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The Composition of "Jack and the Beanstalk"
- Marvels & Tales
- Wayne State University Press
- Volume 15, Number 1, 2001
- pp. 11-26
- 10.1353/mat.2001.0008
- Article
- Additional Information
- Purchase/rental options available:
Although the folktale "Jack and the Beanstalk" is usually listed under Aarne-Thompson 328, The Boy Steals the Giant's Treasures, other subtypes of AT 328 have no counterpart to the enormous beanstalk. A beanstalk like Jack's appears in several other tale types, including AT 563, The Table, the Ass, and the Stick; and AT 555, The Fisherman and his Wife; and two humorous anecdotes. However, only Jack's beanstalk contributes to a hero's victory over a villain.