Once upon a time there lived a poor widow. She had an only son called Jack.
One day there was nothing in the cottage. So, Jack’s mother sent him to the market to sell their only cow.
On his way back, the boy met a man who stopped him. “Is your cow for sale?” he asked.
“Yes,” answered Jack.
“I can give you five beans for her,” said the man.
Jack argued that it was too less for a cow. “But, they are not the ordinary beans, they are the magic beans,” said the man.
After a little thought, Jack took the beans for the cow.
Jack reached home and showed his mother the beans. She became so angry that she snatched the beans from Jack’s hand and threw them out of the window. She would not listen when Jack said that they were magic beans.
“There is no such thing as a magic beans!” she said and sent Jack to be without any supper.
She was very wrong! The beans sprouted in the night and grew and grew and GREW! The next morning there was an enormous beanstalk growing outside the window.
“I am going to see what is at the top,” said Jack and began to climb the beanstalk.
“Be careful!” his mother warned.
Jack climbed higher and higher. At last he reached a world above the clouds.
He knocked on the first door he came to. The wife of a giant opened it.
“Oh! Don’t you know where have you come?” she asked, “Anyway, come inside.”
Jack told her that he felt hungry and she gave him the breakfast. He had just finished it when he heard the sound of heavy footsteps.
A voice shouted: “FEE FO FUM! I smell the blood of an Englishman!”
“Quick, You must hide! That is my husband, the Giant. He eats boys like you for his breakfast. Quick! Hide in the oven!” cried his wife.
Jack certainly did not want to be eaten. So, he quickly hid in the oven.
There was no one in the room when the giant came in. But, he was sure that he could smell a boy. He could not find him though he searched everywhere. So he had to eat Porridge for his breakfast.
When his plate was empty, he ordered his hen to come.
Jack was peeping from the oven, so he saw what happened next. “Lay hen!” said the giant. At once, the hen laid a large golden egg.
“Mother would like to own a hen like that!” thought Jack. He waited till the giant fell fast asleep. Then he crept from his hiding place. He picked up the little hen and tucked it inside his shirt. Then he quickly ran from the castle without waking the giant and climbed down with the hen.
“Mother! Look what I have got!” he said to his mother as she came out of the cottage.
The next morning, Jack climbed the beanstalk again and reached to the giant’s castle.
Once again, the giant’s wife called him in for breakfast. “FEE FO FUM! I smell the blood of an Englishman!” roared the giant.
This time Jack hid in a drawer. Though the giant searched and searched but he could not find anyone. So, he had to eat porridge once more for breakfast. When the giant had finished his porridge, he called for his harp.
“Sing harp!” he ordered. At once the harp sang though the giant did not touch its string even once.
“Mother would like a harp which sings by itself!” Jack thought.
The giant fell asleep soon and Jack crept out from his hiding place. He stretched out his hand to pick up the harp, but as soon as he touched it, the harp cried loudly, “Master! Master! Wake up!”
Jack quickly pushed the harp into his shirt to muffle its voice, but it was too late.
The giant jumped up from his bed with a roar. “FEE FO FUM!” he cried. “I knew I could smell the blood of an Englishman!”
Jack dodged between the giant’s fingers and ran as fast as he could to the top of the beanstalk.
“FEE FO FUM!” the giant shouted and followed Jack.
Jack climbed down the beanstalk. He could feel it shaking dreadfully. He could also feel the giant’s breath blowing like a strong wind, as he shouted again, “FEE FO FUM!”
Jack’s mother was frightened to see the giant as she came out of the cottage.
“Quick, mother! Give me the axe!” Jack shouted to her. He jumped the last few feet to the ground and took the axe she gave him.
Then, with a mighty blow, he cut the beanstalk. It fell to the ground with a tremendous crash and made a hole so very deep that neither the giant nor the beanstalk were seen again.
Now Jack and his mother lived happily ever after. The hen laid golden eggs so that they became quite rich and were never poor again.
By: Shaloo9, for www.whereincity.com
