Jack and the Beanstalk

Once upon a time there was a poor widow who lived with her son Jack in a little cottage built against the side of a high mountain. They were so poor that eventually, the widow said, "Jack, there's no help for it. You must go to market and sell our cow." On the way, Jack met a butcher who offered him a bag of beans for the cow. "They're the most wonderful beans in the world," said the man. Jack, amazed by their colors, made the trade. When he returned home, his mother was so angry at the foolish bargain that she threw the beans out the window. But the next morning, Jack looked out the window in amazement. The beans had grown during the night into a massive beanstalk that disappeared into the clouds! Full of curiosity, Jack climbed up the stalk, hand over hand, until he reached a castle in the sky.

At the castle door stood a huge Giantess. She warned Jack that her husband, a terrible Giant, liked to eat people. Just then, the ground began to shake.