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CHAPTER V
And so they set forth along the road. They had not gone far, however, when they espied a youth crossing the road before them.
It could be seen at once that he was on a very important mission, and Everychild said to his companions, "Perhaps we ought not to disturb him. Let us wait, and it may be that he will cross the road and go on his way."
But the youth did not do this. He had heard the children approaching, and he remained standing in the road, waiting for them to come up.
Grettel was already looking at the youth out of the corner of her eye and smiling.
"I'm going to speak to him," declared Hansel.
"Hansel!" exclaimed Grettel; "we mustn't disturb him!" And she glanced at Everychild for approval—though she hastily turned again so that she was observing the strange youth out of the comer of her eye, and she smiled more invitingly than ever.
"I don't care!" retorted Hansel. "He looks like a rich man's son, and he might tell us where we could get something to eat."
Just then the strange youth began to approach them with a proud air. He was really very handsome. He was very sturdy, and he was clothed smartly in a velvet jacket and knee breeches. A fine cloak fell loosely from his shoulders. He wore a plumed hat and carried a sword.
As he drew near Hansel said: "Hello! Have they been trying to lose you too?"
It was then that Everychild recognized the strange youth as Jack the Giant Killer; and at the same time he heard Grettel whispering:
"How handsome he is!"
Jack the Giant Killer replied smilingly to Hansel: "Lose me? Not at all! It's plain you don't know who I am." He touched his breast lightly with his forefinger. "I am Jack the Giant Killer." He then brought his heels together and removed his hat with a wide gesture, and made a fine bow.
"I recognized you," said Everychild, "though I didn't know you lived in this neighborhood. I mean, near Hansel and Grettel."
Jack replied with a certain neat air: "I don't live anywhere in particular. Did you never hear of my seven-league hoots? I have a way of bobbing up wherever there are any giants."
In the meantime Grettel had sat down on a grassy bank beside the road. "It's very tiresome, walking," she said. And then, very politely (to Jack), "Won't you sit down?"
He accepted this invitation, and Everychild and Hansel also sat down.
Grettel sighed and said: "I'd like so much to hear about your fights with the giants. It must be wonderful to know how to fight."
Jack could not help saying "Ho—hum!" in a rather bored way, though he politely placed his hand over his mouth. "There's nothing great about it," he said, "when you're fixed for it. I've my seven-league boots, and my invisible cloak, and my sword of sharpness. You can't help winning with them. Of course, there's my wit, too."
Grettel smiled mysteriously and nodded her head. "It's your wit first of all," she declared knowingly.
Hansel was pouting. "Your wit?" he said; "does it help you to get what you want? If it does, I'd like to know about it."
Grettel had wriggled herself into a comfortable position; but now she sat up stiffly. She put her hand over her mouth and whispered, "Please, Hansel, don't say anything about food !" But she quickly turned an untroubled face to Jack, who was saying:
"There's the way I got old Blunderbore, for example. You've heard about that, haven't you?" And he looked anxiously at all three, one after another.
Everychild and Hansel looked at each other dubiously, but Grettel saved the situation by saying, "It was rather a long time ago. If you'd just go over it again …"
"That was my most famous piece of work," said Jack. "You see, I carry a leather pouch under my cloak. It's filled with food——"
There was an almost violent interruption by Hansel. "Food!" he exclaimed. But Grettel edged closer to him so that she could tug at his sleeve without being seen.
"Of course!" continued Jack. "Well, one day after I'd had dinner with Blunderbore I boasted that I could do something he couldn't do. He laughed—and I knew I had him. Says I, 'Very well, I'll show you. I'm going to rip my stomach open without feeling it.' We'd been eating ginger-bread, and I'd slipped a piece into my pouch."
A strange light had come into Hansel's eyes, and he sighed with ecstacy "Ginger-bread!"
"So," resumed Jack, "I plunged my knife into my pouch hidden under my cloak, and a fine bit of ginger-bread tumbled out."
Everychild repeated the words—"Into the pouch hidden under your cloak." And Jack concluded with—
"Of course—so."
He made an expert pass with his sword, and instantly a number of red apples and a dozen fine tarts rolled from under his cloak and were lying there on the grass.
Without even a hint of ceremony Hansel flung himself forward on his stomach and seized upon the tarts greedily.
Even Grettel could not conceal her desire for food, and she exclaimed joyously, "Oh, tarts! Could I have one?"
"Why not?" replied Jack lightly; whereupon Everychild placed a number of the tarts in her lap, and she began to eat heartily.
"This comes of wearing one's good dress," said Grettel between tarts. "If I'd been wearing an old rag I'd have seen no tricks, that's certain."
Jack regarded her a little curiously. "As I was saying," he resumed, "old Blunderbore shouted 'Pooh-hoo!' at what I had done. That was his ugly, boasting way, you know. He jabbed his knife into his own stomach to show he wasn't to be outdone—and down he fell, dead as a doornail."
Everychild's heart was beating hard and his face wore a troubled expression. "I suppose," he said after a thoughtful pause, "Blunderbore was a very wicked giant—like the Giant Fear?"
Jack was frankly surprised at this question. "A giant is a giant," he said shortly.
But the troubled expression did not leave Everychild's face. What if there were a few good giants?—and what if a good giant should encounter Jack?
His reflections were broken in upon by a triumphant voice—Jack's voice—exclaiming, "Here's luck for you! Here's one of them coming now!"
It was true. A very large giant was approaching through the forest. And the strangest part of it all was that Everychild knew quite well that this was a good giant. His eyes began to shine and he was thrilled through and through.
He had never seen so wonderful a creature: so splendid, so powerful, so fascinating. The giant seemed almost to tread on air. He held his face up so that the sun shone on it. His eyes were filled with magic. He wore a wreath of leaves about his hair. A garment like a toga fell gracefully from his shoulders. He was shod with sandals. He carried his hands before him as if they would gather in the sunshine. A smile half sly and half gentle was on his lips.
Everychild clasped his hands eagerly as he gazed at the giant. He seemed to know that this splendid stranger would lead him presently, and he was not certain whether he should wish to be led or not—whether it would be good or evil to be led by him.
His musing and wonder were broken in upon by Jack, who was again speaking. "I'll give you a little exhibition of my skill," he said, "I'll have his life before your very eyes."
Everychild became greatly troubled. He could not speak for a moment. He could not bear to think that the giant should be slain. He even ventured to hope that he had no cause for fear—that so powerful a creature might be depended upon to protect himself. Yet Jack the Giant Killer seemed just now a very valiant figure, and it was plain that he believed it to be his duty to slay the approaching giant.
It was Grettel who replied to Jack. "Dear me!" she exclaimed incredulously, "How shall you do it?"
"I haven't thought of a way yet," was the response. "It takes wit, you know. I'll think of a way before long. Don't speak so loud."
The giant had come quite close to them by this time. "Good morning," he said pleasantly.
Not one of the children recognized him, and Everychild ventured to say, in a polite tone, "Good morning … though I don't believe we know who you are." He was thinking: "If he will only explain that he is a good giant!"
"I am known as the giant, Will o'Dreams," was the reply.
Everychild was charmed by the beauty of his voice; but he was startled when Jack cried out sternly,—
"And what are you doing here?"
The giant regarded Jack with thoughtful eyes. "A natural question, I am sure," he said after a pause. "Permit me to say, then, that I have merely been looking at a few masterpieces."
At this Everychild felt a delightful sense of mystery stir within him. The words seemed tremendous—and yet he could not think what they meant!
But Jack the Giant Killer nodded his head shrewdly. And almost instantly he said, "Well, you'll look at no more masterpieces—whatever they are!"
The giant seemed to be simply amused. "Say you so?" he replied.
Grettel clasped her hands with delight. "How suitably he talks!" said she.
"I do," said Jack. "You don't know me, eh? I'm Jack the Giant Killer. And you're just about my size."
It was here that Everychild interfered. "Maybe he's a good giant," he said to Jack. And to the giant he added courteously, "Won't you sit down and rest awhile, Will o'Dreams?"
"I thank you," responded the giant; and he sat down by the side of Everychild.
And instantly the thought came to Everychild that at whatever cost he must save the splendid stranger from that terrible sword of sharpness which Jack the Giant Killer was even now drawing from its scabbard.