Like all other stories, this one too starts with… once upon a time, there was a little boy named Jack. You’re about to discover the story of this little boy and his magic beans, which helped him climb up to the sky, beyond the clouds, in the realm of a greedy Giant. Yes, that’s right, magic beans!

Jack and his mother lived in a tiny hut, on the outskirts of a village. His mother would sew all day, to make ends meet, while Jack would take care of their cow and of the vegetable patch.

One day, after a long and hard winter, Jack realized they had no food left for the cow, so, disappointed, he told his Mother:

– We have to sell the cow, there’s not a single blade of grass left for it.

– Oh, Jack… I’m so sorry… you’re right, you must take it to the market. Make sure you sell it for good money.

And so he did. The boy set off to the market and, on his way, he came across a spindly old man, dressed in rags, who asked him:

– Where are you taking this cow, boy?

– To the market, to sell it. We have no more food left for it.

– If you give me the cow, I’ll give you some magic beans in return. Have faith in me and you

will no longer need to worry about money ever again.

Jack thought about it for a couple of minutes, then accepted the trade and came back home

with the magic beans.

– What have you done, boy? How could you trade the cow for some beans? asked his mother, upset, before she threw the beans out the window. That old man fooled you!

Well, early next morning, Jack opened his eyes and what do you think he saw? To his surprise, his window was covered by an odd plant, which soared through the sky. He couldn’t believe his eyes! It seemed that, during the night, the beans had turned into a stalk so high, that you couldn’t see where it ended, so Jack built up the courage and started climbing it. He had been climbing for more than an hour when he saw an enormous dark palace, with thick stone walls. Although he had a feeling this was not the home of a kind-hearted ruler, Jack thought he could try opening the gate, as he was starving and he was hoping he might find some food there.

– Knock, knock, anybody home? I was wondering if you had any food to spare. I haven’t had breakfast… I’ve left home in a hurry…

As he was voicing his struggles, out of the palace came a woman.

– Hello, young man! I would gladly offer you some food, but I’m afraid the Giant who lives in this palace might find you and eat you.

No sooner had she uttered these words, than a loud BOOOOM shook the palace. The Giant was climbing down the stairs.

– Quick, hide in this pantry, said the woman, as she pushed Jack in.

– Feee-fiii-foo-fuuum! I can smell human flesh! Who dared enter my home? asked the angry Giant.

– No one, it’s just the food I have prepared. Come, sit down aand stop sniffing around, you won’t find anything.

So the Giant sat down and started gulping down beef legs, two geese, a turkey and one whole pig. Then he chugged a barrel of wine and asked the woman to bring him his purse, so he could count his money. Yes, he would always count his money, so he could brag about his fortune.

I can’t even tell you how many gold coins were there in his purse! The Giant was filthy rich!

After breakfast, the Giant dozed off, happy. In the meantime, Jack tip-toed out of the pantry, took some coins, a golden goose and a harp which played itself, put them in a sack and out he ran! But right as he was getting out, the sack slammed into the door, which started sqeaking and woke the Giant up.

– Who is the thief who dares steal my money?

But Jack had been one step ahead and had tied the Giant’s shoe laces, so he managed to reach the bean stalk first and quickly slide down home.

Jack’s mother was worried sick. All of a sudden, she heard somebody calling her from up above and saw Jack sliding down the beanstalk, carrying a big, heavy sack.

– Quick, mom! Fetch an axe! We must cut this stalk!

And so they did. His mother brought an axe and helped Jack cut the plant, right as the angry Giant was coming down. He tried to save himself, but to no avail – he came crashing down and formed an enourmous whole as he fell.

– Never leave home like that, without telling me, said Jack’s mother, finally relieved she could hug her son again.

From that moment on, Jack and his mother no longer worried about money. They even helped their neighbours lead a better life.