My Story. By Jack.

My mom and I cherish our cozy homestead

But last week she told me, “No money”

“We’ll have to sell Old Bess,” Mother said

Such a shock, that sweet cow is our honey

We left for the market, much to my distress

On the way I met a scraggly old man

He offered to trade magic beans for Old Bess 

I was thrilled, an encouraging plan

Back home I showed the magic beans to my mom

But she screamed, “You didn’t get our money???”  

I did my best to stay peaceful and calm

But she yelled at me, “This is not funny!”

I ran upstairs crying, crawled right into bed

Out the window went the beans, such a shock

I woke up at dawn with a feeling of dread

But there, in our yard, a huge stalk

I tossed on my trousers, my shirt, and my shoes

Up the bean stalk I started to climb

Two miles high, such astonishing views

In the distance, a castle sublime

Standing in the doorway, a tall lady giant  

With one big red eye on her head

I tried to act likable and compliant

One wrong step, I knew I’d be dead 

Suddenly loud crashes came from the yard

Her husband strode forth, some sixteen feet tall

His face was all ruddy and jagged and scarred

I raced to the closet at the end of the hall

The giant chanted, “Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum  

“I smell the blood of an Englishman

“Be he alive, or be he dead

“I'll have his bones to grind my bread!”

That creature sat down and reached into a keg

He pulled out a mangy white hen 

In seconds that hen laid a golden egg

Worth at least sixty shekels and ten

I stayed in the closet till the giant fell asleep

Then the hen and I raced down the walk

I think that dumb bird must have made a peep

For the giant saw us climb down the stalk

We scampered down that stalk as fast as we could

With the giant following closely behind us

I grabbed my axe, began chopping the wood

I could hear the big brute scream and cuss

At the very last second the stalk tumbled down

The giant cried out in grave fear

Then he crashed right down upon his bald crown

Giant’s end, we were now in the clear

Our hen supplies a golden egg every day

The first one, I bought back Old Bess

Mom, me, Bess, Hen — all contented I’d say

Is this a happy ending?  Well, yes!