DLTK's Crafts for Kids
Jack and the Beanstalk

Once upon a time, there was a widow woman and her son, Jack, they lived together on a farm in the country. Jack would help his mother by doing chores - he would chop wood, weed the garden and sweep the kitchen.  Despite all their hard work, Jack and his mother were very, very poor and sometimes had trouble feeding themselves.

One day, Jack’s mother decided it was time to sell Bessie, their old milking cow. "Okay, mother," said Jack, "it's market-day today.  I’ll take Bessie in.”

So, Jack led Bessie by the halter towards the market. Along the road, he saw a strange looking man, who greeted him by saying: "Good morning, Jack.” Jack wondered how does this man know his name. “Are you selling this cow?” The man continued. “I’d love to buy her.” Jack smiled and said “What are you offering?” The old man opened up his hand to reveal three beans. ”Beans?" Jack said. “Yes, beans! Three of them. One, two, three! Three Magical Beans! And because you are such a good boy, I will give you each one of these powerful, magical beans for your one milking cow.” "Really?" said Jack, excited and he ran home to show his mom what he got.

When Jack awoke the next morning, his room was surprisingly dark. The sun usually shone in through the window. Jack went to the window and looked out and saw a beanstalk that went up and up and up until it reached the sky.

Using the leaves and twisty vines like the rungs of a ladder, Jack climbed and climbed and climbed until he reached the sky. There, above the clouds, he saw a winding road the led to a square castle in the sky.

Jack ran up the road toward the castle and just as he reached it, the door swung open. He saw a large lady giant, with one great eye in the middle of her forehead. Jack turned to run, but she caught him, she scooped him up. And said: ”Don't be in such a hurry, I'm sure a growing boy like you would like a nice, big breakfast," It's been so long since we’ve had a boy around.”

Jack sat down to the biggest breakfast he had ever seen. Then suddenly he heard thump! thump! thump! “Oh, Goodness gracious me!  It's my husband. There’s nothing he likes more than boiled boy on toast and I haven't any bread. Quick! Hide! Hide!” She hid Jack just in time. Her husband came bursting into the kitchen.  “I’m so hungry I could eat a cow.” The giant squealed. And then, sniff, sniff sniff. He sniffed the air. “Do I smell a boy? Fee-fi-fo-fum,
I smell the blood of an Englishman,
Be he alive, or be he dead
I'll have his bones to grind my bread.”
"Nonsense, dear," the lady giant said, "we haven't had a boy for breakfast in years.” 

The giant ate his breakfast. Jack worked out the courage to peek out from the copper pot just as the giant was returning to the kitchen with a large basket of golden eggs and a sickly looking hen. The giant poked the hen and said, "Lay" and the hen laid a new golden egg and the giant added to the basket.

Then the giant opened up a closet and took out a beautiful golden harp, with the face of a sad looking girl. The giant poked the harp and said, “Play." The harp began to sing a beautiful lullaby. The giant listened to the harp till he put his head down and began to snore so loudly he shook the house.

When he was quite sure the giant was asleep, Jack tip toed away from the copper pot. He picked up the hen and he picked up the harp and he slowly made it towards the door of the kitchen. As he did, the chicken let out a cackle and it awoke the giant. Jack began to run for the front door of the castle. The giant awoke and yelled; “Where is my white hen and my golden harp?” He started to chase after Jack.

Jack went through the door, down the road, through the clouds and towards the top of the beanstalk. He quickly began to climb down. The giant saw Jack disappear into the clouds. He looked through the clouds and saw the beanstalk and he saw Jack. He let out a growl. “Fee-fi-fo-fum,
I smell the blood of an Englishman,
Be he alive, or be he dead
I'll have his bones to grind my bread.”

The giant swung himself onto the beanstalk which began to shake with the weight of the giant. Jack climbed down as fast as he could with he giant climbing closely after.

As he neared the bottom, he called out, "Mother! bring me an axe, bring me an axe."  His mother came running out with his wood chopping axe, but when she made it to the beanstalk she stood stock still with terror.

Jack jumped down the beanstalk, grabbed the axe and began to chop the beanstalk. Luckily, because he had been doing so many chores he made quick work of the beanstalk. It began to shake and the giant stopped to see what was going on beneath him. With one last mightly TWACK, the beanstalk broke and the giant fell to the ground and broke his crown and the rest of the beanstalk came tumbling after.

The Harp and the Chicken were so happy to be free, that they decided to live with Jack and his mother. Each day the harp would sing happy beautiful songs and the chicken, who had returned to health, laid a golden egg each day.

Thanks to the golden eggs, Jack and his mother never went hungry again. They bought back Old Bessie. And Jack, his mother, Old Bessie, the chicken and the harp lived happy ever after.