Jack and the Beanstalk

Once upon a time, a boy named Jack lived with his mother in a little cottage. They were very poor, and all they had was one old cow called Milky-White. One day his mother said, “Jack, we must sell the cow, so please take her to market.”

On the way to market, Jack met a funny little old man. “I will trade you five magic beans for your cow,” said the man. Jack thought that sounded like a wonderful deal, so he said yes. But when he got home, his mother was not happy at all. “Beans!” she cried, and she tossed them out of the window. That night, Jack went to bed with a hungry tummy.

In the morning, Jack looked out of the window and gasped. A giant beanstalk had grown right up into the clouds! Jack climbed up and up and up, until he reached a land in the sky. There stood an enormous castle, and at the door stood an enormous woman. “Run and hide, little boy, for my husband the giant is coming home,” she whispered. Jack hid inside the oven just as the floor began to shake.

Thump, thump, thump came the giant, and he sniffed the air. “Fee, fi, fo, fum, I smell a boy, so where is he from?” “That is only your supper you smell,” said his wife, and she gave him a big dish of stew. After supper, the giant counted his gold coins until he fell asleep and began to snore. Jack crept out, picked up a bag of gold, and climbed all the way home. His mother hugged him, and for a long time they had plenty to eat.

Two more times, Jack climbed the beanstalk. The second time, he brought home a hen that laid eggs of shining gold. The third time, he took a golden harp that could sing all by itself. All these treasures had been taken by the giant from the people of the valley long ago. But as Jack ran off, the harp called out, “Master, master!” The giant woke with a roar and stomped after Jack.

Jack slid down the beanstalk as fast as he could, with the giant climbing down behind him. “Mother, bring me the axe!” shouted Jack. Chop, chop, chop went Jack, and down crashed the beanstalk. The giant scrambled back up into the clouds just in time, and he could never come down again.

Jack and his mother shared the treasures with their neighbors in the valley. The golden harp sang to them every evening, and they all lived happily ever after.