Jack by Liesl Shurtliff Page A

the sack of grain to get a better view of things. This was undoubtedly a kitchen. There were more giant sacks of grain and baskets of fruits and vegetables. A giant table rose up above me twice as high as a house. The walls were lined with shelves and pots and pans, rolling pins and dishes and giant wooden spoons. Across the room was a giant fireplace with a black kettle, and two stone ovens, each with a fire blazing inside. The smells of bread and meat and cheese were so strong I could almost taste them now, but there was no sign of giants. Perhaps I could grab some food without anyone noticing.
    I hopped down from the sack. The floors were made of great slats of wood that I’m sure were flat and smooth to the giants, but to me they had cracks and ridges that were easy to trip over, not to mention giant nails and splinters of wood poking out like daggers and swords. I wasn’t afraid, but I pulled out my axe, just to be prepared.
    Some hot liquid splashed down at my feet. I jumped back and looked up. Hanging from the sky-high ceiling was an enormous iron chandelier with a dozen blazing candles. I added dripping hot wax to the list of things to watch out for.
    Suddenly a bell rang. There was a rumble and the ground trembled like the earth before a stampede.
    “The king demands his supper!” boomed a voice.
    Through an open doorway to my left came a rush ofgiants. They stomped and boomed into the kitchen, and I was right in their path.
    “I need the soup!” someone shouted.
    “Hand me the pie!”
    “Careful now, it’s hot!”
    “Oomf! Watch yourself, clumsy!”
    “You watch your self! I’ve got the king’s pie.”
    I ran back toward the mousehole, but my path was blocked by something large and furry. My heart gave a sickening jump. It was a giant cat, its fluffy tail swishing back and forth, patiently waiting for a mouse—or some tasty morsel—to come out of the hole.
    I slowly backed away but then tripped over one of the slats of wood and fell with a thud! The cat meowed and turned around. It was orange with a squashed face and yellow eyes that narrowed when they saw me. Before I could blink, the cat pounced. Giant claws like curved daggers slashed down at me. I ran for my life.
    ReeeeaaAAARRRrr!
    I hurtled over a giant nail and then dodged a giant foot. I ran around chair and table legs and giant feet and skirts, all with the cat snarling and clawing at my heels.
    Where to hide? I couldn’t run fast enough, and there were no holes in the middle of the floor. I wedged myself between the jugs and jars, but the cat pushed them aside and tipped them over, swiping me with its giant claws.
    “Out of the way, stupid cat!” One of the giants shoved the cat aside, which gave me enough time to scramble on top of one of the sacks and jump in.
    Ale. Yech! Better than claws, but it was sticky andsmelled rancid. Through the hole at the top I could see the cat attacking the jug. It clawed and swiped at the opening. The jar rocked back and forth, threatening to topple over.
    “Rufus!” said a voice. “What in the world are you doing, you silly cat!”
    The cat growled and hissed.
    “Did you find a mouse? Did you?” The jug was suddenly picked up, causing me to tumble back into sloshing ale. A giant eye came over the opening, and then the jar was tipped. Liquid sloshed over me and I went down, down, down in a whirlpool of ale. I tumbled out of the opening into a bowl. I coughed and coughed and flopped onto my back, unable to move.
    “Good kitty, Rufus! You caught us a big, fat— Oh my! What have we here?” The cat snarled and jumped at me again, but the giant scooped me up in the palm of her hand so fast, my stomach dropped and flipped. And then we were face-to-face. Big blue eyes twinkled and an enormous mouth stretched wide to show rows of teeth the size of axeheads. My axe! I was in the hands of a giant and I had an axe! But there was no time for it.
    “Oh, what fortune!” said the giant woman. “I just love