73 JACK AND THE BEANSTALK

I

Once upon a time there was a poor woman who lived in a little house with her son Jack.

“Jack, ”said his mother, one day, “we have no money for bread. You must take our cow to market and sell her.”

So Jack started off to market with the cow. On the way he met a man who had some beautiful beans in his hands.

“My boy, where are you going with your cow? ”asked the man.

“I am going to market to sell her, ”said Jack, “What have you in your hands? ”

“I have some very wonderful beans, ”said the man, “I will give them to you if you will give me the cow.”

“Very well, ”said the foolish boy. So he took the beans and ran home.

When his poor mother saw beans instead of money, she began to cry. “You have given away our cow, ”she said, “and still we have no money for bread! ”

Jack felt very sad, but he said, “These beans look so wonderful that I will plant them. Perhaps they will grow and give us plenty of food.”So he planted the beans in the garden.

What a strange sight Jack saw in the morning! In the night the beans had grown so high that the stalks were as big as trees, and the tops reached far into the clouds!

“I knew those were wonderful beans! ”cried the happy boy,“Perhaps I can find some food at the top of the beanstalk. At least I will climb up to see.”

II

Up and up Jack climbed until his home was far below. Still he could not see the top of the beanstalk. By and by he felt so tired that he stopped to rest.

Then he thought of his poor, hungry mother, waiting for food. So again he began to climb higher and higher. After a long time Jack reached the top of the wonderful beanstalk.“What a beautiful country this is! ”he cried in surprise.

Not far away he saw a great castle. While he was looking at it, a fairy came and stood by his side. She wore a cap of red silk, and in her hand she carried a wand.

“Listen, my boy, ”said the fairy, “and I will tell you a story. Once upon a time a good king lived in that castle with his queen and their little son.

“Not far away lived a great giant, who wanted the king's rich treasures. So one night he came to the castle and killed the king, as he lay asleep.

“Now the queen had taken the little boy to visit her old nurse, who lived far below upon the earth. When she heard that the king had been killed, the Queen was afraid to go back to the castle.

“So she and her son lived with the good old nurse. When the nurse died, the Queen and the boy still stayed in the little house. Jack, your mother is that poor queen.”

“My dear mother! My poor father! ”cried Jack in surprise.

“Everything in this castle belonged to your father, ”said the fairy, “Are you brave enough to try to win back these treasures? ”

“I am afraid of nothing, ”said the boy, “Then go to the castle, ”the fairy said, “and get the hen that lays golden eggs, and the harp that talks.”

Jack went at once to the castle. When he blew the horn that hung at the gate, the giant's wife opened the door.

“Go away! ”said the woman, “Do you not know that a giant lives here? He will kill you if he sees you. Listen! He is coming now! Hide in that little room! ”

Just as Jack hid himself, the great giant came into the castle. He was so heavy that the whole place shook as he walked. His voice was like thunder.

“Wife, ”he cried, “I smell a man in the castle! Where is he? I will kill him! ”

“You smell only the meat f or your supper, ”said his wife, “Sit down and eat.”

When the giant had finished eating, he cried, “Wife, bring the magic hen! ”So she brought the hen and put it upon the table.

“Lay, good hen! ”said the giant. At once the hen laid a golden egg.

“Lay again! ”called out the giant. The hen laid another golden egg.

“Lay a third time! ”said the giant. Again a golden egg lay upon the table.

Then the giant put the three eggs into his pocket and fell fast asleep.

Now Jack had seen the wonderful hen through a hole in the door. “This is the hen that the fairy told me to get! ”he thought.

So when the giant fell asleep, Jack quickly ran out of the castle with the hen.

It did not take Jack long to reach the beanstalk and to climb down. How happy his mother was when he showed her the magic hen, which would make them rich!

III

After this, Jack and his mother had all the gold they wanted. But the young boy could not forget the harp which the fairy had told him to take from the giant.

“Mother, ”he said one day, “I must go back to the castle and get my father's harp.”

So again Jack climbed up the great beanstalk, until he came to the land of the fairy. Then he blew upon the castle horn, and the giant's wife opened the door.

Now she did not know that this was the same boy who had run away with the magic hen, for Jack had grown to be very tall in the time that had passed. So she hid him in the little room, just as she had done the first time he came to the castle.

Soon the giant came home. “I smell BOY! ”he cried in a voice like thunder.

“You smell only the fat sheep I have cooked for your dinner, ”said his wife, “Sit down and eat.”

After the giant had finished eating, he called out, “Wife, bring me the magic harp! ”So the woman brought him a beautiful harp with golden strings.

“Harp, ”said the giant, “play for me! ”At once soft, sweet music filled the castle.

“Play a more joyful tune! ”cried the giant. The harp played such a happy tune that the giant laughed with joy. Never had Jack heard such wonderful music.

“Now play a lullaby! ”cried the giant. At once the harp played so sweet a lullaby that the giant fell fast asleep.

Then Jack crept quietly out of the room, and took the magic harp in his arms. But as he ran through the castle door, the harp called out, “Master! Master! ”

Up sprang the giant with a great shout. He ran after Jack faster than the wind. But as he ran, the giant stumbled over a stone, and fell to the ground. Before he could get upon his feet, Jack quickly climbed down the beanstalk.

“Mother! Mother! ”cried the boy, running to his little house.“Give me our old ax! ”Then with a few quick strokes he cut the wonderful beanstalk close to its roots. Over it went upon the earth with a loud crash, and Jack was safe.

At that very moment the fairy stood beside him. “My brave boy, ”she said, “you have done well. From this day on, you and your mother shall live in plenty.”

(Old English Tale)

Word list

beanstalk: a tall plant that beans grow on

silk: a soft, expensive material

harp: a stringed musical instrument

joyful: happy

tune: song

ax: a tool usually used for cutting wood

You Practice

A) Answer the following questions.

1) Why did Jack's mother ask him to sell the cow?

2) Why was it foolish for Jack to trade the cow for beans?

3) Why did Jack think there must be food at the top of the beanstalk?

4) Why did the fairy come when she did?

5) What happened to Jack's father?

6) How would you describe the giant and his behaviour?

7) If you had a magic harp, what would you do with it?

B) The final chapter—The last line of the story says “From this day on, you and your mother shall live in plenty.”Think about what would happen if there was another chapter in this story. Write the next chapter. Tell about what is happening with Jack, his mother, and the magic harp.

C) True or false? Read these sentences carefully. Write true or false for each one.

1) _____ Jack traded the cow for some peas.

2) _____ There was food at the top of the beanstalk.

3) _____ The magic hen laid golden eggs.

4) _____ Jack couldn't steal the magic harp.

5) _____ At the end of the story, Jack and his mother were poor.