Jack and the Beanstalk

Story Book VersionRhyme Version

How hungry is the hungriest you’ve ever been? Did your belly rumble? Did that big lunch you wolfed down seem like weeks ago? Now imagine being TEN TIMES hungrier. Can’t? Not to worry, a little boy called Jack could tell you exactly how it feels.

You see, once upon a time, Jack and his mum were very, very poor…

They were so very poor that one day, when they had already sold everything they had, Jack’s mum said:

"Jack, you will have to take our only cow to market, and sell her so we can buy some food.”

Jack was sad about the cow, but he was so so hungry. He set off.

Jack takes his cow to be sold at the market

But wait! On his way, Jack met a strange old man.

“Hello Jack,” he said. “Are you going to sell your cow?” Jack nodded.
“Well,” the old man said, “Let’s swap - your cow for my magic beans. Just plant them and they’ll grow as high as the sky!”
“Wow,” Jack gasped, wide-eyed. “Yes please!”
Jack swapped his cow for some magic beans

When Jack got home, he was in trouble to say the least. His mum was so angry about the swap she threw the magic beans out the window.

“Go to bed, you silly boy!” she told Jack.

While Jack tossed and turned in his bed, feeling stupid for believing in magic, something incredible was going on outside…

The magic beans were growing into a beanstalk! A magical beanstalk that was as high as the sky!

The beans grew in to a gigantic beanstalk

When Jack opened his eyes the next morning, something was blocking the light through his bedroom window. He ran outside to look and there it was - the magic beanstalk! Jack didn’t waste a second:

“Who cares if I’m in my pyjamas?” he said wildly. He began to climb.

Jack climbed up the magic beanstalk

Just when Jack felt like he couldn’t climb any further, he saw something amazing. A castle! Resting in the clouds!

Jack saw a castle in the distance

Jack swung further up the beanstalk and pushed open the huge castle door. You’ll never guess what he found inside…

Treasure! Piles and piles of treasure!

Jack saw that there was treasure in the castle

But suddenly, a loud voice boomed through the castle

“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.”

It was a giant! An ugly, mean, smelly giant who was ready to make a meal of Jack!

The giant sees Jack

Jack hid in a corner and thought hard.

“I need to make a run for it, but I know how much the treasure would help poor Mum.”

So what did brave Jack do? He ran over to a beautiful harp that was playing music all on its own, and grabbed it.

As he ran through the door, he saw a hen that laid golden eggs, so he took that with him too.

If you’d have seen Jack as he climbed back down the beanstalk that day, you would have been amazed that a little boy could move so fast.

With the giant’s angry howls still ringing in his ears, Jack carried the harp and the hen back down to earth.

Jack climbed down the beanstalk

When he reached the ground, Jack took an axe from the garden shed and chopped down the beanstalk so the giant could never come down after him.

“Jack?”

His mum came over and stared at the harp and the hen, before crying with happiness as she realised all their money problems were over.

Jack chopped the beanstalk down

From that day on, Jack and his mum sold golden eggs, making enough money to live comfortably, and even to buy back their beloved cow.

They enjoyed the beautiful sound of the magical harp and it reminded them to be thankful for what they have, but also reminded Jack that if you believe, there is magic in the world.

And they lived happily ever after
Ever been so hungry,
You felt you could eat a shoe?
If you think I’m being silly,
Well I’ve a story for you
A little boy called Jack,
He hadn’t eaten for days
When his mum said:
“Jack, we need to change our ways.”
“Let’s sell our cow at market,
And buy the food we need,
To stop our rumbly bellies
I think we might succeed.”
Jack took his cow to be sold at the market
So Jack set off to market
Cow walking right behind
But on his way he met a man
Who offered something kind.
“Your cow for my beans, I put to you,
It’s really worth your while
‘Cos if you plant them, soon enough
They’ll grow over a mile.”
“They’ll grow and grow until clouds they meet
And there you will see - ”
“Have the cow!” Jack grabbed them quick
And ran back home did he.
Jack swapped his cow for some magic beans
“Mum, Mum, come here, you won’t believe
What I have got for you
Magic beans that’re sure to relieve
Our money worries it’s true - ”
But mum was fuming - she took Jack’s beans
And threw them to the soil
Jack tried to protest, yelled and moaned,
But could see her blood would boil.
The beans grew in to a gigantic beanstalk
So off to bed without any tea…
Jack couldn’t sleep till day
But when he got up he was in for a shock
For a beanstalk stood in his way.
“A magic beanstalk! The man was right!
I’ll climb it to the top."
And so he did for hours on end
Until something made him stop.
Jack climbed up the magic beanstalk
A castle in the clouds, he saw
And so he went inside
And you’ll never guess the wonder there
That the castle tried to hide.
Jack saw a castle in the distance
Piles of treasure, shining bright
And best of all a harp
Playing melodies, of its own accord
And a hen with eyes so sharp.
Jack saw that there was treasure in the castle
She laid golden eggs that would bring his mum
Money every day for ever more
Jack grabbed both but then heard a noise
That had him fleeing towards the door…
“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.”
The giant spotted Jack
It was a giant! Jack knew at once
And lunged down the magic beanstalk
“He’s going to eat me, in just one gulp
And he won’t even need a fork!”
Jack climbed down the beanstalk
Back on the ground, the giant’s roars
Could still be heard so loud
But clever Jack took an axe
And into the stalk he ploughed.
Jack chopped the beanstalk down
No more beanstalk; no more giant,
Jack looked at his treasure.
His mum ran out, hugging him tight
And her gratitude, you couldn’t measure.
And they lived happily ever after
“Our worries are over, my clever son
I should never have doubted your wit
You believed in magic, wonders and such
And for ever I’ll be so glad of it.”
So from that day forth, harp and hen
Reminded them to be grateful
And Jack’s belief in magic grew
And to this day he’s always stayed faithful.

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