Jack and the Beanstalk
An English Tale
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Once upon a time, in a quiet little cottage at the edge of a village, lived a boy named Jack and his mother. They were not rich, but they had each other, and they made do with the little they had. Their greatest treasure was their cow, Milky-White, who gave them fresh milk every morning. But one day, Milky-White’s milk ran dry, and Jack’s mother sighed, "Jack, we have no choice. You must take Milky-White to market and sell her so we can buy food."
Jack set off, leading the gentle cow along the dusty road. As he walked, he met a curious old man with twinkling eyes and a long silver beard. "Good day, young man," the old man greeted him. "Where are you taking that fine cow?"
"To market, sir," Jack replied. "We need money to buy food."
The old man smiled. "What if I told you I could give you something far more valuable than money?" From his pocket, he pulled out five round beans that shimmered in the sunlight. "These are magic beans. Plant them in the ground, and by morning, wonders will appear."
Jack hesitated, but the old man’s eyes gleamed with kindness, and something in his heart told him to trust the stranger. He handed over Milky-White and took the beans. With excitement, he raced home to show his mother.
But Jack’s mother did not share his enthusiasm. "Beans?" she cried. "You traded our cow for beans? Foolish boy!" In her frustration, she tossed the beans out the window, and Jack went to bed with a heavy heart.
But oh, what a surprise awaited him in the morning! As the first golden rays of sunlight peeked through his window, Jack saw an enormous beanstalk stretching up, up, up into the sky, disappearing into the clouds. His heart pounded with excitement. Without hesitation, he grasped the thick vine and began to climb.
Higher and higher he went, past wisps of cloud and flocks of birds, until, at last, he reached the top. Before him lay a vast land, unlike anything he had ever seen, with rolling hills and a grand castle in the distance. Jack’s curiosity got the better of him, and he tiptoed toward the towering gates.
As he reached the castle, a giant woman stood before the door, her apron covered in flour. She peered down at him with surprise. "What are you doing here, boy? Don’t you know my husband is a fearsome giant? He will eat you up for breakfast!"
Jack gulped but gathered his courage. "Please, ma’am, I am terribly hungry. Might I have something to eat?"
The giantess sighed. "You remind me of another boy, long ago, who was wronged by my husband. Very well, but you must be quick!" She led Jack into the vast kitchen and handed him a warm loaf of bread and a cup of milk.
Just as Jack finished his meal, the ground shook with heavy footsteps. "Fee-fi-fo-fum! I smell the blood of an Englishman! Be he alive, or be he dead, I'll grind his bones to make my bread!"
"Quick! Hide!" whispered the giantess, shoving Jack into the oven. The enormous giant stomped into the room, his great beard bristling as he sniffed the air. "Wife, bring me my gold!"
The giantess brought out a heavy sack of gold coins and set them before the giant. He counted them with a grunt, then soon dozed off, snoring so loudly that the castle walls trembled.
Jack saw his chance. Ever so carefully, he crept from his hiding place, grabbed the sack of gold, and dashed out of the castle. He climbed down the beanstalk as fast as his arms and legs could carry him, bursting into his cottage. "Mother! Look! We shall never go hungry again!"
But Jack’s curiosity was not yet satisfied. A few days later, he climbed the beanstalk again. This time, the giantess, though wary, gave him a meal and hid him when her husband returned.
"Fee-fi-fo-fum! I smell the blood of an Englishman!" roared the giant, sniffing the air. But his wife calmed him, and soon he called for his hen. "Lay!" he commanded, and to Jack’s astonishment, the hen laid a golden egg.
Again, the giant fell into a deep sleep, and Jack seized his chance. He snatched the hen and raced home, where he and his mother rejoiced at their newfound fortune.
But still, Jack's heart yearned for one more adventure. He climbed the beanstalk once more and hid in the castle’s kitchen. This time, the giant called for his golden harp. When he placed his great fingers upon it, the harp began to sing the sweetest melody Jack had ever heard.
As the giant’s eyes drooped with sleep, Jack tiptoed forward and grasped the harp. But as he lifted it, the harp cried out, "Master! Master! Someone is stealing me!"
The giant awoke with a thunderous roar. Jack ran as fast as his legs could carry him, the giant bellowing behind him. The beanstalk swayed as Jack scrambled down, but the giant was close behind!
"Mother! Bring the axe!" Jack cried as he reached the ground. His mother rushed forward, and with a mighty swing, Jack chopped at the beanstalk. With a great creaking groan, it began to fall. The giant, halfway down, let out a terrible cry as he tumbled through the air and landed with a crash, never to rise again.
Jack and his mother stood, breathless and amazed. With the golden eggs and the singing harp, they never knew hunger again. But more than riches, Jack had learned courage, wit, and the wisdom to use his good fortune wisely.
And so, Jack and his mother lived happily, their hearts full of gratitude. And though the beanstalk never grew again, Jack would always remember the adventure that changed his life forever.
The End.
Original Source: “English Fairy Tales.” Gutenberg.org, 2021, www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/7439/pg7439-images.html#link2H_4_0015. Accessed 25 Feb. 2025.