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Jack and the Beanstalk

Once upon a time there lived a poor widow and her son Jack. One day, Jack’s mother told him to sell their only cow. Jack went to the market and on the way he met a man who wanted to buy his cow. Jack asked, “What will you give me in return for my cow?” The man answered, “I will give you five magic beans!” Jack took the magic beans and gave the man the cow. But when he reached home, Jack’s mother was very angry. She said, “You fool! He took away your cow and gave you some beans!” She threw the beans out of the window. Jack was very sad and went to sleep without dinner.

The next day, when Jack woke up in the morning and looked out of the window, he saw that a huge beanstalk had grown from his magic beans! He climbed up the beanstalk and reached a kingdom in the sky. There lived a giant and his wife. Jack went inside the house and found the giant’s wife in the kitchen. Jack said, “Could you please give me something to eat? I am so hungry!” The kind wife gave him bread and some milk.

While he was eating, the giant came home. The giant was very big and looked very fearsome. Jack was terrified and went and hid inside. The giant cried, “Fee-fifo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be he alive, or be he dead, I’ll grind his bones to make my bread!” The wife said, “There is no boy in here!” So, the giant ate his food and then went to his room. He took out his sacks of gold coins, counted them and kept them aside. Then he went to sleep. In the night, Jack crept out of his hiding place, took one sack of gold coins and climbed down the beanstalk. At home, he gave the coins to his mother. His mother was very happy and they lived well for sometime.

climbed the beanstalk and went to the giant’s house again. Once again, Jack asked the giant’s wife for food, but while he was eating the giant returned. Jack leapt up in fright and went and hid under the bed. The giant cried, “Fee-fifo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be he alive, or be he dead, I’ll grind his bones to make my bread!” The wife said, “There is no boy in here!” The giant ate his food and went to his room. There, he took

out a hen. He shouted, “Lay!” and the hen laid a golden egg. When the giant fell asleep, Jack took the hen and climbed down the beanstalk. Jack’s mother was very happy with him.

After some days, Jack once again climbed the beanstalk and went to the giant’s castle. For the third time, Jack met the giant’s wife and asked for some food. Once again, the giant’s wife gave him bread and milk. But while Jack was eating, the giant came home. “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!” cried the giant. “Don’t be silly! There is no boy in here!” said his wife.

The giant had a magical harp that could play beautiful songs. While the giant slept, Jack took the harp and was about to leave. Suddenly, the magic harp cried, “Help master! A boy is stealing me!” The giant woke up and saw Jack with the harp. Furious, he ran after Jack. But Jack was too fast for him. He ran down the beanstalk and reached home. The giant followed him down. Jack quickly ran inside his house and fetched an axe. He began to chop the beanstalk. The giant fell and died.

Jack and his mother were now very rich and they lived happily ever after.

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Once upon a time there lived a poor widow and her son Jack. One day, Jack’s mother told him to sell their only cow. Jack went to the market and on the way he met a man who wanted to buy his cow. Jack asked, “What will you give me in return for my cow?”…

92 Comments

  3. Jack and the beanstalk is a really good story for children to learn about that there are times when things get hard and u need to stand up for that

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  11. this is a complex story, its very difficult to resolve "what`s the authors purpose?" Does the author suggest stealing is ok? Or that adventure and deceit pays off? Or that parental figures should trust their subordinates? Or that foolish dreams do come true? What`s the authors MAIN point? What was his/her purpose for writing this tale? Should we side with Jack? Or feel sorry for the Ogre? What sorts of questions is the author trying to answer? "how do I convince people that stealing is sometimes good?" Not an easy tale to digest!

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  13. You're kidding me right? LOL This is a nursery rhyme, a short story, you are judging the morality of this? Now I've seen it all. I think you need to go into the woods and get away for awhile, a good rest and coming down to Earth would be good for you. If you really want to go there, then taking something from someone who would use it wrong and harm people is a good thing, yes, it's the right thing to do, especially if you're an Englishman, lol.

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  14. Joe Edwards, thank you for your response. Let me respond in-turn. "This is a nursery rhyme, a short story, you are judging the morality of this?" Yes Joe, I am! For…If I had a child, I`d read him these kinds of stories, old tales and short-stories..perhaps the Brothers Grimm before bed. I would ask him questions like "who did something bad? why did he do it? what should he have done? etc…" Maybe I`m saying this because I have no kids of my own, perhaps I`m too idealistic? I`m a teacher, so that may have something to do with it. I also live in Tokyo with very few friends…no doubt – I am eccentric, so that may have something to do with it as well. Regardless of personal views I think many people would agree with me in saying this, "I think reading (no matter what it is) almost always provides us with a chance to learn about ourselves, other people and the world. Joe – Have you read Mortimer Adler`s "How to Read a Book" ? I highly recommend it! If your like me, your definitely TIRED of TV, even the radio…or pop music (though I still love Zepplin!). If your tired of our BS DUMBED DOWN CULTURE…then pick up "How to Read a Book," basically, Adler writes we only get out of a book – as much as we put in. Much like a catcher works to receive a 95 mph fastball…readers have to work at "receiving" as much from the author (pitcher) as we can. Adler suggests reading (and listening) are not automatic – we can not "download" ideas from someone. Reading should not be passive input, rather, we have to dig into a book to see the world as the author does, inspect his arguments, his perspective. And I believe once you, me, or anyone else start digging into books are hard as they can, it`s hard to stop. Reading a single book several times over is far more rewarding than reading a 100 books a year. Right now, I`m trying my damnedest to make friends with Plato, I`ll listen to him over the news or MTV any-day. If I manage to learn even a little bit from the genius, I`d count myself lucky! We owe our attention, questions and analysis to authors who spend years of their lives projecting their thoughts onto paper. I`m sure Jack in the Beanstalk has a moral message – it`s just not that clear! Perhaps in some ways, although its popular – it is badly written. Or perhaps, over time…it`s changed, perhaps we can`t simply make sense of it without learning its history. But there IS MORE inside that little tale than once might first assume 🙂

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  15. Can you give me an example of what you mean? Hows does Jack in the bean stalk relate to "times when things get hard and u need to stand up for that," I`m confused?! From who`s perspective are you viewing this tale? jacks? his moms? and if so, what is Jack "standing up for"? What is Jack`s moral compass? What good qualities does Jack have?

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  17. Amanda, the more I think about it – I think your`re right, you have keyed in on the most generous aspect of the tale. It fits very well as an exercise in perspective! Thanks for the idea! Cheers 🙂

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  18. The ogre/giant's wife protects Jack. She is a wife, but has no children of her own, so she is not a mother. She has motherly instincts because she shields Jack from her husband. Her husband, the ogre, devours children. He has riches, but has no offspring nor does he seem interested in the creating a new generation. It is not right for Jack to steal from the giant, but neither is it right for the giant to deny his wife the children she should bear to him. Those who cherish things (though not necessarily giants), will lose their inheritance to 1) taxes, 2) to others because their objects will pass from them to someone else.

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  20. Karen, where in the story does it suggest that the giant, "does not seem interested in the creating a new generation," and how do you draw from your idea that …"neither is it right for the giant to deny his wife the children she should bear to him." Why do you say this? I do not see how your theory holds up? I could be wrong…could you provide proof from the the story?

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  25. I think this is neither entertaining,educative or morale boosting! So what is the purpose of this story? Does it condone stealing and killing? Why don’t we have something more realistic and educative inculcating good values to grow up to be someone who can be looked upon rather than looked down.

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  26. I agree with Matt Canadianintokyo totally.My thoughts exactly and I am a parent so Matt, you are not alone even if you are not a parent.

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  27. Wow, at last I found a site where I can read "Jack in the Beanstalk"! I tried to buy a book in the bookstore, but they said they were out of stock. So my mom just told me to search in the internet about it, I need this for our book report.

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  29. Jack was a horrible thief, I told my children his mother shouldve made him return those stolen items!

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  44. Jack & the Beanstalk, the 5 beans represent the 5 highest principles known to man, in Moorish Science, as well as the 5 Pillars of Islam (Love, Truth, Peace, Freedom, & Justice). The Giant in the sky is the Asiatic Mandingo Moor, whether in the Holy City of Mecca or in Andalus, ancient Spain, during the middle ages, or on-high in the Heavens, due to the fact that we have reached the pinnacle of wisdom. Jack, being an Englishman, is the European, who steals from the Moor, by charming his wife; how the pale man during slavery times did all his deals thru our women, making them independent, & making us men dependent; This story also shows how like the serpent in the Bible, in Genesis, went to the woman, Eve, and got her to bite the forbidden fruit, and trick Adam into doing the same, thus bringing about their downfall. Like Delilah in the Bible, who betrays Samson, the strongest man who ever lived, the brotha is done in by the very same woman who slept in his arms, so the Giant's own wife betrays him by lying to him, about who was in his house! Someone, a stranger in your home, with your wife, while u ain't there, that's against Islamic & Universal Law! Jack received gold, milk, bread, and music from us, the Moors, and to this day, he gets all the credit, & hides the source from whence it came, thereby chopping down the beanstalk, leading to the fall of the great Moors, the same way Washington chopped down our cherry tree. The Giant smelled Jack, the same way the Prophet said "we will one day smell the Europeans, leaving in their boxcars, going back to Europe!" The man that sold him the beans, was also a Moor, but he was a traitor, for selling to the pale man, his own people's principles & birthrights, just to satisfy his carnal self. This man, the seller of the beans, was already wealthy, but he wanted to chase after gods of whom he knew nothing, thru Hindu cow worship (no offense to any Hindus out there), or the golden calf worship of Moses' people in the Bible. Jack did his dirty work while the Giant slept, so now u know why the Prophet said "you Moors sleep to much, wake up you sleepy headed Moors, your bread is being eaten by another!" As far as "Fee, Fi, Fo Fum", I don't know what that means yet, but I soon will! Peace!

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  63. Matthew Splitzerslovenski you are 100% correct. Fairy tales, lore and stories of all manner of their respective day had far greater "meaning" and "purpose". All these stories are " teaching tools" of the day and some of the teaching is quite dark. This tale is one of the more complex. "Juan Hobo And The Sack of Gold", of South and Central American origin, offers the same end without the moral complexity. As a parent, I see these tales with new eyes as I read them to our kids. As a professional voice actor and narrator, this new perspective lends as much depth to my read as it does quaundy to my noggin. Thank you for answering the insurmountable call to education.

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  69. Lol jack basically stole all the Giants stuff then killed him when he got caught, left the nice giant wife alone with no husband and jacks a dough bag lol not hating on the story actually like it but damn if you think about it in another way jack actually sucks didn't need to go back up after getting the hen that lays golden eggs xD

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  82. ….you all argue over jack and the beanstalk being for kids, when some kids have no chance of reading this simply because they can’t afford it. That is the real issue here.

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  87. nicely written
    i’m an esl teacher and i have used this to teach my children
    kindly comment your facebook names if yr an esl teacher and i’ll add you.
    we can discuss a lot about teaching 😉
    comment your name and i’ll send “Hi beanstalk” in your messenger

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