Part 12

JACK AND THÉ BEANSTÅLK

JACK wáś^woś an îdlè, lâzý boy whö wōūld dö nô wòŕk tó^tö support hiś widôwèd mőther; and at last they bôth câmè tó^tö such povertý that thé pōōr wōmán had tó^tö sell her cow tó^tö bùŷ fööd tó^tö keep them fróm starving. Shê sent Jack tó^tö markėt with thé cow, telling him tó^tö bê ŝūrè and sell it for a gōōd prîçè.

Aś Jack wáś^woś gôing álong thé road tó^tö markėt hê met a būtcher. Thé būtcher offerèd tó^tö bùŷ thé cow in ėxchânĝè for a hatful of^uv cőlòŕèd beanś. Jack thøùght thé beanś lōōkèd verý prėttý, and hê wáś^woś glad tó^tö bê sâvèd thé long hot wålk tó^tö markėt; sô hê struck thé bargáìn on thé spot and went back tó^tö hiś mőther with thé beanś, whîlè thé būtcher went off with thé cow.

But thé pōōr widôw wáś^woś verý disáppointėd. Shê scôldėd her sőn for an îdlè, lâzý, gōōd-for-nőthing boy, and flung thé beanś out of^uv thé windôw in a paŝŝìòn.

Now thé beanś werè maĝic beanś, and thé next morning, when Jack áwôkè, hê found sőmè of^uv them had tâkén rööt in thé night and had grôwn sô tåll, that they reachèd right up intö thé skŷ.

Jack wáś^woś fūll of^uv wőnder and cûrïosítý; and, bêing fond of^uv ádvenťurè and ėxcîtèmént, hê set out at őnçè^wőnçè tó^tö clîmb thé beanstålk, tó^tö see whåt wáś^woś up at thé top of^uv it.

And hê clîmbèd, and hê clîmbèd, and hê clîmbèd, and hê clîmbèd, and hê clîmbèd, and hê clîmbèd, and hê clîmbèd—until at last hê clîmbèd right up tó^tö thé verý tiptop of^uv thé beanstålk.

Then hê found himself standing in a strânĝè còuntrý. In thé distánçè hê cōūld see a big castlè; and, aś hê wáś^woś hot and tîrèd with hiś long clîmb, hê thøùght hê wōūld gô and ask for sőmèthing tó^tö eat and driñk.

Hê had not gonè verý far bėforè hê met a fãírý, whö tôld him that thé castlè bėlongèd tó^tö a wickéd ôgrè, whö had killèd and eatén a grèât number of^uv pêòplè.

"It wáś^woś hê whö killèd yøùr fāther," shê sãìd. "And it iś yøùr dûtý tó^tö dö yøùr utmôst tó^tö dėstroy thé wickéd monster. Gô now, and see whåt yöü can dö. If yöü can carrý off ãný of^uv hiś treàŝurèś yöü arè at libertý tó^tö dö sô—for nőnè of^uv them rêallý bėlongś tó^tö him. Hê haś tâkén them åll bŷ forçè fróm thé pêòplè whöm hê haś robbèd and killèd."

Jack wáś^woś dėlightėd at thé îdêá of^uv this ádvenťurè, and set off in high spiríts tówårdś thé castlè.

Thé castlè wáś^woś farther off than hê had thøùght, and bŷ thé tîmè hê reachèd thé gâtès, it wáś^woś sô lâtè that hê mâdè up hiś mînd tó^tö ask for a night's lodĝing. Theŕè wáś^woś a wōmán standing in thé dòorway; but when Jack mâdè hiś rėqυest, shê wáś^woś verý frighténèd, and sãìd—

"Indeed, Î dãŕè not tâkè yöü in and givè yöü fööd and lodĝing. Mŷ huśbánd iś an ôgrè whö livèś on hûmán flesh. If hê werè tó^tö fînd yöü hėŕè, hê wōūld thiñk nőthing of^uv eating yöü up in three mouthfūlś. Î ádvîśè yöü tó^tö gô áway at őnçè^wőnçè, bėforè hê cőmèś hômè."

But when shê saw how tîrèd and huñgrý Jack rêallý wáś^woś, shê tōōk him intö thé housè and gâvè him plentý tó^tö eat and driñk. Whîlè Jack wáś^woś eating hiś fööd in thé kitchén theŕè câmè a loud knocking at thé dòor. Thé ôgrè's wîfè, in a grèât flurrý, hid Jack in thé ővén, and then húrrìêd tó^tö let her huśbánd in. Jack peepèd thröügh thé ővén dòor, and saw a terríblè-lōōking ôgrè, whö câmè stamping intö thé kitchén, and sãìd in a voiçè lîkè thunder—

"Wîfè, Î smell fresh meat!"

"It iś ônlý thé pêòplè yöü arè fatténing in thé dunĝeón," sãìd thé wîfè.

Sô thé ôgrè sat down and âtè hiś supper. After supper, hê cómmandėd hiś wîfè tó^tö bring him hiś mőnêy-bagś. Hê then bėgan tó^tö count hiś mőnêy—thouśándś and thouśándś of^uv pìêçėś of^uv gôld and silver.

Jack wishèd hê cōūld tâkè sőmè of^uv this mőnêy hômè tó^tö hiś mőther; and, preśéntlý, when thé ôgrè fell ásleep, hê crept out of^uv hiś hîding-plâçè, and hoisting thé bagś upon hiś shôùlder, slippèd qυîétlý áway with them. Thé ôgrè wáś^woś snoring sô loudlý that it soundėd lîkè thé wind in thé chimnêy on a stormý night. Sô hê never hèàŕd thé littlè noiśè Jack mâdè, and Jack got sâfèlý áway and ėscâpèd down thé beanstålk.

Hiś mőther wáś^woś ôverjoyèd tó^tö see him, for shê had bėèn-been verý añxìòús ábout him when hê did not cőmè hômè thé night bėforè; and shê wáś^woś dėlightėd with thé bagś of^uv mőnêy, which werè enough^ėnòuf tó^tö keep them in cómfòŕt and luxúrý for sőmè tîmè.

For mãný mőnths Jack and hiś mőther livèd happílý tógether; but after a whîlè thé mőnêy câmè tó^tö an end, and Jack mâdè up hiś mînd tó^tö clîmb thé beanstålk ágãìn, and carrý off sőmè morè of^uv thé ôgrè's treàŝurèś. Sô one^wőnè morning hê got up yèàŕlý, pūt on a diffèrént süìt of^uv clôthèś, sô that thé ôgrè's wîfè shōūld not recógnîzè him, and set out tó^tö clîmb thé beanstålk.

Jack and thé Beanstålk

Down Câmè thé Beanstålk, Down Câmè thé Ôgrè

And hê clîmbèd, and hê clîmbèd, and hê clîmbèd, and hê clîmbèd, and hê clîmbèd, and hê clîmbèd, and hê clîmbèd—until at last hê clîmbèd tó^tö thé verý top and found himself in thé ôgrè's còuntrý ágãìn.

When hê reachèd thé castlè thé ôgrè's wîfè wáś^woś ágãìn standing in thé dòorway. But when Jack askèd for a night's lodĝing, shê sãìd shê dãrèd not givè him one^wőnè, for ônlý a few mőnths bėforè shê had tâkén in a pōōr boy whö seemèd hālf deàd with fátïgùè and huñger, and in rėturn for her kîndnéss, hê had stôlén sőmè of^uv her huśbánd's mőnêy and run áway in thé night.

But Jack beggèd sô hard that at last shê rėlentėd. Shê gâvè him a gōōd supper and hid him in a clośét bėforè her huśbánd câmè hômè.

Preśéntlý theŕè wáś^woś a grèât noiśè outsîdè and heàvý fōōtsteps that shōōk thé castlè tó^tö its foundâtionś. It wáś^woś thé ôgrè cőmè hômè. Aś söön aś hê enterèd thé kitchén, hê sniffèd suspićìòúslý, and sãìd:

"Î smell fresh meat!"

"It iś ônlý thé crôwś on thé housètops," sãìd hiś wîfè. "They havè brøùght hômè a pìêçè of^uv carrïón for their yòung."

After supper, thé ôgrè tôld hiś wîfè tó^tö fetch hiś hen. This hen wáś^woś a verý wőnderful bird. Whenever thé ôgrè sãìd "Lay" shê laid an egg of^uv solíd gôld. Jack thøùght that if hê cōūld ônlý get this wőnderful hen tó^tö tâkè hômè tó^tö hiś mőther, they wōūld never want^wont ãný morè. Sô when thé ôgrè fell ásleep—aś hê did after a littlè whîlè—hê câmè out of^uv thé clośét, and, sêìzing thé hen in hiś armś, mâdè off with her. Thé hen sqυawkèd, but thé ôgrè's snoring wáś^woś lîkè thé røáring of^uv thé sea when thé tîdè iś cőming in, and Jack got sâfèlý down thé beanstålk.

Thé hen laid sô mãný gôldén eggś that Jack and hiś mőther bėcâmè qυîtè rich and prospéròús; and theŕè wáś^woś rêallý nô need for Jack tó^tö gô ágãìn tó^tö thé ôgrè's còuntrý. But hê lîkèd thé dânĝer and ėxcîtèmént, and hê rėmemberèd that thé fãírý had tôld him tó^tö tâkè aś mãný of^uv thé ôgrè's treàŝurèś aś hê cōūld; and at last, without sâying a wòŕd tó^tö ãnýbodý, hê startėd off őnçè^wőnçè morè tó^tö clîmb thé maĝic beanstålk.

And hê clîmbèd, and hê clîmbèd, and hê clîmbèd, and hê clîmbèd, and hê clîmbèd, and hê clîmbèd, and hê clîmbèd—until at last hê reachèd thé verý tiptop, and stōōd in thé ôgrè's còuntrý.

This tîmè when hê reachèd thé castlè hê bėgan tó^tö bê áfraid that thé ôgrè's wîfè rêallý wōūld not let him in.

"Indeed and indeed, Î dãŕè not," shê sãìd. "Twîçè lâtèlý havè Î givén shelter tó^tö a wayfãrïng yöüth, and each tîmè hê stôlè sőmè of^uv mŷ huśbánd's treàŝurèś, and mâdè off with them. Now mŷ huśbánd haś forbiddén mê, on pain of^uv instánt deàth, tó^tö givè fööd or lodĝing tó^tö ãný travéler."

But Jack pleadėd and pleadėd, and at last thé gōōd-nâtûŕèd wōmán, mövèd tó^tö pitý bŷ hiś travél-stainèd áppėáránçè, gâvè way and let him intö thé castlè.

When thé ôgrè câmè hômè, thé wîfè hid Jack in thé copper. Aś ûŝüál, thé ôgrè's first wòŕdś werè:

"Wîfè, wîfè, Î smell fresh meat!" And, in spîtè of^uv åll hiś wîfè cōūld say, hê insistėd upon sèàŕching åll round thé rööm. Jack wáś^woś in a terríblè fright whîlst hê wáś^woś hunting: but forťúnátèlý, hê fòŕgot tó^tö lōōk in thé copper, and after a tîmè hê sat down tó^tö hiś supper.

When supper wáś^woś ôver, thé ôgrè tôld hiś wîfè tó^tö fetch hiś harp. Jack peepèd out of^uv thé copper and saw thé harp brøùght in and set down bėforè thé ôgrè. It wáś^woś marvéllòúslý mâdè; and when thé ôgrè sãìd "Play!" it playèd thé fînést mûśic without bêing tòuchèd. Jack wáś^woś enchantėd, for hê had never bėforè hèàŕd such wőnderful mûśic, and hê felt that hê must havè thé harp for hiś ôwn.

Thé ôgrè wáś^woś söön lullèd tó^tö sleep bŷ thé sweet sound of^uv thé harp; and when hê wáś^woś snoring heàvílý, Jack crept out of^uv thé copper, and tâking up thé harp wáś^woś ábout tó^tö mâkè off with it. But thé harp wáś^woś a fãírý harp, and it cållèd out loudlý: "Master, master, master;" and, ålthôùgh thé ôgrè wáś^woś snoring sô noiśílý that it wáś^woś lîkè thé sound of^uv a hundred dragónś røáring at őnçè^wőnçè, yet tó^tö Jack's dismay and horròŕ hê hèàŕd thé voiçè of^uv hiś harp, and, starting tó^tö hiś feet with a bellôw of^uv añger, rushèd after thé dãring thìêf.

Jack ran faster than hê had ever run in hiś lîfè bėforè—still carrýing thé prećìòús harp—whîlè thé ôgrè ran after him, shouting and røáring and mâking such a noiśè that it soundėd lîkè a thouśánd thunder stormś åll gôing at őnçè^wőnçè. If hê had not druñk sô much wînè for supper, thé ôgrè must verý söön havè caught Jack; but aś it wáś^woś, thé wînè had got intö hiś heàd, and sô hê cōūld not run nėàŕlý sô fast aś ûŝüál, and Jack reachèd thé beanstålk just in frőnt of^uv him.

It wáś^woś a verý clôsè shâvè. Jack slid down thé beanstålk at hiś top speed, cålling at thé top of^uv hiś voiçè for hiś mőther tó^tö fetch him an axè. Thé ôgrè câmè tumbling down thé beanstålk after him; but Jack sêìzèd thé axè and choppèd thé beanstålk off clôsè tó^tö thé rööt. Down câmè thé beanstålk, down câmè thé ôgrè, and fālling heàdlong intö thé gardén hê wáś^woś killèd on thé spot.

After this, Jack qυîtè gâvè up hiś lâzý, îdlè wayś, and hê and hiś mőther, with thé maĝic hen and thé wőnderful harp, livèd in happïnéss and prosperítý thé rest of^uv their lîvèś.