Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack and the Beanstalk

By Joseph Jacobs: English Fairy Tales 1890

'Fee-fi-fo-fum,
I smell the blood of an Englishman,
Be he alive, or be he dead,
I'll have his bones to grind my bread.'

Summary: Jack sells the family cow for a few beans, this upsets his widowed mother, and she throws them out the window. The beans are magical and grow into a stalk that reaches the sky that very night. Jack climbs the bean stalk and discovers a strange land where a greedy giant lives. Jack decided to steal the giant’s treasures which are a golden harp, a hen that lays golden eggs, and silver and gold.  The giant discovers Jack and pursues him down the beanstalk, but Jack chops down the beanstalk causing the giant to fall down and die.

My Review: I have always found this fairytale to be quite fascinating. At first I thought jack was really reckless for selling a cow for a couple of beans, but I guess it worked out for him and his mother in the end. The Giant's saying has always given me the willies. Grind his bones to make bread? EW!

Watch Out For: The Giant, magical beans, bargaining, death, a chase.