Jack and the Beanstalk · page 21 2101“Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman,” cried out the ogre; “I smell him, wife, I smell him.”102“Do you, my dearie?” says the ogre's wife.103“Then if it's that little rogue that stole your gold and the hen that laid the golden eggs he's sure to have got into the oven.”104And they both rushed to the oven.105But Jack wasn't there, luckily, and the ogre's wife said: “There you are again with your fee-fi-fo-fum.106Why of course it's the laddie you caught last night that I've broiled for your breakfast.107How forgetful I am, and how careless you are not to tell the difference between a live un and a dead un.”108So the ogre sat down to the breakfast and ate it, but every now and then he would mutter: “Well, I could have sworn----” and he'd get up and search the larder and the cupboards, and everything, only luckily he didn't think of the copper.109After breakfast was over, the ogre called out: “Wife, wife, bring me my golden harp.”110So she brought it and put it on the table before him.111Then he said: “Sing!” and the golden harp sang most beautifully.112And it went on singing till the ogre fell asleep, and commenced to snore like thunder.113Then Jack lifted up the copper-lid very quietly and got down like a mouse and crept on hands and knees till he got to the table when he got up and caught hold of the golden harp and dashed with it towards the door.114But the harp called out quite loud: “Master!115Master!” and the ogre woke up just in time to see Jack running off with his harp.116Jack ran as fast as he could, and the ogre came rushing after, and would soon have caught him only Jack had a start and dodged him a bit and knew where he was going.117When he got to the beanstalk the ogre was not more than twenty yards away when suddenly he saw Jack disappear like, and when he got up to the end of the road he saw Jack underneath climbing down for dear life.118Well, the ogre didn't like trusting himself to such a ladder, and he stood and waited, so Jack got another start.119But just then the harp cried out: “Master! master!” and the ogre swung himself down on to the beanstalk which shook with his weight.120Down climbs Jack, and after him climbed the ogre.121By this time Jack had climbed down and climbed down and climbed down till he was very nearly home.122So he called out: “Mother! mother! bring me an axe, bring me an axe.”123And his mother came rushing out with the axe in her hand, but when she came to the beanstalk she stood stock still with fright for there she saw the ogre just coming down below the clouds.124But Jack jumped down and got hold of the axe and gave a chop at the beanstalk which cut it half in two.125The ogre felt the beanstalk shake and quiver so he stopped to see what was the matter.126Then Jack gave another chop with the axe, and the beanstalk was cut in two and began to topple over.127Then the ogre fell down and broke his crown, and the beanstalk came toppling after.128Then Jack showed his mother his golden harp, and what with showing that and selling the golden eggs, Jack and his mother became very rich, and he married a great princess, and they lived happy ever after.1 2← previousCap O' Rushesnext →The Story of the Three Little Pigs↑ back to English Fairy TalesThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg7439/16/page/2/