The weekly union record., 1864-03-26

be ought TO do for himself.
What the cunning giant expected came TO
pass Jack. who was favorite at court. aud
had pension from King Arthur, besides having
4 dukes daughter for MS wife. began to give
himself airs, and. instead OF following his fine
old calling of destroying wicked ogres and
lmagicisns, and rescuing distressed damsels,
thought of nothing but sport and pastime,
feastiug and luxury. He ceased to practice
his sword exercise. used TO lie in bed half the
dav, and grew quite fat and puffy. The wise
Merlin was much distressed at seeing this. and
often offered him good advice; but strange TO
lsayl Jack would never take 1t. People always
take advice now. though don't see that they
follow it bit more. My son." be would say
to him. "you are wasting your time and losing
your reputation. 1t was not by leading such
a life as this that you earned your lame and
honor; Won could not swim 10 St Michael
Mount and dig pit twenty two eet deep, and
as many broad, in single night now. There
are plenty more giants about, but you could
not kill them as you did Cormorau.
Pooh, pooh," Jack would answer, there :
no hurry. | cant go just yet, have so many
engagements TO balls and hunting parties; but
when the season is over have only just TO take
my Sword of Sharpness. my Coat of Darkness.
] dUU INV SUO6s ul SHiitHtS>. dHu tHSu "''t
finish off all nv arrears in a week.
Depend upon it" Merlin replied to this one
day, If you trust TO such helpers as those.
instead of relying on yourself, they VIII play
you trick some day, and put you to shame.
What does your own Cap of knowledge tell
you about it?'
Jack turned red, aud stammered little at
this "The fact is" be said at last, 1T tells me
ba 40 hrf q II nonsense
and wont wear it any more. | don't see why
should be insulted BY my own nghtcap, and
| have thrown it away into the duSthole.'
Merlin said no more Just then, but be quietly
went TO the dusthole, picked the cap ont again,
and used it himself.
Meanwhile, the country was being again
overrun with giants; for they generally marry
young, and have large families, and their chill
dren grow up very quickly. Monsters with
more heads than ever now infested every neigh
borhood, and peaceabe citizens could not go
about their daily business without being eaten
up or otherwise incommoded by these horrid
creatures. This was very bad for trade, and
the people laid all the blame of it on Jack.
They began to boot and jeer at him as be passed.
y ow, then, fat Jack" they would say, what
have you done to earn your pension this year +?
Where's your belt with the verses on il? |
suppose it won't go round your waist now"
A nd one day, after some giants had been eating
them worse than usual. they even broke bis
windows. and pelted him with mud.
! This at last reused him. " erv well rascals," "
be said, Il will 60 forth once more; you shall
see that am still the great Giant Killer and
when come back crowned with victory, you
will repent Of your insolcuce"
So he called for bis horse, packed up the coat
and shoes in his saddle bags, put on the Sword
of Sharpness, aud set out in search of adven.
lures He had not gone far before he met q
crowd of people flying along the road in the
greatest terror and confusion, crying out, "The
Giant the Giant the Giant ~ and looking
up, he saw, sure enough, above the trees of a
ncighbo-ing wood, a monstrous giant stalking
| towards him. "HO, hoi' said he, ''this is Just
what was looking for; stop, you wretched
towards, sit down on that hllock and you shall
see what sport the mighty Jack can show you" >"
So saying, he got eff his horse, and took out
his Shoes of Swiftness, intending to play the
same tricks with this giant as he did with the
two headed giant Thundel before be killed him;
but, when he tried to put them on. he found
them too small his feet had grown so fat for
want of exercise. Here was a dreadful situa
ton He pulled and tugged with all his might,
and at last he did manage to get one Of them
on; but the other would not go over his heel,
do what he would. Meanwhile. the giant was
drawing nearer and nearer Take care, Jack !!
take care," the people cried ont, "he will be
upon you directly" And at last, seeing that
the giant was almost close to him. Jack was
obliged to start off with one shoe on and the
other in his hand. Fancy what ridiculous
/ figure be cut for the foot.with the magic shoe
on it took enormous strides. while the other one
could only make little hops after it; so he went
stumbling and bunderiDg round and round in
a circle, with the giant after him, banging at
him with his club and it was only because be
went so crooked that he escaped the blows.
The people who were looking on, in spite Of
their fright, couldn't help roaring with laughter
at the sight. particularly when they thought of
his big words Just before; and at last, after
running and lodging till he was quite exhausted,
Jack was glad to save his life by creeping into
hole that he spied under rock, where the
giant left him, being as it seemed, not partic-
ularly hungry at the time.
/ Here Jack had leisure to think over bis dis
comiture, and be felt so mortified that he would
not come out till it was dark, and all the people
had gone away. But presently he recovered
bis spirits. at vas not my fault, after all, he
said to himself "it was all these stupid, i'll
made shoes, which never did fit me properly;
will never wear them again" With these
words, be flung them in rage into stream
that was flowing by: and that stream, which
was then the most sluggish one in the country,
has run as fast as q mill-race ever since.
Then Jack having found his horse, went on,
| determined to recover his character by some
more successful adventure.
After going up ffty hills and down Fifty daes,
he came to a shallow river. on the opposite
bank of which he saw good sized giant lying
fast asleep. "Ob, OBJ !" said Jack to himself,
'here is an opportunity for me. | think | can
ford this river and chop off yonder genilemans 5
head before be has time to wake" So. drawing
the Sword of Sharpness. and turning up bis
trowsers, he stepped gently into the water, and
began to wade across. But, unluckily, when
be was abou, half way over, he made stumble,
~ ba ~ IF