_Source_.--I tell this as it was told me in Australia, somewhere about
the year 1860.
_Parallels_.--There is a chap-book version which is very poor; it is
given by Mr. E. S. Hartland, _English Folk and Fairy Tales_ (Camelot
Series), p. 35, _seq._ In this, when Jack arrives at the top of the
Beanstalk, he is met by a fairy, who gravely informs him that the ogre
had stolen all his possessions from Jack's father. The object of this
was to prevent the tale becoming an encouragement to theft! I have had
greater confidence in my young friends, and have deleted the fairy who
did not exist in the tale as told to me. For the Beanstalk elsewhere,
see Ralston, _Russian Folk Tales_, 293-8. Cosquin has some remarks on
magical ascents (i. 14).