THE MONEY BAGS

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.

Browse more fantasy stories.

Jack made another journey up the Beanstalk to the Giant’s castle one day
while his mother had gone to market; but first he dyed his hair and disguised
himself. The old woman did not know him again, and dragged him in as she had
done before, to help her to do the work; but she heard her husband coming, and
hid him in the wardrobe, not thinking that it was the same boy who had stolen
the hen. She bade him stay quite still there, or the Giant would eat him.

Then the Giant came in saying:

‘Fe, fa, fi-fo-fum,

I smell the breath of an Englishman.

Let him be alive or let him be dead,

I’ll grind his bones to make my bread.’

‘Nonsense!’ said the wife, ‘it is only a roasted bullock that
I thought would be a tit-bit for your supper; sit down and I will bring it up
at once.’ The Giant sat down, and soon his wife brought up a roasted
bullock on a large dish, and they began their supper. Jack was amazed to see
them pick the bones of the bullock as if it had been a lark. As soon as they
had finished their meal, the Giantess rose and said:

‘Now, my dear, with your leave I am going up to my room to finish the
story I am reading. If you want me call for me.’

‘First,’ answered the Giant, ‘bring me my money bags, that I
may count my golden pieces before I sleep.’ The Giantess obeyed. She went
and soon returned with two large bags over her shoulders, which she put down by
her husband.

‘There,’ she said; ‘that is all that is left of the
knight’s money. When you have spent it you must go and take another
baron’s castle.’

‘That he shan’t, if I can help it,’ thought Jack.

The Giant, when his wife was gone, took out heaps and heaps of golden pieces,
and counted them, and put them in piles, till he was tired of the amusement.
Then he swept them all back into their bags, and leaning back in his chair fell
fast asleep, snoring so loud that no other sound was audible.

Jack stole softly out of the wardrobe, and taking up the bags of money (which
were his very own, because the Giant had stolen them from his father), he ran
off, and with great difficulty descending the Beanstalk, laid the bags of gold
on his mother’s table. She had just returned from town, and was crying at
not finding Jack.

‘There, mother, I have brought you the gold that my father lost.’

‘Oh, Jack! you are a very good boy, but I wish you would not risk your
precious life in the Giant’s castle. Tell me how you came to go there
again.’

And Jack told her all about it.

Jack’s mother was very glad to get the money, but she did not like him to
run any risk for her.

But after a time Jack made up his mind to go again to the Giant’s castle.