candidate: Earlier variants of the fairy tale " Jack the Giant - Killer " found in chapbooks include various renditions of the poem , recited by the giant Thunderdell :< poem > Fee , fau , fum , I smell the blood of an " English " man , Be alive , or be he dead , I 'll grind his bones to make my bread . < / poem > < poem > Fe , Fi , Fo , Fum.I smell the blood of an Englishman , Be he living , or be he dead , I ’ll grind his bones to mix my bread . < / poem > In William Shakespeare 's play " King Lear " , the character of Edgar exclaims :< poem > Fie , foh , and fum , I smell the blood of a British man . < / poem > The verse in " King Lear " makes use of the archaic word " fie " , used to express disapproval .