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"Jack the Giant Killer" is a variation of "The Brave Little Tailor" and similarly a predecessor to "Jack and the Beanstalk". It came into existence as a chapbook printed as "The History of Jack and the Giants" in 1711, which fused various older giant-killing tales into one narrative (which is why the story is longer and more episodic than a typical folktale).
The fable follows the Cornish youth Jack in his encounters with giants. Jack slays his first giant using a pit trap, gaining him reputation amongst the nearby village. Following this he sets off on a series of challenges, encountering a giant named Blunderbore who he strangles with a cord. The third encounter is with a Welsh giant, who tries to kill Jack while he is resting at his castle. Jack is able to trick this giant, however, and manages to get him to stab himself at breakfast. In the fourth encounter, Jack uses his coat of invisibility, which he received in the castle of the third giant, to attack a giant and his brother with impunity. The final encounter is with the giant Galligantus, whom he first scares with a blast on a magic trumpet, then cuts off his head and sends it to King Arthur. Jack is rewarded by receiving Arthur's daughter's hand in marriage.
Tropes in "Jack the Giant Killer":[]
- Exactly What It Says on the Tin
- Guile Hero
- The Killer Becomes the Killed: The giants.
- Standard Hero Reward: Jack gets to marry the princess.