Lullventyr
Jack And The Beanstalk — cover illustration
Bedtime story

Jack And The Beanstalk

by Joseph Jacobs

Jack lives with his mother in poverty until they must sell their last cow, Milky-white. Instead of money, Jack trades the cow for magical beans from a mysterious man. His angry mother throws the beans out the window, but they grow into a gigantic stalk reaching the sky by morning. Brave Jack climbs up to find a giant's castle and meets the ogre's wife. He hides in the oven while the ogre eats nearby and almost discovers him. Jack escapes with a bag of gold after the giant falls asleep. When the money runs out, he returns to steal a hen that lays golden eggs. The hen cackles and wakes the ogre, forcing Jack to flee down the stalk again. He decides to try one last time for the ogre's magical golden harp. This time, he hides in a copper pot instead of the oven to avoid detection. The harp sings and lulls the giant to sleep before Jack sneaks it away. However, the harp shouts "Master!" which alerts the waking ogre. Jack runs for his life as the angry giant chases him down the beanstalk. He reaches the bottom and begs his mother for an axe to cut the plant. She chops it down, causing the ogre to fall to his death. Jack and his mother become wealthy from the harp and the golden eggs.

How it begins

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK There was once upon a time a poor widow who had an only son named Jack, and a cow named Milky-white. And all they had to live on was the milk the cow gave every morning which they carried to the market and sold. But one morning Milky-white gave no milk and they didn't know what to do. "What shall we do, what shall we do?" said the widow, wringing her hands. "Cheer up, mother, I'll go and get work somewhere," said Jack. "We've tried that before, and nobody would take you," said his mother; "we must sell Milky-white and with the money do something, start shop, or something." "All right, mother," says Jack; "it's market-day…

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