THE HEN THAT LAYS GOLDEN EGGS

Edition and rights: Original English text from Project Gutenberg ebook #540, marked public domain in the USA. The literary text below is reproduced without AI rewriting.

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The Giant came in to supper. Jack watched him through the keyhole, and was
amazed to see him pick a wolf’s bone, and put half a fowl at a time into
his capacious mouth.

When the supper was ended he bade his wife bring him his hen that laid the
golden eggs.

‘It lays as well as it did when it belonged to that paltry knight,’
he said; ‘indeed I think the eggs are heavier than ever.’

The Giantess went away, and soon returned with a little brown hen, which she
placed on the table before her husband. ‘And now, my dear,’ she
said, ‘I am going for a walk, if you don’t want me any
longer.’

‘Go,’ said the Giant; ‘I shall be glad to have a nap
by-and-by.’

Then he took up the brown hen and said to her:

‘Lay!’ And she instantly laid a golden egg.

‘Lay!’ said the Giant again. And she laid another.

‘Lay!’ he repeated the third time. And again a golden egg lay on
the table.

Now Jack was sure this hen was that of which the fairy had spoken.

By-and-by the Giant put the hen down on the floor, and soon after went fast
asleep, snoring so loud that it sounded like thunder.

Directly Jack perceived that the Giant was fast asleep, he pushed open the door
of the wardrobe and crept out; very softly he stole across the room, and,
picking up the hen, made haste to quit the apartment. He knew the way to the
kitchen, the door of which he found was left ajar; he opened it, shut and
locked it after him, and flew back to the Beanstalk, which he descended as fast
as his feet would move.

When his mother saw him enter the house she wept for joy, for she had feared
that the fairies had carried him away, or that the Giant had found him. But
Jack put the brown hen down before her, and told her how he had been in the
Giant’s castle, and all his adventures. She was very glad to see the hen,
which would make them rich once more.