Jack and the Beanstalk

Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman.
Illustration by Arthur Rackham from a 1918 English Fairy Tales, by Flora Annie Steel

See Jack & the Beanstalk (1952 film) for the Abbott & Costello film.

Jack and the Beanstalk is an English fairy tale, closely associated with the tale of Jack the Giant Killer. It is known under a number of different versions, but the tale was popularized by Joseph Jacobs in English Fairy Tales, whose version is most commonly reprinted today. The story was made into a play by Charles Ludlam. Due to the fable, another name for a space elevator is a "beanstalk."

Plot synopsis

Jack was a poor boy whose lack of common sense often drove his widowed mother to despair. One day she sent him to the market to sell their last and only possession, a cow, but along the way, Jack met a stranger who offered to trade it for five "magic beans". Thrilled at the prospect of owning magic beans, Jack made the deal without hesitation. Alas, his mother turned out to be less than thrilled when he arrived back home. She threw the beans straight out of the window and sent Jack to bed without dinner. Overnight however, the seeds grew into a gigantic beanstalk. It reached so far into heaven that the top went completely out of sight. Eager as the young boy was, Jack immediately decided to climb the plant and arrived in a land high up in the clouds, which was the home of the giant who killed his father. When he broke into his castle, the giant quickly sensed a human was near:

Fee! Fie! Foe! Fum!

I smell the blood of an Englishman.

Be he 'live, or be he dead,

I'll grind his bones to make my bread.

However, Jack was saved by the giant's wife, and as he escaped from the palace, he took some gold coins with him. Back home, the boy and his mother celebrated their newfound fortune, but their luck did not last, and Jack climbed the beanstalk once more. This time he stole a hen which laid golden eggs. Again he was saved by the giant's wife. He went down the ladder and showed the chicken to his mother, and the two lived happily on the proceedings from the hen's eggs.

Eventually, Jack grew bored, and resolved to climb the beanstalk a third time. This time, he stole a magical harp that sung to itself. The instrument did not appreciate being stolen, and called out to the giant for help. The giant chased Jack down the beanstalk, but luckily the boy got to the ground before he did. Jack immediately chopped it down with an axe. The giant fell to earth, hitting the ground so hard that it split, pulling the beanstalk down with him.

Origins

The origin of Jack and the Beanstalk is unknown, although the author was almost certainly British. The earliest printed edition which has survived is the 1807 book The History of Jack and the Bean-Stalk, printed by Benjamin Tabart, although the story was already in existence sometime before this time, as a burlesque of the story entitled The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean was included in the 1734 second edition of Round About Our Coal-Fire.

In the usual version of the tale, the giant is unnamed, but many plays based on the story name him as Blunderbore; a giant of that name also appears in Jack the Giant-Killer.

Corollary

The magic beans metaphor.

‘Magic beans’ is a metaphor for the impulsive purchase of some item that has nothing to do with the original objective. Example, Henry Brown and his wife go to the shops with firm intention buying Henry a new suit. During the shopping expedition Henry’s eye is caught by a new hi-fi system. The suit is quickly forgotten and an hour later Henry and spouse arrive home complete with brand new hi-fi system. After three hours of boring the neighbours with Gene Pitney, the feeling of elation dissipates and realisation sets in. Just like Jack holding the beans when confronted and berated by his long suffering mother.

The ultimate magic bean occurred when Henry and his wife went shopping for a washing machine and ended up buying a new house.

Many of us fall prey to the ‘magic bean’ syndrome when a bright shiny object catches our eye and pleads, ‘buy me, buy me’.

Recent Performances

Recently at a top Grammar school in Devon, Torquay Boys Grammar School's Gilbert House produced a clever adaptation of this much loved English folk fairytale. Directed by Ben Wills, a Year 13 student who is on his way into the theatre profession as a career, it was an interesting and comical adaptation using students of all ages to tell the story. Ben has been in many school productions at the Grammar School and in December 2005 he took his leave of the stage to direct and produce the show that involved over 50 people in total. The music was aptly organised and performed by a fantastic musician, Ben Cosway. His dexterity on the fret board was demonstrated in key songs such as "Everybody Needs Somebody" and "Should I Stay or Should I Go?". Accompanied by Karl Griffin on drums, Dave Cavanna on bass and Marcus Frewin-Ridly on rhythm guitar this quartet led the singing that with the more than capable ability of Jonathan Hackett as Jack's Aunty, the pantomime Dame. The production's lead role was taken on by Samuel Woolcott who took the role on admirably, but was fantastically supported by the glamorous and beautiful Catherine Rose, who's singing voice transported the audience into a beautiful world of love. The pantomime took a different twist with the Cow-Buttercup being cleverly swapped for a camel adding more than its fair share of comedy value! This role was capably taken on by Robert Cavanna and Peter Bone, who took the role on with ease, as Robert is extremely hairy already. Their comical adlib and humorous jigh jinks brought the character of Buttercup into the 21st Century, adding new dimensions to the cast member that is often forgotten within the later part of the plotline. The part of the panto baddie, Egbertha Ratchet was played superbly by the young and talented Caroline Hoare who managed to get more boo's than a tory political convention with the labour party as guest speakers. Her viciousness was only outdone by several ex-girlfriends of the director but that is a comparison only drawn by certain reviews in local press. Her sidekick, known aptly as "Henchman" was played by the manacing Gabriel Olaiya, who is big, black and cool to say the least. His stage presence sent a shiver down your spine and formed a vital part of the overal performance of the play. Credit also goes to the technical crew who, led by Stewart Ferguson,the lovable northerner created clever scene changes and fantastic effects. Any person who did not see this ground breaking production should kick themsleves for missing this lighting production. Credit goes to Ben Wills for his fantastic directing and production skills.

Marxist Perspectives on Jack and the Beanstalk

Peasant family economics are difficult. When the family cow stops giving milk, Jack’s mother sends him to the marketplace. Jack lacks the knowledge and skills needed to get a high price for the cow. However, in the process he has his consciousness raised. The seeds that grow overnight into the beanstalk that reaches up to the giant’s castle symbolize Jack’s emerging class-consciousness.

Jacks new found awareness of the existence of his feudal overlord, the giant, enables him to take material wealth from the giant’s castle – first some gold coins, and later the laying hen. Jack’s family changes from milk to egg production, which is more reliable and profitable than a single cow.

Eventually, Jack decides to confront the giant. Jack kills the giant by destroying the beanstalk, the symbol of the giant's high status in Jack's class-consciousness. The giant dies because Jack chops down the beanstalk while the giant is supported by it. The giant falls to the level of the peasant family and dies.

External links

• Pantomime based on the fairytale of Jack And The Beanstalk
• Scanned images of the 1807 edition
• Jack and the Beanstalk at SurLaLune Fairy Tales - Annotated version of the fairy tale.
• Jack tales in Appalachia - including "Jack and the Bean Tree"
• Jack and the Beans Talk - an award nominated teaching package based around a humerous version of the classic fairy tale.

• Children's audio story of Jack and the Beanstalk at Storynory