Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack and the Beanstalk 
(http://shortstoriesshort.com/story/jack-and-the-beanstalk/)
     Once upon a time there lived a poor widow and her son Jack. One day, Jack’s mother told him to sell their only cow to buy some food home. Jack went to the market and on the way, he met a man who wanted to buy his cow. Jack asked, “What will you give me in return for my cow?” The man answered, “I will give you five magic beans!” Jack took the magic beans and gave the man the cow. 
      But when he reached home, Jack’s mother was very angry. She said, “You fool! He took away your cow and gave you some beans!” She threw the beans out of the window. Jack was very sad and went to sleep without dinner.
      The next day, when Jack woke up in the morning and looked out of the window, he saw that a huge beanstalk had grown from his magic beans! He climbed up the beanstalk and reached a kingdom in the sky. There lived a giant and his wife.  Jack went inside the house and found the giant’s wife in the kitchen. Jack said, “Could you please give me something to eat? I am so hungry!” The kind wife gave him bread and some milk.
      While he was eating, the giant came home. The giant was very big and looked very fearsome.  Jack was terrified and went to hide inside. The giant cried, “Fee-fifo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be he alive, or be he dead, I’ll grind his bones to make my bread!” The wife said, “There is no boy in here!”   So, the giant ate his food and then went to his room. He took out his sacks of gold coins, counted them and kept them aside. Then he went to sleep. 
      In the night, Jack crept out of his hiding place, took one sack of gold coins and climbed down the beanstalk. At home, he gave the coins to his mother. His mother was very happy and they lived well for some time.
      A few days later, he climbed the beanstalk and went to the giant’s house again. Once again, Jack asked the giant’s wife for food, but while he was eating,  the giant returned. Jack leapt up in fright and went and hid under the bed. The giant cried, “Fee-fifo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be he alive, or be he dead, I’ll grind his bones to make my bread!” The wife said, “There is no boy in here!” The giant ate his food and went to his room. There, he took out a hen. He shouted, “Lay!” and the hen laid a golden egg. When the giant fell asleep, Jack took the hen and climbed down the beanstalk. Jack’s mother was very happy with him.
   A few days later, Jack once again climbed up the beanstalk and went to the giant’s castle. For the third time, Jack met the giant’s wife and asked for some food.  Once again, the giant’s wife gave him bread and milk. But while Jack was eating, the giant came home. “Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be he alive, or be he dead, I’ll grind his bones to make my bread!” cried the giant. “Don’t be silly! There is no boy in here!” said his wife.
      The giant had a magical harp that could play beautiful songs. While the giant slept, Jack took the harp and was about to leave. Suddenly, the magic harp cried, “Help master! A boy is stealing me!” The giant woke up and saw Jack with the harp. Furious, he ran after Jack. But Jack was too fast for him. He ran down the beanstalk and reached home. The giant followed him down. Jack quickly ran inside his house and fetched an axe. He began to chop the beanstalk.
      Jack and his mother were very rich and they lived happily ever after.

Words and Phrases

1.  a poor widow

2.  on the way

3.  give              giving                gave         given

4.  in return

5.  reach  =  arrive

6.  throw           throwing            threw        thrown

7.  out of the window

8.  wake            waking              woke         woken

9.  in the morning / afternoon/ evening

10.  in the sky

11.  a giant                (gi-ant)

12.  grow           growing             grew         grown

13.  full of fear  

14.  look fearsome

15.  terror          terrify        terrifying           terrified            terrified

16.  was/were  terrified

17.  hide            hiding               hid            hidden

18.  alive   X      dead

19.  eat             eating               ate            eaten

20.  take            taking               took          taken

21.  die              dying                        died          died 

22.  sleep          sleeping            slept         slept

23.  creep          creeping            crept         crept

24.  weep          weeping            wept         wept

25.  leap            leaping              leapt         leapt

26.  grind          grinding            ground      ground

27.  fall              falling                fell            fallen

Answer all the Wh-question in full.

1.  Why do [you] think that Jack’s mother wanted to sell          off the only cow? 

2.  How much did Jack get from the sale of the cow?

3.  Why was Jack’s mother angry?

4.  In anger, what did she do?

5.  Why do you think Jack went to sleep without dinner?

6.  a)  The next morning, what did Jack see when he woke up?

     b)  What did he do?

7.  Who lived up there in the kingdom?

8.  Why do you think that the giant’s wife was good and kind?

9.  a)  How did Jack feel when he heard the voice of the giant?

     b)  What did he do?

10.  How did the giant look?

11.  How did the giant know that there was someone in the 

      house?

12.  What did Jack take when the giant fell asleep?

13.  a)  What could the hen do? 

      b)  Did Jack take away the hen when the giant fell asleep?

14.  The third time, he climbed up the beanstalk, when he was 

       about to  take away the harp, what happened?

15.  a)  How did the giant feel?    b) What did he do?

16.  What did Jack do to stop the giant from reaching his house?

17.  Is the story interesting?

18.  Is it a good story?  Why?

 

(I have made some changes of the structures, words or the story to suit the needs of my students.  They can read the story online so that I don't need to print to waste paper and money.)