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Jack and the Fire DragonBy Gail E. Haley

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Pa Comes Home With a Surprise Chapter 1 of 8

This is a tale of Jack, the same Jack who had climbed the Bean Tree to Skyland and brought home the golden eggs.

Many years had passed since the boy Jack had climbed the Bean Tree. His father and his older brothers, Tom and Will, had come home from the war.

Pa used the money from the magic hen’s golden eggs to buy some land. They built a nice barn and bought some live-stock. Every year their crops grew better. Life got better for the family. I guess you could say they were prosperous.

Jack had grown up to be a fi ne young man. And though he was as good at plowing and building as his brothers, he still liked helping his mother with her chores. He was the baby of the family, and the two older brothers teased him about being her favorite.

On this day, he had cut kindling and wood to keep the kitchen stove blazing since early morning. Ma had made a pound cake and some special yeast bread and had a big wild turkey with sage stuffi ng baking in the oven. Jack had also churned a golden mound of butter and put it in the springhouse to chill.

As they walked out to the chicken coop, Ma was smiling. “Can’t you give me just a hint about what Pa plans to tell us today?” Jack questioned.

Ma just laughed. “Now, Jack, you know I can’t tell you anything. You’ll just have to wait until dinnertime. Your father will tell you soon enough.”

The chickens were crooning “brrruck, brruck, brruck” as they walked into the dark shed. It smelled of hay, grain, and warm feathers. A new-hatched fl ock of fl uffy yellow chicks scurried around their feet.

They collected a dozen big eggs. “These will be just enough for the pies,” Ma said to herself as much as to Jack.

“What kind of pies need eggs, Ma?” Jack asked.

“Why, lemon meringue, son. I’m making two since you all love them so much.”

Jack whistled. Something important must be about to happen. He could count on one hand the times Ma had made lemon pie because lemons were so hard to come by in the mountains.

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As Ma went to start the pies, Jack checked the clothes hanging on the line. They were dry, so he took them down. “This is strange,” he thought. “It seems like every stitch of clothes I own is on this line—Tom’s and Will’s, too!” Jack wondered if this had anything to do with Pa’s surprise.

He could hear his older brothers coming home from the fi elds and getting clean in the outdoor shower rigged up by the woodshed. His turn would be next.

The smell of lemon meringue pies drifted from the kitchen, along with the savory odors of turkey, yeast bread and coffee. Dinner was not far off, so Jack took his shower and put on a clean shirt from the clothesline.

When he walked into the dining room, the table was covered with Ma’s best tablecloth and all her good china and tableware. There was a bowl of fresh spring fl owers in the center of the table.

The turkey, succotash, pickles, jam, greens, mashed potatoes dripping with butter, and Ma’s piping hot fresh rolls covered the table. The two lemon meringue pies sat proudly on the sideboard.

“All right, boys,” Ma ordered Jack and his brothers. “Line up and let me see all six hands—top and bottom.”

Suddenly, they all heard banging and clattering coming from the front yard; then Pa walked into the house.“All right,” said Ma, “you boys can look now.” The three young men rushed to the front porch; then stood speechless.

Cabe, the blue ox, was pulling the largest sledge any of them had ever seen. It was loaded ten feet high. There were three of everything—cedar trunks, quilts, picks and shovels. There was a shiny crosscut saw with hickory handles. In between were buckets and oak split baskets.

“Don’t keep Ma’s good food waiting,” Pa said. As the food was being passed around the table, Pa announced, “I have three hundred acres of new ground up by Brown Mountain. I’m giving it to the three of you. Tomorrow, at the break of dawn, you’ll start out with that load of gear. I want you to build a cabin to start out in, then clear enough of that new ground so the three of you—Tom, Will, and Jack—can each have a farm. I’ll expect you to help each other build two more cabins, barns, and split rail fences to hold your livestock. After that, fi nd yourselves wives—I’m looking forward to having grand-children.”

Will and Tom were excited by their good fortune. But Jack’s heart sank. He had been hoping for a wilder kind of adventure.

If only he’d known—adventure enough was waiting for them on Brown Mountain.

Coming next: Chapter 2, “A Spooky Neighborhood”

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Story Activities

1. The story tells us that Jack “had been hoping for a wilder kind of adventure.” What does this tell us about Jack? Look through the Houston Chronicle for a story about someone who seems to like wild adventures. Describe the person and tell how that person is like Jack. How might Jack’s adventure when he climbed the beanstalk fi t in with this characteristic? What clue in the story makes you think there might be a wild adven-ture after all?

2. The word “springhouse” in the story is one you probably don’t know, but you can fi gure out its meaning by using context clues. What other words in the sentence are clues that help you to guess its meaning? Look through the Houston Chronicle to fi nd a picture of something that we use today instead of a springhouse.

3. Although we don’t know exactly when this story takes place, we know that it does not occur in modern times. What clues tell you that the story takes place years ago? Look through the Houston Chronicle for pictures of three things that you would not expect to fi nd during the time of this story. Find three words in the Chronicle that probably did not exist at that time. Why would these words be fairly new to the English language?

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A Spooky NeighborhoodChapter 2 of 8

The story: Jack’s father surprises him and his brothers, Tom and Will, with farmland of their own on Brown Mountain. They set out to build a cabin to start their farms.

After a thunderstorm in the night, the sun came up strong and bright. The whole world smelled newly washed as Jack, Tom, and Will said their goodbyes to Ma and Pa. Ma dabbed at her eyes with her apron. “You boys be careful, now, and make sure you look after one another.”

Pa just cracked the whip to get Cabe started. The mighty blue-black ox heaved against the weight of the full sledge, and then it started sliding along the dirt road on its polished rails. “It will get easier to pull as the road dries out,” Pa called after them.

As the boys rode away, they were kind of hoping they’d meet someone to show off their treasures to. Old Mr. Ware and Farmer Todd waved their hands as they worked their fi elds, but the boys met no one until just before the bend where they were to turn down into the woods. There stood old Miz Amelia, as if she’d been waiting for them.

“Hello, boys,” she greeted them, her voice cracked with age and years of dipping snuff. “Where are you going?”

Tom and Will fi gured it was none of her business, but Jack said, “We’re off to Brown Mountain to clear three hundred acres of new ground.”

“Ahhh, Brown Mountain, is it?” She pushed back her bonnet and peered up at them. “Just as well you’ve brought your fi rearms. I’ve heard rumors that there’s more to deal with up there than bears!” She chuckled to herself as they turned Cabe down the mountain, where the sledge slid easily over fallen pine needles. “Still,” she called out, “there’s nothing so fearsome as fear itself.”

“Crazy old woman,” Tom muttered to Will.

But Jack kept the old woman’s words close to his chest and thought about them. There was a cleared trail for the fi rst day. But after that, the woods got wider, and the brush thickets denser. At times the brothers had to clear the trail for Cabe and the sledge.

On the third day, they climbed a mountain and looked down into their new home—three hundred acres of prime new ground. Some of the trees were as big around as tables and stretched so high that they seemed to hold up the sky. “Wheeyooo,” they all whistled, “that is some piece of land.”



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When they reached the valley below, Tom and Will started chopping wood for a fi re. Jack unpacked some bacon, coffee, and cooking gear then went up the hill to look around.

He fl ushed out a wild turkey and borrowed some of her eggs. He placed them in his hat then climbed a bit higher. Fur-ther up the hill, he could see nothing but wild mountain landscape washed in sunlight. For just a minute he thought he could smell pipe tobacco on the wind. Then he laughed to himself. There was no one else around for miles!

With the eggs, the bacon, and the last of Ma’s yeast bread from home, the brothers had a real feast that fi rst evening.

Jack went to wash the dishes and get water for Cabe. He decided it was safer for all of them to keep the big ox near them as they slept. Tom and Will were snoring by the time he got back. Jack sat by the fi re, wrapped in a blanket, dreaming of what lay ahead. He smelled the tobacco smoke again, but he could see nothing in the darkness beyond the fi re.

He thought about Miz Amelia’s warning of something dangerous in this wild country, pulled his trusty gun close beside him, and then fell asleep, as weary as his brothers. He dreamed that a thunderstorm approached, shaking the ground as it came, but no rain fell.

In the morning, the three young men had a quick breakfast of leftover bacon, coffee and journey cake. Then they climbed the mountain where Jack had found the turkey eggs. From the top, they could see in all directions. “Let’s build the cabin up here where we can see anything that comes near,” Jack suggested.

“What are you afraid of?” Tom and Will snickered, but Jack said nothing in return.

Jack was sure that he had seen footprints the size of Ma’s biggest frying pan all around the camp where they spent the night, but he didn’t mention them to Tom and Will as they would just have laughed at him and said nobody had feet that big.

Coming next: Chapter 3, “A Big Neighbor Comes Calling”

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Story Activities, Chapter 2

1. Tom and Will dismiss Miz Amelia’s warning and call her a “crazy old woman.” They also laugh at Jack, asking him “What are you afraid of?” How do you know that Jack takes Miz Amelia’s warning seriously? What other unexplained things has Jack noticed that make him think someone else is around? How does his caution fi t in with his desire for wild adventures? Does being careful make a person less adventurous? Ex-plain your answer. What do you think will happen next in the story?

2. Letters to the editor often carry warnings about the future. The person who writes the letter often pre-dicts that something bad will happen if his/her advice is not followed. Read the letters to the editor in the Houston Chronicle and fi nd one such warning. What is the person warning will happen? What action does the writer feel is necessary to prevent this from happening? Are the reasons given based on fact? Do you agree with the writer’s conclusions? What advice would you give?

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A Big Neighbor Comes CallingChapter 3 of 8

The story: Jack and his brothers, Tom and Will, arrive at their new farmland on Brown Mountain. Miz Amelia, one of their neighbors, warns them that there might be trouble ahead. Jack takes her warning seriously although his brothers ignore her.

It seemed like the cabin went up almost by itself. Tom and Will were strong men, and Jack was persistent and clever. What he couldn’t lift, he could lever.

Within a month they hung their front door and moved into their new house. They had a wide fi replace with hooks for hanging pots and a small bake-oven made of stone. Tables, chairs, a mantle piece, and beds were all made from a single oak tree.

The quilts, dishes, and pots Ma had sent made the cabin warm and cozy, and the young men celebrated by cooking a deep dish turkey pie.

Next morning Jack and Will took the crosscut saw down the mountain to begin clearing ground for a fi eld. Tom stayed behind to fi nish planking the porch and cook the evening meal. When he was in the army, he had learned to cook, so he cooked black-eyed peas and rice with some big slices of ham. He cooked fresh greens and had just set it all out on the table when he heard a sound like very big footsteps coming up the hill.

“It’s just my crazy brothers playing a joke,” he thought, and he hid behind the door to scare them when they came in. But it wasn’t his brothers who got the scare.

“KA BAM!” The door fl ew open, knocking poor Tom in the head.

And then, crawling in on hands and knees, came a giant man with a head the size of a washtub. He was sniffi ng and roll-ing his big green eyes around the room. As soon as he spotted the food, he slurped it down in three bites. Then he gave a mighty burp, turned round to the fi replace, picked up a shovel of hot coals, put them in his pipe and sucked on it until it was lit. Then the huge man backed out the way he had come in.

Tom slid down the wall and was still sitting there when Jack and Will came home, hungry as two bears.

“Well, where’s our dinner?” they demanded.

“If you’d seen what I just saw, you wouldn’t want any dinner,” Tom stammered.



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Jack and Will got the story out of him as best they could, then put him to bed.

“Well, that’s a tall tale if I ever heard one!” Jack laughed.

“If you ask me, it was that crack on the head that knocked the sense out of him,” Will mused; but Jack, who had seen the big footprints, had his own thoughts on the matter.

Next day Jack and Tom went to clear the fi eld, leaving Will at home. Will went out and shot a wild turkey. He cleaned and dressed it and put it on a spit to cook all day. He made cornbread and a big bowl of turkey gravy. He opened a jar of Ma’s wine berry jam and put the feast on the table.

He was upstairs making the beds, when the door fl ung open as it had the day before. Will scrunched down between the beds, with a quilt over his head, and lay as still as the dead. What he saw through the cracks in the fl oorboard made his blood run cold. The giant was so big that Will could see every eyelash and the hairs coming out of his nose.

The giant’s eyes lit up at the sight of the turkey. He put it in his mouth whole, crunched it up and used the spit for a toothpick. He sopped up the gravy with the cornbread and scooped out Ma’s good jelly from the jar with one enor-mous fi ngernail. He breathed a great sigh of satisfaction, lit his pipe, and left just as he had come.

When Jack and Tom came home, Will was sitting on the stairs to the loft, white as a sheet. “What’s wrong with you, and where’s our food?” Jack and Tom wanted to know.

“Well, I’m sure not hungry, and you wouldn’t be either if you’d been here a half hour ago,” muttered Will. He fi nally managed to tell them the horrible sight he’d seen.

“You mean he came right into our house, big as life, and ate up all the food?” Jack laughed. “Wow, that’s a good story!”

Tom and Will glared at Jack. “OK, smart aleck, you’ll laugh out the other side of your face tomorrow when it’s your turn!”

Jack pretended he didn’t believe a word of what they said. He kept thinking of what Miz Amelia had told them on the public road. “There is nothing so fearsome as fear itself.” He knew there was something afoot from the day he saw the big prints around the campfi re. And he already had a plan.

Coming next: Chapter 4, “Jack Meets Old Fire Dragaman “Coming next: Chapter 4, “Jack Meets Old Fire Dragaman “Coming next: Chapter 4, “Jack Meets Old Fire Dragaman

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1. Every story has a problem and characters who must solve the problem. You were introduced to the characters in the previous chapters. In this chapter, you learn about the problem. What is the problem in this story? Who do you think will solve it? Look through the Houston Chronicle for a description of a problem that must be solved. Summarize the problem and tell who must solve it. Would this problem be a good one to include in a story? Explain your answer.

2. One of the things that makes this a good story is the use of vivid description to help the reader “see” what is happening. For example, the writer doesn’t just tell us the giant is huge—she describes his size in great detail. List some of the ways that she shows us how enormous the giant is. Find a picture of an interesting item in the Houston Chronicle. Pretend that you are writing a story and must explain what you see in words. Describe the picture, using vivid words to help the reader see what you want him/her to see.

3. The stories that Will and Tom tell about their encounter with the giant explain some of the clues that Jack no-ticed when they fi rst arrived at the mountain. What two unusual things did he notice that fi rst day? How would he now explain them?

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Jack Meets Old Fire DragamanChapter 4 of 8

The story: Once their cabin is built, two of the brothers go out each day to clear the land. Each brother left behind— fi rst Tom, then Will — reports that a giant entered the cabin and devoured the meal each had prepared. Next morning, Tom and Will seemed eager to get out of the house as soon as breakfast was over.

“I’m going to work on the springhouse this morning,” Jack told them. “Then I’ll catch some fi sh for our dinner.”

“You’d better catch plenty,” Will said.

“Yeah,” agreed Tom. “You never know who’s going to show up in time to eat.”

“I’ll make hushpuppies, too,” Jack called after them, but they were almost out of hearing distance by the time the words were out of his mouth. He put a sweet potato in the coals of the fi replace and laid on some extra wood so it would be ready for his lunch.

Jack rigged fi shing lines in the river with big fl oats so that he could see them bobbing from the springhouse.

A bright little spring ran just behind the cabin. There was solid rock on two sides. Jack had the framework anchored and the back wall in place before lunchtime. He built a cage in the water just below the springhouse.

Jack raked out the sweet potato and took it down to the river. Sure enough, he found four big trout fi rmly on his lines. He re-moved them from the lines and dropped them into a bucket. Then, remembering his brothers’ warnings, he baited the lines and put them back in.

Jack took the trout back up the hill. He put them in the cage he had made. There was enough water for them to swim around, but they couldn’t get out.

Jack fi nished the bottom wall of the springhouse, leaving room for a door. When he went to check his fi shing lines again, he found three more trout on his lines. He gathered some Dragon’s Blood Vine he saw hanging by the river. And, being a lucky kind of fellow, he found some mushrooms right underneath. He carted his load up to the house, put the extra trout in the cage, then settled on the porch to strip the vines and began weaving a strong coil of rope.

When it was time to fi x dinner, he cleaned the trout, rolled them in corn meal, and fried them in the Dutch oven. He fried a large batch of hushpuppies. He pushed the loaded skillet to the back of the fi re and laid the mushrooms on top of the fi sh, so they’d cook just enough.

Jack went back to his rope weaving. Pretty soon he could hear big footsteps in the distance. Jack just went on with his weaving, whistling to keep up his courage. When a big shadow fell across his work, Jack looked up. There stood Old Fire Dragaman grin-ning down at him. His eyeteeth were as long as Jack’s fi ngers.


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And, though Jack’s heart was pounding in his chest, he smiled back. “Hello, Granddaddy, you’re just in time for supper.”

The old giant’s eyebrows went up in surprise. “Oh, thank you kindly, lad, but I don’t have time to stop.” He took out a gold watch the size of a kitchen plate and looked at it. “No, I’ve got no time at all. I would appreciate a light for my pipe, though.”

“Sure thing,” said Jack. “I’ll get it for you.” He went into the cabin, loaded some hot coals in the scuttle and took them out to the giant.

The huge man picked the coals out with his fi ngers and tamped them into his pipe. “Much obliged, son,” he muttered. Then he turned to leave.

“Sure you won’t stay?” Jack called out. “I cooked plenty.” But in a few strides, the giant was out of sight.

Now Jack was not about to let an adventure slip through his fi ngers. He followed the giant and watched him climb down into a large hole. Jack peered down into the hole. He could see only darkness.

Jack returned to the cabin and sat working on his rope until Tom and Will came home.

“Hello, boys,” Jack greeted them. “I’ve got dinner hot and waiting for you.”

As their younger brother put dinner out, Tom and Will washed up. “Well,” said Will, “looks like the giant forgot to come today.”

“Oh, he came by,” Jack said. “I asked him to stay for dinner, but he just lit his pipe and went on.”

“Well, that’s really something,” said Tom. “He didn’t try to hurt you or anything?”

“No, he seemed rather friendly,” Jack said. “In fact, I walked him back to his hidden hole among the rock cliffs. I’ll show you after dinner.”

It was getting dark when Jack showed his brothers the entrance to the Fire Dragaman’s abode.

“If he had a gold watch as big as a dinner plate, he must be very rich,” Tom said.

“Yeah,” Will agreed. “He had no right to steal our food when he could afford to pay for it. We need to get even.”

Jack had a shower and went off to bed.

But Tom and Will stayed up late planning their revenge. Why was it that Jack was always the lucky one? Why did things always go his way? Tom and Will began to get a bit worked up and jealous of Jack as they talked late into the night, and they decided to get even with the giant and their brother.

Coming next: Chapter 5, “The Brothers’ Revenge “

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1. Tom and Will seem to be disappointed that Jack wasn’t frightened or hurt by the giant. They are jealous because he seems to always be “the lucky one.” Describe the way Tom and Will reacted when the giant came to their cabin. Then describe the way Jack reacted. Would luck alone explain the difference? What qualities does Jack have that his brothers do not have? Look through the Houston Chronicle for a story about someone who was very lucky. Does luck alone explain what happened? Was there any skill involved in taking advantage of the opportunity? What conclusions can you draw about people who are described as being lucky?

2. A famous writer once said that having courage doesn’t mean a person is not afraid—it means that the person can face his/her fear and still take the correct action. How do you know that Jack was afraid when the giant ap-peared? How did Jack’s actions show courage? Find an article in the Houston Chronicle that describes some-one who showed courage. Why was the person afraid? What did he/she do despite being afraid?

3. The writer of this story sets the story in North Carolina, and the food she describes is typical of that state. Pretend that you were writing this story and that you decided to set it in Texas. Describe a meal that one of the characters might prepare if the story was set in Texas. Find a recipe in the Houston Chronicle that will help you tell how the character prepares the meal.

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The Brothers’ RevengeChapter 5 of 8

The story: Jack meets Fire Dragaman and follows him to his hidden lair. When he tells Tom and Will that the giant ap-pears to be very rich, the brothers, jealous that Jack seems to have all the luck, plan revenge on both the giant and Jack.

By the time the three brothers sat down to breakfast the next morning, Tom and Will had a plan all mapped out. “That old giant must be rich to have a gold pocket watch the size of a dinner plate,” said Will.

“And he shouldn’t be trespassing on our land and stealing our food,” Tom added. “So the way we see it, you should go down there and steal something back from him.”

“Yeah, since you’re the lightest, and the two of us could easily let you down that hole,” Will added.

“I don’t know about stealing,” Jack said. “He seemed like a reasonable old man. Maybe I could just ask him to pay for the food.”

Jack was the kind of fellow who looked for adventure. It was like a hunger he had, to fi nd out things about the world he had not yet seen. It led him into some places where an older, wiser man might not have gone.

So the brothers agreed that Jack would go down into the giant’s lair. They had a tub big enough for Jack to sit in. They attached the rope Jack had made of Dragon’s Blood Vine to the handles, and Will and Tom lowered Jack into the darkness.

“When you want to come back, just tug on the rope three times, and we’ll pull you right up,” promised Will.

As soon as his eyes grew accustomed to the dark, Jack knew he was entering a very strange place. He saw a furry creature, with huge scary eyes, that shrieked and disappeared when it saw him. Another thing with a sharp beak and striped legs took a swipe at him but hit the washtub making it swing wildly in circles and giving off a bell-like sound that echoed in the darkness. Other animals, spiders, and scaly things of unknown species glared, hissed and growled at him from holes and crevices in the slippery walls.

As he neared the bottom, rocks shone with an eerie glow, and when the tub thudded onto rock, a paved pathway stretched out before him. Standing lampposts and glowing crystals guided him down a hill and around a bend. The road contin-ued across a humpbacked bridge over a dark river to a very, very large, very old, and very strange house. Towers rose from its hunched shoulders; its buttresses ended in gnarled claws resting on the ground. Rather than a roof or siding, it seemed to have shining scales. Its lighted windows seemed to be peering at him. He had the feeling that it might spring on him at any minute.



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Though Jack’s heart was pounding, he felt more excitement than fear. As he drew closer to the house, he saw a beauti-ful girl spinning on the front porch. An old song—he had heard his mother sing—came back to him:

“Pretty girl with golden hair tell me—what’s your name? I’ll save you from this dragon’s lair and take you home again.”

The girl stopped her spinning and smiled at Jack. “My name is Annabelle,” she told him.

“And I am Jack,” he said. “It doesn’t seem right for such a pretty girl to be living down here in this dark place.”

“Old Fire Dragaman stole my two sisters and me when we were only babies. We’ve had to cook for him and do his housekeeping all our lives,” she explained.

“I can save you if you’re willing to leave,” said Jack.

“I’d be so happy to go with you, but you’ll have to come back and save my sisters, too.”

“I’d be happy to,” Jack said. Jack took Annabelle back across the bridge and the dark river to the tub and showed her how to sit in it. He tugged at the rope three times, and she rose up to safety.

Jack went back to the house. Inside he found Marie mending Fire Dragaman’s big socks. He introduced himself and told her that he had come to save her.

“Oh, Jack. I’ve always hoped to see the sunshine again. It’s so dark and gloomy down here.”

Jack took Marie back down the path to the tub. Will and Tom had lowered the tub after pulling up Annabelle. Marie climbed in the tub, and Jack tugged at the rope three times. “Don’t forget to save Jenny,” she called down.

Tom and Will were surprised to see Marie, a second pretty girl, and the brothers immediately started courting the two sisters. But Tom and Will stayed by the rope because they were still waiting for the treasure that they thought Jack would bring back.

Coming next: Story activities

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1. The setting (where and when a story takes place) often helps set the mood of the story. How does the writer’s description of the giant’s lair help to set a mood of danger and excitement? Look through the Houston Chroni-cle for a picture that could be the setting for a dangerous adventure. Write a description of this setting, giving as many scary details as you can.

2. Tom and Will stay near the rope to pull Jack back to the surface. However, their reason is not related to his safety. Why are they staying near the entrance to the lair? Compare Jack’s reason for going down the hole to the reason his brothers want him to go.

3. How can you tell that the sisters who are captives of the giant care more about each other than Tom and Will care about Jack? Find a story about brothers or sisters in the Houston Chronicle. How do they seem to feel about each other? Are they more like Jack and his brothers or more like the sisters in the story?

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SpringSpring Reading with Fun Spring Reading with Fun Spring ActivitiesActivities


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ACROSS5. It is as large as a dinner plate6. The name of the giant8. She is the fi rst sister to be rescued by Jack9. The giant’s _______ were as long as Jack’s fi ngers10. She is the second sister to be rescued by Jack

DOWN1. Pa bought farmland for the boys on ___________2. Food is stored here to keep it cold3. The name of the blue-black ox4. She warns the brothers about danger ahead7. She is the third sister to be rescued by Jack

Chapters 1-5 Activities

1. Crossword PuzzleUse the clues below to fi ll in the puzzle. Answers are from the English version of the story.Use the clues below to fi ll in the puzzle. Answers are from the English version of the story.



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2. SimileA simile is a comparison of two very different things, showing one way in which the two things are alike. Similes use “like” or “as.” For example, in the simile “Margaret is as light as a feather,” Margaret and feather are compared. The way they are alike is that they are both light. The writer of Jack and the Fire Dragon uses many similes, especially to show how large the giant is. Jack and the Fire Dragon uses many similes, especially to show how large the giant is. Jack and the Fire DragonFind three similes in the story and fi ll in the chart below.

Simile Two things compared How they are alike

Sports writers often use similes to help the readers “see” the game they are describing. Look in the SportsSports writers often use similes to help the readers “see” the game they are describing. Look in the SportsSports writers often use similes to help the readers “see” the game they are describing. Look in the section of the Hous- Sports section of the Hous- Sportston Chronicle and fi nd three similes used by the writers to describe a game or the athletes. Fill in the chart below.

Simile Two things compared How they are alike



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3. CharactersIn a story, the characters might be “good,” “bad,” or “partly good/partly bad.” As you read the story, you might also change your opinion about certain characters. Fill in the chart below, giving your reason for each choice.

Character Good Bad Good/Bad Reason

Jack

Tom

Will

Miz Amelia

Giant

Pa

Annabelle

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Coming next: Chapter 6, “Jack Finds His True Love”



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Jack Finds His True Love Chapter 6 of 8

The story: Jack’s brothers lower him into the giant’s lair, an enormous and strange underground kingdom. He meets and rescues two beautiful sisters and searches for the third.

Jack crossed the dark river a third time. He marveled at how light it was in Dragaman’s kingdom. The crystal lamps gave off far more light than the biggest candelabra, and the light was still and bluish, not fl ickering and golden like candles or the gaslights he saw once in town.

The air was so still it hurt his ears. He missed the sounds of cicadas, frogs, and crickets that fi lled the air on Brown Mountain. Crossing the front porch, his footfalls seemed too loud. Inside the fl oorboards in the parlor creaked, so he felt he ought to tiptoe.

Quietly he opened the door to the kitchen and stepped in. A slender girl wearing a plain blue frock bent over the potatoes she was peeling. When she felt Jack enter, she looked up at him. Jack caught his breath. She was so beautiful that she lit up the whole room. Her golden hair fell like a mane around her shoulders, and she stared at him with eyes as blue as cornfl owers.

“Jenny, my name is Jack. I have rescued your sisters, Annabelle and Marie, and now I have come to save you.”

Jenny smiled at Jack. He was the fi rst young man she had ever seen. He was handsome and tanned. At that minute he felt seven feet high, and that’s how he looked to Jenny. “I dreamed that someone would come to rescue me,” she said. “And now here you are.”

“I never dreamed a woman could be as beautiful as you,” Jack exclaimed.

Jenny got up from her stool. Jack stepped forward, and somehow they were holding hands, staring into each other’s eyes. In that moment, their heartstrings got tied into a true lover’s knot.

“Marry me, Jenny! “ Jack said. The words seemed to leap out of his mouth on their own. “Oh, yes, that I will, Jack.”

Jack braided a red ribbon into his sweetheart’s hair to show that she was engaged. But the clock in the parlor chimed, reminding them both that time was short.

“It won’t be long until Old Fire Dragaman comes home,” Jenny cried, her eyes wide. “And then he will turn into a fi re breathing dragon and try to kill you. Come with me,” she said.

She took his hand and led him up a fl ight of stairs that let into Fire Dragaman’s secret cave. “This is where he sleeps, on top of the treasure he stole from people. It looks like he’s been here since the beginning of time.”



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It was so big that Jack could hardly see the walls. Treasure lay in chests, boxes, and bowls. Jewels and strings of pearls lay tangled everywhere. Jack could see Spanish armor, Cherokee weapons, silk robes, precious furs, a crown, and a tiara or two. “There’s no way out except the hole you came in through, and it’s too slippery to climb,” Jenny pointed out.

Jack shuddered at the thought.

Jenny led him straight to a trunk by the fi replace. It was carved with intricate designs, and it cried rustily when she opened it.

She bent into the trunk and pulled out a heavy silver sword and handed it to Jack. “This is the only thing that will kill the dragon,” Jenny told him. “And if you wield it well, you can fend off the fi reballs he spits at you.”

As Jack held the sword, it seemed right that Jenny had given it to him. It fi t in his hand. “Keep this jar of magic healing salve close by you. Spread it on your wounds wherever you get burned, and you will be healed.” Jenny extended her closed hand. “And this is a magic ring. If you are brave and true of heart, it will grant you one wish.” Jack put the ring on his fi nger; it was a perfect fi t!

Then he led Jenny back to the place where the wooden tub waited. They had time for only one sweet kiss before Jenny sat down in the tub, and Jack tugged the rope three times.

When Tom and Will saw Jenny, they were dumbstruck. They forgot about Marie and Annabelle and started courting her.

“I’m engaged to Jack,” she cried out.

“Well, then,” shouted Will, “he can just stay down in there.” And before anyone could stop him, he threw the end of the rope down into the hole.

As the bucket crashed to the rock fl oor near him, Jack realized that he was trapped.

“I may not make it out of here, but I’ll make sure Old Fire Dragaman won’t get up above to go ravaging the countryside ever again.”

Jack walked back to the dark river. He could hear Fire Dragaman fl ying towards him through the cave, hissing. He had caught Jack’s smell.

Coming next: Chapter 7, “Jack Does Battle with the Dragon “

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1. The red ribbon that Jack braids into Jenny’s hair is a symbol that is meant to show everyone that she is en-gaged. Look through the Houston Chronicle for a picture of something that would be used today to show that a young woman is engaged. What message does a symbol of an engagement send to any other young men who are thinking of courting the woman? Do you think that Tom and Will notice the red ribbon in Jenny’s hair? Does it affect their treatment of Jenny? What does this tell you about Jack’s brothers?

2. What three things does Jenny give Jack to help him fi ght the dragon? How can each of them be used? Find pictures of three things in the Houston Chronicle that you might give to someone to help him/her solve a prob-lem. Explain how each of those things might be used.

3. At the end of Chapter 6, Jack faces a serious problem that he might not have expected. What is the new prob-lem? Who caused it? Why? How do you know that Jack does not expect to solve this problem? Can you predict how Jack might solve this problem?

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Jack Does Battle with the DragonChapter 7 of 8

The story: Jack meets Jenny, the third sister, and they fall in love. Jenny gives Jack three items to help him fi ght the dragon; then she is sent to the surface. Both Tom and Will try to court Jenny, but she tells them she is promised to Jack. Will angrily throws the rope into the hole, trapping Jack below.

Jack could hear Fire Dragaman fl ying up the river, and he braced himself.

With a mighty roar the giant man landed right in front of Jack. He saw the magic sword and knew at once what he must do.

What Jack saw next, few men have seen and lived to tell. The giant turned into a fi rebreathing dragon right before his eyes. It was a sight frightening enough to turn a man’s blood cold. The dragon’s scales were blue-black in the dim light, and his stomach was encrusted with the jewels on which he had slept over the centuries. His teeth, claws, and antlers were razor sharp, and deadly spikes grew all down his tail.

“Take my girls, did you?” he roared.

He drew back and spit a fi reball at Jack, sure that the human would be sizzled on the spot. But Jack jumped back and smacked the fi reball back at Dragaman with the fl at of his sword. The dragon dodged the fi reball, and it sputtered out into the river. He was so startled that Jack had time to smear ointment where the sparks had burned his skin.

Now the dragon leapt in the air and spat a double fi reball at Jack. With the sword, Jack shattered it, and a dozen tiny burns dis-appeared as Jack rubbed on the ointment.

The fearsome beast lunged at Jack, trying to bite him in two, but Jack’s sharp sword cut off a piece of his ear. Howling with pain, he whipped around, swinging his spiked tail. But Jack jumped nimbly out of its way.

For the fi rst time in his life, Fire Dragaman knew fear. He had killed many men in his time, but Jack was putting every ounce of energy into the battle, and a man fi ghting to save his sweetheart is a hard foe to beat. No matter which way the giant attacked, Jack had a defense.

Each time Jack applied the magic ointment to his wounds, he grew stronger and more dangerous. He knew right was on his side. The dragon’s wounds were wearing him down. Now Jack was driving the beast back toward his house.

In one last desperate maneuver, the dragon gathered all his strength and lunged at Jack with his teeth and razor-sharp claws, but Jack stepped aside. Jack pierced the dragon’s side, then raised his sword to cut off the dragon’s head. “Even if you kill me, Jack, I’ll be back to haunt you,” he cried, as the sword descended. Before Jack’s eyes, the enormous body fi zzled away, leaving not the slightest trace. The dragon’s spirit rose up into one last fi reball that fl oated away down the river. “I’ll be ba-a-a-a-ck.”

“I guess that’s why no one ever found any dragon bones,” Jack said to himself.



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His clothes were burned to shreds. Without Jenny’s magic ointment, he would have been a dead man.

Jack searched everywhere for a hole, doorway, or window through which he could escape. Jenny had told him there was no way out but the hole he’d come down. His brothers had made sure that he could not get back up the way he had come. And though he tried many times to climb up the slimy rock walls, he always fell back again.

Running into the house, he went into the dragon’s treasure room and gathered a pile of the most beautiful jeweled necklaces. He draped them round his arms and around his neck. He ran his hands through a heap of gold coins. They made a beautiful sound. But he could not eat them to survive.

“I guess I’m going to die down here,” Jack said. “Oh, Jenny, I wish I was up there with you!”

Now Jack had been brave and true of heart, and the magic ring granted his one wish. With an ear-splitting SWW-WOOOSHH, Jack was catapulted into the air just above his front porch. His brothers were still fi ghting over Jenny, but when he appeared, covered in jewels and swinging his sword, he scared them so much that they fell on their knees and begged his forgiveness.

Jenny ran laughing to him. And when Jack held her in his arms, it was easy to forgive his brothers.

It looked as though the three brothers and their sweethearts had everything they needed to live happily ever after. But was it that easy?

Coming next: Chapter 8, “The Fire Dragon Returns? “

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1. How does Jack use each of the three magic items Jenny had given him? How can you tell that Jack forgot that the magic ring would grant one wish? The magic ring would work only for someone who was “brave and true.” In what ways did Jack prove that he was worthy of receiving one wish?

2. For a while, Jack believes he is never going to escape the dragon’s lair, yet he remains brave. Look through the Houston Chronicle for a story of someone who remained brave even though things looked hopeless. Sum-marize the story and tell how that person is like Jack.

3. Why do Jack’s brothers ask him to forgive them? Do you think this is a good reason? How do you know that they have not worried about him all this time? Jack quickly forgives his brothers. What does this tell you about Jack’s personality?

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The Fire Dragon Returns?Chapter 8 of 8

The story: Jack uses each of the magic items to conquer the dragon. The magic ring helps Jack return to his cabin despite the fact that his brothers had destroyed his way of returning to the surface. Jack’s problems seem to be solved, but the dragon has vowed to return.

Jack was good hearted; he forgave his brothers for leaving him in Fire Dragon’s hole to die. He shared some of the treasure he was wearing around his neck and arms when the magic ring brought him back up to the surface of the earth. Because of Jack’s bravery, Tom and Will had lovely fi ancées. They should have been grateful to their younger brother. But instead, they envied him. Jack was the one who got to be the hero. He was the one who ended up with Jenny, the most beautiful girl the boys had ever seen. Some say jealousy is like a worm that eats up every ounce of joy and satisfaction.

The three girls were happy just to be in the sunlight again. They spent hours wanting to know the names of fl owers and trees. They asked endless questions and wanted to see more of the world.

The brothers decided to return home and tell Ma and Pa what had happened. They loaded a few necessary items on Cabe’s back and set off for home, a three-day journey back. But the girls were so happy and curious that the time went quickly.

Ma and Pa heard the chattering of their returning sons and new sweethearts. They were on the porch waiting when the merry party came into the yard.

“Well, well,” exclaimed Ma. “Just look at these pretty little women. I never had any girls to fuss over. We’re going to have to plan the biggest wedding party these old mountains have ever seen!”

Ma cooked a special dinner, and they stayed up late telling about all their adventures up on Brown Mountain. They sat on the front porch, resting from the journey, drinking sweet tea and eating triple chocolate cake.

Jenny was the fi rst to see the fi reballs. “Oh, no!” she cried out. “It can’t be him!” The others looked up, and their jaws dropped open.

Coming up from Fire Dragaman’s hole on Brown Mountain were giant fi reballs. They fl oated up and over the cabin. And inside every fi reball, they could see Old Fire Dragaman’s ugly face just grinning at them.

“Well, he said he’d be back,” Jack reminded them. After the third night, the fi reballs stopped, and because no harm had been done, the young people forgot about them. In the meantime, Ma took the girls to town to buy cloth, lace, and some store-bought hats. Everyone in town had heard the news and wanted to meet the three sisters from an underground kingdom. Ma invited everyone they met to attend the weddings and celebration.

Jack, Tom, and Will discussed what should be done with the treasure Jack had brought back. Pa suggested that they hire some men to build a road from town to their land. The women all agreed. Being in town was fun and exciting, and they wanted to be able to travel there on their own in less than the three days’ time it had taken to get there.



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The weddings were a grand affair with good food, music, dancing, and outrageous tricks played on the brides and grooms. Some old folks are still talking about it.

Despite the hard work of building homesteads and the joy of family life, Tom and Will still had that green worm of jealousy eating at their hearts. They kept thinking about all the treasure lying about in Fire Dragaman’s castle.

“It isn’t fair that Jack got all the glory. Think of what we could buy with a bucketful of that treasure. Think of what we could do with all of it.” The two brothers spent hours thinking of how they could spend the treasure collected by the old dragon.

They tried to convince Jack to go back down in a tub to collect more treasure, but he just laughed at them. “I have everything I need— a beautiful wife, plenty of land, and a peaceful life. You boys go on down there and get whatever you want.”

They suggested that Marie or Annabelle was light enough to be lowered in the tub. But the girls reminded them that the treasure had been stolen from innocent people.

Tom and Will went to look down the hole from time to time. Sometimes they even threw down a lighted torch, so they could see how far down it went. But they could never bring themselves to go down into that enchanted darkness.

During the next rainy season, a landslide covered the hole with yards of mud and dirt.

But every few months up to this day, the fi reballs still fl oat over Brown Mountain. The old folks say they are Old Fire Dragaman coming back, looking for his girls.

Coming next: Story activities

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1. Tom and Will try to convince their brother Jack, then their wives Annabelle and Marie, to go back to the drag-on’s castle to take more of the treasure. What reason does Jack give for not going back to the lair? What reason do Annabelle and Marie give for not going down to the dragon’s kingdom? Why do you think neither Tom nor Will goes down to get more treasure?

2. During the time period during which this story takes place, the town newspaper was especially important to the people who lived there. The local newspaper was the only source of nearly all the information the com-munity got. Pretend that you work for the town’s newspaper. Write the story about the brothers, sisters, and dragon. Use a news article from the Houston Chronicle as a model for your article. What headline will you use? Draw a picture that you will use to accompany your story.

3. The writer of this story focuses on Tom, his brothers, and the dragon. The sisters are not described in very much detail. As a result, using only this story, a reader might think that being beautiful is the most important thing for a girl to be. That is far from true. Look through the Houston Chronicle for descriptions of young women or girls whose characteristics make them special. List several characteristics that you think are impor-tant for women to have.

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Chapters 6-8 Activities

1. Point of ViewThe writer of this story uses an omniscient (all-knowing) point of view. This means that she can tell the reader what each character is thinking, as well as describe action that occurs in different places.

In real life, however, no one can be everywhere at the same time or report what everyone else may be thinking. This often leads to very different versions of what actually happened.

Pretend that you are a reporter for the local newspaper, and you are trying to fi nd out how the rope ended up in the hole, making it impossible for Jack to go back to the surface in the tub. You will ask the various characters, but each of them may tell a different story. How do you think each of the following characters would explain this event? Assume that Annabelle is the sister who will marry Will. Remember that Jack is at the bottom of the hole when the tub and rope drop to the fl oor. Also, keep in mind that Will wants people to think he is as much a hero as Jack is.

WILL ____________________________________________

JACK ____________________________________________

ANNABELLE ______________________________________

JENNY ___________________________________________

Now look through the Houston Chronicle for two very different descriptions of the same event. (A good example might be a description of a trial that is currently taking place.) How does the Chronicle reporter handle the fact that the stories are different? How will you handle the explanation of the rope falling in the hole as you write your article?



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2. Crossword Puzzle

Use the clues to fi ll in the answers to the puzzle. The words are from the English version of the story.

ACROSS2. This was a symbol that Jenny and Jack were engaged7. The girls were thrilled to see ____________8. The dragon spit these at Jack9. Ma invited many friends and neighbors to the ___________ and celebration

DOWN3. The magic _______ brought Jack to the surface4. Jack rubbed this on his burns5. A __________ covered the hole with mud and dirt6. Jack couldn’t climb out of the hole because it was _________7. The fi rst magic item Jenny gave to Jack



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