“And a good reason why,” screamed the eagle. “I’ve had twenty times as far to come as any other bird here.”
“Where have you been then?” asked the giant.
“At the ends of the earth,” screeched the eagle, “visiting the giant Riverrath.”
When Jack heard that, he was ready to jump up and hug the eagle; but the giant seemed to have forgotten about Jack’s errand entirely.
“Well, eagle,” he said, “if you have come so far, you must be hungry. Come in and have some lunch.”
So the giant and the eagle went into the castle, and left Jack with all the other birds outside. One by one, they flew away, and Jack was there alone. After a while he heard the giant’s steps again coming up the stairs.
“Now, Jack,” said the giant, “I’ve found out from the eagle about the ends of the earth, and they’re farther than I thought. You never could get there by walking. The only way will be for the eagle to take you. But if he knows it’s you he’s carrying, I’m afraid he might get hungry and eat you. So here’s a bag to put you in, so that he won’t see you at all.”
The giant took out of his pocket a great golden bag, big enough to hold Jack twice over. Jack stepped in and sat down, and the giant drew up the string. “Quiet now,” he said; “don’t let the eagle hear you stirring.”
When the eagle had finished his lunch, he came up on the turret to say good-by. “Oh, eagle,” said the giant, “I wonder if you’d do me a bit of a favor. There’s a bag over there I’m anxious to get to the giant Riverrath; and since you know the way, I thought you’d be good enough to take it for me.”