“Never mind. Forget the goose. It’s way too risky,” Jack says. “Let’s get the coins and go.”
“Jack’s right,” Jonah agrees. “Magnus might wake up and catch us. I don’t want to be kid bread. Good thing you’re here, Jack!”
Really? Didn’t I just say that a second ago?
“Okay,” I say, determined to take back my rightful place as Planner. “I’m going to open the pantry door very quietly but quickly. Then we just have to get to the cabinet and grab a bag of coins.”
“Let’s do it!” Jack agrees.
I push open the pantry door, hoping it won’t squeak like ours does at home. No squeak! Phew. We all tiptoe out. Magnus is snoring so loudly the whole kitchen shakes.
I immediately see a problem. The cabinet with the gold coins is above the counter.
“How exactly are we getting UP to the cabinet?” I ask. For us, it’s like getting up to the roof of a house from the ground.
Think of something good before Jack does, I tell myself. Think, think!
I stare at the cabinet. Then the counter below it. Then the bottom row of cabinets. Hmmm. Maybe?
“We can climb up the bottom cabinet,” I suggest. “See the handle? We each just need a running leap to grab the handle and fling ourselves up onto the counter. Then we’ll do the same with the top cabinet.”
“I don’t know,” Jack says. “It sounds dangerous. And how would we get the huge, heavy bag of coins out of the cabinet and out of the castle and down the beanstalk? Did you see the size of those coins?”
I cluck my tongue in annoyance. “One thing at a time, Jack. I’m getting us up to the cabinet! Then we’ll worry about next steps.”
“But Jack’s right,” Jonah says. “I think he should come up with a different idea.”
Of course Jonah would side with Jack.
“I guess we could try Abby’s plan,” Jack says, “and then worry about each next thing as we get to it.”
“GREAT idea!” Jonah says, holding up his palm for a high five.
Seriously?
“Although,” Jack adds, rubbing his chin, “we do need a lookout and someone to direct us from the ground.”
“I’ll be the lookout,” I volunteer. This way I don’t have to climb. From my position, I can see the giant sleeping AND the cabinet where the gold coins are.
I watch Jonah and Jack follow my plan. They get a running start and grab on to the handles of the lower cabinet to hoist themselves up. Then Jonah puts his foot on the handle and grasps the top of the counter. He flings himself up and on top. Jack does the same. Then Jack turns and gives me a thumbs-up sign.
“Hurry!” I whisper-yell. I turn around and look at the giant. He’s still sleeping.
Jack and Jonah run to the middle cabinet.
“I can’t reach the cabinet!” Jonah whispers, jumping up and trying to reach the handle. “Now what?”
“Wait,” Jack says, eyeing the distance. “I think I can!” He stands on his tiptoes and tries to open the door but can’t reach. “Just a bit higher,” he squeaks, stretching himself even taller. He reaches! He’s able to get the door open!
“Thank goodness my mum got me these new sneakers!” Jack says with a grin. “I’m a good two centimeters taller in these. My old ones were completely flattened.”
I have no idea how to convert centimeters into inches. But yay, Jack’s mum!
I like the word mum. I wonder if I should start calling my mom “Mum.” Or “Mummy.”
That kind of makes me think she should be wrapped in toilet paper and coming back from the dead. Never mind.
“But I don’t think I can get to the sack,” Jack is saying. “It’s too far inside.”
I look over. It’s true. Jack needs to be at least a FOOT taller to reach inside the cabinet for the sack of coins.
“I know,” I say. “Jack, let Jonah sit on your shoulders. He can climb into the cabinet and push out the sack.”
“Not a bad idea!” Jack says. “Let’s do it!”
“Not a bad idea at all!” Jonah repeats.
Jack kneels down, and Jonah climbs onto his shoulders.
Here we go.
“SNOOOOOOOORT!” goes the giant.
We all freeze.
We wait a moment, but the giant doesn’t move.
“Keep going,” I say.
“But be careful,” Jack says.
AGAIN — that’s MY line.
“I will!” Jonah promises.
I watch as Jonah leaps from Jack’s shoulders and right into the cabinet. Yes!
“I’m gonna push out the sack,” Jonah says. “Jack, move out of the way or it’ll smush you!”
Jack races to the far side of the counter. Jonah uses all his strength to push out the burlap sack of coins. It lands with a thud on the counter.
I glance at Magnus. He’s still sleeping! Yes!
“Yay!” I say. “Great job!”
Jack gives Jonah a high five. “Awesome, little dude.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m little,” Jonah mutters, but then grins. “Maybe compared to Magnus.”
Jack pushes the sack off the counter onto the floor. It lands with another heavy thud. I hold my breath and glance at the giant again. He stirs but doesn’t wake up. I can hear Philippa humming to herself in another room. So far, so good.
Jonah and Jack climb down to the floor and rush back over to me. Phew.
Just then, though, Magnus stirs again with a low rumble-snore. I glance up. He’s still sleeping.
But his hand drops off the table.
His super-huge, beefy, GIANT HAND. And it’s headed right for where Jack is standing. The giant’s hand pushes him right over like he’s a bowling pin. Jack goes flying across the room.
Ahhhh!
Jonah and I race to where Jack landed on the other side of the kitchen.
“Jack! Are you okay?” Jonah asks, shaking Jack’s arm desperately.
Jack rubs his back and sits up. “I’m okay,” he says. “Just a little sore. Ouch. We should get out of here.”
Jonah and I help Jack stand back up. We all look over at the big, heavy bag of coins on the floor.
“Uh, next problem,” Jack says. “How are we gonna get the bag of coins to the door and down the beanstalk?”
Good question.
“Let’s all grab part of the top and drag the bag to the door,” I say. “Together.”
“Team Teamwork!” Jonah says, reaching for a section of sack. Jack and I do, too.
“Ready?” I ask. We can all hear Magnus still snoring, so we know he’s still asleep. But we don’t know for how long. “Pull!” I say.
We all pull. The sack is really heavy. But it’ll be worth the effort.
We make it all the way to the door, which, thankfully, Philippa left open. We drag the bag down the cloud walkway, all of us huffing and puffing.
“There’s the beanstalk,” I say when the huge, bright green top of it comes into view. “How are we going to get the sack down?” I ask.
“We could just drop it,” Jonah suggests.
Jack rubs his chin. “Hmm. It’ll get down before we do,” he points out, “but at least we’ll be sure it’ll land on the ground. You know. Gravity.”
“But what if someone happens to be standing in that spot?” I say. “Like your mother! She’ll get hit with it.”
Jack’s hazel-green eyes widen. “I definitely don’t want my mum or anyone else to get hurt. Forget the gravity plan!”
We all stare at the bag of coins again.
“I have an idea!” Jack says. “How about if I slide down the beanstalk to the bottom and make sure there’s no one around. Then I’ll shout up for you two to drop the bag!”
“Brilliant!” Jonah says. “Yay, Jack!”
Oh. It is a pretty good idea.
“Okay,” I say to Jack. “You slide down and tell us when. Then Jonah and I will push the bag off the cloud.”
“I’m on it!” Jack says. He leaps onto the beanstalk, then s
himmies right down the center.
At least getting down looks a lot more fun than climbing up.
I watch Jack go through a red-and-purple cloud, then I can’t see him.
“Halfway there!” he calls up. “Almost to the ground!” I hear him call more faintly. “Okay, I’m on the ground. All clear!”
“LOOK OUT!” I shout as loud as I can.
Jonah and I push the bag off the edge of the cloud walkway and watch it fall, fall, fall through the colorful clouds.
Thud.
“All good!” Jack calls up.
“Phew!” Jonah says. He grabs a stem sticking out of the beanstalk. Gulp. “Here I goooo!” he calls, and slides down.
Now it’s my turn.
I carefully grab on to a stem and start shimmying down the beanstalk.
Ooh.
This is really FUN!!!!!!
I slide down, down, down, right through the multicolored clouds. Ooh, there’s a super-fluffy pink one that looks just like cotton candy. And there’s one that’s half orange and half blue — the colors of Smithville Elementary. And look! This one’s all sparkly!
Hmm. Sparkles. When do we meet the fairy?
A minute later, I’m back on solid ground with Jack and Jonah. Feels good.
“Hey, Jonah,” I say. “When do we meet the fairy?”
“Who?” Jack asks, grabbing an old peeling red wheelbarrow from the yard. Jonah and I help him hoist the sack of coins into the wheelbarrow.
“The fairy,” I say.
“The fairy riding a peacock,” Jonah adds.
A peacock? “Don’t fairies already fly?” I ask. “Why would she need to ride a peacock?”
Jonah shrugs.
Jack looks at us and grins. “Well, yesterday I would have said there’s no such things as fairies. But now I know that magic beans exist. And beanstalks that grow into the sky. And giants! Who’d have ever thought? So I guess fairies are real, too.”
“Yep,” I say, thinking of all the magic Jonah and I have seen in fairy tales.
Jonah scratches his head, looking worried. “Hmm,” Jonah says. “It’s true, Abby. We should have met the fairy by now.”
“Don’t fret, mate,” Jack says to Jonah. “Was the fairy going to help us get up to the castle or something? If so, we didn’t need her. We have what we went for.” He points at the sack in the wheelbarrow. “Even if we didn’t get the goose and the magic harp you mentioned.”
“I guess,” I say.
“But the fairy is supposed to be the one to tell you all about what that awful giant did to your dad,” Jonah says.
Jack tilts his head and stares at Jonah.
“He doesn’t know,” I say to Jonah. “Because we haven’t met the fairy yet.”
Jonah’s face falls and his shoulders slump. “Oh, yeah.” He turns to Jack. “Sorry I said something. I didn’t want to be the one to tell you.”
“Wait,” Jack says. “What are you talking about? What awful thing did the giant do to my dad?”
“I’m sorry to be the one to … um, spill the beans again, but the giant killed your father,” Jonah says, bowing his head.
“Huh?” Jack asks. He looks confused. “The giant didn’t kill my father.”
“Huh?” Jonah asks, scrunching up his face.
“Huh?” I ask.
Jack shakes his head. “My dad caught a bad illness that was going around a few years ago. He died from that. He told me he loved me and my mum with his last breath. I sure do miss my pop,” he adds with a wistful sigh.
Aww.
That’s so sad about Jack’s dad. But if the giant didn’t kill Jack’s dad, then —
“Hey, Abby,” Jonah whispers. “I think I know why we haven’t met the fairy.”
I think I know, too.
Because we’re not in that version of the story.
Which means — we’re in the version of the story that I know.
And if the giant didn’t kill Jack’s dad or steal his money … then Magnus’s gold coins belong to him and Philippa and only to them. Which makes sense. Why would Jack’s dad have had giant-sized coins anyway?
So we stole the coins. From perfectly nice giants. Who were probably saving up to go on vacation or something.
Although they did want to eat us.
Maybe. They didn’t actually try to eat us. One of them only sang a song about eating us. Is that just as bad?
On the plus side, in the version we’re in, Jack probably doesn’t marry a princess. So maybe one day …
Focus, Abby, focus!
“So I guess that means we’re thieves,” Jonah whispers to me.
“But for a good cause,” I remind him. “We still need five gold coins to save Prince!”
And it’s not like we can lug the sack of gold coins back up the beanstalk! Right?
“Let’s go get Prince right now!” Jonah says.
What’s clear is that neither of us wants to think too long or too hard about the situation. We have to save our dog.
I nod. I untie the top of the burlap sack. “Wow, there must be hundreds of gold coins in here!”
“And the giant had SO many more bags,” Jack says. “So he surely won’t miss one measly bag.”
Maybe. But still.
“So should we count them and then split them three ways?” Jack asks.
“Ooh!” Jonah says excitedly, but I nudge him.
“You really are so sweet,” I tell Jack. “But Jonah and I only need five. The rest are for you.” I reach in and take out five coins for Prince.
“Wow, are you sure?” Jack says. “Awesome! Thank you. I’ll just wheel this wheelbarrow inside and lock it up in a closet. Be right back.” He rushes the wheelbarrow into the house, then comes out again. “My mum’s not home. She left a note that she’s visiting a friend. I can’t wait to show her the gold coins.”
Jonah grins. “Now let’s go untrade Prince!”
The three of us hurry along the gravel road toward town. It’s afternoon, so the town is crowded with people, and the market is even more crowded. I try to remember the address and directions Devin gave us. Left turn one alley up from the biscuit stall. Two twists, three turns. House 19. Got it!
“The biscuit stall is just over there,” Jack says, pointing to a booth with an elderly woman inside.
We rush to the stall. I don’t see or smell biscuits, but there are tons of yummy-looking cookies.
“Where are the biscuits?” Jonah asks, looking at the trays of cookies.
Jack points at the table. “Right there. Yum, oatmeal raisin! My favorite.”
“Huh?” Jonah asks. “Those are cookies. Not biscuits.”
Oh, wait! “Here cookies are called biscuits,” I explain. “Like soccer is called football.”
“Ohhhhhhhh,” Jonah says. “Well, those are the most delicious-looking biscuits I’ve ever seen. Can we buy some?”
I snort-laugh. He is really trying to impress Jack. “You want oatmeal raisin cookies? Seriously? You hate cookies with raisins! And anyway, I have EXACTLY five gold coins on me. Which we need to get Prince back.”
“Right! Forget the cookie-biscuits,” Jonah exclaims, his cheeks turning red.
I glance to the left. There’s the correct alleyway.
“Let’s go!” Jack says. “Number nineteen will be around the curve, to the right, to the left again, then three more right curves.”
He leads the way down the cobblestone alley. I would not want to ride my bike on this road. Way too bumpy. The houses are very narrow and made of black stone. The street curves and curves, and finally, there is number 19! Hurrah!
I just hope Prince is here, and that he’s okay. I take a deep breath, and run up to the door and knock.
Ruff! Ruff-ruff.
I hear Prince!
Phew.
The trader opens the door a crack. I can see a gold chain keeping the door latched. I expect Prince to come rushing out to us. But I don’t see him.
“Hi, we have your gold coins
,” I tell Devin. “Where’s Prince?”
“Sorry,” Devin says, “but I changed my mind about the trade.”
EXQUEEZE ME?
“You … you … can’t do that!” I shout.
“I just did!” Devin snaps. “I love animals and want to keep Prince. So if you want him back, you’ll need to trade a different animal for him.”
“No fair!” Jonah yelps.
“Yeah! A deal is a deal!” Jack adds.
The trader shrugs. “I didn’t sign a contract, so …”
I knew it, I knew it, I knew it.
“Do you want your dog back or not?” Devin asks.
“Of course we do!” I say, glaring at him.
“Fine. Then trade me another animal for him. But not just ANY old animal.”
“Huh?” Jonah asks.
“I want the goose that lays the golden eggs,” Devin says, his eyes gleaming.
Jack’s mouth drops open.
I glare at Devin. “How do YOU know about that goose?”
“All giants have geese as pets,” he says. “Duh.”
There’s no way that’s true. “How did you even know about the giant in the first place?” I ask, folding my arms across my chest.
“Stop asking so many questions!” Devin says. “I have a headache.”
“You deserve a headache,” Jack snaps. “You’re not being fair to Abby and Jonah.”
“Yeah!” Jonah agrees with a frown.
Devin sighs. “Sorry, children. But sometimes deals change. Like NOW.”
“This is SO wrong!” I say.
“Tough. The goose for the dog!” Devin says, then slams the door in our faces.
Which means we have to go back to the giant’s castle. And Magnus is probably pretty upset that a bag of his coins went missing.
A sleeping giant I can deal with. I’m not so sure about an angry one.
It’s getting dark, so we decide not to climb up the beanstalk tonight. We’ll have to wait until morning. Which means another night without Prince.
I miss him so much. His little paws. His soft fur. His cute little face. I can’t believe we traded him! What were we thinking?
Luckily, we’re still okay on time. We have to get home by noon tomorrow. But we can do that. It’s tight, but we can do it.
Hopefully.
When we get to Jack’s house, Ada comes running outside to ask Jack why there’s a giant beanstalk in the yard. He tells her everything — well, he leaves out the part about the giants’ castle. He just says that we climbed up the beanstalk and found a bag of gold coins waiting up top. I mean, that’s sort of true. I can tell Jack feels bad about lying to his mom — er, mum — but it’s probably smart not to tell her about the giants. She’d be pretty worried about that, and then she definitely wouldn’t want us going back up there.
Spill the Beans Page 6
