Jack rushed to the bottom of the beanstalk, took the ax and cleaved the towering plant in two. The giant fell, landing on Jack’s house; thankfully, Jack and his mother were outside.
The golden-egg-laying hen was squashed flat. The harp was bent and several strings snapped.
In the rubble, Jack found gold coins and eggs; it was enough to rebuild.
The giantess leaned over the edge of the sky, wailing and keening in her grief and cursing Jack’s name as her husband stiffened and chilled on the grass.
Jack’s mother demanded he fix things. He left home while she slept.
Author’s Note: I always found the ‘happily ever after’ was hard to swallow in this story.
[…] Jack and the Aftermath by Ken MacGregor […]