Jack in the Giants' Newground!
 
Part III. 

Well, this time Jack picked out the sharpest-edged rock he had, drew back and clipped him again right in the same place. Pow! The old giant in front hollered so loud you could 'a heard him five miles, thronged that log off'n his shoulder and just made for the other'n, says, "That makes three times you've done rocked me! And you'll just take a beatin' from me now or know I can't do it!" 

Them twin giants started in to fightin' like horses kickin'. Beat any fightin' ever was seen: pinchin' and bitin' and kickin' and maulin' one another; made a noise like splittin' rails. They fit and scratched and scratched and fit till they couldn't stand up no more. Got to tumblin' around on the ground, knockin' down trees and a-kickin' up rocks and dirt. They were clinched so tight couldn't neither one break loose from the other'n, and directly they were so wore out they just lay there all tangled up in a pile, both of 'em pantin' for breath. 

So when Jack saw there wasn't no danger in 'em, he crawled out from that log and chopped off their heads, put 'em in a sack j and pulled on back to the King's house. 

Well, the old King paid Jack six thousand dollars for that load of heads. Then Jack said he just had to get on in home Said his folks would be uneasy about him, and besides that they couldn't get the work done up unless he was there. But the King says to him, says, "Why, Jack, there ain't but two more of 'em now. You kill them for me and that'll wind 'em up. Then we won't have no trouble at all about that newground." 

Jack said he'd see what he could do: went on back that same evenin'. This time Jack didn't climb no tree or nothin'. Went to work makin' him a bresh pile, made all the racket he could. The old four-headed giant come a-tearin' up there in no time. Looked around, saw the other giants lyin' there dead, came over to where Jack was, says, "Hello, stranger." 

"Hello, yourself." 

"What's your name, buddy?" 

"My name's Jack. Mister Jack." 

"Well, Mister Jack, can you tell me how come all my boys layin' here dead?" 

"Yes, bedads, I can tell ye," says Jack. "They came up here cussin' and 'busin' me, and I had to haul off and kill 'em. You just try and sass me ary bit now, and I'll kill you too!" 

"Oh pray, Jack, don't do that ! There's only me and the old woman left now, and she's got to have somebody to get in her stovewood and tote up water." 

"You better be careful what ye say then. I ain't gain' to take nothin' off nobody." 

"Well, now, I don't want to have no racket with ye at all, Mister Jack. You come on down and stay the night with us, help set up with our dead folks, and we'll get fixed to have a buryin' tomorrow." 

"Well, I'll go," says Jack, "but you sure better watch out what you say." 

"Oh, I'll not say nothin'," says the old giant. Says, "Law, Jack, you must be the awfulest man!" 

So the old giant stuck the dead 'uns under his arm and he and Jack started on down. When they got close to the house, the giant stopped, says to Jack, "Now, Jack, you better wait till I go and tell the old lady you've come down for supper. She might cut a shine. She'll be mad enough already about her boys bein' killed." 

He went on in and shut the door. Jack slipped up and lad' his ear to the keyhole so's he could hear what they said. Heard him tell his old lady, says, "I've got Jack here, claims to be a giantkiller. I found the boys up yonder at the newground with their heads cut off, and this here Jack says he's the one done it.'' 

The old woman just carried on. Fin'ly the old giant got her hushed, says, "He don't look to me like he's so stout as all that. We'll have to test him out a little, and see whe'er he's as bad as he claims he is." 

Directly Jack heard him a-comin' to the door rattlin' buckets. So he stepped back from the house and made like he was just comin' up. The old giant came on out, says, "There ain't a bit of water up, Jack. The old woman wants you and me to tote her some from the creek." 

Jack saw he had four piggies big as wash tubs, had rope bails fixed on 'em, had 'em slung on one arm. So they went on down to the creek and the old giant set the piggies down. Stove his two in, got 'em full and started on back. Jack knowed he couldn't even tip one of them things over and hit empty. So he left his two piggies a-layin' there, waded out in the creek and started rollin' up his sleeves. The old giant stopped and looked back, saw Jack spit in his hands and start feelin' around under the water. 

"What in the world ye fibrin' to do, Jack?" 

"Well, daddy," says Jack, "just as soon as I can find a place to ketch a hold, I'm a-goin' to take the creek back up there closer to the house where your old woman can get her water everwhen she wants." 

"Oh no, Jack! Not take the creek back. Hit'll ruin my cornfield. And besides that, my old lady's gettin' sort-a shaky on her feet; she might fall in and get drownded." 

"Well, then," says Jack, "I can't be a-wastin' my time takin' back them two little bitty bucketfulls. Why, I'd not want to be seen totin' such little buckets as them." 

"Just leave 'em there, then, Jack. Come on, let's go back to the house. Mind, now, you come on here and leave the creek there where it's at." When they got back, he told his old woman what Jack had said. Says, "Why, Law me! I had a time gettin' him to leave that creek alone." He came on out again, told Jack supper wasn't ready yet, said for him to come on and they'd play pitch-crowbar till it was time to eat. They went on down to the level field, the old giant picked up a crowbar from the fence corner. Hit must 'a weighed about a thousand pounds. Says, "Now, Jack, we'll see who can pitch this crowbar the furthest. That's a game me and the boys used to play." 

So he heaved it up, pitched it about a hundred yards, says, "You run get it now, Jack. See can you pitch it back here to where I'm at." 

Jack ran to where it fell, reached down and took hold on it. Looked up 'way past the old giant, put his hand up to his mouth, hollers, "Hey, Uncle! Hey, Uncle!" 

He looked all around, says, "What you callin' me?" 

"I ain't callin' you. Hey ! Uncut" 

"Who are ye hollerin' at, Jack?" 

"Why, I got a uncle over in Virginia," says Jack. "He's a blacksmith and this old crowbar would be the very thing for him to make up into horseshoes. Iron's mighty scarce over there. I thought I'd just pitch this out there to him. Hey UNCLE!"