The Blinded Giant
At
Dalton, near Thirsk, in Yorkshire, there is a mill. It has quite
recently been rebuilt; but when I was at Dalton, six years ago, the old
building stood. In front of the house was a long mound which went by
the name of "the giant's grave," and in the mill you can see a long
blade of iron something like a scythe-blade, but not curved, which was
called "the giant's knife," because of a very curious story which is
told of this knife. Would you like to hear it? Well, it isn't very long.
There
once lived a giant at this mill who had only one eye in the middle of
his forehead, and he ground men's bones to make his bread. One day he
captured on Pilmoor a lad named Jack, and instead of grinding him in
the mill he kept him grinding as his servant, and never let him get
away. Jack served the giant seven years, and never was allowed a
holiday the whole time. At last he could bear it no longer. Topcliffe
fair was coming on, and Jack begged that he might be allowed to go
there.
"No, no," said the giant, "stop at home and mind your grinding."
"I've
been grinding and grinding these seven years," said Jack, "and not a
holiday have I had. I'll have one now, whatever you say."
"We'll see about that," said the giant.
Well,
the day was hot, and after dinner the giant lay down in the mill with
his head on a sack and dozed. He had been eating in the mill, and had
laid down a great loaf of bone bread by his side, and the knife I told
you about was in his hand, but his fingers relaxed their hold of it in
sleep. Jack seized the knife, and holding it with both his hands drove
the blade into the single eye of the giant, who woke with a howl of
agony, and starting up, barred the door. Jack was again in
difficulties, for he couldn't get out, but he soon found a way out of
them. The giant had a favourite dog, which had also been sleeping when
his master was blinded. So Jack killed the dog, skinned it, and threw
the hide over his back.
"Bow, wow," says Jack.
"At him, Truncheon," said the giant; "at the little wretch that I've fed these seven years, and now has blinded me."
"Bow,
wow," says Jack, and ran between the giant's legs on all-fours, barking
till he got to the door. He unlatched it and was off, and never more
was seen at Dalton Mill.
| All English Fairy Tales
THE STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK
JACK THE GIANT-KILLER
THE PIED PIPER OF FRANCHVILLE
THE STORY OF THE THREE BEARS
TOM TIT TOT
THE THREE SILLIES
THE ROSE-TREE
THE OLD WOMAN AND HER PIG
HOW JACK WENT TO SEEK HIS FORTUNE
MR. VINEGAR
NIX NOUGHT NOTHING
JACK HANNAFORD
BINNORIE
MOUSE AND MOUSER
CAP O' RUSHES
TEENY-TINY
THE MASTER AND HIS PUPIL
TITTY MOUSE ND TATTY MOUSE
JACK AND HIS GOLDEN SNUFF-BOX
HENNY-PENNY
CHILDE ROWLAND
MOLLY WHUPPIE
THE RED ETTIN
MASTER OF ALL MASTERS.
THE GOLDEN ARM
THE HISTORY OF TOM THUMB
MR. FOX
LAZY JACK
JOHNNY-CAKE
EARL MAR'S DAUGHTER
MR. MIACCA
WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT
THE STRANGE VISITOR
THE LAIDLY WORM OF SPINDLESTON HEUGH
THE CAT AND THE MOUSE.
THE FISH AND THE RING.
THE MAGPIE'S NEST
KATE CRACKERNUTS
THE CAULD LAD OF HILTON
THE ASS, THE TABLE, AND THE STICK
FAIRY OINTMENT
THE WELL OF THE WORLD'S END.
THE THREE HEADS OF THE WELL |
