



Produced by David Widger from page images generously
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JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK

English Hexameters

By Hallam Tennyson

Illustrated By Randolph Caldecott

London

Macmillan And Co.

And New York

1886




PREFACE

In his last letter to me Caldecott wrote: 'I have been making several
attempts at the Giant, and have been cogitating over the Illustrations
to "Jack" generally. During the winter I shall be able to show you some
of my ideas.' The following unfinished Sketches are the 'ideas,' which,
with Mrs. Caldecott's kind permission, have been reproduced.

H. T.



To My Father,

In Recognition Of What This Booklet Owes To Him,

And To My Nephews,

'Golden-Hair'd' Ally, Charlie, And Michael,

Who Have So Far Condescended

As To Honour It With Their Approbation.




JACK AND THE BEAN-STALK


|JACK was a poor widow's heir, but he lived as a drone

```in a beehive,

`Hardly a handstir a day did he work. To squander her

```earnings

`Seem'd to the poor widow hard, who raved and scolded

```him always.

`Nought in her house was left; not a cheese, not a loaf,

```not an onion;

`Nought but a cow in her yard, and that must go to the

```market.

`"Sell me the cow," cried she; then he sold it, gad! for a

```handful----

`Only to think!------of beans. She shied them out thro'

```the window,

`Cursing him: hied to her bed, there slept, but awoke in

```amazement,

`Seeing a huge bean-stalk, many leaves, many pods, many

```flowers,

`Rise to the clouds more tall than a tall California  pine-

```tree;

`High as a lark was Jack, scarce seen, and climbing away

```there.

`"Where an' O where," * he shrill'd; she beheld his boots

```disappearing;

* "<i>Where an' O where is my Highland laddie gone?</i>"


`Pod by pod Jack arose, till he came to a pod that alarm'd

```him.

`Bridge-like this long pod stretch'd out, and touch'd on an

```island

`Veil'd in vapour. A shape from the island waved him a

```signal,

`Waved with a shining hand, and Jack with an humble

```obeisance

`Crawl'd to the shape, who remark'd, "I gave those beans

```to ye, darling.

`I am a fairy, a friend to ye, Jack; see yonder a Giant

`Lives, who slew your own good father, see what a fortress!

`Enter it, have no fear, since I, your fairy, protect you."

`Jack march'd up to the gate, in a moment pass'd to the

```kitchen

`Led by the savoury smell. This Giant's wife with a ladle

`Basted a young elephant (Jack's namesake shriek'd and

```turn'd it).

`Back Jack shrank in alarm: with fat cheeks peony-bulbous,

`Ladle in hand, she stood, and spake in a tone of amuse-

```ment:.

`"Oh! what a cramp'd-up, small, unsesquipedalian object!"

`Then from afar came steps, heavy tramps, as a pavior

```hamm'ring;

`Out of her huge moon-cheeks the redundant peony faded,

`Jack's lank hair she grabb'd, and, looking sad resolution,

`Popt him aghast in among her saucepans' grimy recesses.

`Then strode in, with a loud heavy-booted thunder of heel-

```taps,

`He with a tiger at heel--her Giant, swarthy, colossal:

`"I smell flesh of a man; yea, wife, tho' he prove but a

```morsel,

`Man tastes good." She replied, "Sure thou be'est failing

```in eyesight;

`'Tis but a young elephant, my sweetest lord, not a biped."

`Down he crook'd his monstrous knees, and rested his hip-

```bones,

`Call'd for his hen, said "Lay so she, with a chuck cock-

```a-doodle,

`Dropt him an egg, pure gold, a refulgent, luminous

```oval,--

`That was her use:--when he push'd her aside, cried,

```"Bring me the meat now,"

`Gorged his enormous meal, fell prone, and lost recollection.

`Jack from a saucepan watch'd his broad chest's monstrous

```upheavals:

`Then to the chamber above both dame and tiger ascended.

`"Now for it, hist!" says Jack--"coast clear, and none to

```behold me,"

`Airily Jack stole forth, and seized the plump, money-

```laying,

`Priceless, mystical hen; ran forth, sped away to the bean-

```stalk,

`Heard from afar, then near, heavy tramps, as a pavior

```hamm'ring,

`Sprang down pod by pod, with a bounding, grasshopper

```action,

`Left the Colossus aghast at an edge of his own little

```island,

`Lighted on earth, whom she, that bare him, fondly

```saluting,

`Dropt a maternal tear, and dried that tear with her

```apron,

`Seeing him home and safe; and after it, all was a hey-day,

`Lots of loaves, and tons of cheeses, a barnful of onions;

`Cows and calves, and creams, and gold eggs piled to the

```ceilings:

`Horses, goats, and geese, and pigs, and pugs by the

```hundred.

`Ah! but he found in a while his life of laziness irk-

```some.

`"Climb me," the bean-stalk said with a whisper. Jack,

```reascending,

`Swarm'd to the wonderful isle once more, and high

```habitation;

`Led by the fairy return'd to the fortress, pass'd to the

```kitchen,

`Unseen, hied him again to the saucepans' grimy recesses,

`Peep'd out into the room. The plump wife, peony-

```bulbous,

`Toasted a constrictor, which roll'd in vast revolutions.

`Then strode in, strong-booted again, with a roar, the

```Colossus:

`Call'd for his harp, said "Play." So this, with a sharp

```treble ting-tong,

`Play'd him an air, a delightful, long-drawn, national

```anthem,

`Play'd him an air, untouch'd, (the strings, by a fairy

```magician

`Wrought, were alive). Then he shouted aloud, "Wife,

```bring me the meat now,"

`Gorged his elongate meal; the snake in warm revolutions,

`Making his huge bulk swell, disappear'd like Man's

```macaroni:

`After, he yawn'd and snored, fell prone, and lost recol-

```lection.

`So Jack seized the melodious harp, and bolted. A

```murmur

`"Master, master, a rascal, a rascal!" rang thro' the harp-

```strings.

`Quickly the monster awoke, and wielding a cudgel,--

```an oak tree,--

`Chased little Jack with a shout of mighty, maniacal

```anger;

`Jack to the beanpod sprang with a leap, and desperate

```hurl'd his

`Limbs in a downward, furious, headlong pre-cipitation,

`But for a wink up-glanced; his foeman's ponderous

```hob-nails

`Shone from aloft: down crash'd big pods, and bean

```avalanches.

`"Haste mother, haste mother, oh! mother, haste, and

```bring me the hatchet!"

`Cried Jack, alighting on earth. She brought him an

```axe double-handed.

`Jack cleft clean thro' the haulm; that Giant desperate

```hurl'd his.

`Limbs in a downward, roaring, thund'ring pre-cipitation,

`Crash'd to the ground stone-dead with a crash as a crag

```from a mountain.

`"I'm your master now," said Jack to the harp at his

```elbow;

`"There's your old 'un! of him pray give your candid

```opinion!"

`Sweetly the mystical harp responded, "Master, a rascal!"

[Illustration: 0019]




JACK AND THE BEAN-ST