All that day they traveled on before them, and when night fell they came to another great castle.
“What castle is this?” says Jack.
“This,” says the little red man, “is the castle of the Giant of the Sword of Light.”
“Oh,” says Jack, “I’ve heard of that terrible giant and his awful sword, and,” he says, “I want to get out of his neighborhood as fast as possible.”
“Fear never made me turn my back on man or mortal yet,” says the little red man, “and I don’t think I’ll begin this late in life. As we’re here, we’ll lodge here this night.”
So on the gates he rattled, and out came a frightful giant, with three great heads on him, and he roared so that the hills shook; and he asked them what they were doing here and what they wanted.
“We are two poor travelers on a journey,” says the little red man, “and as night fell on us we thought we would ask you to give us bed and board for the night.”
“Ha! Ha!” says the giant, laughing a terrible laugh. “I’ll board myself on you two this night, and I’ll bed me on your bones.”
And at that he drew from his scabbard the terrible Sword of Light, whose flash traveled thrice round the world every time it was drawn, and whose lightest stroke killed any being, natural or enchanted.