who lived with his poor widowed mother. They had sold almost everything they owned to buy

food. When their last cow stopped giving milk, Jack’s mother sent him to town to sell it.

On the way to town Jack met a strange fellow who told him stories of magic beans. “Where

can I buy some of these magic beans for my mother?” asked Jack.

“I have the last five magic beans and I will sell them to you because you are a good

boy,” the strange man smiled at Jack.             “Well I have nothing but our old cow and

we need the money I would get by selling her for food.”

The man replied, “Trust me, my boy, these beans will bring you food and fortune and

your mother will be proud.” Jack hesitated but finally traded the cow

for the beans. When Jack returned home his mother was furious and threw the beans out

the kitchen window crying. Jack went to bed that night sad and hungry.

He woke the next morning to find a huge beanstalk growing in the garden. “The beans really

are magic!” he cried. Jack saw that stalk reached the clouds. He remembered stories

about the clouds containing gold and started climbing the stalk to see what he could find.

He climbed and climbed. When he got to the top he saw a huge castle and headed for it.

The door was so big that Jack could crawl beneath it. Once inside he saw a giant man

eating his dinner. When the giant was finished he called his servant to bring him his bag

of gold coins. While counting his money the giant became drowsy and fell asleep.

Jack crept up to the giant and stole his bag of gold. He struggled down the beanstalk with

his money and when got to the bottom he called for his mother. Jack’s mother was very happy

because this money was the same money that the giant had stolen from Jack’s father

many years ago. But she was also afraid she knew how dangerous the giant was and made

Jack promise he would never go back. While Jack did promise, after awhile the money

began to run out. Jack began to wonder if he would find anything else in the castle.

Once again, Jack decided he would go back up the beanstalk and back to the castle. Once

again he reached the castle and climbed under the castle door. And once again he found the

giant eating dinner at his table. When he was finished this time however the giant called

for his magic hen. Jack was amazed when he saw the hen lay an egg of pure gold. While

the giant was watching the hen he again became drowsy and fell asleep. Jack crept silently

to the table and grabbed the hen. When he returned home his mother was very

angry that Jack had gone back to the castle. She grabbed Jack’s axe intent on cutting

the beanstalk down. Jack begged her not to and showed her how hen that could lay golden

eggs. Jack’s mother put the axe down and watched with delight as the hen layed one

beautiful golden egg after another. After awhile Jack’s curiosity got the better

of him and he once again thought about what else he could find he in the castle. Once

again, Jack decided he would go back up the beanstalk and back to the castle. Once again

he reached the castle and climbed under the castle door. And once again he found the giant

eating dinner at his table. When he was finished this time however the

giant called for his magic harp. Jack watched as the harp began to play beautiful music

all by itself. The music was so beautiful that before long the lazy giant was once again

fast asleep. Jack crept silently to the table. But as soon as Jack picked up the harp it

began playing very loudly in his strange hands and the giant awoke.

“Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum,” yelled the giant and he chased after the boy and his harp. Jack

raced to the beanstalk and slid down. He could feel the stalk shake as the giant began climbing

down. Luckily his axe was near by and he began chopping down the beanstalk.

The beanstalk shook and cracked under the weight of the giant and Jack’s chopping.

Finally the stalk snapped and the giant fell to the earth never to be seen again. Jack

and his mother lived happily ever after.

The End