But that instant the little red man drew around him the Cloak of Darkness, so that he should disappear from the giant’s eyes, and drawing his own sword he began whacking and hacking, hewing and cutting the giant, while the giant couldn’t see him to strike him in return, and in two minutes the wee red man had run his sword through the giant’s heart and killed him.
He and Jack went into the castle, and they made a hearty supper and slept soundly in the softest beds they could get, and in the morning they went off again, the wee red man taking with him the Sword of Light.
Having the Purse of Plenty, they could not know want from this forward. So they went on their journey right merrily. They traveled far and long until at length they came into the East, and pushed on for the castle of the Princess. And when they came to where the Princess lived, they took their horses (for they were now riding two beautiful steeds) to a blacksmith’s forge and had them shod with gold. And when they had had them shod, they rode up to the castle. By the wee red fellow’s order, they didn’t wait to knock at any gates, but put their golden spurs to their horses and leaped them over the castle walls.
When the servants and soldiers saw the pair come bounding over the castle walls upon horses shod with gold, they ran out in wonder. From the Purse of Plenty the red fellow, as Jack’s servant, pulled out handfuls and handfuls of silver and of gold and scattered them among the crowd.
Then the servants quickly brought word to the Princess of the East of the beautiful and rich gentleman who had come, with his servant, to court her. They told her how they had both leaped the castle walls on horses shod with gold, and that they threw away their gold in handfuls.
She sent word for Jack to be brought to her, and when Jack came into her presence, he was enchanted with the look of her; for her hair was so black, her cheeks and lips were so red, and her skin was so white, he had never seen in all his life any one so beautiful.
“I understand you have come to court me,” says she.
“That I have,” says Jack.
“Well,” says she, “to every one that comes to court me, I give three tasks. If any one performs the three tasks I give him he will win me; but if he fails in any one of the three, he will lose his head. Are you willing to try on such conditions?” says she.