shirt of mail.
Jack gazed up at him. “Hello?” he called.
The tall, thin giant did not stir.
“Can I come up?” Jack called again.
Jill arrived at his side.
“Jack!”
she hissed.
“What are you doing?”
But Jack was staring, fixedly, up the narrow staircase.
Jack stepped onto the first stair. The sky suddenly shook with the booming voice of the gaunt giant.
To enter here ye must be brave,
and do what no man dare:
Enter into our killing cave
And face to face encounter fear.
Little Jack nodded his head. “I’m brave!” he called up to the giant.
Jill said, “Jack! Be quiet!”
But Jack took another step up the stairs.
In response, the giant guard boomed out:
A band for heroes only—
But join us, brave one! Try!
Many before have tried to, too,
And one by one each one has died.
“I can do it,” answered Jack.
“ARE YOU CRAZY?” the frog shouted. He looked to Jill. “Does your cousin have a problem or something?”
Jack took another step up the stairs.
Again, the guard bellowed to the sky:
Who shall submit his life to us?
Who shall sever his life’s left hand?
Who shall place his final trust
In our unbreakable band?
“I will!” cried Jack.
“What are you doing?” Jill exclaimed, grabbing him by the sleeve. But Jack jerked his arm away and took another step up the stairs. And then another. And then another. Up, and up, and up, until he was standing directly in front of the giant. Jack came up to the middle of his thigh.
“What is he thinking?” whispered the frog, staring in abject terror.
Jill could only shake her head.
----
Do you have any idea what Jack is thinking right now?
No?
Me neither.
But of course, when I was Jack’s age and saw people I took for giants, I never understood half the things I did either.
----
Suddenly, the gaunt giant guard seemed to notice Jack. He bellowed, “Who volunteers to taste fear and feel death?”
“I do,” Jack replied, in his bravest voice. “Me. Jack.”
Jill and the frog could only watch in horror.
“Jack, will you subject yourself to fear?”
Jack swallowed hard. “Yes,” he said.
“Will you enter the band and never flee, even to the point of death?”
Jack inhaled swiftly. Jill stared.
Jack gazed at the giant’s long face, his gray beard, his dead eyes.
Please,
Jill thought.
Don’t.
“I will,” said Jack.
“Then enter,” said the guard. And he turned and led Jack into the towering white cliff.
----
Jack stood in a great hall. It stank of the sweat of enormous men. The walls were hung with tapestries that showed giants slaying dragons and giants destroying cities and giants making off with damsels in distress. In the center of the hall stood a huge round table. Seated at the table were two dozen giants.
“Well, what have we here?” one of the giants bellowed, rising to his feet. He wore a thin golden crown on his enormous, shaggy head. He had a long brown beard, tiny teeth in blue gums (some of which, Jack could tell, had recently been knocked out), and small, blinking eyes. He, and all the other giants seated around the table, peered curiously at little Jack.
“The boy, Jack the Small, has asked to join the band,” announced the gaunt giant guard.
“Wonderful!” bellowed the one who wore the crown. “And that one?” he asked, and he waved fingers as thick as sausages at the door. Jack spun around. Standing at the top of the stairs, panting and staring, was Jill.
“It followed Jack the Small up the stairs,” said the guard.
“That’s Jill,” said Jack. “My cousin.” He smiled at her.
Jill thought,
I’m going to kill him.
“Wonderful!” the crowned giant bellowed ecstatically. (Giants are always bellowing; sometimes they do it ecstatically and other times darkly and other times imperiously; it’s just very hard not to bellow when you’re a giant. You understand.) All the other giants beat the wooden table with their powerful fists. “Be welcome! I
Jack gazed up at him. “Hello?” he called.
The tall, thin giant did not stir.
“Can I come up?” Jack called again.
Jill arrived at his side.
“Jack!”
she hissed.
“What are you doing?”
But Jack was staring, fixedly, up the narrow staircase.
Jack stepped onto the first stair. The sky suddenly shook with the booming voice of the gaunt giant.
To enter here ye must be brave,
and do what no man dare:
Enter into our killing cave
And face to face encounter fear.
Little Jack nodded his head. “I’m brave!” he called up to the giant.
Jill said, “Jack! Be quiet!”
But Jack took another step up the stairs.
In response, the giant guard boomed out:
A band for heroes only—
But join us, brave one! Try!
Many before have tried to, too,
And one by one each one has died.
“I can do it,” answered Jack.
“ARE YOU CRAZY?” the frog shouted. He looked to Jill. “Does your cousin have a problem or something?”
Jack took another step up the stairs.
Again, the guard bellowed to the sky:
Who shall submit his life to us?
Who shall sever his life’s left hand?
Who shall place his final trust
In our unbreakable band?
“I will!” cried Jack.
“What are you doing?” Jill exclaimed, grabbing him by the sleeve. But Jack jerked his arm away and took another step up the stairs. And then another. And then another. Up, and up, and up, until he was standing directly in front of the giant. Jack came up to the middle of his thigh.
“What is he thinking?” whispered the frog, staring in abject terror.
Jill could only shake her head.
----
Do you have any idea what Jack is thinking right now?
No?
Me neither.
But of course, when I was Jack’s age and saw people I took for giants, I never understood half the things I did either.
----
Suddenly, the gaunt giant guard seemed to notice Jack. He bellowed, “Who volunteers to taste fear and feel death?”
“I do,” Jack replied, in his bravest voice. “Me. Jack.”
Jill and the frog could only watch in horror.
“Jack, will you subject yourself to fear?”
Jack swallowed hard. “Yes,” he said.
“Will you enter the band and never flee, even to the point of death?”
Jack inhaled swiftly. Jill stared.
Jack gazed at the giant’s long face, his gray beard, his dead eyes.
Please,
Jill thought.
Don’t.
“I will,” said Jack.
“Then enter,” said the guard. And he turned and led Jack into the towering white cliff.
----
Jack stood in a great hall. It stank of the sweat of enormous men. The walls were hung with tapestries that showed giants slaying dragons and giants destroying cities and giants making off with damsels in distress. In the center of the hall stood a huge round table. Seated at the table were two dozen giants.
“Well, what have we here?” one of the giants bellowed, rising to his feet. He wore a thin golden crown on his enormous, shaggy head. He had a long brown beard, tiny teeth in blue gums (some of which, Jack could tell, had recently been knocked out), and small, blinking eyes. He, and all the other giants seated around the table, peered curiously at little Jack.
“The boy, Jack the Small, has asked to join the band,” announced the gaunt giant guard.
“Wonderful!” bellowed the one who wore the crown. “And that one?” he asked, and he waved fingers as thick as sausages at the door. Jack spun around. Standing at the top of the stairs, panting and staring, was Jill.
“It followed Jack the Small up the stairs,” said the guard.
“That’s Jill,” said Jack. “My cousin.” He smiled at her.
Jill thought,
I’m going to kill him.
“Wonderful!” the crowned giant bellowed ecstatically. (Giants are always bellowing; sometimes they do it ecstatically and other times darkly and other times imperiously; it’s just very hard not to bellow when you’re a giant. You understand.) All the other giants beat the wooden table with their powerful fists. “Be welcome! I
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