Jack the Giant Killer
Jack the Giant Killer — an illustrated tales story. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Tales.
Page 1
In a village nestled upon the back of a slumbering giant, lived young Jack, a boy dreaming of more than tending sheep. King Bran, whose crown felt heavy atop his head, worried endlessly about waking their colossal foundation. Old Maggie, the village seer, muttered of prophecies and brave deeds to come. But it was the giants themselves, with their thundering footsteps in Jack's dreams, that promised a destiny beyond the village's grassy slopes.
Page 2
"Another tremor," King Bran sighed, clutching his scepter. "The giant stirs in his sleep. If he wakes, our village will be destroyed." Jack, ever bold, spoke up, "Perhaps I could help, Your Majesty? I've read that deep within the giant's dreams lie treasures and secrets unknown."
Page 3
"Dreams can be deceiving, Jack," Old Maggie croaked, emerging from the shadows. "But so can inaction. I have something that might aid you: a bean, imbued with the very essence of giants. Plant it at the forest's edge, where the veil between worlds thins." She pressed the smooth, dark bean into Jack's palm. "As Leonardo da Vinci once said, 'Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence'," she whispered, her eyes gleaming. "Listen to the giant, but trust your own heart."
Page 4
Jack, clutching the bean, ventured into the forest. Shadows danced like phantoms, and the air grew thick with the scent of damp earth. He found a small clearing bathed in an unnatural moonlight. With trembling hands, he pressed the bean into the soil, whispering a silent plea to the giant slumbering beneath them.
Page 5
By morning, a colossal beanstalk pierced the sky, its verdant leaves shimmering with an otherworldly light. Jack, despite his fear, felt an irresistible pull. He began to climb, each upward step a challenge to gravity and his own courage. "This feels like a trick," he muttered as the ground disappeared below, but a voice in his head shouted that King Bran needed him.
Page 6
The beanstalk led to a cloud-veiled land, where a towering castle loomed. Inside, gold glittered in obscene piles, and the air reeked of burnt flesh. He heard a booming voice, "Fee, fi, fo, fum! I smell the blood of an Englishman!" Jack knew then the stories were all true. This giant was a killer, his greed endless.
Page 7
He saw a beautiful golden harp, weeping silently in a cage. A woman, too, was trapped, her song stolen by the giant. She looked to Jack, pleading with her eyes to set her free. "I am Melody," she whispered. "The giant stole my voice and my freedom. You must help me, or all music will die."
Page 8
As Jack freed Melody and seized the harp, the giant stormed in, his face contorted with rage. "Thief!" he bellowed, his voice shaking the castle. Jack, remembering Old Maggie's words, played a mournful tune on the harp, a song of empathy and loss. The giant, momentarily stunned, clutched his head in pain.
Page 9
The giant stumbled, his weight causing the beanstalk to sway. With a final, desperate chord, Jack severed the beanstalk's base with a stolen sword. The giant plunged to the earth, his reign of terror ended. Melody sang, her voice restored, a lament for a creature consumed by his own greed.
Page 10
Back in the village, Melody's music filled the air, sweeter and more vibrant than ever before. Jack, no longer just a shepherd boy, had proven that even giants deserve understanding, but greed unchecked leads to ruin. The village thrived, its future secure, yet they remembered the day the giant fell, a constant reminder of the burden they carried on their sleeping foundation. As the wise Confucius once said, 'Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance.'
About this story
- Audience: kids (ages 6–12)
Questions and answers
Read Wonder Tales on your phone
Wonder Tales is available on Android. Get Wonder Tales on Google Play.