Jack the Giant-killer
by Joseph Jacobs · from Collected Folk Tales
Adapted Version
Once upon a time, there was a boy. His name was Jack. Jack was small. But Jack was very clever.
A giant lived on a big hill. He was big. Very, very big. The Giant was grumpy. He was always grumpy. Every day, the Giant came down. He took the cows. He took the sheep. He took the chickens too. The farmers were very sad. They were very worried. "What can we do?" they said.
The village people needed help. "Who can stop the Giant?" they asked. "Who can make him go away?" No one had an idea. Everyone was too worried.
Jack stood up. "I have an idea!" he said. "I can help! I am not big. But I am clever."
That night, Jack walked to the big hill. He had a shovel. He had a horn. It was very dark. But Jack was brave.
Jack started to dig. He dug and dug. He made a big, deep hole. Then he put sticks on top. He put leaves on top. He put grass on top. Now no one could see the hole. It looked like flat ground. "This is a good trick," said Jack.
In the morning, Jack blew his horn. TOOT TOOT! Very, very loud. TOOT TOOT TOOT! The Giant woke up. He was very grumpy. "WHO IS MAKING THAT NOISE!" he shouted. He rubbed his eyes. He was so grumpy.
The Giant stomped out of his cave. STOMP STOMP STOMP. The ground shook. "WHO IS THAT!" he shouted. He saw Jack. He ran toward Jack. STOMP STOMP STOMP.
But the Giant did not see the hole. He stepped right on it. BOOM! Down he fell! He was stuck. The hole was deep. He could not get out. "Help!" said the Giant. "I am stuck!"
"You must promise," said Jack. "No more taking animals. Go far, far away." The Giant looked up. He was sad now. "I promise," he said. "I will go away." The Giant climbed out. He walked away. He walked far, far away. Over the hills. Over the sea. He never came back.
Jack went into the cave. He found all the animals! The cows, the sheep, the chickens. He took them back to the farms. The farmers were so happy.
Everyone in the village had a big party. They were all so happy. The animals were safe. "Thank you, Jack!" they all said. And from that day, everyone called him Clever Jack.
Jack was not big. But he was very clever.
Original Story
JACK THE GIANT-KILLER
When good King Arthur reigned, there lived near the Land's End of England,
in the county of Cornwall, a farmer who had one only son called Jack. He
was brisk and of a ready lively wit, so that nobody or nothing could worst
him.
In those days the Mount of Cornwall was kept by a huge giant named
Cormoran. He was eighteen feet in height, and about three yards round the
waist, of a fierce and grim countenance, the terror of all the
neighbouring towns and villages. He lived in a cave in the midst of the
Mount, and whenever he wanted food he would wade over to the main-land,
where he would furnish himself with whatever came in his way. Everybody at
his approach ran out of their houses, while he seized on their cattle,
making nothing of carrying half-a-dozen oxen on his back at a time; and as
for their sheep and hogs, he would tie them round his waist like a bunch
of tallow-dips. He had done this for many years, so that all Cornwall was
in despair.
One day Jack happened to be at the town-hall when the magistrates were
sitting in council about the Giant. He asked: “What reward will be given
to the man who kills Cormoran?” “The giant's treasure,” they said, “will
be the reward.” Quoth Jack: “Then let me undertake it.”
So he got a horn, shovel, and pickaxe, and went over to the Mount in the
beginning of a dark winter's evening, when he fell to work, and before
morning had dug a pit twenty-two feet deep, and nearly as broad, covering
it over with long sticks and straw. Then he strewed a little mould over
it, so that it appeared like plain ground. Jack then placed himself on the
opposite side of the pit, farthest from the giant's lodging, and, just at
the break of day, he put the horn to his mouth, and blew, Tantivy,
Tantivy. This noise roused the giant, who rushed from his cave, crying:
“You incorrigible villain, are you come here to disturb my rest? You shall
pay dearly for this. Satisfaction I will have, and this it shall be, I
will take you whole and broil you for breakfast.” He had no sooner uttered
this, than he tumbled into the pit, and made the very foundations of the
Mount to shake. “Oh, Giant,” quoth Jack, “where are you now? Oh, faith,
you are gotten now into Lob's Pound, where I will surely plague you for
your threatening words: what do you think now of broiling me for your
breakfast? Will no other diet serve you but poor Jack?” Then having
tantalised the giant for a while, he gave him a most weighty knock with
his pickaxe on the very crown of his head, and killed him on the spot.
Jack then filled up the pit with earth, and went to search the cave, which
he found contained much treasure. When the magistrates heard of this they
made a declaration he should henceforth be termed
Story DNA
Moral
Wit and cleverness can overcome brute strength and size.
Plot Summary
In Cornwall, a clever young man named Jack lives under the terror of the giant Cormoran, who regularly raids villages for food. When magistrates offer a reward for the giant's defeat, Jack volunteers. He digs and camouflages a deep pit, then lures the giant into it with a horn. The enraged giant falls into the trap, and Jack kills him with a pickaxe, claiming his treasure and earning the title 'Jack the Giant-killer'.
Themes
Emotional Arc
oppression to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The story is set in a legendary past associated with King Arthur, grounding it in a romanticized English historical and mythological context.
Plot Beats (13)
- Jack, a clever young man, lives in Cornwall during King Arthur's reign.
- A huge giant named Cormoran terrorizes Cornwall, stealing cattle and sheep from villages.
- The magistrates offer the giant's treasure as a reward to anyone who can kill Cormoran.
- Jack volunteers to undertake the task.
- Jack goes to the Mount of Cornwall at dusk with a horn, shovel, and pickaxe.
- He digs a deep pit, covers it with sticks, straw, and mould to disguise it.
- At dawn, Jack blows his horn, waking and enraging the giant.
- Cormoran rushes out of his cave, threatening to eat Jack.
- The giant falls into the hidden pit.
- Jack taunts the trapped giant.
- Jack kills the giant with his pickaxe.
- Jack fills the pit and searches the giant's cave, finding much treasure.
- The magistrates declare Jack a hero and rename him 'Jack the Giant-killer'.
Characters
Jack ★ protagonist
Of average height and build for a young man from Cornwall, England, during the medieval period. He is agile and quick, with a sturdy, practical physique accustomed to farm life. His movements are swift and purposeful.
Attire: Practical, durable clothing suitable for a farmer's son in medieval Cornwall. This would include a simple, undyed or earth-toned linen tunic, possibly a jerkin of coarse wool or leather for warmth and protection, and sturdy wool breeches or hose. He would wear practical leather boots, likely well-worn. His attire is functional, not decorative.
Wants: To rid Cornwall of the giant Cormoran, gain the giant's treasure, and earn renown. He is driven by a desire to prove himself and help his community.
Flaw: Perhaps a slight overconfidence or a tendency to taunt his enemies, though in this instance, it serves him well.
Transforms from a local farmer's son into a celebrated hero, earning the title 'Giant-killer' and gaining wealth and recognition.
Brisk, witty, courageous, resourceful, and a bit mischievous. He is not afraid to take on challenges and uses his intelligence over brute force.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young man standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a keen, intelligent face with bright blue eyes and light brown, somewhat shaggy hair that reaches his ears. He wears a simple, earth-toned linen tunic, a dark brown leather jerkin, and sturdy wool breeches. His feet are clad in well-worn brown leather boots. He holds a pickaxe over his shoulder with one hand and a hunting horn in the other. He has a confident, slightly mischievous expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Cormoran ⚔ antagonist
An enormous giant, eighteen feet tall and three yards (nine feet) around the waist, with a massively muscular and imposing build. His skin is likely rough, weathered, and possibly greenish or greyish, indicative of his monstrous nature and outdoor dwelling. His movements are heavy and earth-shaking.
Attire: Minimal and crude, reflecting his wild nature. Perhaps a rough, animal-hide loincloth or a simple, tattered tunic made from coarse, undyed fabric. He might have crude bindings of rope or leather around his wrists or ankles, serving more as adornment than clothing.
Wants: To satisfy his insatiable hunger and maintain his dominance over Cornwall. He desires to consume whatever he wishes without challenge.
Flaw: His immense size makes him slow and susceptible to cunning traps. His overconfidence and quick temper blind him to danger.
Remains unchanged in his monstrous nature until his demise, serving as a static force of evil to be overcome.
Fierce, grim, gluttonous, easily angered, and overconfident. He is a destructive force, terrorizing the local populace.
Image Prompt & Upload
An eighteen-foot-tall giant standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a massively muscular, imposing build with rough, greyish skin. His face is grim and scowling, with deep-set dark eyes and a broad nose. His hair is coarse, matted, and dark, blending into a thick, unkempt beard. He wears a tattered, dark animal-hide loincloth. Several small oxen and sheep are tied around his waist with thick ropes. He has a menacing, arrogant posture. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
The Mount of Cornwall
A prominent, isolated hill or small mountain off the coast of Cornwall, connected to the mainland by a causeway or accessible by wading. It is rugged and wild, with a giant's cave in its midst.
Mood: Foreboding, dangerous, isolated, later triumphant
Jack digs the pit trap, lures Cormoran, and kills him.
Image Prompt & Upload
A rugged, windswept Cornish mount at the break of a cold winter's day. The ground is stony and sparse with hardy gorse bushes. A deep, camouflaged pit is visible in the foreground, covered with rough-hewn sticks and straw, barely concealed by a thin layer of earth. In the distance, the dark, craggy entrance to a large cave is visible on the mount's face. The sky is a pale, steely grey, just beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Cormoran's Cave
A large, dark, and primitive cave within the Mount of Cornwall, serving as the giant Cormoran's dwelling. It contains a significant amount of treasure.
Mood: Grim, foreboding, later revealing hidden riches
Jack searches the cave after killing the giant and discovers the treasure.
Image Prompt & Upload
The cavernous interior of a giant's cave, deep within a Cornish mount. The rough, unworked rock walls are damp and glistening in the dim light filtering from the entrance, which is barely visible in the distance. Piles of glinting gold coins, ancient silver, and sparkling jewels are scattered across the uneven, stony floor. The air is cool and still, with a sense of immense, echoing space. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
