Chapter #4Jack and the Beanstalk by: ejones312   Once upon a time, outside of a small but prosperous village, there lived an eleven year-old boy named Jack who lived in poverty with his mother. The mother's heart became bitter and cold from the death of Jack's father and the misfortune which followed. While the village prospered, Jack's farm was dried up with an unquenchable drought. The chickens could not lay any more eggs, so they were all slaughtered. Even the farm's cow, Old Bessie, could not produce anymore milk.
One day, Jack and his mother discovered that they had only a few shillings and they could not afford to buy food, so the mother forced the cow's reins into his hand and ordered, "Jack, use what little brains you have and go to the market and sell Old Bessie for profit, and don't give me anything less than what she is valued right now."
Upon his stern mother's orders, Jack took Old Bessie to market and showcased her to any of the denizens in the village, but none of them would take her. Just then, a strange old man beckoned him and the cow over to him and said, "My dear boy, I do not have a shilling on me, but I will make you a better deal. If you give me your cow, then I will give you this box of magic beans. Plant them, and greater fortune will come your way."
Jack was hesitant, but then again, what good will a handful of shillings do for him and his mother when it will only grant them temporary relief from hunger? So Jack exchanged Old Bessie for the beans and merrily skipped his way home. When he told his mother about the exchange with the old man, the mother angrily smacked the beans out the window, struck him, and angrily chastised him, “You foolish boy! You stupid foolish boy! We would never fill our bellies on one bean, let alone three! You have been a shameful disgrace since you were growing in my belly! That is why I wish it was you rather than your father who should have died!"
Jack was so heartbroken that he had sequestered himself in his room for the rest of the day, his eye blackened from the strike. During that night, the magical beans began to sprout and quickly grew into a giant beanstalk tall enough to stretch into the sky, into the clouds and the heavens above.
The next morning, Jack and his mother were amazed by the sight of the giant beanstalk sprouting from their very own backyard. The beans alone were the size of a horse wagon, enough to fill their bellies and sell for a pretty profit. At her request, Jack's mother urged him, "Well, what are you waiting for, you stupid boy!? Climb up that beanstalk and collect all of the beans you can find! Bring them down here so we may finally be rich again!"
Jack obeyed his mother and began to climb up the seemingly never-ending beanstalk, plucking every bean along the way and letting them fall to the ground. As he climbed higher, he found himself ascending into the clouds, the tiny ice particles chilling his skin. The more he climbed, the colder it seemed to get. He climbed higher and higher until finally, he surfaced above the clouds and into another realm consisting of clouds and the stars more beautiful than the nighttime. He was astounded to find himself in a garden as big as his village with vegetables bigger than the baron's house! Carrots, cabbages, radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, and so much more, laid out all around him and open for him to pluck it all and to drop to the ground below.
Beyond the garden was a grandiose castle as big as a large mountain. The doors alone were bigger than the church up to its steeple. The curious Jack hiked through the garden and approached the foot of the door. He pounded it with all of his might. Not so long afterwards, the door opened and out stepped a giant woman the exact size of the steeple, to Jack's complete surprise.
“Hello?” the giantess called out to what she perceived as no one. “Who dares knock on my door and disappears so rudely!?"
The giantess hadn’t known that standing at her toes was an astounded little boy named Jack who was small enough to be eaten by her in one bite. The giantess then set her sights at the ground, and Jack’s blue eyes met her beautiful eyes as well. This particular giantess was...
1.)...a chubby giantess, a kind and loving protector and nourisher of tiny humans.
2.)...a muscular giantess, a barbaric torturer and devourer of tiny humans.
3.)...a young giantess two years Jack's senior, her perspective with the tiny humans ambiguous.  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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