Worth While Stories for Every Day

by Unknown

“Thank you, kind little boy,” answered the old woman, and gave her bundle to Jack. When they reached the road the old woman gave Jack her walking stick of thick wood, saying he must use it carefully for it had the strength of a giant. Then the old woman disappeared.

Jack took the stick and looked at it in wonder. He struck it on the ground, and lo! it dug a big hole; he struck it on an old stump, and see! there was nothing there but kindling wood.

“I must be careful what I hit,” said Jack, and went on home with his bundle of twigs, and the magic stick under his arm.

Now, there was a giant who lived in a cave deep in the woods, of whom everybody was afraid. He would capture travelers, and it was said that he would eat them, though nobody had ever seen him. Still everybody was afraid to go far into the woods for fear of the giant.

Jack was also afraid of the giant, and was ready to run if he should hear a loud voice. After the old woman gave him the magic stick he always took it with him, for he could break off twigs and even branches with a single blow.

One day his little sister went into the woods with him to help gather wood. They had wandered farther than usual. Suddenly he heard her scream, and then a great tramping in the bushes. “The giant has caught my little sister!” said Jack in great alarm, and seizing his magic stick he ran in the direction of the cry.

He followed the big footsteps through the woods, across streams and up the mountain side until he came to the door of a cave. The giant had rolled a big rock in front to close it, but Jack crushed it with a blow and ran in.

The giant had braced the inside with beams of wood, but Jack broke them to pieces with one stroke. Far inside the cave he saw the dreadful giant about to devour his little sister. As the giant raised his arm Jack’s stick broke it in two. The giant leaped to his feet and raised his sword with his other arm, but Jack’s stick broke arm and sword into pieces. The giant roared and rushed at Jack. Jack hurled the stick at the giant and struck him full in the face.

So great was the blow that the giant’s head rolled off his shoulders—rolled out of the cave and down the mountain side, and may be rolling yet for all we know. At any rate Jack did not wait to see, for he grabbed his stick, seized his little sister and ran home as fast as he could.