"Lay!" roared the giant, and the hen laid immediately an egg of solid
gold.
"Lay another!" and every time the giant said this the hen laid a
larger egg than before.
He amused himself a long time with his hen, and then sent his wife to
bed, while he fell asleep by the fireside, and snored like the roaring
of cannon.
As soon as he was asleep, Jack crept out of the oven, seized the hen,
and ran off with her. He got safely out of the house, and finding his
way along the road he came, reached the top of the bean-stalk, which
he descended in safety.
His mother was overjoyed to see him. She thought he had come to some
ill end.
"Not a bit of it, mother. Look here!" and he showed her the hen. "Now
lay;" and the hen obeyed him as readily as the giant, and laid as many
golden eggs as he desired.
These eggs being sold, Jack and his mother got plenty of money, and
for some months lived very happily together; till Jack got another
great longing to climb the bean-stalk, and carry away some more of the
giant's riches. He had told his mother of his adventure, but had been
very careful not to say a word about his father. He thought of his
journey again and again, but still he could not summon resolution
enough to break it to his mother, being well assured that she would
endeavour to prevent his going. However, one day he told her boldly,
that he must take another journey up the bean-stalk; she begged and
prayed him not to think of it, and tried all in her power to dissuade
him.
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