The number and/or pattern of three often appears in fairy tales to provide rhythm and suspense. The pattern adds drama and suspense while making the story easy to remember and follow. The third event often signals a change and/or ending for the listener/reader. A third time also disallows coincidence such as two repetitive events would suggest.
The reasons and theories behind three's popularity are numerous and diverse. The number has been considered powerful across history in different cultures and religions, but not all of them. Christians have the Trinity, the Chinese have the Great Triad (man, heaven, earth), and the Buddhists have the Triple Jewel (Buddha, Dharma, Sanga). The Greeks had the Three Fates. Pythagoras considered three to be the perfect number because it represented everything: the beginning, middle, and end. Some cultures have different powerful numbers, often favoring seven, four and twelve.
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29.The copper: Acopper is a vessel, usually a large boiler, made of copper.
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30. Golden harp: The harp is one of the oldest string instruments in the world. While modern harps are over five feet tall, early versions of the instrument were much smaller and could conceivably be tucked under Jack's arm for a quick escape (Philip 1997, 111).
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31.Jack had a start and dodged him a bit and knew where he was going: Jacobs includes several explanations for Jack's ability to elude the giant who is larger and can run faster than Jack. While we do not have the mystery of the magic beans solved in Jacobs' version, he provides more rationale for the smaller, possibly illogical events which are not connected to magic.
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32. Ogre fell down and broke his crown, and the beanstalk came toppling after: Jacobs uses a humorous reference to another Jack, this time the Jack in the Jack and Jill nursery rhyme, to gloss over the ogre's death:
Jack and Jill went up the hill,
To fetch a pail of water;
Jack fell down
And broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.
Jack's defeat of the giant is reminiscent of the Old Testament story, David and Goliath. In that story, the boy David slays Goliath, a giant, with a rock from his sling shot.
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33. He married a great princess: Jacobs includes a fairy tale princess bride with his ending of the tale. Most versions do not include a marriage for Jack unless he has rescued a princess or servant girl from the giant's castle. Tabart's version does not mention a wedding. Many versions simply state that Jack and his mother live happily together for many more years.
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34. They lived happy ever after: And so Jack and his mother--and in this version Jack's bride--life happily ever after with a traditional romantic fairy tale ending.
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