Jack Trott is a young boy. He lives with his mother in a little house in the country. Jack and his mother are very poor and they haven't got a lot of food. They have got a cow, though, and her name is Daisy.

Jack is very lazy. He sleeps all day and he doesn't work. One day, while Jack is sleeping in his bedroom, Mrs Trott wakes him up.

"Wake up, Jack! You must help me. There is nothing to eat for breakfast this morning. We haven't got any food. Our cupboard is empty. We can't buy any food because we haven't got any money. You must go to the market and sell Daisy and buy some bread, milk and honey on your way home."

"Yes, Mother."

But Jack is sad. He doesn't want to sell Daisy. She is his friend.

Jack takes Daisy and starts to walk into town. On the way into town, he meets an old man.

"What's that you've got there, boy? Let me look at your cow."

The old man looks at Daisy, and nods his head.

"Yes. That cow is just right. Will you give her to me, please?"

Jack doesn't want to give Daisy to the old man.

"I can't give you the cow. I'm going to the market to sell her." But the old man has a plan.

"Don't worry, I don't mind doing a swap with you. I'll give you these magic beans for your cow."

The old man shows Jack some beans, but Jack shakes his head.

"I don't want beans, I need money. We haven't got any food at home."

The old man tells Jack that these beans are very special. So Jack takes the beans, and the old man takes Daisy, the cow. Jack runs home and gives the beans to his mother.

But Mrs Trott is very angry. She does not want beans. She wants money, and she screams at Jack.

"We can't buy food with beans!" Jack is very sorry.

"But, they are magic beans!"

His mother just laughs.

"Magic beans! What a silly idea!"

Mrs Trott throws the beans out of the window and they land in the garden.

Jack's mother is very sad all day because they haven't got any food and now they haven't got their cow.

The next day, Jack wakes up and looks out of the window. He sees a tall beanstalk in the garden. He goes outside and sees that it is taller than the house. He is very excited and calles his mother.

"Wow! Look at this beanstalk! It's very tall! Can I climb it?"

Mrs Trott is worried.

"Be careful, Jack. You don't know what you'll find at the top". But Jack doesn't listen to his mother and he starts to climb up the beanstalk.

Jack climbs and climbs. The beanstalk is very tall and goes up into the sky and through the clouds.

He reaches the top at last and Jack is very surprised when he sees a big castle. He runs to the castle and knocks on the door. Jack is very hungry and wants to ask for something to eat. A giantess opens the door.

She is very big, and she looks very surprised to see him.

"What do you want? You can't come in here. My husband isn't here, but when he comes back, I'm sure he will eat you!"

Jack is scared when he hears this and as the giantess is speaking, the castle starts to shake. The giant is coming home!

The giantess runs into the kitchen and Jack follows her.

"You must hide! My husband mustn't see you! Quick! Get in the oven. You can hide brhind the cake!"

Jack is very scared now.

"Please don't let the giant eat me!"

The giantess closes the oven door and waits for her husband.

The giant comes into the castle and liiks around.

"Hello, wife. What's that I smell? Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum! I smell a young boy! Yum, yum!"

But the giantess is clever.

"Don't be silly, my dear. There aren't any boys here. I'm cooking you some meat. Look, it's a sheep."

The giantess brings the giant's breakfast and puts it on the table in front of him.

"Are you ready to eat, my dear?"

The giant is always ready to eat. He eats the sheep and doesn't leave any meat on a single bone.

"Thank you! Now, bring me my hen!"

The giantess brings a little hen and puts it on the table.

"Now leave me alone. I've got work to do!"

The giantess leaves and the giant sits and looks at his hen.

"Lay!" And the little hen lays an egg. He says it again and it lays another egg, and then another. Soon there are ten eggs on the table. Jack looks through a hole in the oven door and sees the eggs.

"The eggs are golden! The hen is magic!"

The giant is very tired after his big meal. Soon his eyes close and he falls asleep.

Jack gets ready to leave.

"Now I can go!"