Chapter VII

They gained the Giant's castle hall,
Which seemed a sort of Guy's museum;
With skulls and bones 'twas crowded all--
You would have blessed yourself to see 'em.

The larder was stored with human hearts,
Quarters, and limbs, and other parts,--
A grisly sight to see;
There Jack the cannibal monster led,

"I lave you there, my lad," he said,
"To larn anatomy!--

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I'm partial to this kind of mate,
And hearts with salt and spice to ate
Is just what plases me;
I mane to night on yours to sup,
Stay here until you 're aten up
He spoke, and turned the key.

"A pretty business this!" quoth Jack,
When he was left alone;
"Old Paddy Whack,
I say! come back--
I wonder where he's gone?"

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In ghastly moans and sounds of wail,
The castle's cells replied;
Jack, whose high spirits ne'er could quail,
Whistled like blackbird in the vale,
And, "Bravo, Weber!" cried.

When, lo! a dismal voice, in verse,
This pleasant warning did rehearse:--

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IX.

"Haste!" quoth the hero, "yes, but how?
They come, the brutes!--I hear them now.'
He flew to the window with mickle speed,
There was the pretty pair indeed,
Arm-in-arm in the court below,
O'Blunderbore and his brother O.

"Now then," thought Jack, "I plainly see
I 'm booked for death or liberty;--
Hallo! those cords are 'the jockeys for me.'

X.

Jack was nimble of finger and thumb--
The cords in a moment have halters become

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Deft at noosing the speckled trout,
So hath he caught each ill-favoured lout:
He hath tethered the ropes to a rafter tight,
And he tugs and he pulls with all his might,
"Pully-oi! Pully-oi!" till each Yahoo
In the face is black and blue;
Till each Paddy Whack
Is blue and black;
"Now, I think you're done _brown_," said courageous Jack.
Down the tight rope he slides,
And his good sword hides
In the hearts of the monsters up to the hilt;
So he settled them each:
O'Blunderbore's speech,
Ere he gave up the ghost was, "Och, murder, I'm kilt!"

XI.

The dungeons are burst and the captives freed;
Three princesses were among them found--
Very beautiful indeed;
Their lily white hands were behind them bound:
They were dangling in the air,
Strung up to a hook by their dear "back hair."

Their stomachs too weak
On bubble and squeak,
From their slaughtered lords prepared, to dine
(A delicate rarity);
With horrid barbarity,
The Giants had hung them up there to pine.

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XII.

Jack, the monsters having "licked,"
Had, of course, their pockets picked,
And their keys and eke their riches
Had abstracted from their breeches.

"Ladies," he said, with a Chesterfield's ease,
Permit me, I pray you, to present you with these,"
And he placed in their hands the coin and the keys:
"So long having swung,
By your poor tresses hung,
Sure your nerves are unhinged though yourselves are unstrung;
To make you amends,
Take these few odds and ends,
This nice little castle, I mean, and its wealth;
And I 've only to say,
That I hope that you may
For the future enjoy the most excellent health."

Said the ladies--"Oh, thank you!--expressions we lack "--
"Don't mention it pray," said the complaisant Jack.

XIII.

Jack knelt and kissed the snow-white hands
Of the lovely ladies three;
Oh! who these matters that understands
But thinks, "would that I'd been he! "
Then he bids them adieu; "Au revoir," they cry.
"Take care of yourselves," he exclaims, "good bye!"

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