The English fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk has delighted many children and adults too; I'm sure. Watching the 2001 American television miniseries Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story however, one would probably see the story in a new light. In an old version of the story; after climbing the giant beanstalk, Jack has met an unfriendly giant from whom he retrieves a goose that lays golden eggs and a magic golden harp that plays and sings by itself, all said to be goods once stolen from his family. In the TV version however, the giant is rather friendly and Jack has stolen the goose and harp out of greed. While in the old version, the giant has also fallen to his death after Jack chopped off the beanstalk, the giant survives the fall in the new version but is killed by Jack's mother. Now, I was wondering if the children fairy tale has downplay these acts: stealing and killing. In Buddhist morality, stealing and killing are discouraged as can be seen in the first and second of the Buddhist Five Precepts for laypeople: Panatipata veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami I undertake the precept to refrain from destroying living creatures and Adinnadana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami I undertake the precept to refrain from taking that which is not given.
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