At daybreak Jack rose and went out into the garden.

'At least,' he thought, 'I will sow the wonderful beans. Mother says
that they are just common scarlet-runners, and nothing else; but I may
as well sow them.'

So he took a piece of stick, and made some holes in the ground, and put
in the beans.

That day they had very little dinner, and went sadly to bed, knowing
that for the next day there would be none and Jack, unable to sleep from
grief and vexation, got up at day-dawn and went out into the garden.

What was his amazement to find that the beans had grown up in the night,
and climbed up and up till they covered the high cliff that sheltered
the cottage, and disappeared above it! The stalks had twined and twisted
themselves together till they formed quite a ladder.

'It would be easy to climb it,' thought Jack.

And, having thought of the experiment, he at once resolved to carry it
out, for Jack was a good climber. However, after his late mistake about
the cow, he thought he had better consult his mother first.

WONDERFUL GROWTH OF THE BEANSTALK

So Jack called his mother, and they both gazed in silent wonder at the
Beanstalk, which was not only of great height, but was thick enough to
bear Jack's weight.

'I wonder where it ends,' said Jack to his mother; 'I think I will climb
up and see.'

His mother wished him not to venture up this strange ladder, but Jack
coaxed her to give her consent to the attempt, for he was certain there
must be something wonderful in the Beanstalk; so at last she yielded to
his wishes.

Jack instantly began to climb, and went up and up on the ladder-like
bean till everything he had left behind him--the cottage, the village,
and even the tall church tower--looked quite little, and still he could
not see the top of the Beanstalk.

Jack felt a little tired, and thought for a moment that he would go back
again; but he was a very persevering boy, and he knew that the way to
succeed in anything is not to give up. So after resting for a moment he
went on.

After climbing higher and higher, till he grew afraid to look down for
fear he should be giddy, Jack at last reached the top of the Beanstalk,
and found himself in a beautiful country, finely wooded, with beautiful
meadows covered with sheep. A crystal stream ran through the pastures;
not far from the place where he had got off the Beanstalk stood a fine,
strong castle.

Jack wondered very much that he had never heard of