At first the Prince was very unwilling to agree to this. The adventure seemed to him a very dangerous one, but in the end Jack persuaded him to agree to it, and mounting on the Prince’s horse he set out for the castle, leaving the Prince to await him by the wayside.
Jack rode briskly along and it did not take him long to reach the castle. He knocked boldly at the door.
“Who is there?” called the giant from within.
“It is your Cousin Jack, and I bring you news,” answered Jack.
The giant opened the door and looked out. “Well, Cousin Jack, and what is the news you bring?”
Why, the news was that a Prince and his company intended to spend the night in the giant’s castle, and were even then almost at the door. If the giant were wise he would flee away and leave the castle to the Prince. Then after the Prince and his company had gone the giant might safely return again.
But no, the monster was not so easily to be scared out of his castle. “I can drive back five hundred men,” cried he, “so why should I be afraid?”
“Yes, but can you drive back two thousand?” asked Jack.
“Two thousand! Two thousand, did you say?” Why that was a different matter, and if the Prince were coming with two thousand men at his back, then it was indeed time for the giant to hide away. He then told Jack where there was a secret chamber all made of iron. There he would hide, and he begged the lad to lock him in, and not, for any cause to unlock the door until the Prince had gone.
This Jack promised. He locked the giant in the secret chamber, and then he rode back to fetch his master.