Once upon a time, in a small village nestled between rolling hills and a sparkling river, there lived a young boy named Jack. Jack and his mother were very poor. They had a tiny cottage with a thatched roof and a small garden where they grew vegetables. Their only source of income came from a cow named Milky-White, who gave them milk every day.
One morning, Jack’s mother looked out the window and saw that the milk bucket was empty. She sighed deeply and said to Jack, “My dear boy, we have no money left. Take Milky-White to the market and sell her for a good price. We need the money to buy food and seeds for the garden.”
Jack nodded, feeling a pang of sadness at the thought of parting with his beloved cow. He led Milky-White to the market, but as he walked along the dusty road, he felt a strange presence. An old man with twinkling eyes and a long, white beard approached him. The old man looked at Milky-White and then at Jack, and said, “Young lad, I have something that might interest you. I’ll trade you these magic beans for your cow.”
Jack was puzzled. “Magic beans?” he repeated. The old man nodded eagerly and held out a handful of shiny, green beans. Jack, though unsure, was always curious and adventurous. He thought, “What harm could it do to see what these beans are about?” So, he agreed to the trade and handed over Milky-White.
When Jack returned home, his mother was furious. “Magic beans! What will we eat now?” she exclaimed, throwing the beans out the window in anger. Jack felt terrible, but as night fell, he couldn’t help but wonder about the beans. He went to bed with a heavy heart, but as he drifted off to sleep, he heard a strange rustling sound outside.
The next morning, Jack awoke to a brilliant light streaming through the window. He ran outside and gasped in amazement. A gigantic beanstalk had grown overnight, towering high into the sky. It was thick and strong, with leaves as big as dinner plates. Jack’s eyes widened with excitement. “I must see where it leads,” he thought.
Without a second thought, Jack began to climb the beanstalk. It took him hours, but finally, he reached the top. To his astonishment, he found himself in a land unlike any he had ever seen. The sky was a brilliant shade of blue, and the ground was covered in soft, green grass. In the distance, he saw a magnificent castle made of gold and silver.
As Jack approached the castle, he heard the sound of a giant’s footsteps. “Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman,” the giant roared. Jack’s heart pounded, but he was determined to find something valuable to take home to his mother. He crept into the castle and saw the giant sitting at a table, eating a huge breakfast. The giant was enormous, with a long, bushy beard and eyes as big as saucers.
Jack hid behind a curtain and waited for the giant to leave. When the giant finally went to sleep, Jack saw a golden goose sitting in a corner. He knew this was his chance. He tiptoed over and grabbed the goose, but as he tried to leave, the goose started to squawk loudly. The giant awoke with a start and shouted, “Who’s there?”
Jack ran as fast as he could, clutching the golden goose. He could hear the giant’s footsteps pounding behind him. He reached the beanstalk and began to climb down, but the giant was hot on his heels. Jack shouted to his mother, who was waiting below, “Cut the beanstalk! Cut the beanstalk!”
With a swift stroke of a knife, Jack’s mother severed the beanstalk, and it tumbled down, taking the giant with it. The giant fell to the ground with a tremendous crash, and the land was safe once more.
Jack and his mother were overjoyed. The golden goose laid golden eggs every day, and they were never poor again. They lived happily in their little cottage, with enough food and money to live comfortably. Jack had learned that sometimes, taking a chance could lead to great rewards.
And so, Jack and his mother lived happily ever after, always grateful for the magic beans and the adventures they had brought. The end.
