Cbbc stories jack and the beanstalk
Jack And The Beanstalk Story
Down in the valley was a village.
On the outskirts of the village stood a small, rundown cottage. And in the cottage lived a widow with her only son, Jack.
They were poor.
This was clear to see from the ragged clothes on their backs and the worn shoes on their feet. But, as the story goes, they did possess one item of real value—a gorgeous, caramel coloured cow.
Jack woke early every morning.
He milked the cow, poured the milk into a jug and set off to the dairy. The milk was only worth a few pennies, but Jack didn’t mind. He happily accepted the pennies from the dairy farmer, bought a few potatoes from the market and returned home.
Jack did this everyday. The milk from the cow was just enough to help Jack and his mother get by.
One year a terribly harsh winter hit the village.
Great howling winds blew and the snow lay in huge drifts—never before seen by the villagers.
The following spring the grass did not grow.
Without grass the cow had nothing to eat and soon became too weak to produce milk.
“Mother!” cried Jack, “I cannot get a single drop of milk from our dear cow this morning.”
“Alas,” the widow replied, “I feared this day would come and so it has. Jack, my dear boy, it is time to sell our precious cow. Take her to the market and auction her to the highest bidder.”
Jack looked sad.
“But mother,” he said, “without our daily milk from the cow we will soon run out of money and then what will we do?”
“Don’t worry, Jack, we’ll think of something,” she replied.
Jack set off down to the village with the cow.
Before he reached the market he came across a friendly butcher. The butcher wore a blue and white striped apron, a straw hat and carried a small, green drawstring bag.
The butcher approached Jack.
“What a fine cow you have there,” he said, patting the cow firmly.
“I’m selling her,” replied Jack.
“Are you indeed?”
“Yes,” said Jack, “my mother told me to go to the market and only sell her to the highest bidder for she is extremely valuable.
”
“I can see that,” replied the butcher.
“That is why,” he continued, “I am going to give you a once in a lifetime offer. An offer worth no less than a thousand times what you will receive from anyone else at the market.”
Jack looked up at the butcher in awe.
“What is this offer?” asked Jack.
“Magic beans,” said the butcher, stepping forward and opening the little green pouch.
Jack peered inside.
“Three beans?” he snorted.
“Three magic beans,” replied the butcher, “that will most certainly change your—and your dear mother’s—life for the better.”
Jack reflected for a moment.
“A thousand times more valuable,” he thought to himself, “and something that will help my mother.”
“Very well,” said Jack.
He exchanged the cow for the little pouch—containing the three magic beans— and returned home.
Jack told his mother of the butcher and the beans, then watched in horror as her ashen face turned puce.
“You’ve done what?” she bellowed.
“But, mm… mother,” stammered Jack, “the man said they were magic beans and… a a a and… they would help us…a a a and…”
He stopped before he could finish the sentence.
Even Jack—now hearing these words coming out of his own mouth for the first time—could not believe what he was saying. It sounded ridiculous. And he suddenly felt overwhelmed with shame.
He began to sob.
“Oh, mother,” he cried, “I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I have done something so silly. Can you ever forgive me?”
“Go to your room, Jack,” she said, “you must think long and hard about what you have done.”
Still clasping the little pouch of beans, Jack turned, trudged upstairs to his bedroom and closed the door.
He tipped the beans into his palm and then sat on the edge of his bed staring at them.
“How could I have been so stupid!” he said to himself, angrily.
“I mean… look at them! Three blinking, measly little beans in exchange for a whole cow? What was I thinking?”
In a fit of rage, he clenched his fist and tossed the beans out of the window.
Then curled up on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.
When Jack awoke it was morning.
This particular morning was bright and sunny. Which was strange because the sun did not stream through Jack’s bedroom window as it usually would. On this particular morning, his room remained dark.
Jack ran to the window.
What met his stare took his breath away.
A gigantic beanstalk rose like ten mighty oaks, high up into the sky.
“They were magic beans,” Jack exclaimed, “perhaps they do hold the great riches that this butcher speaks of?”
That was it.
Without a second thought, Jack jumped out of his bedroom window and onto the giant beanstalk.
Great, leafy vines snaked around like ladders—making it ever so easy for Jack to scale the skyscraping stalk.
He began to climb.
Higher.
And higher.
And higher.
Not stopping for a moment to look down. This is probably just as well for Jack was now so high up that his cottage, the village and all of the surrounding lands could be seen no more.
Suddenly, came a shrill voice.
“Jack, is that you?” it said.
“Yes,” said Jack.
A tiny, beautiful fairy appeared—and hovered in the air, just a few inches from the tip of Jack’s nose.
“I’ve been waiting many years to see you, Jack,” said the fairy, “as I have a very important secret to tell you.”
Jack looked surprised.
“Oh…” he said.
“You see, Jack,” continued the fairy, “your father was once a very wealthy man.”
“My father is dead,” said Jack.
“Yes,” said the fairy, “but don’t you want to know how he died?”
“Mother said he was sick,”
“Oh my darling, Jack,” said the fairy, “your mother wanted to protect you. Your father was not sick. He was known across many kingdoms for he owned the most rare and magnificent of all creatures—a mystical golden hen that laid a golden egg every day.”
Jack was dumbfounded.
“So… how did he die?” he asked.
The fairy—still hovering daintily in front of him—raised her arm and pointed into the distance.
“See that castle. Well, in that castle lives a Giant. And it is this beastly tyrant that ate your father and stole his golden hen. You must avenge him, Jack, and take back what is rightly yours.”
But before Jack could reply, she vanished.
Jack took a moment to gather himself then set off towards the castle. And—before long—the colossal structure towered before him.
Jack had never seen a building so big.
The steps leading up to the front door were taller than he was. The front door itself was as big as a mighty oak. And astride the door—staring menacingly back at him—stood the statues of two gigantic stone lions.
Jack took a deep breath.
Then—without further ado—he lay flat on the ground and rolled under the front door.
Jack stood up and dusted himself down.
He looked around slowly, trying to take in the enormity of his surroundings.
Huge, intricately carved wooden doors lined the hallway in front of him. And a rug—the length of a dozen London buses—lay upon the cold stone floor.
It was quite something to behold.
And then all of a sudden the ground began to tremor—followed by the sound of almighty footsteps.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
Suddenly, a door crashed open.
The Giant appeared momentarily clenched the golden hen firmly in the palm of his hand. Without stopping, he marched forward and flung open the kitchen door.
Jack darted across the hallway and—making sure not to be seen—followed the Giant into the kitchen.
“Where’s my dinner?’” bellowed the Giant.
“It’s coming dear,” said his wife.
The Giant sat down at the kitchen table and carefully placed the golden hen out in front of him.
Jack quickly snuck behind a table leg.
“Oh I do wish you wouldn’t put that thing on the dinner table” said his wife, laying an enormous bowl of steaming stew in front of the Giant.
The Giant glared at her.
“That thing is my golden hen” boomed the Giant, “and she is due to lay her daily golden egg at any mo…”
He stopped.
Then—looking around very slowly—the Giant raised his nose into the air, sniffed and then hollered,
“Fee… fie… fo… fum,
I smell the blood of an Englishman”
“Don’t be silly, dear,” said his wife, “you haven’t eaten a human since the day you stole that wretched hen.”
“I can smell him!” he roared.
“Eat your dinner, dear,” she replied calmly, “before it gets cold.”
The Giant ate his stew and then—without a moment’s warning—his head hit the table and he fell fast asleep.
“This is my chance,” thought Jack.
He quickly shimmied up the table leg, grabbed the tablecloth and hauled himself up. Then—hardly daring to breathe for fear of waking the Giant—he crept forward across the table top, carefully placed the golden hen under his arm and made a beeline for the open window at the end of the table.
“By jove… I’ve done it!” he thought.
Then—to Jack’s horror—came an almighty scream from the Giant’s wife.
“AHHHHH… A… A… A… A BOY!” she cried.
The Giant awoke with a start, enraged by what he had heard.
“Where?” he roared.
“There!” screamed his wife, pointing at Jack—who was now sprinting at top speed towards the window— “and he has your golden hen!”
The Giant made a lunge for Jack.
But it was too late.
Jack escaped through the open window and made it back down the beanstalk to safety.
~~~
After returning to the ground, Jack cut down the magical beanstalk and neither the Giant, nor his wife, were ever seen again. And, true to the fairy’s word, the hen laid one golden egg each day.
Before long, Jack and his mother had enough money to buy a new cow and I am pleased to say that—from that day forward—they lived a long, happy and prosperous life together.
The End
Jack and the Beanstalk Origins – Fairy Tale Central
“Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jump over the—”
Oh wait—wrong Jack.
Or is it?
“Jack and the Beanstalk” is considered one of many “Jack” tales: stories told about the same trickster-like archetype.
According to The Center For Children’s Books, the character “is lucky, both a trickster and an unlikely hero, sometimes clever, often naïve, but always successful.” Considered a staple of Cornish and English folklore, other “Jack” tales include “Jack the Giant Killer,” “Little Jack Horner,” and even “Jack Frost.” (Are they the same person? Well that would make for some interesting retellings!)
While “Jack and the Beanstalk” has a long oral history, the first written version comes from a 1734 publication, Round About our Coal Fire, or “Christmas Entertainments,” where the story is titled “The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean.” Yes, Jack has a last name–at least in this version! And if you’re wondering, the giant’s name is “Gogmagog” (a figure who is, by the way, not relegated solely to Jack’s story; rather, he’s a legendary giant in Welsh folklore). Occasionally, another legendary giant, “Blunderbore,” (who makes an appearance in “Jack the Giant Killer”) stands in as an antagonist in other versions of the tale.
Surprisingly, we don’t see many other written versions of “Jack and the Beanstalk” until 1807. However, the most popular version that most of us are familiar with was published in 1890 in Joseph Jacobs’s English Fairy Tales. Jacobs’s story is based on the oral versions of the story he heard as a child, and as such some scholars believe his version to be the most accurate of the versions published in the nineteenth century (as opposed to, say, the highly moralistic 1807 version from Benjamin Tabart).
But “Jack and the Beanstalk’s” history goes far, far beyond the written word–it has been told orally for hundreds of years! And its origins may reach back even farther than you’d likely expect. According to a recent article from the BBC, researchers at Durham University have classified “Jack and the Beanstalk” as a “Boy Who Stole Ogre’s Treasure” tale, a classification which has origins that could be “traced back to when Eastern and Western Indo-European languages split more than 5,000 years ago.
” Some of these researchers surmise that these tales not only predate languages such as Italian, German, and French, but also Classical mythology!
Evidently, we humans have always relished stories about unlikely heroes!
Sources & further reading:
The Folklore Tradition of the Jack Tales: https://web.archive.org/web/20140410004237/http://ccb.lis.illinois.edu/Projects/storytelling/jsthomps/tales.htm
E-copy of “Christmas Entertainments”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Round_about_our_Coal_Fire,_or,_Christmas_Entertainments,_4th_edn,_1734.pdf
BBC News Article: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35358487
SurlaLune’s history of “Jack and the Beanstalk:” http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/jackbeanstalk/history.html
👍 Jack and the Beanstalk 🐱
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There was a poor widow who had a son named Jack. They say about such people - laziness was born before them.
However, no one could say anything bad about him, he was kind, friendly and loved his mother, and this already means a lot.
They lived by selling milk from their white cow; but then it happened, the cow stopped milking. The poor widow breaks her hands in despair and says to Jack:
- What should we do? How will we live?
“Don’t worry, mother,” Jack said, “I’ll go look for a job.
- You already tried, but what's the point. Everyone knows how lazy you are. No one will hire you. Let's sell the cow and open a shop at the fair.
Just the other day there was a fair. The mother tied a rope around the cow's neck, gave an end to Jack and told him to go sell the cow at a higher price.
Jack didn't go half way, he meets an old woman in rags. nine0003
“Good morning, Jack,” the old woman greeted.
“Good morning,” Jack answered, and he was surprised: how does the old woman know his name?
- Where are you going?
- To the fair, I want to sell a cow.
— Do you know how to sell cows? says the old woman. - In my opinion, you don’t even know what to add with what to make five come out. Well, tell me, how many beans do you need to take for this?
- I know. Two in one fist, two in the other and one in the mouth.
“That’s right,” the old woman nodded. “Here are the beans for you. nine0003
With that, she reached into her pocket and took out five very strange beans, all of different colors. Jack really liked them.
— If you like them so much, take them and give me a cow in return.
Jack shook his head decisively.
“Don’t doubt it,” says the old woman, “these are not ordinary beans. Plant them in the evening, and by morning they will grow to the sky.
— To the sky? Jack was surprised.
“To the very end, of course,” the old woman answered. “If they don’t grow up, you take your cow back.” nine0003
- Deal! - exclaimed Jack, gave the old woman the rope on which he led the cow, and put five beans in his pocket.
He met an old woman not so far from home and therefore returned soon. When his mother saw him, she was surprised:
— Have you returned yet, Jack? I see there is no cow, so I sold it. How much money did they give you for it?
- You'll never guess! And no money at all!
— Not money? But what?
Jack held out five colored beans in his palm.
- Magical! - he said. - Plant in the evening, and by morning...
- Magical! mother gasped. "Oh, you fool, you brainless head," she got angry in earnest. “After all, we don’t have anything else to sell. What a wonderful cow! Not a single cow in our village gave so much milk. Oh Jack, what have you done! We died with you.
And the poor woman burst into tears. She glanced again at the ill-fated beans, snatched them from Jack's hand and threw them out the window. She told Jack to get out of sight. nine0003
Jack didn't answer his mother and went to bed. What else could he do? But he could not sleep; lies and thinks, and the more he thinks, the more upset he becomes.
He is very sorry for his mother, look how she is killed. Yes, and the stomach from hunger let down. Mother in her hearts did not even feed him. Jack tossed and turned, tossed and turned, and finally fell asleep.
The next morning Jack woke up, he feels that something is wrong: the sun is shining with might and main outside, but for some reason it is twilight in the room. Jumped off the bed and guess what he saw? The beans fell to the ground, and, of course, they rose, and in one night they grew. The stems are as thick as an arm and so intertwined, neither give nor take - a real staircase. Jack looked out of the window, tilted his head up, but the end of the stairs was not visible. nine0003
He dressed quickly and ran out into the yard: the beans really grew to the very sky, and you couldn't see the top from the yard.
Soon the mother also went out into the yard, she was also quite surprised. Jack tells his mother that he will climb the bean ladder to heaven, see what is happening there.
Mother, of course, let's dissuade, but Jack won't do anything - I'll climb, he says, into the sky, and that's it. I stepped on the green step - nothing, strong. Climbed up and soon disappeared from view.
Jack is climbing, climbing higher and higher. My arms and legs are already aching, the clouds are swirling below, and the green ladder is going up. Finally reached the sky. Look, the place is unfamiliar. No houses, no trees, not a single living creature, only bare rocks stick out all around. I noticed, however, a path, carved in stone, and followed it. Jack is walking towards him, the same old woman who gave five multi-colored beans. nine0003
— Well, don't you feel sorry for your cow? says the old woman.
“How to say,” Jack scratched his head. - Let's see what happens next.
— Did your mother tell you about your father? the old woman asks.
- I don't remember anything.
— Then sit down and listen. I will tell you.
And she told Jack that his father was killed by an evil cannibal ogre, and then he took away all their property from his mother.
Jack's father was a kind man, he helped the poor and shared everything with them, so the ogre killed him. He didn't tell his mother to tell anyone about it. And if she even says a word, the ogre will come to them and devour them both. nine0003
— Where is he now? Jack asks, clenching his fists.
The old woman waved in the direction the path ran, told Jack what to do next, and disappeared as if melted.
Jack went on. He walks, walks, sees - not far away is a huge house. He approached the house - a giantess was standing on the threshold.
"Good evening," Jack said to her politely. - Give me some food, please.
Jack hasn't eaten anything since yesterday: in the evening his mother got angry and didn't feed him anything, and in the morning he didn't have time - he immediately climbed into the sky. nine0003
- Do you want to eat? said the giantess. - Poor thing! Why, you yourself will be eaten if you do not leave immediately. My husband is a scary ogre and his favorite dish is spit-roasted boy with toast.
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Jack and the Beanstalk, English folk tale
Once upon a time there was a poor widow who had her only son, Jack, and a cow named White. The cow gave milk, and the mother sold it at the market - from this they lived. But one day Belyanka stopped giving milk. - How are we going to live on? - Mother lamented every minute. - I'll try to find some work, - said Jack. - Yes, you already tried, but no one takes you, - mother answered angrily. - No, we'll probably have to sell our cow and open a shop with this money. - Well, so be it, - Jack agreed. - Today is just a market day, and I will quickly sell Belyanka.
nine0003
Jack took the reins and led the cow to the market. But I did not have time to go half way, as I met a wonderful old man.
- Good morning, Jack! - the old man said hello. - Good morning to you too! - answered Jack, and thought to himself: "How does the old man know my name?". - Where are you going? - the old man asked Jack. - To the market, to sell a cow. - Looks like you're only good for this! the old man laughed. - Tell me, how many beans do you need to make five? - Exactly two in each hand and one in your mouth! - answered Jack. - Guessed! - exclaimed the old man. - Look, here they are the same beans! - and the old man pulled out a handful of some unusual beans from his pocket. - Let's change with you - you have beans, I have a cow! - Pass by! - Jack was angry. - Yes, you don’t know what kind of beans, - said the old man. - Plant them in the evening, and by morning they will grow to the very sky. - Really?! - surprised Jack. - So it will be! And if not, take your cow back.
- Okay! - Jack agreed: he gave the old man a cow, and put the beans in his pocket. Jack turned back and trudged home. - Finally, you're back, Jack! - the mother was delighted when she saw her son. - I see that the cow is not with you, so you sold it. How much did they pay you for it? - You'll never guess! Jack answered. - Look at these beans? They are magical. If you plant them in the evening, then ... - How ?! cried Jack's mother. - You gave my beloved Belyanka for a handful of some beans? Why is God punishing me? Give me those beans! - With these words, the mother grabbed the beans and threw them out the window. - Go to sleep! You won't get dinner tonight! Jack went upstairs to his little room and went to bed without having dinner. Soon he fell asleep. nine0003
The next morning, when Jack woke up and went to the window, he saw that the beans that his mother had thrown out of the window into the garden that evening had sprouted. The huge stalk stretched and stretched up until it had grown to the very clouds.
So, the old man told the truth, and these beans are actually magical!
The beanstalk grew right next to the window. Jack opened it, jumped onto the stalk and climbed up like a tightrope. And he kept climbing, climbing, climbing, climbing until he reached the very sky. There he saw a long and wide road. Jack stepped onto this road and followed it. He walked for a long time and came to a high, high house. And at the threshold of this house stood a tall, tall woman. nine0003
Jack greeted her very politely, and then added: - Be so kind as to give me something to eat, please! After all, Jack went to bed without supper and was now very hungry. - Did you want to eat? asked the tall, tall woman. - Get out of here as soon as possible if you don't want to be eaten yourself! My husband is a cannibal, and his favorite dish is boys roasted on a spit. Get out while you're safe, otherwise he'll be back home soon. - Ma'am, please give me something to eat! - continued to repeat his Jack.
- I haven't had a piece in my mouth since yesterday morning, and I'm so hungry that I don't care if they fry me or I'll die of hunger. The ogre's wife was actually a kind woman. She took Jack to the kitchen and gave him bread and cheese and milk. But before Jack had time to eat a piece, when suddenly the whole house shook from someone's steps. - Oh, God! It's my husband back! gasped the tall, tall woman. - Come on, get in here as soon as possible! And as soon as she managed to push Jack into the oven, the ogre himself entered. It was so huge that it seemed as if a whole mountain had fallen into the house. nine0003
Three calves hung from his belt. The cannibal untied them, gave them to his wife and said: - Come on, fry this for me for breakfast! - Then he sniffed the air and asked: - What does it smell like here? - Does it smell like something here? - the ogre's wife was surprised. - You thought. It probably still smells like the boy I made you for dinner yesterday. Better go and wash and change, and in the meantime I'll take care of your breakfast.
The ogre left the room. Jack wanted to get out of the oven and run away, but the ogre's wife stopped him. - Don't stick your head out, otherwise he can replace you, - she said. - After breakfast my husband usually goes to rest. When he falls asleep, you can leave. The ogre ate, then went to a huge chest, took out two bags of gold from it and sat down at the table to count the money. Finally, sleep overcame him, the ogre began to snore, so much so that the whole house shuddered. nine0003
Jack slowly got out of the oven, approached silently to the ogre, grabbed one bag of gold and rushed headlong to the beanstalk. He threw the bag down, and he began to go down the stem. He was in a hurry, afraid that the cannibal would not wake up. Finally, Jack was at his house. He told his mother everything that had happened to him, handed her a bag of gold and said: - So I was right about the beans? As you can see, they are really magical! Jack and his mother lived for some time on the money that was in the bag.
But one day the bag was empty, and Jack decided to climb back to the top of the beanstalk. nine0003
One day he woke up early in the morning and started climbing the stem. He climbed and climbed until he found himself on an already familiar road. Walking along it, I reached a high-high house. Like last time, a tall, tall woman stood at the threshold. Jack greeted her and, as if nothing had happened, asked: - Give me something to eat, please! - Get out of here as soon as possible! - answered the ogre's wife. - Otherwise, my husband will return and eat you. But Jack repeated his request so insistently that the ogre's wife, who was actually a kind woman, had no choice but to let the boy into the house and give him food. Jack deliberately chewed slowly. He wanted to wait for the ogre to come home. Finally, the footsteps of the cannibal were heard, and the cannibal again hid Jack in the oven. Then everything was the same as last time: the ogre came in and asked: "What does it smell like here?" and after breakfast, he ordered his wife: - Bring me a chicken that lays golden eggs! The giantess brought it, and the ogre ordered the chicken to lay, and she laid a golden egg.
Then the cannibal began to snore. Then Jack slowly got out of the oven, grabbed the golden hen and ran away. But then the hen cackled and woke up the ogre. - Hey, wife, what are you doing with my golden hen! he cried. Jack heard these words when he was already far from the cannibal's house. He darted towards the beanstalk and flew down it. Arriving home, Jack showed his mother a chicken and ordered: - Run! And the chicken immediately laid a golden egg. Every time Jack told her to lay, the hen would lay a golden egg. But that wasn't enough for Jack. He decided to try his luck again in the cannibal's house. One day he got up early and climbed the beanstalk. nine0003
I got to the cannibal's house by the already familiar road, quietly made my way inside and hid in a copper cauldron. Jack did not wait long; suddenly he hears familiar steps - the cannibal enters the house with his wife. - Again I smell this malicious boy! - shouted the ogre. - Well, if this is the scoundrel who stole your gold and a chicken with golden eggs, - says the ogre's wife, - then he is probably sitting in the stove! And both rushed to the stove.
But Jack was not there, because he hid this time in a different place. No matter how much they searched for the boy, they did not find it. At last the ogre sat down at the breakfast table. But he kept repeating: “And yet it seems to me that ...” and, leaving the table, he again searched all the corners and nooks and crannies, only he did not guess to look into the copper cauldron. After breakfast, the ogre shouted: “Wife , bring here my golden harp! The wife brought the harp and placed it in front of her husband. - Sing! - the giant commanded the harp. And the golden harp played so well that you would listen. She played and played until the ogre finally began to snore. nine0003
Here Jack slightly lifted the lid of the cauldron, got out of it slowly and walked on tiptoe to the table. Then he climbed onto the table, grabbed the golden harp and rushed to the door. At that moment, the harp called loudly: - Master! Master! The giant shuddered, woke up and saw that Jack had stolen his harp.
