Here’s a cheery, chary chap!
By the map I’ll point the path
To the home of Riverrath.”
“Oh, thank you, thank you,” gasped Jack. But he didn’t have breath left to say more, for the giant bent down and carried him off through the tall corridor to a vast room all of iron. The ceiling and the walls were iron, and so were the chairs, the table, and the great spits over the fire. The giant set Jack and his lantern both on the table.
“Well, Jack,” he said, “I’m glad to see you, for I haven’t seen a man before for three hundred years.
“As for the ends of the earth,” went on the giant, “wherever they are, I’m sure to find them for you. For I have a map of the whole world hanging on the wall. Only if I get that out, you’ll have to stay all night, for it will take me that long to look it over.”
Jack said that he would like to. So the giant took four or five fine roast pigs from a spit and piled them up on a platter. He and Jack had a very merry supper. After it was done, the giant put on his great iron-bowed spectacles, and spread the map out on the table. Jack walked around on it, all over the pink countries and the yellow, across the blue seas, to the green spot that was Ireland. There he stopped, and showed the giant where his father’s palace was, and the stream where Riverrath had pulled down the bridges. Then he went and lay down in the inglenook while the giant traced out all the names with his great finger.
In the morning when Jack woke up, the giant was just hanging the map up again on the wall.
“Oh, Jack,” said he, “to think that I should have to disappoint you after all! But I’ve been over every word and every letter, and there’s no mention of the ends of the earth on the map at all.”
