Jack And The Beanstalk

Down in a little valley there was a village, and on its edge stood a small, shabby cottage. In that cottage lived a poor widow and her only son, Jack. Their clothes were ragged and their shoes worn thin, but they did have one precious treasure: a beautiful caramel-colored cow. Every morning, Jack milked the cow, carried the jug into town, and traded the milk for a few pennies. It was just enough for him and his mother to buy potatoes and get by. But one year, the winter was so cruel that the grass did not grow in spring, and the poor cow grew too weak to give milk. “Mother!” cried Jack, “there isn’t a drop left.” With a heavy heart, his mother said, “Then we must sell her, my dear boy. Take her to the market.” On the way, Jack met a butcher in a striped apron. Instead of money, the butcher offered him something curious: three magic beans. “Magic?” Jack whispered. “Magic enough to change your life forever,” said the butcher. Jack, hoping to help his mother, made the trade. But when he showed her the beans, she was furious. “Beans? You sold our cow for beans?!” she cried. Ashamed, Jack tossed the beans out of the window and went to bed. The next morning, he awoke to find a towering beanstalk growing straight into the clouds! Without thinking twice, Jack began to climb. Up and up he went, until he reached a giant’s castle in the sky. There he met a fairy, who revealed the truth: the giant had stolen a magical hen that once belonged to Jack’s father — a golden hen that laid a golden egg every day. Determined, Jack crept into the castle. Inside, he saw the giant sitting at the table with the golden hen. “Fee-fi-fo-fum!” the giant roared, sniffing the air. “I smell the blood of an Englishman!” But before the giant could catch him, Jack snatched the golden hen and ran. The giant gave chase, but Jack scrambled down the beanstalk and chopped it down before the monster could follow. Safe at last, Jack and his mother watched as the golden hen laid an egg of pure gold. With its gift, they soon had enough to live happily, with a new cow, a cozy cottage, and more than enough to share. The End