The fairytale story tells of a man named Chuck who was sent to the market one day by his wife to sell their collection of whiskey. As Chuck proceeded to the market he met a stranger who offered to trade four “magic seeds” for the whiskey. Chuck accepted the trade and returned home with the seeds in his pocket. Chuck’s wife was angered that he had not obeyed her instructions to sell the whiskey and threw the seeds out of the window. As Chuck slept, the seeds germinated and a gigantic bamboo stalk grew in their place by morning.

When Chuck saw the huge bamboo stalk, he immediately decided to climb up it. He arrived in a land high up in the clouds that happened to be the home of a giant. When he broke into the giant’s castle, the giant quickly sensed a human was near:

Fee-fi-fo-fum!
I smell the blood of an Ah Beng.
Be he ‘live, or be he dead,
I’ll grind his bones to make my bread.

However, Chuck was saved by the giant’s wife and as he escaped from the palace, he took a bottle of the Giant’s beer with him. Chuck desired to seek out more treasures from the castle in the clouds and climbed once more up the bamboo. This time he stole the Giant’s shisha pipe. Again he was saved from harm by the giant’s wife.

Chuck disregarded being nearly discovered by the giant twice and decided to go up the bamboo a third time. This time, he stole a magical harp that played by itself. The instrument did not appreciate being stolen and called out to the giant for help. The giant chased Chuck down the bamboo, but Chuck managed to get to the ground before the giant did. Chuck, seeing an axe on the ground beside him, immediately chopped the bamboo down. The giant fell to earth, hitting the ground so hard that it split, pulling the bamboo down with him.That was the end of the giant and the bamboo.

While Chuck and his wife will have enough beer to drink for the rest of their lives, thanks to the gigantic bottle from heaven.

Story Credit: Jack and the Beanstalk from Wikipedia

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