Back to: Tamil Nadu Class 8 English Guide & Notes
Table of Contents
Introduction
“JACK AND THE BEANSTALK” written by Steven Kellogg is a children’s story written in the form of a play. The main characters in the play are Jack, His mother, An old man, Narrator and a Giant. The play is comprised of three scenes.
Scene One
Scene 1 takes place in a small cottage where Jack used to live with his poor mother. The only possession they had was a cow, their only last hope of income and survival. Jack’s mother advised him to sell the cow as they had no money left with them. On the way, Jack encountered an old man who purchased the cow by paying him five magic beans and assured that these magic beans will make Jack and his mother rich forever.
Jack’s mother got very disappointed on hearing that his son had brought no money with him and instead he had five magical beans. She was so upset that she threw the beans out of the window and sent Jack to bed without his supper.
Scene two
Scene 2 takes place both on the ground and in the castle. During the night, the magical beans grew into an enormous and a huge beanstalk. Jack was so surprised to see such a huge beanstalk that he climbed and reached the top. Jack was amazed to find a huge castle in the sky. Suddenly the ground started shaking and a scary noise came “Fee, fi, fo, fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman..”
On realising there was a dangerous giant, Jack hid in a cupboard and watched the giant eating five sheeps for his meals and then calling for his hen. Jack wondered as the hen laid a perfect golden egg on the immediate command of the giant. Jack only wished if he could had that hen so that he and his mom would be rich forever.
Scene three
Scene 3 takes place in the castle and at the home. Jack tried his best to steal the magical hen and climb back down the beanstalk after the giant fall asleep. The hen began to squawk and flap it’s wings as soon as Jack picked it up. The flapping of the hen’s wings made the giant awake.
The giant could again smell the blood of a human and this time he found Jack stealing his hen. He threatened Jack that he would catch him. Jack ran back and climbed down as fast as he could and finally reached the bottom of the beanstalk.
Jack’s mother was worried and she asked where Jack had been for so long. Jack asked his mother for an axe and chopped the beanstalk down. The giant fell to the ground and ultimately faced the end of his life. Jack informed his mother that the magical beans grew into this huge beanstalk ,where he climbed and found a giant’s castle. He further added that he even found a magical hen who lays golden egg.
Jack’s mother was still not believing in the magical beans and the hen, which lays golden egg. The play culminates with a happy ending showing that Jack and his mother were never poor again as the story of the magical beans was true and the hen also laid a golden egg everyday.
