Jack and the Beanstalk - English

Hello there! My name is Jack, and my story begins in a little cottage where my mother and I lived, with a garden that never seemed to grow enough food. Our tummies rumbled often, and our dear old cow, Milky-White, couldn't give us any more milk. One morning, my mother, with a sad look in her eyes, told me I had to take Milky-White to the market to sell her. On the way, I met a funny little man with twinkling eyes. He didn't have money, but he showed me five beans that shimmered like tiny jewels. He promised they were magic! I thought of my poor mother and decided to take a chance, so I traded our cow for the beans. When I got home, my mother was so upset she threw the beans right out the window! That night, I went to bed thinking I had made a huge mistake. This is the story of Jack and the Beanstalk.

But when the sun peeked through my window the next morning, I saw something amazing. A giant, green beanstalk had sprouted where the beans had landed, twisting up past the birds and disappearing right into the clouds! I knew I had to see where it went. I started to climb, higher and higher, until the world below looked like a tiny map. At the very top, I found myself in a land I never knew existed, with a giant stone castle ahead. A kind but very large woman, the giant's wife, found me at the door. She was nice and gave me some bread, but she warned me to hide because her husband was a grumpy giant! Soon, the whole castle shook, and I heard a booming voice roar, 'Fee-fi-fo-fum! I smell the blood of an Englishman!' I peeked from my hiding spot and saw a giant counting his gold coins. When he fell asleep, I tiptoed out, grabbed a small bag of gold, and scrambled back down the beanstalk. My mother was overjoyed! But I was curious, so I climbed the beanstalk two more times. The second time, I brought back a special hen that laid golden eggs. The third time, I found a beautiful little harp that played music all by itself.

As I grabbed the magical harp, it cried out, 'Master, help!' The giant woke up with a mighty roar and saw me! He leaped from his chair and chased me out of the castle. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, with the giant's huge footsteps thundering behind me. I scrambled down the beanstalk, the leaves shaking with every step the giant took above. 'Mother, the axe!' I yelled as soon as my feet touched the ground. She rushed out with it, and together, we chopped at the thick stalk. With a great CRACK, the beanstalk tumbled down, and the giant was gone forever. Thanks to the gold, the hen, and the harp, my mother and I never went hungry again. My story has been told around cozy fires for hundreds of years. It reminds everyone that even if you start with something small, like a handful of beans, a little bit of courage can lead to the biggest adventures and help you grow as tall as the sky.