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 of
hunger. However, he walked on, hoping to see a house where he might
beg something to eat and drink. He did not find it; but he saw at a
distance a beautiful lady, walking all alone. She was elegantly clad
and carried a white wand, at the top of which sat a peacock of pure
gold.

Jack, who was a gallant fellow, went straight up to her, when, with a
bewitching smile, she asked him how he came there. He told her all
about the bean-stalk. The lady answered him by a question, "Do you
remember your father, young man?"

"No, madam; but I am sure there is some mystery about him, for when I
name him to my mother she always begins to weep, and will tell me
nothing."

"She dare not," replied the lady, "but I can and will. For know,
young man, that I am a fairy and was your father's guardian. But
fairies are bound by laws as well as mortals, and by an error of mine
I lost my power for a term of years, so that I was unable to succour
your father when he most needed it, and he died." Here the fairy
looked so sorrowful that Jack's heart warmed to her, and he begged her
earnestly to tell him more.

"I will; only you must promise to obey me in everything, or you will
perish yourself."

Jack was brave, and, besides, his fortunes were so bad they could not
well be worse, so he promised.

The fairy continued: "Your father, Jack, was a most excellent,
amiable, generous man. He had a good wife, faithful servants, plenty
of money; but he had one misfortune--a false friend. This was a giant,
whom he had succoured in misfortune, and who returned his kindness by
murdering him, and seizing on all his property; also making your
mother take a solemn oath that she would never tell you anything about
your father, or he would murder both her and you. Then he turned her
off with you in her arms, to wander about the wide world as she might.
I could not help her, as my power only returned on the day you went to
sell your cow.

"It was I," added the fairy, "who impelled you to take the beans, who
made the bean-stalk grow, and inspired you with the desire to climb up
it to this strange country; for it is here the wicked giant lives who
was your father's destroyer. It is you who must avenge him, and rid
the world of a