A/N I heard this story at a summer camp, and I felt the need to write it down. I hope that you enjoy it.

Everyone knows the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, but few people know what happened afterward. To tell the truth, the afterward was not as perfect as it should have been. Jack and his mother ran out of gold, the goose stopped laying golden eggs, and the harp got a permanent sore throat and stopped singing. So of course, Jack's mother one day looked Jack right in the eye and said, "You need to get a job."

At first Jack was confused, so he asked, "A what?"

His mother once again looked at him right in the eye and said, "A job."

Then Jack said, "Okay." He knew that there was no use in arguing with his mother, because his mother was like any mother in an argument. She would always win.

The next morning Jack rose bright and early and began to walk down to the farm that was across the town. He was going to work for the farmer that day. Jack walked down the road and crossed the bridge that went across the river. He also walked passed the castle, and he saw a sad princess sitting at the window. He waved, and she didn't wave back. Then Jack walked through the town and got to the farm.

Luckily the farmer did need help that day, so Jack worked all day doing all sorts of jobs. He did just about any job that could be done at a farm, and at the end of the day, the farmer liked all of the work that Jack did, so he paid him with a gold coin.

Then Jack began the long walk home. He was a little bored, so when he walked he tossed the coin up in the air and caught it. He walked through town, and he walked passed the castle. He waved at the sad princess, and she didn't wave pack. When Jack walked across the bridge, fate had it that he dropped the coin into the water below, so he got home to his mother empty-handed.

When Jack got home his mother said, "Well?"

Jack knew that he would have to tell her the story so he said, "I worked for the farmer today, and he paid me a gold coin. I walked home tossing the coin up in the air and catching it, but I dropped it into the river."

Then Jack's mother said, "Silly Jack, next time you get paid you need to put your payment right in your pocket."

Jack said, "Okay."

The next morning Jack got up bright and early, and began to his walk to the farm. He walked down the road and crossed the bridge. He walked passed the castle and waved at the sad princess. She didn't wave back. Jack walked through the town and got to the farm and learned that he would need to milk cows that day.

Jack milked cows all day long, and at the end of the day the farmer thought that Jack did a good job, so he paid him with a jug of milk. Now Jack needed to start the long walk home, but did he toss the milk jug as he walked? Nope. He was going to carry it in his pocket. He tried to put the entire jug in one of his pockets, but he discovered that it did not fit. Then Jack came up with an idea. He took the cap off of the milk and poured half of the milk in one pocket and half of the milk in another. Now he could walk home.

Jack walked through town and passed the castle. He waved at the sad princess. She didn't wave back. Then Jack walked across the bridge and down the road to his house.

When Jack got home he was dripping wet with milk, and he smelled terrible because milk does not smell nice after sitting out under the warm sun, so his mother said, "What happened?"

Jack said, "Well, I did what you said, but I got paid in milk."

Then Jack's mother said, "Silly Jack, tomorrow when you get paid, you need to put the payment on your head."

"Okay," Jack said.

The next day Jack woke up bright and early. He walked down the road and across the bridge. He walked passed the castle and waved at the sad princess. She didn't wave back. Jack walked through the town and got to the farm. Jack learned that he would have to make cheese that day.

Jack made cheese all day long, and when he was done the farmer thought that he did a good job. Jack was paid with a big hunk of cheese. Now Jack needed to start the long walk home, but did he toss the cheese as he walked or put it in his pocket? Nope. He put it on his head.

Jack walked through town and passed the castle. He waved at the sad princess, and she didn't wave back. Jack walked over the bridge and down the road to home. When Jack got home, he was a mess. The cheese had melted in the hot sun all over him.

When Jack's mother saw Jack she said, "What happened?"

"Well," Jack said, "I did what you said, but I got paid in cheese."

Then Jack's mother said, "Silly Jack, tomorrow when you get paid you need to take both hands and hold your payment right out in front of you."

"Okay," Jack said.

The next morning Jack woke up bright and early. He walked down the road, across the bridge, and passed the castle. He waved at the sad princess. She didn't wave back. Jack walked through the town and to the farm. Jack learned that the farmer did not need any help that day, so he worked for the animal catcher instead.

Jack spent all day running around catching dogs and cats. At the end of the day the animal catcher thought that Jack did a good job, so he paid him with a kitten. Now Jack needed to start the long walk home. Did he toss the kitten as he walked? Nope. Did he put it in his pocket? No. Did he put it on his head? Of course not. He held the cat with both his hands right out in front of him. The cat did not really like being held tightly off of the ground.

Jack walked through town and passed the castle. He waved at the sad princess. She didn't wave back. He walked to the bridge, but when Jack got to the bridge, the cat decided that it had had enough of being tightly held in the air, so it squirmed out of Jack's hands scratching him, and then it jumped away from Jack scratching him even more. Jack was covered in scratches.

When Jack got home and his mother saw him she said, "What happened?" Jack was a scratched up mess.

"Well," Jack said, "I did what you said, but I got paid with a kitten. It eventually scratched me and ran away"

Jack's mother said, "Silly Jack, tomorrow when you get paid you need to tie your payment to a string and throw it over your shoulder."

Jack said, "Okay."

The next day Jack woke up bright and early, and it was raining, so when he walked he jumped in every single puddle. He walked down the road and across the bridge. He walked passed the castle and waved at the sad princess. She didn't wave back. Then Jack walked through town and had to work for the butcher that day.

Jack spent that whole day chopping, slicing, and cutting up meat. At the end of the day, the butcher thought that Jack did a good job so he paid him with the leg of a lamb. Now Jack had to start the long walk home. Did Jack toss the leg as he walked? Nope. Did he put it in his pocket? No. Did he put it on his head? No no no. Did he carry it out in front? Of course not. He tied it to a string and threw it over his shoulder, and it dragged in the mud.

Once again, Jack jumped in every single puddle. He walked through the town and passed the castle. He waved at the sad princess. She didn't wave back. The Jack walked across the bridge and down the road to his home.

When he got home he held up the leg and said to his mother, "I did what you said, and I actually got the payment home today, but it's covered in mud and I don't think you would want to eat it."

Then Jack's mother said, "Silly Jack, next time carry the payment on your back."

Jack said, "Okay."

The next morning Jack woke up bright and early. The rain had cleared, and it was a sunny day. Jack walked down the road and across the bridge. He walked passed the castle and waved at the sad princess. She didn't wave back. Jack walked through the town and discovered that the farmer needed help that day, so he worked for the farmer.

Jack worked his hardest that day, and the farmer made note of that. At the end of the day the farmer was so pleased that he paid Jack with his very own donkey. Now Jack had to start the long walk home. Did he toss the donkey as he walked? No. Did he put the donkey in his pocket? Nope. Did he put it on his head? Nah. Did he hold it out in front? No. Did he tie it to a string and throw it over his shoulder? Nope. He was going to carry the donkey on his back.

Jack went up to the donkey and said, "I am going to carry you home on my back."

The donkey thought, No no no.

Jack thought, Yes yes yes.

The donkey thought, No no no.

Jack thought, Yes yes yes, and then he picked up the donkey and put it on his back. Jack could barely walk because the donkey was so heavy. He could only stagger. The donkey was not having a very good time either because he had never ridden a human before.

Jack staggered through the town and passed the castle. He waved at the sad princess. She didn't wave back, but she did perk up a little bit because she had never seen a donkey riding a human before. At that very moment, the donkey decided that it did not like riding humans, and it wanted to get back on the ground, so it tried to get down. It could not because its feet were pointed skyward.

The princess saw that and she started to giggle because Jack and the donkey looked pretty ridiculous. She watched as the donkey struggled some more, and Jack fell over. That was all the princess could take, so needless to say, she started cracking up.

When the king heard this from inside the castle, he was shocked. He had never heard his daughter laugh, so he ran up to her to see what she was laughing about. He asked her what was so funny, but she could not say anything because she was laughing so hard. She just pointed at Jack, who was now lying underneath the upside-down donkey.

The king ran down to Jack and said, "Son, what is your name?"

"Jack," Jack said, but it really sounded like, "Wap," because it was muffled from the donkey.

"Well son," the king said, "Today was the first time I heard my daughter laugh, and I want you to come live in the castle and make her laugh every day."

Jack gave the king a thumb up because that was about the only answer he could give from underneath the donkey.

Eventually, Jack got out from under the donkey and ran home. When he saw his mother he said, "Mom, guess what. I made the princess laugh and we are going to live in the castle so I can make her laugh every day."

Jack's mother looked at him right in the eye and said, "Good job."