Jack and the Bean-Stalk: English Hexameters

"Jack and the Bean-Stalk: English Hexameters" by Hallam Tennyson is a late 19th-century poetic adaptation of a beloved fairy tale, aimed toward children and young adults, where a lazy boy trades his family's cow for magic beans and finds himself on an extraordinary adventure. The story unfolds with Jack, a young boy living in poverty, ascending the massive beanstalk that sprouts from the enchanted beans. He discovers a giant's castle filled with riches, like a golden-egg-laying hen and a musical harp. Driven by his newfound ambition, Jack repeatedly climbs to the giant's abode, each time daringly stealing treasures while narrowly avoiding the giant's wrath. His bravery and cunning are tested, and the story races to a fateful escape, forever changing Jack's destiny.