Jack and the Beanstalk
Once there lived a poor woman with her son named Jack. They were very poor. Once they did not have any food, so the woman decided to sell their milch cow.
The woman told Jack to take the cow to the town and offer it for sale on a good price.
While going to the town, Jack met a stranger who offered to buy the cow.
He told Jack, “I will give you five magic beans in return of your cow.”
Jack happily traded his cow for the magic beans.
Jack then returned home and proudly told his mother of the good trade he had made. She cried and scolded Jack for his foolishness.
She threw the beans out of the window because she did not believe that the beans had any magical powers and sent Jack to bed without any supper for there was nothing to eat.
Next morning, Jack awoke to find a large beanstalk growing from the spot where the bean had fallen. It went up in the sky!
Jack climbed the beanstalk until he was high up in the clouds. And there, he was surprised to see a beautiful castle.
Jack walked up to the castle. In the door way stood the largest woman he had ever laid his eyes on!
Jack asked. “Could I come in and have something to eat? I am very hungry, kind madam.”
The woman at first refused, as she said her husband, who was a giant, would come home and eat Jack for supper. But Jack asked so politely again that the woman let him inside and gave him some food.
No sooner had Jack finished eating then he heard the tramp, tramp, tramp of the giant’s boots.
The woman, quickly, hid Jack in the oven.
The giant came in the kitchen and said,
“Fe -fe- fo- fun
I smell the blood of an Englishman!
Be he alive or be he dead.
I’ll grind his bones to make my bread!”
“You smell only the stew I have cooked,” said his wife, setting a huge bowl in front of him.
After the giant had eaten his food he asked his wife to bring his bags of gold coins. The giant counted them until he grew sleepy. Soon, he began to snore.
Jack came out of the oven and stole one of the bags of gold and ran as fast as he could to the beanstalk and climbed down.
Jack’s mother was happy to see the gold coins. It bought them food and clothes for a few months. But soon the coins were finished. Jack decided to go once again to the castle. This time he disguised himself and climbed the beanstalk. Once again he very politely asked the giant’s wife to let him in the castle.
The woman didn’t recognise Jack in this guise. She told Jack that the last boy she had let in for food had stolen a bag of gold.
But Jack asked so politely for something to drink that she could not refuse and bought him in and gave him water.
No sooner had Jack finished drinking the water he heard the tramping of giant’s boots and he ran to hide in the oven.
The giant roared,
“Fe-fe-fo fun
I smell the blood of an Englishman!
Be he a live or be he dead,
I’ll grind his bones to make my bread!”
His wife said, “You smell only the tasty soup I have prepared for you.”
After the giant had eaten his supper he told his wife to bring his magic hen.
The giant commanded the hen to lay an egg and the hen laid a golden egg.
As soon as the Giant fell asleep, Jack crept out from the oven. He grabbed the hen and started running until he was safe into his home again.
Jack’s mother was very happy as each day the hen laid golden eggs which they were able to sell to buy plenty of food.
But Jack was still not satisfied for he had become greedy. So, he once again climbed the beanstalk and went into the castle. He ran into the kitchen and this time he hid behind a giant broom.
Soon the Giant and his wife came from their walk. The Giant looked around the kitchen and roared, “Fe-Fe-fo-fun
I smell the blood of an Englishman!
Be he live or be he dead.
I’ll grind his bones to make my bread!”
His wife quickly ran to look in the oven but no one was there.
The Giant sat down in his chair and told his wife to bring him his magic harp.
When the Giant roared, “Sing!” the harp played a beautiful song all by itself. The whole time the Giant ate his supper, the harp played the song. When the Giant fell asleep, Jack came from behind the broom and picked up the harp, and ran away with it.
Suddenly the magic harp called “Master help.”
The voice woke the Giant and he realised that his harp was being stolen. The Giant leapt and grabbed Jack with one of his large hands.
Jack jumped off the table and ran as fast as his legs could carry him.
When Jack reached the beanstalk, he quickly climbed down with the magic harp tucked tightly under his arms.
As soon as Jack touched the ground, he grabbed an axe and with one sharp blow, chopped down the huge beanstalk. With it the giant was also crushed.
After that Jack and his mother lived happily with the hen and the magic harp.
