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There was no time to be lost, so Jack ran as hard as he could; but although the Harp was very light, still it impeded his progress a little; and when he looked round, he could just see the tall figure of the Giant staggering in pursuit. After a time Jack put down the Harp to rest a little, and take breath, when the Harp said — "You have carried me far enough; I will now carry you, so get up across my shoulders." Jack thought it a funny thing to ride upon a Harp, but up he got, placing one leg over each shoulder, and holding on by the hair; and as soon as he was well seated the Harp said, "Hold fast," and then went "Twang," sprang up into the air, and flew like a bird. By this time the Giant was getting near, and threw his great club-tree at them; but it luckily fell short, so on they went, and at length came to the edge of the precipice, when Jack wanted to dismount and look for his Bean-stalk: but the Harp, which was now standing on the ground said, "Sit still, and fear not; I will take you down in safety: the Giant is near, and will, I expect, throw some of those pieces of rock at us; all I want you to do is, look round and tell me on which side I am to spring, in order to avoid them." Up came the Giant, panting and snorting, thinking he had caught them at last, when "Twang" went the Harp, and away she flew over the edge of the cliff. Such a plunge as that took Jack's breath away: but when heard the Giant roar he recollected the part he had to act, and looking round and seeing a large piece of rock flying after them, cried out to the Harp, "to the right!" "Twang" went the Harp, and sprang to one side. — "The History of Jack and the Bean-stalk," p. 23-24.

The Context in the Perrault Original: The Second Theft

For three years Jack heard no more of the bean-stalk, but he could not forget it; though he feared making his mother unhappy. She would not mention the hated bean-stalk, lest it should remind him of taking another journey. Notwithstanding the comforts Jack enjoyed at home, his mind dwelt continually upon the bean-stalk; for the fairy’s menaces, in case of his disobedience, were ever present to his mind, and prevented him from being happy; he could think of nothing else. It was in vain endeavouring to amuse himself; he became thoughtful, and would arise at the first dawn of day, and view the bean-stalk for hours together. His mother saw that something preyed heavily upon his mind, and endeavoured to discover the cause; but Jack knew too well what the consequence would be, should she succeed. He did his utmost, therefore, to conquer the great desire he had for another journey up the bean-stalk. Finding, however, that his inclination grew too powerful for him, he began to make secret preparations for his journey, and on the longest day, arose as soon as it was light, ascended the bean-stalk, and reached the top with some little trouble. He found the road, journey, etc., much as it was on the two former times; he arrived at the giant's mansion in the evening, and found his wife standing, as usual, at the door. Jack had disguised himself so completely, that she did not appear to have the least recollection of him; however, when he pleaded hunger and poverty, in order to gain admittance, he found it very difficult to persuade her. At last he prevailed, and was concealed in the copper. When the giant returned, he said, "I smell fresh meat!" But Jack felt quite composed, as he had said so before, and had been soon satisfied. However, the giant started up suddenly, and, notwithstanding all his wife could say, he searched all round the room. Whilst this was going forward, Jack was exceedingly terrified, and ready to die with fear, wishing himself at home a thousand times; but when the giant approached the copper, and put his hand upon the lid, Jack thought his death was certain. The giant ended his search there, without moving the lid, and seated himself quietly by the fire-side. This fright nearly overcame poor Jack; he was afraid of moving or even breathing, lest he should be discovered. The giant at last ate a hearty supper. When he had finished, he commanded his wife to fetch down his harp. Jack peeped under the copper-lid, and soon saw the most beautiful harp that could be imagined: it was placed by the giant on the table, who said, "Play!" and it instantly played of its own accord, without being touched. The music was uncommonly fine. Jack was delighted, and felt more anxious to get the harp into his possession, than either of the former treasures. The giant's soul was not attuned to harmony, and the music soon lulled him into a sound sleep. Now, therefore, was the time to carry off the harp, as the giant appeared to be in a more profound sleep than usual Jack soon determined, got out of the copper, and seized the harp, The harp was enchanted by a fairy: it called out loudly: "Master! master!" The giant awoke, stood up, and tried to pursue Jack; but he had drank so much, that he could hardly stand. Poor Jack ran as fast as he could. In a little time the giant recovered sufficiently to walk slowly, or rather, to reel after him. Had he been sober, he must have overtaken Jack instantly; but, as he then was, Jack contrived to be first at the top of the bean-stalk. The giant called after him in a voice like thunder, and sometimes was very near him. — Perrault, "Jack and the Bean-stalk," http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/68/fairy-tales-and-other-traditional-stories/5089/jack-and-the-bean-stalk/

Commentary

Although a substantial rock hovers in mid-air above Jack's head, the accompanying text (facing page) assures the reader that the magic Harp will assist the hero in avoiding whatever the Giant can throw at him, even though he appears to be taking careful aim with a much smaller piece from the summit of the mountain seen in the illustration that initiates Jack into Jack's heroic quest, Jack, climbing the Bean Stalk nine pages earlier. In this case, the meaning of the illustration is only apparent once the viewer has read the text. The composition's handling of such apparently simple materials is masterful, as Cruikshank establishes a strong diagonal moving from the Giant, poised for the throw with his right arm raised, down the ridge of the cross-hatched mountain peak towards Jack's head, turned to guide the Harp as to which way to turn to avoid the latest missile. Although the roicxk which the Giant holds seems to be much smaller than the Boulder immediately above Jack and the Harp, in fact its size is an aspect of Cruikshank's aerial perspective. In fact, the rock is in proportion to the Giant, who is so high up that he appears to be of normal, human proportions. Sailing down on the shoulders of the female Harp, Jack is in the sunlight that illuminates the mountains behind him, but is threatened by the evil figure on the black, shadow-engulfed crag — apparently the same crag to which the bean-stalk has adhered itself, although Cruikshank has not repeated it from Jack, climbing the Bean Stalk nine pages earlier. The pen-and-ink drawing keeps the reader in suspense until just past the middle of the facing page; "until they are quite out of danger" (24) turns out to be a false conclusion as the Garden Fairy interrupts the joyful reunion of the family members to announce the imminent arrival of the Giant, "slipping down the Bean-stalk" (28), the subject of the next illustration. In the present illustration, it is the hero rather than his fairy-mentor who points out that the Giant has just descended, giving him a more active role in the picture than in the text.

In the Perrault original, Jack returns to the land above the clouds to steal further valuables; in the second episode, he easily steals the bags of gold and silver, rather than attempting to take the magic harp, which thus becomes his third and final challenge, there being no imprisoned father to liberate, and no plot gambit involving making use of the Giant's strength in the service of society. In Perrault, he must steal the Giant's horde of coins before he attempts to steal the Harp.

At last, Jack concluded him to be asleep, and therefore secure, stole out of his hiding-place, and approached the giant, in order to carry off the two bags of money; but just as he laid his hand upon one of the bags, a little dog, whom he had not perceived before, started from under the giant’s chair, and barked at Jack most furiously, who now gave himself up for lost. Fear riveted him to the spot. Instead of endeavouring to escape, he stood still, though expecting his enemy to awake every instant. Contrary, however, to his expectation, the giant continued in a sound sleep, and the dog grew weary of barking. Jack now began to recollect himself, and on looking round, saw a large piece of meat; this he threw to the dog, who instantly seized it, and took it into the lumber-closet, which Jack had just left. Finding himself delivered from a noisy and troublesome enemy, and seeing the giant did not awake, Jack boldly seized the bags, and throwing them over his shoulders, ran out of the kitchen. He reached the street door in safety, and found it quite daylight. In his way to the top of the bean-stalk, he found himself greatly incommoded with the weight of the money-bags; and really they were so heavy that he could scarcely carry them. Jack was overjoyed when he found himself near the bean-stalk; he soon reached the bottom, and immediately ran to seek his mother; to his great surprise, the cottage was deserted; he ran from one room to another, without being able to find any one; he then hastened into the village, hoping to see some of the neighbours, who could inform him where he could find his mother. An old woman at last directed him to a neighbouring house, where she was ill of a fever. He was greatly shocked on finding her apparently dying, and could scarcely bear his own reflections, on knowing himself to be the cause. On being informed of our hero's safe return, his mother, by degrees, revived, and gradually recovered. Jack presented her with his two valuable bags. They lived happily and comfortably; the cottage was rebuilt, and well furnished. — Perrault, "Jack and the Bean-stalk," http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/68/fairy-tales-and-other-traditional-stories/5089/jack-and-the-bean-stalk/

Because European folktales often involve a pattern of three events, each a repetition of the former but with slight differences in a rising action, Jack cannot simply go from stealing the Golden Hen to stealing the Singing Harp; rather, there must be an intermediate step — in this case, the theft of the Giant's store of gold and silver coins. However, perhaps in order to accelerate the narrative and avoid such repetition, Cruikshank moves the story along by going directly from the theft of the hen to that of the harp, tasks dictated by the Garden Fairy at the opening of the tale. What Cruikshank uses to fill out the story, however, is significant to one born into the Romantic Era: vivid and compelling descriptions of the natural environment and the Giant's castle, giving the visual artist the opportunity to build suspense by the creation of a suitable atmosphere through "word pictures." His emphasis on the conflict between the Giant and Jack, who is aided from time to time by supernatural agents related to the Garden Fairy.

In the Perrault original, Jack returns to the land above the clouds to steal further valuables; in the second episode, he takes bags of gold and silver, rather than the magic harp:

At last, Jack concluded him to be asleep, and therefore secure, stole out of his hiding-place, and approached the giant, in order to carry off the two bags of money; but just as he laid his hand upon one of the bags, a little dog, whom he had not perceived before, started from under the giant's chair, and barked at Jack most furiously, who now gave himself up for lost. Fear riveted him to the spot. Instead of endeavouring to escape, he stood still, though expecting his enemy to awake every instant. Contrary, however, to his expectation, the giant continued in a sound sleep, and the dog grew weary of barking. Jack now began to recollect himself, and on looking round, saw a large piece of meat; this he threw to the dog, who instantly seized it, and took it into the lumber-closet, which Jack had just left. Finding himself delivered from a noisy and troublesome enemy, and seeing the giant did not awake, Jack boldly seized the bags, and throwing them over his shoulders, ran out of the kitchen. He reached the street door in safety, and found it quite daylight. In his way to the top of the bean-stalk, he found himself greatly incommoded with the weight of the money-bags; and really they were so heavy that he could scarcely carry them. Jack was overjoyed when he found himself near the bean-stalk; he soon reached the bottom, and immediately ran to seek his mother; to his great surprise, the cottage was deserted; he ran from one room to another, without being able to find any one; he then hastened into the village, hoping to see some of the neighbours, who could inform him where he could find his mother. An old woman at last directed him to a neighbouring house, where she was ill of a fever. He was greatly shocked on finding her apparently dying, and could scarcely bear his own reflections, on knowing himself to be the cause. On being informed of our hero’s safe return, his mother, by degrees, revived, and gradually recovered. Jack presented her with his two valuable bags. They lived happily and comfortably; the cottage was rebuilt, and well furnished.

Dispensing with the theft of the money bags enables Cruikshank to move directly to the theft of the Harp. His third incident then becomes Jack's liberation of his father from the dungeon and capturing the Giant when he arrives at the bottom of the bean-stalk.

Other Scenes involving the formidable Danish Giant, Swillenbutz

Left: George Cruikshank's initial realisation of the giant as he lies, unconscious, from drinking too much beer (facing p. 19), Jack gets the Golden Hen away from the Giant (1854). Centre: Cruikshank's gripping scene of the giant's descending the bean-stalk to take vengeance on Jack, The Fairies tie the Giant up in the Bean Stalk (facing p. 26). Right: Cruikshank's depiction of the captive giant taken before King Alfred and his soldiers at Sir Ethelbert's keep after the defeat of the invading Danes, Jack brings the Giant prisoner to King Alfred (facing p. 30). [Click on the images to enlarge them.]

Bibliography

Bentley, Nicolas; Michael Slater and Nina Burgis. The Dickens Index. Oxford: Oxford U. P., 1990.

British Library. "George Cruikshank's Fairy Library." Romantics and Victorians. https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/george-cruikshanks-fairy-library

Cohen, Jane Rabb. Part One, "Dickens and His Early Illustrators: 1. George Cruikshank. Charles Dickens and His Original Illustrators. Columbus: Ohio University Press, 1980. Pp. 15-38.

Cruikshank, George. The History of Jack & the Bean-Stalk. Illustrated by George Cruikshank. George Cruikshank's Fairy Library. London: David Bogue, 1854. (Price one shilling) 8 etchings on 6 tipped-in pages, including frontispiece.

Cruikshank, George. George Cruikshank's Fairy Library: "Hop-O'-My-Thumb," "Jack and the Bean-Stalk," "Cinderella," "Puss in Boots". London: George Bell, 1865.

Davis, Paul. Charles Dickens A to Z. The Essential Reference to His Life and Work. New York: Checkmark and Facts On File, 1998.

Guildhall Library blog. "A Gem from Guildhall Library's Shelves: George Cruikshank's Fairy Library by George Cruikshank published by Routledge in London (c. 1870)." 8 August 2014. https://guildhalllibrarynewsletter.wordpress.com/2016/08/08/a-gem-from-guildhall-librarys-shelves-george-cruikshanks-fairy-library-by-george-cruikshank-published-by-routledge-in-london-c1870/

Howard-Tilton Memorial Library. "George Cruikshank." http://library.tulane.edu/exhibits/exhibits/show/fairy_tales/george_cruikshank

Hubert, Judd D. "George Cruikshank's Graphic and Textual Reactions to Mother Goose." Marvels & Tales, Volume 25, Number 2, 2011 (pp. 286-297). Project Muse. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/462736/pdf

"Introductory Essay." Fables and Fairy Tales. 0019: Anon., "The History of Jack and the Bean-Stalk." CTS: The Hockliffe Project. http://hockliffe.dmu.ac.uk/items/0019.html

Kitton, Frederic G. "George Cruikshank." Dickens and His Illustrators. London: Chapman & Hall, 1899. Pp. 1-28.

Perrault, Charles. "Jack and the Beanstalk." Fairy Tales and Other Traditional Stories. Lit2Go. http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/68/fairy-tales-and-other-traditional-stories/5089/jack-and-the-bean-stalk/

Vogler, Richard, The Graphic Works of George Cruikshank. New York: Dover, 1979.

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Last modified 26 June 2017