Jack and the Beanstalk

Part One · Five Magic Beans

Once upon a time, a poor widow lived in a little cottage with her only son, whose name was Jack. All they had in the world was a cow called Milky-White. Every morning the cow gave them milk, and they carried it to the market to sell. Then one morning, Milky-White gave no milk at all, not even a single drop.

"What shall we do?" cried Jack's mother, wringing her hands. "We must sell Milky-White. Take her to the market, Jack, and get a good price." Jack set off down the road with the cow. He had not gone far when he met a funny-looking old man in a tall, crooked hat. "Good morning, Jack," said the stranger. "Where are you going?"

"I am going to the market to sell our cow," said Jack. The old man opened his hand, and in it lay five strange, speckled beans. "These are magic beans," he whispered. "If you plant them tonight, by morning they will grow right up to the sky. I will trade them for your cow." Jack thought that sounded like a wonderful bargain.

Jack hurried all the way home with the beans. "Back already?" said his mother. "How much money did you get?" Jack opened his hand. "Five magic beans!" His mother was so cross that she tossed the beans straight out of the window. "Off to bed with you," she said, "and there will be no supper tonight!"

When Jack woke up the next morning, his bedroom was strangely dark and green. He ran to the window and gasped. The beans had grown into an enormous beanstalk! It twisted up and up, past the roof and past the birds, until the top disappeared into the clouds. Its leaves were as big as umbrellas, so Jack began to climb.

Part Two · Up the Beanstalk

Jack climbed and climbed until at last he reached the sky, where a long road stretched away through the clouds. It led to a great big tall house, and on the doorstep stood a great big tall woman. "Good morning, ma'am," said Jack politely. "Could you please give me some breakfast? I had no supper last night, and I am terribly hungry."

"You poor thing," said the woman, "but you must not stay long, because my husband is a giant, and he does not like boys one bit." She was kind, so she gave Jack some bread and cheese and a jug of milk. Jack had only taken two bites when the whole house began to shake. Thump! Thump! THUMP!

"Quick, hide in here!" said the woman, and she popped Jack into the cold oven. In stomped the giant, who was as tall as a tree, and he sniffed the air suspiciously. "Fee-fi-fo-fum!" he roared. "I smell the blood of an Englishman!" "Nonsense, dear," said his wife. "That is only your breakfast. Go and wash your hands."

The giant gobbled forty sausages and a bucket of porridge, and then he took out a big bag of gold and began to count it. Soon his head nodded, and he snored so loudly that the windows rattled. Jack crept out of the oven, grabbed the bag of gold, and ran. He dropped it down the beanstalk and scrambled after it.

Jack and his mother lived on that gold for a long time. When it was gone, Jack climbed the beanstalk again and hid in a copper pot. The giant brought out a little brown hen and said, "Lay!" At once the hen laid an egg of solid gold. When the giant dozed off, Jack tucked the hen under his arm and ran home.

Part Three · Down Comes the Giant

Now Jack and his mother had a golden egg whenever they wanted one, but Jack was curious to visit the giant's house one more time. This time the giant carried a golden harp. "Sing!" he commanded, and the harp sang so sweetly that the giant fell fast asleep. Jack grabbed the harp and ran for the beanstalk.

But the harp called out, "Master! Master!" The giant woke up with a roar and came thundering after Jack. Jack slid down the beanstalk as fast as he could, while the giant climbed down after him, and the whole beanstalk shook and swayed. "Mother!" shouted Jack. "Bring me the axe, quickly!"

His mother came running with the axe, and Jack chopped and chopped. With a terrible crack, the beanstalk began to tip. The giant wobbled and waved his arms, and down he came, head over heels, with a mighty SPLASH, right into the duck pond. The ducks quacked in surprise, and the giant sat up with a lily pad on his head.

The giant was soaking wet and extremely cross. He climbed out of the pond and shook himself like an enormous wet dog. Then he stomped away over the hills, grumbling all the way, and he never came back again. The fallen beanstalk stretched across three fields, and all the neighbors came out to stare at it.

As for Jack and his mother, they were never hungry again. The hen laid golden eggs, the harp sang to them every evening, and they bought back Milky-White, who was very glad to see them. "Those were the best beans in the whole world," said Jack. His mother laughed and said, "Just this once, you were right."