Minggu, 21 September 2008

Folktale

Jack and The Beandstalk

In the days of King Alfred there lived a poor woman. She had been a widow, and had only child named Jack, whom she indulged to a fault. The consequence of her blind partiality was, tahat Jack didn’t pay least attention to anything she said his follies were not owing to a bad disposition, but that his mother had never checked him. By degrees she disposed of all she possessed–scarcely anything remained but a cow.

The poor woman one day meet Jack with tears in her eyes. Her distress was great, and, for the first time in her life. She had not money enough to purchase even a bit of bread for another day. Nothing now remains to sell but her poor cow. Jack began teasing his mother to let him sell the cow at the next village so much, that she at last consented.

As he was going along he met a butcher, who inquired why he was driving the cow from home. Jack replied he was going to sell it. The butcher held some curiious beans in his hat that were of various colours and attracted Jack’s notice. The butcher asked what was the price of the cow, offering at the same time all the beans in his hat for her.

The bargain was struck instantly, and the cow exchanged for a few paltry beans. Jack made the best of his way home, calling aloud to his mother before he reached the house, thinking to surprise her. When she saw the beans and heard Jack’s account, her patient quite forsook her. She kicked the beans away in a passion–they flew in all directions–some were scattered in the garden. Not having anything to eat, they both went supperless to bed.

Jack awoke very early in the morning, and seeing something uncommon from the window of his bed chamber, ran downstairs into the garden, when hesoon discovered that some of the beans had taken root and sprung up surprisingly. The stalks were of an immense thickness, and had so entwined that they formed a ladder nearly like a chain in appearance.

He began to climb the beanstalk. Up and up he climbed, until he reached the top. Jack saw a path that led to a big castle. The castle had a huge door and Jack pushed with all his strength to open it. Then he went inside.

Jack looked around in wonder. He was in an enormous room. On the floor in front of him he saw a huge pile of silver and gold coins. Then he saw the biggest table he had ever seen. Next to the table there was a huge chair. The table was covered with lots and lots of delicious looking food. Jack felt very hungry.

Jack climbed up onto the chair and onto the table. He started to eat the delicious food. Suddenly, he heard aloud rumbling notice coming from a corner of the room. Jack looked into the dark corner and realized that the noise camee from a sleeping giant. He was snoring loudly. Jack was really scared. Jack quickly jumped down from the table and grabbed some coins from the floor. Then he ran as fast as he could and climbed back down the beanstalk.

The next morning Jack felt brave and climbed up the beanstalk again.<> This time he saw a goose with two golden eggs next to the sleeping giant. Jack tiptoed across the room towards the goose. Suddenly, he tripped and fell onto the floor with a crash. The giant woke up and saw Jack. He was very angry and shouted : 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.

Jack ran out of the castle he grabbed the goose and then huriied down the beanstalk. He was much faster than the big clumsy giant and quickly reached the ground.

Jack called out, “Help ! Help ! Mother, quick, bring the axe !” On hearing Jack’s cries, his mother came running with the axe. Using all his strength Jack chopped down the beanstalk. Down tumbled the beanstalk and down tumbled the giant. The giant laid dead on the ground.

Jack and his mother were never poor again. They use some of the gold coins to buy another cow. The goose continued to lay golden eggs and they lived happily ever after.

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