Jill and the Beanstalk

So she walked along the trail to Irisopolis that ran through the Appian Forest. There was little food to be found in the forest, so she conserved her bread. After two days, she was almost out of the forest when she found a man along the side of the road who was bleeding, and shivering. Jill said, "Sir, you are hurt? Do you have a family? Can you walk?"

The man said, "Be careful, little one. Caius the Cutpurse's band of thugs is out there! They have beaten me, and taken my horse and wallet. My family is in town. Please go hide in the woods, or they will hurt you."

Jill said, "I have nothing that they want. I have food, and some rags. Let me dress your wounds." So Jill took her bundle of rags, and staunched the flow of blood, and swaddled the stranger in rags. She also gave him some of her bread to eat.

While she was caring for the man, a group of rowdy-looking men appeared. One of them pointed a large knife at her, and said, "Little girl, let us search the man. He has something that we want."

The little girl then said, "Mister Caius, it is too late. Someone has already gotten to him first. All you can take from him is his life, but how would that help you? I can give you some bread, and a few rags." She innocently handed these to the man with the knife.

The man shook his head. "I am not Caius. We are the men of the Appian Forest Short Blade Enthusiasts Society, but you can just call us the Short Blades. Where are you from, little girl?"

She replied, "Near Sperling. My name is Jill."

The man replied, "I was once from there. That was a sad time. Me and my sister never had enough to eat. Where are your mama and papa?"

"They sent me to Irisopolis, to learn about the world and to make my own way."

The man said something that was not very nice, and then told Jill, "They have sent you down a hard road. You will never make it. At least I had the company of the other boys and girls of the byways to look out for me. Come with me, and we can tell you the things that you need to know to live."

She said, "Thank you, Mister Blade, but I have to help this man. If you know where there are some berries or mushrooms, though, that would be helpful."

Another man took out a small knife and handed it to her. He said, "Jill, this is what you use to gather food, or clothing, or jewels. None of us will hurt you. I will lay a bruise on anyone that raises a hand against you." The leader turned to the wounded man and said, "Mister, you are lucky that we are in a good mood. We will escort you to the city's edge, and then you are on your own."

So the band of toughs used hidden trails in the woods to get Jill and the hurt man close to town, and then disappeared back into the forest. The leader gave her one piece of advice, "Watch out for the band of Caius the Cutpurse if you come this way again. In order to keep the treasury of the Short Blades in the black, we do solicit donations from the travellers on the road from time to time. We really don't care if the donors are rich or poor, although we prefer that they are unarmed. But you see, kid, it is simply a matter of money with us. Caius is just plain mean. I hear that he eats little kids for breakfast. He has an X-shaped scar on the left side of his neck." After the Short Blades had left, the man told Jill of a certain house, and with some trouble, they were able to make it there.

When Jill knocked on the door, a woman answered. She looked horrified, and said, "Nika, what happened?"

"I was robbed by Caius, and left for dead. This little girl, Jill, bound my wounds and fed me."

"Well, thank you, Jill. Where are your mother and father?"

"They are back in Sperling. I have been sent to make my way in the world. The band of robbers said that if I showed you this knife, that you would give me food and water."

"Put that away, child. I do not know what I am going to do with you." Now the woman was a magician, and she could not have Jill stay and observe her life, for Jill was too young to be initiated into the secrets of her sisterhood. But she was grateful to Jill for saving the life of her son.

The woman said, "Now, little Jill, keep the knife hidden. You are only to use it if someone tries to attack you." She gave Jill some lessons on how to use a knife, and then said, "This town is no place for you. However, I have some seeds and a basket that I want to give to you. Do not eat the seeds. Eat what is in this covered basket. Now, do not ever look inside the basket. If you do, then it will be empty. But if you keep it covered, then you can reach in and pull out food."

Jill was happy. Now she could go home, and nobody would be hungry. "What do the magic seeds do?"

1. "You will have to plant them to find out," the woman said. "But wait until you get home to plant them."

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