[From a Chap–book printed at Paisley, by G. Caldwell, bookseller.
Probable date, 1810]
In the days of King Alfred there lived a poor woman whose cottage was
situated in a remote country village, a great many miles from London.
She had been a widow some years, and had an only child named Jack, whom
she indulged to a fault. The consequence of her blind partiality was,
that Jack did not pay the least attention to anything she said, but was
indolent, careless, and extravagant. His follies were not owing to a
bad disposition, but that his mother had never checked him. By degrees
she disposed of all she possessed—scarcely anything remained but a cow.
The poor woman one day met Jack with tears in her eyes. Her distress
was great, and, for the first time in her life, she could not help
reproaching him, saying—
“O you wicked child! by your ungrateful course of life you have at
last brought me to beggary and ruin. Cruel, cruel boy! I have not
money enough to purchase even a bit of bread for another day. Nothing
now remains to sell but my poor cow. I am sorry to part with her. It
grieves me sadly, but we must not starve.”
For a few minutes Jack felt a degree of remorse, but it was soon over,
and he began teasing his mother to let him sell the cow at the next
village so much, that she at last consented.
As he was going along he met a butcher, who inquired why he was
driving the cow from home. Jack replied he was going to sell it.
The butcher held some curious beans in his hat that were of various
colours and attracted Jack’s notice. This did not pass unnoticed by
the butcher, who, knowing Jack’s easy temper, thought now was the time
to take advantage of it, and, determined not to let slip so good an
opportunity, asked what was the price of the cow, offering at the same
time all the beans in his hat for her. The silly boy could not conceal
the pleasure he felt at what he supposed so great an offer. The bargain
was struck instantly, and the cow exchanged for a few paltry beans.
Jack made the best of his way home, calling aloud to his mother before
he reached the house, thinking to surprise her.
When she saw the beans and heard Jack’s account, her patience quite
forsook her. She kicked the beans away in a passion—they flew in all
directions—some were scattered in the garden. Not having anything to
eat, they both went supperless to bed.
Jack awoke very early in the morning, and seeing something uncommon
from the window of his bed–chamber, ran downstairs into the garden,
where he soon discovered that some of the beans had taken root and
sprung up surprisingly. The stalks were of an immense thickness, and
had so entwined that they formed a ladder nearly like a chain in
appearance.
Looking upwards, he could not discern the top. It appeared to be lost
in the clouds. He tried the stalk, found it firm, and not to be shaken.
He quickly formed the resolution of endeavouring to climb up to the top
in order to seek his fortune, and ran to communicate his intention to
his mother, not doubting but she would be equally pleased with himself.
She declared he should not go; said it would break her heart if he did;
entreated and threatened, but all in vain.
Jack set out, and, after climbing for some hours, reached the top of
the beanstalk, fatigued and quite exhausted. Looking around, he found
himself in a strange country. It appeared to be a desert, quite barren,
not a tree, shrub, house, or living creature to be seen. Here and there
were scattered fragments of stone, and at unequal distances small heaps
of earth were loosely thrown together.
Jack seated himself, pensively, upon a block of stone, and thought of
his mother. He reflected with sorrow on his disobedience in climbing
the beanstalk against her will, and concluded that he must die of
hunger.
However, he walked on, hoping to see a house where he might beg
something to eat and drink. Presently a handsome young woman appeared
at a distance. As she approached Jack could not help admiring how
beautiful and lively she looked. She was dressed in the most elegant
manner, and had a small white wand in her hand, on the top of which was
a peacock of pure gold.
While Jack was looking, with the greatest surprise, at this charming
female, she came up to him, and, with a smile of the most bewitching
sweetness, inquired how he came there. Jack related the circumstance of
the beanstalk. She asked him if he recollected his father. He replied
he did not, and added there must be some mystery relating to him,
because if he asked his mother who his father was she always burst
into tears and appeared to be violently agitated, nor did she recover
herself for some days after. One thing, however, he could not avoid
observing on these occasions, which was, that she always carefully
avoided answering him, and even seemed afraid of speaking, as if there
were some secret connected with his father’s history which she must not
disclose.