More Short Stories for Kids Jack and the Beanstalk Growth of the Beanstalk|The Hen That Lays Golden EggsThe Money Bags|The Talking Harp|The End of the Giant

JAK SELLS THE !" !#E $pon a ti%e there was a poor widow who li&ed in a little cottage with her onlyson Jack' Jack was a giddy( tho$ghtless )oy( )$t &ery kind*hearted and a+ectionate' There had )een a hard winter( and after it the poor wo%an had s$+ered fro% fe&er and ag$e' Jack did no work as yet( and )y degrees they grew dreadf$lly poor' The widow saw that there was no %eans of keeping Jack and herself fro% star&ation)$t )y selling her cow, so one %orning she said to her son( -. a% too weak to go %yself( Jack( so yo$ %$st take the cow to %arket for %e( and sell her'/ Jack liked going to %arket to sell the cow &ery %$ch, )$t as he was on the way( he %et a )$tcher who had so%e )ea$tif$l )eans in his hand' Jack stopped to look at the%( and the )$tcher told the )oy that they were of great &al$e( and pers$aded the silly lad to sell the cow for these )eans' "hen he )ro$ght the% ho%e to his %other instead of the %oney she e0pected for her nice cow( she was &ery &e0ed and shed %any tears( scolding Jack for his folly' He was &ery sorry( and %other and son went to )ed &ery sadly that night, their last hope see%ed gone' At day)reak Jack rose and went o$t into the garden' -At least(/ he tho$ght( -. will sow the wonderf$l )eans' Mother says that they are 1$st co%%on scarlet*r$nners( and nothing else, )$t . %ay as well sow the%'/ So he took a piece of stick( and %ade so%e holes in the gro$nd( and p$t in the )eans' That day they had &ery little dinner( and went sadly to )ed( knowing that for the ne0t day there wo$ld )e none and Jack( $na)le to sleep fro% grief and &e0ation( got$p at day*dawn and went o$t into the garden' "hat was his a%a2e%ent to 3nd that the )eans had grown $p in the night( and cli%)ed $p and $p till they co&ered the high cli+ that sheltered the cottage( anddisappeared a)o&e it4 The stalks had twined and twisted the%sel&es together till they for%ed 5$ite a ladder' -.t wo$ld )e easy to cli%) it(/ tho$ght Jack' And( ha&ing tho$ght of the e0peri%ent( he at once resol&ed to carry it o$t( for Jack was a good cli%)er' Howe&er( after his late %istake a)o$t the cow( he tho$ght he had )etter cons$lt his %other 3rst'