The lady smiled and asked Jack how he came there. He told her all about the bean-stalk. Then she said:--
“No,” said Jack. “I do not know what became of him. When I speak of him to my mother, she cries, but she tells me nothing.”
“She dare not,” said the lady, “but I will tell you. I am a fairy. I was set to take care of your father, but one day I was careless. So I lost my power for a few years, and just when your father needed me most I could not help him, and he died.”
Jack saw that she was very sorry as she told this story, but he begged her to go on.
“I will,” she said, “and you may now help your mother. But you must do just as I tell you.”
“Your father was a good, kind man. He had a good wife, he had money, and he had friends. But he had one false friend. This was a Giant. Your father had once helped this Giant, but the Giant was cruel. He killed your father and took all his money. And he told your mother she must never tell you about your father. If she did, then the Giant would kill her and kill you too.
“You were a little child then, and your mother carried you away in her arms. I could not help her at the time, but my power came back to me yesterday. So I made you go off with the cow, and I made you take the beans, and I made you climb the bean-stalk.
“This is the land where the Giant lives. You must find him and rid the world of him. All that he has is yours, for he took it from your father. Now go. You must keep on this road till you see a great house. The Giant lives there. I cannot tell you what you must do next, but I will help you when the time comes. But you must not tell your mother anything.”
The fairy disappeared and Jack set out. He walked all day, and when the sun set, he came to the Giant’s house. He went up to it and saw a plain woman by the door. This was the Giant’s wife. Jack spoke to her and asked her if she would give him something to eat and a place where he could sleep.
“What!” she said. “Do you not know? My husband is a Giant. He is away now, but he will be back soon. Sometimes he walks fifty miles in a day to see if he can find a man or a boy. He eats people. He will eat you if he finds you here.”
Jack was in great fear, but he would not give up. He asked the Giant’s wife to hide him somewhere in the house. She was a kind woman, so she led him in. They went through a great hall, and then through some large rooms. They came to a dark passage, and went through it. There was a little light, and Jack could see bars of iron at the side. Behind the bars were wretched people. They were the prisoners of the Giant.