFTER A time Jack made up his mind to get into the giant's castle a third time.

He climbed the bean stalk once more and blew the horn at the giant's gate.
The not too bright giantess soon opened the door.
She didn't know him again, but stopped a minute before she took him in.

She feared another robbery; but Jack's fresh face looked so innocent.
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 as best he could:

"Fee-faw-fum,
I smell a wind of a warring man.
Let him be dead,
So he can make us some bread."

"You fool," said his wife, "That should be a sheep that I've grilled for dinner."
His wife brought up a whole sheep for him. When he had eaten it all up, he said:
"Now bring me my harp, and I'll have a little music while you take your walk."

The giantess soon 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'm extremely 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 hillbilly lullaby," roared the giant.
At once the harp played an amazing lullaby. And the giant fell asleep to the sound of that.

Then Jack softly stole 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.
Then he entered the giant's room and seized the harp and ran out of the opened door with it.

Away he went; but as he jumped over the threshold the harp called out:
"Sir, sir!"

The giant woke up. With a great roar he sprang from his seat, and in two strides reached the door.
But Jack was nimble. He fled like lightning, talking to the harp as he went, for he saw it was another fairy.
He said he was the son of its old master, the knight.

Still the giant came on so fast that he was quite close to Jack, and stretched out his great hand to catch him.
Right then, luckily, he stepped on a loose stone, stumbled, and fell flat on the ground.
There he lay at his full length for a little while.

This happening gave Jack time to get on the bean stalk and hasten down in his way
- but as he reached their own garden he saw the giant descending after him.

"Mother!" cried Jack, "hurry and give me the axe."
His mother ran to him with a hatchet in her hand.
And with one tremendous blow Jack cut through all the bean stalks except one.
"Stand out of the way!" he said.

Act 7 >>