Why Did Jack Climb the Beanstalk the Third Time?

September 2006

Students read the Junior Great Books story, Jack and the Beanstalk.  After inquiring and wondering about the actions of Jack, students gave the reasons why Jack went up the beanstalk the third time.  Here are their responses.  Enjoy!

Amanda:  Well, Jack was not content, and it wasn't very long before he determined to have another try at his luck up there at the top of the beanstalk.

Amy:  I think he climbed it because he didn't want to be poor and not have food.  I think he went up the first time because he wanted to see where it led to and see what was up there.  I think he saw gold and he wanted to take the gold because he didn't want to be poor for his whole life.  He went up the second time and thought, "Hum, I think there might be something else up there."  He saw the ogre say, "Lay," to the hen and it laid, so he said, "Cool, I want that too," so he got the golden egg and went down.  The third time he saw the harp and stole her.

August:  He went up to get more gold and because he liked tricking the ogre's wife.  Well, Jack was, after the second time, not content and it wasn't very long before he determined to have another try at the house.

Brandon:  Jack went up the third time to see what he could get next and he got a magical singing harp.

Caitlin:  Jack probably climbed the beanstalk the first time because he wanted to see what was up there.  The second time Jack went up the beanstalk he wanted more gold so that he and his mother could live on it.  The third time Jack was just greedy and wanted to get more gold.

Carlos:  I think Jack climbed the third time to get more things or some information.  I think he got all that stuff to sell it for money.

Carson:  On page 89 and I quote,  "Jack was not content, and it wasn't very long before he determined to have another try at his luck up there at the top of the beanstalk." And on page 87 and I quote, "Jack made up his mind to climb up the beanstalk a second time." On page 84 and I quote,  "Jack climbed and he climbed and he climbed."

Charles:  Jack went up the beanstalk the third time because Jack wanted to get a big talking golden harp.  When he got it, it said, "Master, Master!"  Then the giant got up and started to chase him.  After Jack got down, the giant was climbing down.  Then Jack said to his mom to get his axe and then he cut it down and then the giant died.

Dalton:  He climbed to see if he could get more gold.  He was greedy and he wanted more.  But he taught the ogre a lesson, not to give kids food.

Daulton:  I think he went up there for the hen that lays golden eggs so he can get rich.  Every time he said, Lay," the hen laid an egg.

Elliott:  I think, on the first time he wanted to see what was up there.  But, the second time he knew they were rich, so on page 87 I quote, "He saw the hen that laid golden eggs.  So he stole it."  And then on page 89, I quote, "He wanted the harp that's me.  He wanted the harp for the singing it played."

Emily:  Why did Jack climb the beanstalk?  Well, because he got greedy so he went back up.  The first time he was just wondering what was up there.  You can't blame him for waking up with a beanstalk out his window and wondering what was up there.  And the second time it says on page 87 Jack made up his mind to try his luck once more on the top of the beanstalk.  The second time is what made his so greedy.

Haley:  The first time Jack was curious to find what was up there.  Then he took the bag of gold and decided to try his luck again.  He went up the third time to see if he could get more and more, but he got caught and the ogre chased him and he killed the ogre.

Ivan:  I think he climbed the beanstalk the third time because of greed and sadness because of his mom hitting him.  I think he thought the ogre's wife was dumb.

Jacob:  The first time Jack went up the beanstalk it was because he was wondering.  Then he met the ogre's wife.  The wife was really nice and then the ogre came home.  On top of the beanstalk the ogre got his gold out and Jack took the gold.  The second time, the same thing, but Jack took the golden hen.  The third time he snuck in and hid in a different place then he took the harp, but his time he got caught.

Jadie:  Jack went up the first time out of curiosity, but the second time he meant to do it, same for the third.

Jesse:  Because he liked it and he wanted to be rich, so he took the harp and ran as fast as he could.  The ogre came running after him, and would soon have caught him, only Jack knew where he was going.

Krystina:  I think he went up the beanstalk the first time because he was curious to see what was at the top of the beanstalk.  The second time, I think he did it to see what would happen.  The third time, I think he did it to see if he could trick the ogre, or to just get some attention.

Levi:  I think he's guilty because he went up the beanstalk the third time because he was greedy and he wanted more gold.  He said, and I quote, "It wasn’t long before he determined to try his luck once more."  See I told you!  I proved him guilty, hurray!

Logan:  Why did Jack climb the beanstalk?  Well, because he was greedy so he wanted gold, so he climbed 3 times.  Well, when he went up the second time he stole the hen.  But when he went up the third time, he stole again but something that was even better, the harp, and then he killed the ogre.

McKenna:  He went up to see what else he could get and he took a harp.

Megan:  He wanted to steal the ogre's things the third time.  Same with the second time, but the first time he was curious.

Sara:  He called for his mom, "Mum, Mum, bring me an axe."  Jack wanted to chop off the ogre's legs because he stole the golden hen and told it to lay and it laid.  He climbed three times to get away from the ogre.

Shane:  He went up the first time because he was wondering what was up there.  He went up the second time because he was greedy and wanted more and he was poor.  He went up the third time because he wanted more.

Tanner:  Jack climbed up the beanstalk the third time because he wanted to see what he could steal next.  When he went up the first time, he stole a bag of gold and the reason he went up there the third time is because he wanted to see what he could steal next.

Tanner:  The first time he climbs up the beanstalk just to see what's up there.  But then again, the first time he steals a bag of gold.  And the second time he said, "I'll try my luck once more," and he stole a chicken that laid gold eggs.  Then the last time he stole a gold harp that sings.  So that clearly states that Jack is guilty.

Terry:  I think Jack climbed the beanstalk the third time because there were riches up there that he and his mother could live on.

Una:  Jack climbed the beanstalk the third time because he was greedy and wanted more gold.  I can prove this.  From page 89 in the story I quote, "Jack was not content" which it said after he stole not only the gold, but the golden hen too!