Once upon a time, there was a young boy called
Jack.
He and his mother lived in a tiny cottage
in a tiny village.
His mother was a very poor widow who took
in washing to make money, but she never made
very much.
Jack did everything he could to help her.
They had an old cow that gave milk, so Jack
would milk her every day and walk to the market
to sell the milk.
One day, Jack’s mother told him that they
couldn't afford to keep feeding the cow and
they would have to sell her.
They were desperate for money, and she was
worth more that the milk she gave.
Jack was very sad, but knew he had to do it.
So he set off for the market, trailing the
cow behind him.
On the way, he met a strange little man.
He was dressed all in green and was wearing
a pointy hat.
“Hello Jack!” the little man said, “I’d
like to buy your cow!”
“How do you know my name?!” asked Jack,
astonished.
“I’ve been waiting for you here, Jack.
I know exactly what you need in return for
her – these magic beans.
Take them home and show them to your mother,
and she will know just what to do with them.”
He produced a small packet of round, brown
beans from his pocket.
"Take these beans and all your dreams will
come true..."
Jack was convinced that the man was telling
the truth about the beans.
How else would he have already known Jack’s
name, or that he would be selling the cow?
He handed over the cow in exchange for the
beans at once and skipped home.
His mother was furious.
“You sold the cow for BEANS?
They’re so tiny we can't even eat them!
How could you do such a reckless thing?”
She snatched the beans from Jack’s hand
and threw them out of the window in anger.
Jack was very sad.
He must’ve been wrong about the little man,
as his mother didn’t know what to do with
beans at all.
Jack went to bed without any dinner to think
about his bad decision.
The next day, he woke up to a huge shadow
across his room.
He opened his curtains, and outside the window
where his mother hand thrown the beans, an
enormous beanstalk had grown!
It was as thick as four men and rose high
into the clouds, leafy and green.
Jack knew he had to explore what was at the
top.
The little man had promised that all his dreams
would come true!
He packed a bag with an axe to protect himself
and some food for the journey, and began to
climb up the beanstalk.
He climbed and climbed for most of the day,
until he had got right over the top of the
clouds.
Sitting on the top of the clouds was a huge
house.
It was as tall as five normal houses and just
as wide.
Jack crept inside and hid inside a mouse hole
in the skirting board.
Soon enough, he heard big, thumping footsteps
coming into the house.
He held his breath.
It was a giant!
The giant was hundreds of feet tall, with
hairy hands and big feet.
The giant shouted in his booming voice, “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!”
He searched around the house, looking in the
cupboards and under the table, but he didn't
find Jack.
Soon he gave up the search and took out a
huge sack of gold coins.
After counting out all the gold coins in his
sack, the giant fell asleep in his huge bed.
Jack waited a while until it was dark and
crept out of his hiding-place.
He tiptoed over to the sack and took out a
gold coin.
It was the size of a dinner plate!
He packed as many as he could carry into his
bag, then ran from the house and climbed carefully
back down the beanstalk.
His mother was overjoyed to see him safely
home, and even more pleased when she saw what
he had brought.
Jack bravely vowed to go back to the giant’s
house the next day to see what else he could
grab.
The next day, he packed a bag and climbed
up the beanstalk again, sneaking back into
his hiding place in the giant’s house.
He waited until the giant returned for the
evening.
“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!” shouted the giant
again.
He still couldn’t find Jack anywhere.
This time, the giant went outside and brought
a chicken into his house.
“Lay!” he commanded, and out from the
chicken popped a golden egg!
When the giant fell asleep, Jack took the
chicken and climbed down the beanstalk again.
Now Jack and his mother had gold coins and
a chicken that laid golden eggs!
Still, Jack thought there might be more in
the giant’s house, so he climbed up the
beanstalk for the third time.
As he hid, he heard the giant’s familiar
words.
“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!” he bellowed.
This time, when he couldn’t find anyone
in his house, he took out a beautiful harp.
“Play!” he shouted, and the harp began
to play lovely music all by itself.
Jack waited again until the giant was asleep,
grabbed the harp and ran for the door.
“Help!
Help!” screamed the harp, “Someone is
stealing me!”
The giant woke up and saw Jack running for
the door.
“It’s you who has been stealing from me!”
he roared.
“I’ll squash you like a bug!”
Jack ran as fast as he could to the top of
the beanstalk and shimmied down it.
He grabbed the axe from out of his bag and
began to hack at the stalk.
After a few big, hard chops, the beanstalk
began to wobble and fell to the ground.
The giant was trapped up in the clouds with
no way down.
Jack went home and hugged his mother.
He took the harp from his bag and said, “I
know I have stolen you, but now you live with
us and you don’t have to play if you don’t
want to.
We will never shout at you like the giant
did!”
Then he turned to the chicken and said, “The
same goes for you!
You can lay when you want to lay, or not at
all.
We’re just happy to have you here to live
with us.”
The chicken clucked happily, and the harp
played a tinkley little tune.
They had never known kindness from the giant,
and were very pleased to have Jack as a master
now!
Jack and his mother lived happily ever after
on the fortune of the gold coins.
