Jack and the Beanstalk

There was once a young boy named Jack, who lived with his mother. They had no money and nothing left to eat. “We have no choice but to sell Bluebell, our old cow,” said Jack’s mother. “Take her to market and sell her for a good price.”

So Jack set off with Bluebell. Before long, he met an old man, who asked, “Are you selling that fine cow?”
“Yes,” Jack replied.
“Well, I’ll give you these magic beans for her,” said the man. “They don’t look much, but if you plant them, you will soon be rich!” Jack liked the sound of that, and he gave Bluebell to the man.

When Jack showed his mother the beans she was very angry. “Silly boy! Go to your room!” she cried, throwing the beans out of the window.

The next morning, when Jack woke up, his room was strangely dark. He looked out of his window and saw a plant so tall that he couldn’t see the top of it. “It must be a magic beanstalk!” he cried.

Jack started to climb. When he reached the top, he saw a giant house. Jack’s tummy was rumbling with hunger, so he knocked on the enormous door, and a giant woman answered.
“Please may I have some breakfast?” asked Jack. “You’ll BE my breakfast if my husband sees you!” said the woman. But Jack begged and pleaded, and at last the giant’s wife let him in. She gave him some break and milk and hid him in a cupboard.

Soon Jack heard loud footsteps and felt the cupboard shake. “Fee-fi-fo-fum! I smell the blood of an Englishman!” roared the giant. “Don’t be silly,” the giant’s wife said. “You smell the sausages I’ve cooked for your breakfast.”

When the giant had finished eating, he counted the hundreds of huge gold coins in his treasure chest but the counting soon sent him to sleep. As quick as a flash, Jack grabbed the coins, ran out of the house, and climbed down the beanstalk.

His mother was so happy to see the gold. “Clever boy! We’ll never be poor again!” she laughed. But soon Jack and his mother had spent all the money, so the boy climbed the beanstalk again. He knocked on the huge door and begged the giant’s wife to give him some food. At last she let him in.

After eating his breakfast, Jack hid in the cupboard just as the giant arrived home for lunch. When he had finished eating, his wife brought him his pet hen. “Lay!” he bellowed, and the hen laid a golden egg. It laid ten eggs before the giant started to snore. Jack couldn’t believe his luck, so he picked up the hen and ran.

His mother beamed when she saw the hen lay a golden egg. “We will never be hungry again,” she said. But even though Jack and his mother were rich, the boy decided to climb the beanstalk one more time.

Jack knew the giant’s wife wouldn’t be happy to see him, so he snuck in when she wasn’t looking and hid in the cupboard. When the giant came home, his wife brought him his magic harp. “Play!” he roared, and the harp played such sweet music the giant soon fell asleep.
Jack saw his chance and grabbed the harp. As he ran, the harp cried out, “Master! Help!” The giant woke up and began to chase Jack down the beanstalk.

“Mother, fetch the ax!” Jack yelled as he reached the ground. He chopped at the beanstalk with all his might. CREAK! GROAN! The giant quickly climbed back to the top just before the beanstalk crashed to the ground.

When his mother heard the harp play, she laughed and hugged Jack tightly. “My clever boy!” she said. And the two of them lived happily ever after.


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