Jack and the Beanstalkpage 1 / 4
There was once a boy called Jack who was brave and quick-witted. He lived with his mother in a small cottage and their most valuable possession was their cow, Milky-White. But the day came when Milky-White gave them no milk and Jack's mother said she must be sold.
"Take her to market," she told Jack, "and mind you get a good price for her."
So Jack set out to market leading Milky-White by her halter. After a while he sat down to rest by the side of the road. An old man came by and Jack told him where he was going.
"Don't bother to go to the market,"
the old man said. "Sell your cow to me. I will pay you well. Look at these beans. Only plant them, and overnight you will find you have the finest bean plants in all the world. You'll be better offwith these beans than with an old cow or money. Now, how many is five, Jack?"
"Two in each hand and one in your mouth," replied Jack, as sharp as a needle.
"Right you are, here are five beans," said the old man and he handed the beans to Jack and took Milky-White's halter.
When he reached home, his mother said, "Back so soon, Jack? Did you get a good price for Milky-White?"
Jack told her how he had exchanged the cow for five beans and before he could finish his account, his mother started to shout and box his ears. "You lazy good-for-nothing boy!" she screamed, "How could you hand over our cow for five old beans? What will we live on now? We shall starve to death, you stupid boy."
She flung the beans through the open window and sent Jack to bed without his
supper.
When Jack woke the next morning there was a strange green light in his room. All he could see from, the window was green leaves. A huge beanstalk had shot up overnight. It grew higher than he could see. Quickly Jack got dressed and stepped out of the window right onto the beanstalk and started to climb.
"The old man said the beans would grow overnight," he thought. "They must indeed be very special beans."