English Fairy and Other Folk Tales JACK THE GIANT-KILLER. 1

And when, as the use then was, that noble adventurers would seek their fortune and chance into divers
and strange. nations, one renowned gallant came into England, and he called as challenger for death and
life, come who list Insomuch that the king commanded this Stanley to cope, with him; and, to make short
protestation, his chance was to overthrow the challenger and obtain the victory. Then the king made him
knight, and gave him certain lands to live on.
After this foresaid Stanley came for marriage to the daughter of Oskell of Lathom, which was found in
the eagle's nest, and obtained her favour, and espoused her. And then after the death of Oskell he was
Lord Lathom, and enjoyed it many years. And for such service as he did afterwards the king made him
Lord Stanley; and he was the first lord of the name; and so by that reason the Stanleys descended of
Lathom give the eagle and the child in their arms.
Footnotes
1 Journal of the British Archaeological Association, vol vii., from Hare's MSS., vol. ii; reprinted in
Harland and Wilkinson's Lancashire Legends, p. 259.
WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT. 1
IN the reign of the famous King Edward III. there was a little boy called Dick Whittington, whose father
and mother died when he was very young, so that he remembered nothing at all about them, and was left
a ragged little fellow running about a country village. As poor Dick was not old enough to work, he was
very badly off; he got but little for his dinner, and sometimes nothing at all for his breakfast; for the
people who lived in the village were very poor indeed, and could not spare him much more than th
parings of potatoes, and now and then a hard crust of bread
For all this Dick Whittington was a very sharp boy, and was always listening to what everybody talked
about Or Sunday he was sure to get near the farmers, as they sat talk lug on the tombstones in the
churchyard, before the parson was come; and once a week you might see little Dick leaning against the
sign-post of the village alehouse, where people stopped to drink as they came from the next market town
and when the barber's shop door was open, Dick listened to all the news that his customers told one
another.
In this manner Dick heard a great many very strange things about the great city called London; for the
foolish country people at that time thought that folks in London were all fine gentlemen and ladies; and
that there was singing and music there all day long; and that the streets were all paved with gold.
One day a large waggon and eight horses, all with bells at their heads, drove through the village while
Dick was standing by the sign-post. He thought that this waggoner must be going to the fine town of
London; so he tool courage, and asked the waggoner to let him walk with his by the side of the waggon.
As soon as the waggoner heard that poor Dick had no father or mother, and saw by his ragged clothes
that he could not be worse off than he was he told him he might go if he would, so they set off together.
I could never find out how little Dick contrived to get meat and drink on the road; nor how he could walk
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