The boat proves itself an impressive vessel. Elias stares out at the river with wide eyes, and the various docks and houses that glide by faster then Elias thought possible.

“We are going downstream, which is the fastest direction a boat can go in.” Jill explains, taking great pleasure in Elias’s ignorance giving her the opportunity to play scholar. “This way we don’t even need to paddle, just going with the current. It’s a lot cheaper to travel to the capital then from. That’s why it’s good to live on this side of the kingdom, where the river flows from the mountain. You can glide down to the capital markets with a boat full of wool and walk home with little more then the coins in your pockets to weigh you down.”

“Really selling the service, aren’t you?” Ruthy chuckles.

“Hey, I gotta support the family business, don’t I?” Jill strikes back. She stands confidently on top of a crate. “When the curse is lifted, Elias is going to tell everyone back in his homeland to hire my father to row them back and forth.”

“What makes you think they would take my recommendations?”

“Why wouldn’t they?”

Elias doesn’t have an answer for that. Jill has a point, at least one person would likely take his recommendation if he was asked. The other knights perhaps?

“Hey Jill, why don’t you tell us one of your stories?” Ruthy asks.

Jill tilts her head playfully, looking down on the other two. Elias sitting leaning against the small railing, and Ruthy lounging against a bag of chickenfeed. “I suppose, any requests?”

“Tell a story to introduce yourself,” Elias requests, “not your best tale, but one that fits you.”

“Huh, strange request, lemme think about that.” Jill taps her chin. “Hmmmm. Once upon a time there was a boy named Jack.”

“Of course there was.” Ruthy smiles knowingly.

“Hush. There was a boy named Jack who didn’t have much to his name, with nothing but a mother for family and an old cow for livestock. But this cow was very special, for it was a magical cow. Although at the time the story takes place she had grown very old.”

“How long do magic cows usually live?” Ruthy asks.

“Three times as long as normal cows, obviously. Anyways, because Jack had very little coin to his name, he had turned to tricks to support his aging mother. His partner in crime was the very cow that had cared for his family for so many decades. Once a week, they headed into town, and Jack would sell the cow, and two to three days later the cow would return home.”

“That’s not a scam you can keep up very long.” Elias commented. “Eventually Jack would become known for his trickery.”

Jill pauses, then nods. “Of course, very quickly the other townfolk at the market place grew knowledgeable to his schemes, and he shifted his target to those traveling through town. The shopkeepers would point him to his next target, often those who had underpaid or made rude comments about their daughters.”

“So he’s a bit of an enforcer?” Elias nods. “Not very ethical, but better then other forms of retribution I’ve seen from tradesmen.”

“Of course he isn’t the most ethical of folk, he is a scammer after all.” says Jill. “So one day he walks into town, cow with a lose rope around her neck to guide her so no one gets suspicious of her nature. He spends a few hours wandering around, at one point steals a loaf of bread from a shopkeeper who owns him anyways. However he gets caught and the baker tells him that Jack should sell his cow to the mysterious man in the alleyway.”

“Is he going to die?” Ruthy asks.

“Hush. So Jack heads into the alleyway to find this man, and finds an old man. He wears a big hat, and his clothes have a lot of pockets. To this old man Jack says that the baker told him that he was looking to buy a cow, and that he is willing to see his cow for cheep. Now this old smiles and reaches into one of his many pockets, and offers to Jack twelve magic beans in exchange for his cow.”

It is now that Elias realizes he had heard this story before.

“Jack gives his cow a look, who gives him a look back. The two know each other super well, that cow was almost like a nanny to Jack. As far as she could tell, the man was telling the truth, the beans really were magical. So taking the cow’s word, Jack plays up the little boy persona, making himself seem like the kinda kid who would believe some stranger claiming to have magic beans. The trade is made, and Jack goes home.”

“I’ve heard this story before, but not like this.” Elias comments.

“Sometimes Jill likes to tell her own version of the story.” says Ruthy. “Sometimes she tells them like she was told, but this one she’s changed a lot.”

“I improved it.” Says Jill. “It doesn’t make sense for a boy as clever as Jack to be tricked into trading his cow for beans, he must have known they were magic from the start.”

“Does his mother still get mad at him in this version of the story?” Elias asks.

Jill taps her chin. “She is confused mostly. She doesn’t quite believe Jack when he says they are magic, but also doesn’t think he’s lying either. She asks him what in the world does he even plan to do with magic beans.”

“Plant them?”

“Well that’s the thing about being a character within the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, is that you’ve never heard the story of Jack and the Beanstalk before. The mother at first takes a single bean, and boils it, mostly just to see what would happen. Nothing happens.”

“What else do they try?”

“Well they boiled a bean on the first night, then decided to wait till morning to do much else. The next day they fed one bean to the chicken-”

“I thought you said they only had the cow?” Elias asks, immediately catching the hole in the story.

“They also have a chicken I forgot to mention because it isn’t special like the cow. When nothing seemed to happen to the chicken, Jack planted three beans into three pots, placing the pots on the windowsill in the sun. on the third day, Jack and his mother agreed to wait until the cow returns and ask her what she thinks they should do. But night falls and the cow doesn’t return, and Jack grows worried.

The cow had never taken more then three days to return. Jack sits on the front step of his small house, waiting for her while his mother goes to bed. All night he waits, until finally sleep takes him.”

The boat passes a willow tree, and Jill skitters over to the edge, reaching out to break off a branch. Returning to her crate-shaped stage, she holds the willow branch in the air. “-and when Jack awakens, he finds himself high in the sky, curled up on a bed of clouds.”

The boat slides up to a dock, and the boat-hands all get to work, dropping off a few things and carrying even more. Elias can see windmills, something he had only previously seen in illustrations.

“Move aside, kid.” one of the boat-hands shooed Ruthy off his makeshift chickenfeed chair, piling large sacks of flour where he previously sat. “-and no sitting on these, sit somewhere else.”

Ruthy nods obediently and moves to stand next to Elias.

“Call me if you need any help.” Ruthy tells the boat-hand.

“Sure kid.” The boat-hand chuckles.

“So Jack wakes up on a bed of clouds, and looks up to see that he is in the front garden of a castle.” Jill continues. “He heads towards the castle, and realizes as he gets closer it is far, far bigger then the already giant castle he assumed it to be. By the time he’s reaches the door he’s already the size of a doll. Luckily the door was half open, and he sneaks inside quite easily.”

Jill leans over the railing to sweep her branch across the water. “Within the castle is fancy and well furnished. A long table is also stacked with food. Jack climbs up the table and eats from a pastry, still warm. Upon hearing the sounds of footsteps, he hides inside a sugar bowl. He hears someone eating some of the food, then peaking his head out, he sees the giant sit down in a large plush chair and falls asleep.

“Jack sneaks out and explores the rest of the castle, he follows specifically the sound of harp music. He creeps down the hallway until he comes upon a door, open ajar. Entering the room behind it, he is greeted by a massive treasure room. On the top of a pile of gold coins the size of a hill, was a harp. The harp was playing music all by itself.”

Elias climbs up to grab his own willow branch, it’s a tree he doesn’t see very often. He pulls the thin flexible wood through his fingers, bending it. For what it’s worth, he keeps one ear tuned into Jill’s story. The boatmen push the boat back away from the docks, continuing their journey. Elias wonders if the boats are built from willow wood, as willow wood is better at floating then other woods, because it grows next to the water.

“Jack climbs up the large hill of gold, coming to stand next to the harp. It is as tall as he is, and a beautiful girl is carved into it’s hilt. But when he reached out to touch the golden maiden’s face, she bit him!

“Ow!” Jack exclaimed, jumping back, then slipping on the loose coins beneath his boots. But just as he was about to fall back, the harp reached out to catch him

“Oh, you startled me, I’m sorry.” The harp explained apologetically, her hands were cold over his own, smooth and metallic by the nature of their ingredients. “It had been so long I’ve seen someone my size.”

Jack stared at the harp in disbelief, for all his experience with magic and other curiosities, he’d never encountered a talking harp before.

“Pray tell, traveler, where have you come from?” the Harp asked.

“Down below,” Jack explained.

“Down Below?” The harp gasps. “Down below where?”

“Down below this castle, below the clouds on solid ground.” Jack explains. “This whole place rather high up, did you know?”

“An entire world below the castle, how fascinating, are there other our size down there?”

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

“Yes, everyone!”

“Oh my oh my! Please, you must take me with you.” The harp begged.

And so Jack agreed, tying the harp to his back, he quickly snuck out of-

“Snuck is not a word.” Elias interrupts.

“Eh? Yes it is!” Jill snaps defensively “I think as an experienced story teller I would know what words are more then you.”

“The past tense of sneak is sneaked, not snuck.” says Elias. “S-N-E-A-K-E-D, not S-N-U-C-K.”

“What do letter have to do with it?”

“That’s how the words are spelled.”

“I’m not writing, I’m talking.” Jill rolls her eyes. “Words and letters are completely different things.”

Elias blinks in confusion. “I am pretty sure they are the same, words are made out of letters.”

“HA! Well I see you are stupid.” Jill barks out a smug laugh. “Words are made out of sounds, you simpleton.”

“Letters… are sounds?”

“Letters are scribbles.” Jill declares confidently. “Letters are made of lines drawn onto parchment or carved into wood, you look at letters, while sounds are something you hear with your ears.”

“When you read letters they form words, which you hear in your head.” Elias feels very lost in this conversation.

“Well that’s stupid.” Jill rolls her eyes. “Anyways, I have a story to tell, are you going to listen?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Good.”

Jack was a good climber, even with the weight of the harp on his back. When he reached the bottom, he found his mother, hands on her hips staring at the half destroyed house.

“No good, no good.” the mother muttered to herself. Turning to the sight of her son, she began to scold him. “Of all your stunts, this is truly the worst one yet.”

But her scolding was cut short at the sight of the harp.

“What matter of things is this!” she asked.

“A singing harp, there are many other treasures in the castle above.”

Jack took the harp with him the market that next day, displaying her in the center square. The harp would sing in the most beautiful voice, her cords plucked to the most beautiful music. All those who saw gasped in awe at her beauty, and gladly tossed coin into Jack’s hat.

With the money from their shows, Jack and his mother were able to rebuild their house, this time a bit nicer then the previous house. All was well and good, but Jack would keep staring at the beanstalk, thinking about it. When he asked the harp, the harp confirmed that yes, there was still more untold treasure to be found up in the giant’s castle.

“Oh do be careful Jack.” his mother told him. “Don’t let this be like the ogre.”

“Don’t worry mother, I wont make that mistake again.” Jack assured her.

Jack climbed back up the beanstalk, scampering through the garden and under the door. The castle was as it ever was, quiet and fresh for the looting.

It is upon this trip that Jack filled his pockets with coin, but as he was heading back, he heard a the honk of a goose. Peaking into another room, Jack found a goose surrounded by golden eggs. This must be the source of the giant’s wealth, Jack thought. But before he could approach the goose, the giant showed up!

Jack hid beneath a chest of drawers, and watched as the giant petted the goose with a single finger.

“My treasure fowl,” the giant grumbled, “I smell and intruder within these halls. Blood of man, of mortal bones, I’ll grind him up, to eat with scones.”

Jack waited until the giant left once more, and quickly scurried out of the castle as fast as he could. But his coins filled pockets jingled loudly, alerting the giant.

“THIEF, MAN OF SOIL, MAN OF RUM, I’LL CRUSH YOUR BONES BENEATH MY THUMB!” Came the giant’s rumbling call. But Jack made his escape, through the garden and down the beanstalk.

“Coin, unimaginable coin!” Jack told his mother, “And a goose, that lays golden eggs.”

With the gold coins, they bought good food, and an entire flock of sheep. They lived peacefully for two years, but each night Jack would stare up at the beanstalk, thinking of what he failed to claim.

Eventually, Jack returned, up and up the beanstalk, through the garden, under the door, and into the treasure room with the magic goose. He carefully picks up the sleeping goose, and slips away.

However as he slides under the door, the goose awakens and honks and honks and honks. The awakens the giant, who storms out to capture the thief.

“FEE FI FOE FOM I HEAR THE SOUND OF MORTAL MAN! BE HE ALIVE OR BE HE DEAD, I’LL GRIND HIS BONES TO MAKE MY BREAD!” the giant bellowed.

Because Jack was carrying a very upset goose, he was a lot slower, and the honking was far louder then coins, allowing the giant to more closely follow. When he reached the beanstalk, Jack scrambled down, dropping the goose, who floated down with flapping wings carrying it’s fat body. Jack beelieved that the giant would be unable to follow him, but half way down, Jack looked up to see the giant at the top, following him.

When he reached the bottom, Jack ran into the house, running past his confused mother to grab the axe. Returning to the beanstalk, Jack begun to chop the beanstalk.

CHOP

CHOP

CHOP

After a certain point the beanstalk weakened, and no longer needed Jack to chop it as it begun to creak and crack and fell, the giant falling with it. For a minute, a great shadow was cast over the world, then the giant hit the ground with a thundering quake.

In the next couple years, the giants body decayed, fertilizing the ground. Jack and his mother built a great big house, and the land around them became the most fertile farmland in the entire kingdom. And then the harp was freed of her curse and turned back into a princess, who Jack married, and he became king of the kingdom. The end.

Jill grins triumphantly, and looks at the other two youths, expectantly.

“That was good.” Ruthy gives a small polite smile.

“It was rather rushed at the end.” says Elias. “The harp turning into a princess was unexpected, why did it take so long, and why didn’t she tell Jack she was a princess when they first met.”

“I’m still figuring it out!” Jill crosses her arms and glares.

“Usually the harp is the last thing Jack steals.” says Elias. “This story would make more sense if he stole the goose first, and the harp was the conquest that proved more difficult.”

Jill makes a displeased noise, face sour, only speaking after chewing and swallowing her bitterness. “Perhaps.”

“I liked how Jack was smarter, usually he is not as clever as you told him as.” Elias says sincerely.

“Thank you.”

Jill plops down, and plays with her willow branch, bending it and stripping the leaves off. Elias stares out over the water, watching the capital get slowly closer. His journey was yet without barrier, and if his luck holds, he will see his lady in good health once again. With the sway of the boat not unlike a cradle, Elias allows himself to be calmed by the sound of water and bird call, and thinks of his lady.

The boatmen began to sing, voices deep and soothing.

There were three rauens sat on a tree, downe a downe, hay downe, hay downe, Elias remembers how much the princess loved birds, of the doves the aviary, who will eagerly great their lady upon her awakening. There were three rauens sat on a tree, with a downe, Will the princess finally be given what she dreamed of, once the curse no longer hangs over her head, a dagger on a string? There were three rauens sat on a tree, They were as blacke as they might be. With a downe, derrie, derrie, derrie, downe, downe. Elias sees her in his minds eye, free of her shackles, free to frolick through orchards, picking whatever fruits spark her fancy? The one of them said to his mate, Where shall we our breakfast take? Elias imagines the princess taking a bite of a fresh pear- no, the princess would make Elias take a bite of the pear first, jesting about poison testing. Only once Elias had swallowed the fruit’s flesh would the princess begin to eat, the juice dripping down her chin. Downe in yonder greene field, There lies a Knight slain under his shield, She will dance with Elias, twirling around until they fall into the grass. His hounds they lie downe at his feete, So well they can their Master keepe, The dogs will no longer growl at their princess. His Hawkes they flie so eagerly, There's no fowle dare him come nie Elias made her a promise, to be the one to save her. She would trust no one else with such a task. Downe there comes a fallow Doe, As great with yong as she might goe, Elias had been by the princess’s side since he was but a child, the son of the king’s most trusted knight. She lift up his bloudy head, And kist his wounds that were so red, It was what Elias was raised up to be, the next great knight. But Elias would gladly forgo the glory of top general to remain the princess’s bodyguard till the day he died at her feet. She got him up upon her backe, And carried him to earthen lake, He will also forgo the glory of the hero, as long as his lady was saved. If Elias fell, there would no one. If the prince falls, the story will become legend, the sort that challenges any brave enough to save the beautiful princess of the thorn. She buried him before the prime, She was dead her self ere euen-song time. How wicked the witch who cursed his lady, marked her in the cradle for death. God send euery gentleman, Such haukes, such hounds, and such a Leman.

But she will not die.

Her knight will not allow it.