a tree, shrub, house, or living creature to be seen; here
and there were scattered fragments of stone; and at unequal distances,
small heaps of earth were loosely thrown together.

Jack seated himself pensively upon a block of stone, and thought of his
mother--he reflected with sorrow upon his disobedience in climbing the
bean-stalk against her will; and concluded that he must die with hunger.
However he walked on, hoping to see a house where he might beg something
to eat and drink; presently a handsome young woman appeared at a
distance: as she approached, Jack could not help admiring how beautiful
and lively she looked; she was dressed in the most elegant manner, and
had a small white wand in her hand, on the top of which was a peacock of
pure gold. While Jack was looking with great surprise at this charming
female, she came up to him, and with a smile of the most bewitching
sweetness, inquired how he came there. Jack related the circumstance of
the bean-stalk. She asked him if he recollected his father; he replied
he did not; and added, there must be some mystery relating to him,
because if he asked his mother who his father was, she always burst into
tears, and appeared violently agitated, nor did she recover herself for
some days after; one thing, however, he could not avoid observing upon
these occasions, which was that she always carefully avoided answering
him, and even seemed afraid of speaking, as if there was some secret
connected with his father's history which she must not disclose. The
young woman replied, "I will reveal the whole story; your mother must
not. But, before I begin, I require a solemn promise on your part to do
what I command; I am a fairy, and if you do not perform exactly what I
desire, you will be destroyed," Jack was frightened at her menaces, but
promised to fulfil her injunctions exactly, and the fairy thus addressed
him:

"Your father was a rich man, his disposition remarkably benevolent: he
was very good to the poor, and constantly relieving them. He made it a
rule never to let a day pass without doing good to some person. On one
particular day in the week, he kept open house, and invited only those
who were reduced and had lived well. He always presided himself, and did
all in his power to render his guests comfortable; the rich and the
great were not invited. The servants were all happy, and greatly
attached to their master and mistress. Your father, though only a
private gentleman