Storytelling. The cat that walked by himself and other stories

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Сборник. Storytelling. The cat that walked by himself and other stories

Jack and the Beanstalk

The Bogey-Beast

The ten trails

The three wishes

The nail

Mother Hulda

The three spinners

The Cat that walked by himself

Red-headed Andy

A friendly rat

A wasp at table

The skipping shoes

The white Persian

Tinker

Solomon John goes for apples

A nose for the king

The story of Keesh

The butterfly that stamped

The right Promethean fire

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Once upon a time there lived a poor widow and her son Jack. One day, Jack’s mother told him to sell their only cow. Jack went to the market and on the way he met a man who wanted to buy his cow. Jack asked, “What will you give me in return for my cow?” The man answered, “I will give you five magic beans!” Jack took the magic beans and gave the man the cow. But when he reached home, Jack’s mother was very angry. She said, “You fool! He took away your cow and gave you some beans!” She threw the beans out of the window. Jack was very sad and went to sleep without dinner.

The next day, when Jack woke up in the morning and looked out of the window, he saw that a huge beanstalk had grown from his magic beans! He climbed up the beanstalk and reached a kingdom in the sky. There lived a giant and his wife. Jack went inside the house and found the giant’s wife in the kitchen. Jack said, “Could you please give me something to eat? I am so hungry!” The kind wife gave him bread and some milk.

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“And after all,” said the man, “there’s nothing much better in the world to wish for than a full stomach.”

“Why should I blacken my hands for you?” cried the girl. “Stay where you are, and if you burn, no one will be the worse for it but yourselves.” And so saying, she went on her way.

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