Tale Summary
Jack, his mother, and his sister Ady lived in a valley far away from London rimmed with waterfalls. Jack was an unruly boy and refused to listen to anything his mother told him and was incredibly spoiled despite being from a poor family. Danish pirates attacked the town in which Jack and his family lived. After the attack, Jack’s mother had nobody to sell her yarn to because all the other town folk had fled. Needing money for food badly, Jack’s mother sent him and their cow to market to be sold. Jack failed in selling the cow as it had returned home on its own. Jack set out the next day looking for work in order to feed his family. While looking for work, Jack meets a fairy who is disguised as an old woman wearing a dark cloak. The fairy petitioned Jack for his help. The fairy begins to tell Jack of his father who is still alive. Jack’s father is a Saxon knight who was brutally attacked by a Danish Giant and made a prisoner in his own castle. The fairy gives jack a bean and tells him to plant it, climb it, break into his father’s castle, fetch the golden hen which happens to be the Fairy’s sister, and return and fetch the Harp which was the Fairy’s other sister. Once he had done this Jack was to return a third time to rescue his father from the Giant’s clutches. The next day after planting the bean and telling his family of his encounter with the Fairy. Jack’s mother and sister sent him on his way to rescue everyone held captive by the Danish Giant. Upon reaching the castle, Jack meets a “good-natured-looking Giantess”. He begged her for food and a place to stay for the night. She told him of her husband who killed anyone who came near the castle. He agreed to stay anyways. After the Giant had eaten his dinner of a whole ox, he went to the great hall to drink and be with the Golden Hen. After the Giant had drunkenly fallen asleep, Jack crept into the hall and grabbed the Golden Hen. A dwarf in the castle alerted the sleeping Giant of Jack’s thievery. The Giant chased Jack as he ran back to the beanstalk three miles away from the castle. Jack successfully escaped and returned again to take the harp. When Jack returned the third time he found his father. Jack encountered the dwarf a second time, unlike the previous time the dwarf agreed to give them a head start over the Giant because the dwarf had decided to leave the castle. The Giant became entangled in the beanstalk and the next day the King, Alfred, captured him. Jack and his family lived happily ever after.
Fairy Tale Title
The History of Jack and the Beanstalk
Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)
George Cruikshank
Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)
George Cruikshank
Common Tale Type
Jack and the Beanstalk
Tale Classification
ATU 328A
Page Range of Tale
pp. 1-32
Full Citation of Tale
“Jack and the Beanstalk” George Cruikshank’s Fairy Library, GeorgeCruikshank,London: Routledge and Sons, [1870s], pp. 1-32.
Original Source of the Tale
“The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean” 1734
Tale Notes
This version of the tale is much longer than others and contains a number of unique plot twists. Jack receives the magic bean from a fairy who is a member of his family. Jack has a father who is a knight who owns a castle. The Giant has a wife who is very caring and not bloodthirsty. A Dwarf betrays his master the Giant. The Giant is captured by the King and his army.
Research and Curation
Anonymous student, 2022
Book Title
George Cruikshank's Fairy Library
Book Author/Editor(s)
George Cruikshank
Illustrator(s)
George Cruikshank
Publisher
Routledge and Sons
Date Published
1870-1879
Decade Published
1870-1879
Publisher City
London
Publisher Country
United Kingdom
Language
English
Rights
Public Domain
Digital Copy
Book Notes
Book was a part of the Cramer Collection. “Creamer 113”. Page numbers restart for every new tale.