Now, it happened in these days that King Arthur's only son asked his
father to give him a large sum of money, in order that he might go and
seek his fortune in the principality of Wales, where lived a beautiful
lady possessed with seven evil spirits. The king did his best to
persuade his son from it, but in vain; so at last gave way and the
prince set out with two horses, one loaded with money, the other for
himself to ride upon. Now, after several days' travel, he came to a
market-town in Wales, where he beheld a vast crowd of people gathered
together. The prince asked the reason of it, and was told that they
had arrested a corpse for several large sums of money which the
deceased owed when he died. The prince replied that it was a pity
creditors should be so cruel, and said: "Go bury the dead, and let his
creditors come to my lodging, and there their debts shall be paid."
They came, in such great numbers that before night he had only
twopence left for himself.

Now Jack the Giant-Killer, coming that way, was so taken with the
generosity of the prince, that he desired to be his servant. This
being agreed upon, the next morning they set forward on their journey
together, when, as they were riding out of the town, an old woman
called after the prince, saying, "He has owed me twopence these seven
years; pray pay me as well as the rest." Putting his hand to his
pocket, the prince gave the woman all he had left, so that after their
day's food, which cost what small spell Jack had by him, they were
without a penny between them.

When the sun got low, the king's son said: "Jack, since we have no
money, where can we lodge this night?"

But Jack replied: "Master, we'll do well enough, for I have an uncle