Jill and the Beanstalk (part 3)

"This is all I could find," said Jill's father. "Did you have any better luck?"

Jill's mother reached with her hand under the cover of the basket, and pulled out an unbruised red apple. His eyes widened, and he said, "Where is the tree? Are there more?"

Jill said, "There was a lady in town who gave me this. She was happy that I helped someone dear to her. If you do not remove the cover, then it will provide all the food that we could need."

Jill's father was, of course, happy. He reached in gently, and pulled out a biscuit, which was salty and very filling. "You must have found someone who is more powerful than she let on," he said. "Jill, you have done well, but be very careful. Their ways are strange to us, and we could get hurt."

Jill nodded, but she had resolved that, whatever the danger, she would go back through the woods and thank the lady one day.

Jill showed her mother and father the magic beans. Jill's mother said, "We live on very poor land. I do not think that the nice lady knew about this when she gave you this."

Jill's father added, "But it should be harmless. I would go ahead and plant the seeds. I once tried to grow a beanstalk, and even though I could never get any beans, I found it worth doing."

So Jill planted the beans in the rocky ground, and covered up the thin soil, and fell asleep happily, with no hunger pangs.

The next day was a happy one, for Jill's family shared in the good fortune of the wonderful basket. Suddenly cheer had been brought to the mild but unprofitable winter, and the village of Sperling had an unexpected and welcome feast. A lavish table of fruit, bread, meat, and cheese had been laid out by Jill's house. That night, after everyone had eaten their fill, the people in the village started to go to their homes when a terrible sound was heard. Horses! Someone was coming. Jill's mother said, "Quick, hide the basket!" Jill took the basket and hid under the floor of her house. In the little space between her and the earth, she could see a little of what went on.

She could see torches flickering, and smelled an evil-smelling burning wood. Jill was very much afraid. She heard a voice, bold, arrogant, and loud. "Me and my men feel offended. You have had a great feast, and me and my men have not been invited." There were mocking voices of "Yes," and "You tell them, Caius," and "Shame. Shame."

One of the men said, "We have no treasure, Caius. Someone sent us some food today, unexpectedly. You are welcome to it, as there is plenty for all."

"First of all, avert your eyes when you address me, you miserable woodcutter. And remember to call me 'Sir.' What is your name, not that it matters to me."

The man said, "I am Robin."

Caius laughed, "No, I am robbin'!"

There was sound of a whip, and a shout from Caius's men, and screams from the villagers. The villagers fled into their homes and shut the doors.

Jill could not tell what was happening, but she was very afraid. Her mother and father had come back. Her father said, "No, don't do it Diana. This is not a battle that you can win." Her mother said, "Hector, I can't bear to live like this. We have a little good luck, and it is taken away from us. Someone has to make a stand."

She did not hear the rest of the conversation, for there was a clanging of tools. Her mother and father were going to attack the men. It was all the fault of the picnic basket. If she gave it up, maybe the men would leave them alone.

She snuck out of the house, and saw that one of the cottages was on fire, and that there were strangers looking entering some of the other cottages. There was a crowd of strangers in a ring, laughing and swearing. "Here, Robin. A couple of fools tried to attack us. That axe and the bag of rocks could have hurt us! But we have taken away their toys. They will give you some company. Keep dancing! Good shot with that rock, Mister Caius. You got him square in the rear." Jill came to this evil crowd, yelling "This is where I got the food! If you keep the cover on, the basket keeps giving food. Please take it, and leave us alone."

One of the men swore, and said, "I can't stand kids who lie. What a fairy story!" He yanked the cover off, and it was empty. He then kicked Jill in the ribs with his boot. Jill screamed, and fled blindly into the night. She was lucky that the man did not pursue her, as he was more interested in watching Caius teach Robin and Jill's parents a lesson for their boldness.

Jill staggered toward the outhouse, where she found a tree that she had not remembered. It was hairy and green. In a panic, she climbed, and climbed. She saw a huge bean the size of her head. A huge beanstalk had grown here today! She looked down, and saw her mother and father dodging rocks, punches, and kicks, and Robin lying on the ground. She saw the houses burst into flame. Jill swallowed hard, and said, "I cannot help. Maybe the lady is at the end of the beanstalk."

It took a couple of hours to climb the beanstalk, Jill thought, but at last she had come into a land above the clouds. And there was a giant woman, who was twelve feet tall. Jill called to her. The woman said, "You are one of the little people from down below. What brings you here?"

"A giant beanstalk. A lady in town gave me some magic beans."

"I see. Could it have been Cybile? Circe? Atalanta?"

"I did not get her name. Her son is Nika."

"Oh, yes. That would be Circe. How is she doing? I have not seen her in an age."

Jill said, "She was doing well the last time I saw her. Um, madam, I am in some trouble. Our village is being sacked by Caius and his men, and I have fled up the beanstalk. Could you help?"

The giantess said, "I am sorry. It is forbidden for me to tred upon the earth. The powers of your world would consider it to be hostile, even if I were doing it in a good cause. As a matter of fact, we generally don't like you to come up here. People come here and try to kill us and take away our treasure, and think it is fine just because we are bigger."

Jill replied, "Oh, madam, I would not want to do that. I would not have climbed the beanstalk if I were being rude. But I cannot go back."

The giantess said, "I understand. I am sorry that I cannot help. But I would not mind taking in a guest." And the giantess took her in her arms, and carried her to a castle.

When she had entered a great hallway, she said, "Harry, one of the little people from down below is here. She is really young, and has had a hard day. Circe knows her, so don't get paranoid."

"Fine, Merry. What is her name?"

"My name is Jill," Jill said. "I have just eaten, and so you don't need to put yourself through the trouble. I just need to hide from the robbers that are burning our village."

"That is not very nice of them," said Harry.

Jill said, "No. I am worried. My mother and father were being beaten by them, and I fled, even though I had a knife."

Merry said, "That would have been a good way to get yourself killed. Use the knife to break open a roll, or to carve wood. But against a band of robbers, one knife will not do you any good."

Jill said, "I am sorry, but I can't help but think about it."

Harry said, "What must be, will be. Spend a night with us, and help your village rebuild in the morning. I will see what we can do."

Then Merry sang a lullabye, and despite her worries, Jill fell asleep.

When she woke up the next morning, the two giants were dining on huge eggs, about the size of Jill's head. The set a place for Jill, and gave before her was a plate about half as wide as she was tall, and a fork as long as her forearm. She worked hard to eat the egg with the oversized equipment, and the giants smiled at her game effort.

Merry said, "Jill, I think that you can go down the beanstalk safely now. I am sorry that we cannot help, but it is forbidden for us to go down. Before you go, Harry and I would like to give you a couple of things to take back down."

Merry gave her a minature to wear around her neck. Of course, being giants, the minature was actually an oval portrait of Jill hanging from a valuable gold chain that drooped down to the middle of Jill's torso. Harry gave her a silver coin that was as large as her palm. Harry winked, and said, "I hope that Caius and his men do not decide to come up here. We would make it hot for them." Then they both wished her good luck.

Jill climbed back down the vine, and saw the burnt-out remains of her village. She wandered through the houses, but they appeared to be abandoned. Her mother and father were not there. She called out. Suddenly someone grabbed her. "Thought you could get away from us?"

She averted her eyes, and said, "No, sir. I was just protecting some treasure."

"Give it here!" demanded the man. Jill handed him the miniature and the coin. "Where did you get this?"

"I know where it is, but do not go there. The man and woman that guard it mind their own business. Why do them any harm?"

The man hit her in the back, drawing blood. "We will decide what to do about the treasure. Where is this place?"

Jill cried, "Will you go away if I tell you?"

The man said, "Nothing else left here to loot. Sure."

Jill then said, "Go by the outhouse. There is a giant tree. When you get to the top, there is the treasure."

The man ran back to the outhouse, and started to climb the beanstalk. Other members of the band saw what he was doing, and asked what was happening. Jill told them about the large coin and the valuable gold chain, but asked them not to trouble the poor people that guarded the treasure. Jill got a few punches and kicks, but most of Caius's band were soon all climbing the beanstalk.

A small group stayed behind, led by a man with an "X" on the left side of his neck. Caius and his leading men knew that there was no need for him to work, and that the underlings would haul the treasure down. But day turned into evening, and nothing was heard from them. Finally Caius got impatient. "They have thought to betray me, by staying up there and living like kings. Little girl, you are going to lead me up there, and I will bring them into line."

So Jill climbed back up the beanstalk. She was afraid of what she would find. There were so many men, and only those two giants. She was worried that she misunderstood Harry's wink. Finally, she and Caius's men were in the land of the giants, but there was no sign of anybody. Jill said, "That castle yonder is where I got the coin."

The men started toward the castle. It appeared deserted, and open. The band of robbers entered the abandoned castle. As they entered the great hall, they heard a terrible growl, and a barking noise. Two wolves lept out of the room, and tore at the throats of the robbers. The robbers tried to stab at the wolves, but their swords either missed and wounded one of their companions, or became uselessly entangled in their fur. The remains of the band fled, but it was of no use. The fearsome Caius had his throat torn out like all the rest.

And then the wolves disappeared, and Harry and Merry came back, and called for Jill.

Merry said, "The mills of justice grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly small. Word of Caius's foul deeds has made it even to here. Everyone in the village is safe."

Jill said, "Thank you. But the village is ruined now. There was not enough food to begin with, and now my people are exposed to the elements."

Harry said, "Oh, we can help with the food. We have too many hens as it is; I needed to give some away anyhow. Do you have any wood?"

Jill said, "Plenty. But it will take us weeks to build again."

Merry said, "Gather the villagers. Harry and I love to make doll houses. Some of the larger ones would fit you well."

So Jill found some of the villagers, shivering in the woods. She coaxed them up the beanstalk. They found a way to get them down the beanstalk, and the villagers ended up living in houses that were nicer then the ones that they had lived in at first.