"Cluck, cluck, cluck." Well, I guess it really doesn't matter where I am, as long as I keep producing. Maybe they'll treat me better here than that big guy did. The hen laid a golden egg. The two people standing above him cheered with joy.

The hen's new owners treated the hen like a king. In response, the hen laid a golden egg every day. As time went on, the old house was completely rebuilt. Teams of carpenters replaced the roof, added new rooms and elegant marble columns. Then they brought paintings, tapestries, Persian rugs, mirrors, and many other beautifal furnishings. Their miserable shack was transformed into a luxurious home.

Jack and his mother had not forgotten their previous years of poverty and deprivation. They chose to welcome any traveller who needed food or shelter. But the continued wealth didn't bring continued happiness. Jack's mother began to feel ill. Many doctors visited her, but none could discover what her illness was. The woman was sad, ate less and less, and showed no interest in life. Her son tried to cheer her up, but nothing could save the mother from her slow but inevitable decline. Jack was desperate and didn't know what to do. All the hen's gold was not enough to make his mother well again.