red fairy book

Chapter 16 Jack and the Beanstalk (1)

1.jack sold the cow

Long, long ago, there was a poor widow who lived with her only son on a small farm.

Jack is a brainless and reckless boy with a good heart.The winter was very cold, and the poor widow had typhoid fever, and Jack had no work all winter.They became even poorer, and the widow had no choice but to sell the cattle.One morning she said to her son, "I'm too weak, Jack, you take the cow to the market and sell it."

Jack was very happy to go and sell the cattle.He met a butcher on the road with some beans in his hand.Jack stopped and stared at the beans, and the butcher said the beans were very valuable, and persuaded the fool to trade them for the cows.

Jack took the beans home.The widow was very angry when she saw that he brought back a handful of beans instead of money.

She scolded Jack with tears, and he was sad too.The mother and son went to bed sad, their last hope dashed.

At daybreak Jack got up and went into the garden.

"At least, I can grow beans. Although my mother said they are just ordinary red beans, I still have to grow them."

He took out a stick, dug a few holes in the ground, and put the beans in.

They ate nothing that day and went to bed sad, knowing they would have nothing the next day.Jack was so troubled that he couldn't sleep, and when it was daylight he got up and ran into the garden.

He was amazed to find that the beans had grown overnight and had climbed high onto the roof and covered the farmhouse.And the beanstalks are intertwined, forming a ladder.

"We can climb it," thought Jack.

Now that he thought so, he immediately decided to act.But because of the mistake of selling cattle last time, he decided to ask his mother first.

2.The Mysterious Beanstalk Grows

Jack called his mother, and they stared at the beanstalk in wonder.The beanstalk was not only tall but also thick, and would surely have supported Jack's weight.

"I want to know where it's grown," said Jack. "I'll climb up and see."

His mother didn't want him to climb such a strange ladder, but Jack convinced her that he thought the beanstalk was mysterious.Finally, my mother agreed.

Jack climbed up immediately.He crawled and crawled until the farmhouse was gone, the village was gone, not even a bit of the church tower remained, and he still couldn't see where the Beanstalk led.

Jack was a little tired, and he was hesitant to go back.But he is a very determined boy, he knows that only by not giving up can he succeed.So, after resting for a while, he resumed his climb.

He climbed higher and higher, and when he looked down, he was afraid that his feet would slip and fall.

Finally, Jack finally reached the top of the beanstalk.He found himself in a beautiful country, with lush trees, sheep walking in the meadows, and a transparent stream running through the meadows.Not far from him, there is a beautiful castle.

Jack had never seen a castle like this before, and he was curious, and he looked at the castle and understood that this place and his village were separated by a vertical boulder, and it looked like another world.

Jack was standing looking at the castle when a strange-looking woman came out of the woods and came towards him.

She wore a pointed hat of red satin and ermine, her hair fell loose over her shoulders, and she carried a cane in her hand.

Jack took off his hat and saluted her: "Excuse me, ma'am, is this your home?"

"No," said the lady in the red hat. "Listen, let me tell you the story of the castle."

"In the past, this was the edge of fairyland. In this castle, there lived a noble knight. He loved his beautiful wife deeply and had several children. His neighbors were those fairies, and his The relationship is also very friendly, giving him a cute and precious little gift."

"Tales of these precious treasures are being circulated. A monster, who lives not far from here, is very evil, and is determined to take these treasures."

"So he bribed one of the servants and went into the castle. The monster killed the Sir while he was asleep, and then went to the nursery and killed the children."

"Fortunately, the hostess was not found. She took her little son to see her nanny. The little guy is only two or three months old. Because of the heavy rain that day, they didn't come home."

"The next day, at dawn, the servant who escaped from the castle ran to tell the poor lady the bad news. She didn't believe it at first, and wanted to go back immediately to share her fate with her husband. But the nurse reminded her with tears that she still had A child, she should protect herself for this child."

"For this reason the lady compromised. Agreed to remain at the nurse's house. For the monster said that if she could be found, she would be killed with the child. Year after year, time passed. Old Nan died, and the Her farm and a few pieces of furniture were left to the poor lady. There she worked like a peasant woman for her food, and spun her thread, and her cows, and lived thus with her son. They had a nice little garden, where she grew peas, soybeans, cabbages, and she wasn't ashamed to go out and work the fields."

"Jack. This poor lady is your mother. This castle once belonged to your father. Now, it should be yours."

Jack cried out in surprise, "My mother! Oh, madam, what shall I do? My poor father, my dear mother!"

"For your mother's sake, you should take the castle back. It must be difficult and full of danger. Jack, do you have the courage?"

"If it's true, what am I afraid of?" Jack said.

"Then, go and kill the monster," said the lady in the red hat. "Go into the castle and get the golden chicken and the talking harp. Remember, everything the monster has is yours. "As soon as these words were finished, the lady in the red hat disappeared.Jack understood that she was a fairy.

Jack decided to start the adventure right away.He went forward and blew the horn that hung at the gate of the castle.Immediately the door was opened by a giantess with an eye on her forehead.

When Jack saw her, he turned away in fright, but she grabbed him and dragged him into the castle.

"Ho, ho!" she laughed terribly. "You shouldn't have come, obviously! I won't let you go! I'm tired of this life. I'm overworked and I don't see why I can't be like Like any other lady, where's a little servant? It's you from now on. You clean your knives, oil your boots, light your fire, and help me with my work while the Giant is away. When he's at home, I'll have to Hide you. He's eaten all the servants! You must taste good, boy."

As she spoke, she tugged at Jack.The poor boy is terrified, and you and I would be, too.

But Jack remembered that it was embarrassing for men to be afraid, so he mustered up the courage to behave better.

"I'd be more than happy to help you, and I'd do anything for you, ma'am," he said, "but please hide me, I don't like being eaten."

"Good boy," said the giantess, nodding, "you are lucky to see me without screaming. Other boys scream when they see me. If you do, my husband will get up and eat you, he is Eat those people for breakfast like this. Come on, boy, come to my cloakroom, my husband never comes here."

She opened the huge closet and shut Jack in.The keyhole was large, and the air was fresh, and Jack could see out.He heard heavy footsteps on the stairs, booming like cannon, and then a voice thundered: "Fly, fly, I smell the English, let him Dead or let him live? I ground his bones for bread."

"Wife!" cried the Giant, "there is someone in the castle! Give me him for breakfast!"

"You are getting old and stupid," said the giantess. "It is but a roasted elephant. Sit down and eat."

She set down a huge plate in front of him, and there was a delicious heat coming from it.The Giant was so happy that he forgot the thought of anyone in the castle.After he finished eating, he went out for a walk.

The giantess opened the door and let Jack out to help.He worked all day, she gave him a good meal, and shut him up in the cloakroom before the giant returned in the evening.

(End of this chapter)