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JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK.
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Iw the days of king Alfred, there lived a poor woman, whose
ated in a remote country village, a great many
miiles from London, She had been a widow some years, and
had an only child named Jack, whom she indulged to a fault ;
the consequence of her blind-partiality was, that Jack did not
said, but was indolent,
were not owing to a
bad disposition, but that his mother had never checked him.
By degrees, she disposed of all she possessed—seareely any-
thing remained but acow. ‘The poor woman one day met Ja

with t in her eyes ; her dist was great, and for the first
time in her life she could not help reproaching him, saying,
© Oh! youwieked child, by your ungrateful course of life you
have at last brought me to hex ry and ruin !— Cruel, cruel
boy ! T have not money enough to, purchase even a bit of bread
for another day—nothing now remains to sell but my poor cow !
1 am sorry to part with her ; it grieves me sadly, but we must
not starve.” For a few minutes Jack felt a degree of remorse,
but it was coon over; and he legan teasing his mother to let
him sell the cow at the next village, so much that she at last
consented. As he was going along, he met a butcher, who
inquired why he was driving the cow from home? Jack replied
he was going to sell it, The butcher held some curious beans
in his hat: they were of various colours, and attracted Jack's
attention; this did not pass unnoticed by the butcher, who,
knowing Jack’s easy temper, thought now was the time to take
an advantage of it; and determined not to let slip so good an

     

 

  
   

   

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