Jack and the Beanstalk: The Fractured Tale
Once Upon a Time, there lived a giant. Not the kind of giant you're thinking of. Not the big, smelly, ugly giants that lived in our giant's neighborhood. Not the ones that were greedy and always fought about who had the most gold. No, our giant was kind and fair. He was the shortest giant in his entire village. His name was Andre, but no one knew that; for Andre was all alone.
The only thing Andre had similar to the other giants was his great horde of gold, but he never really cared for it like the others.
"Oh," He grumbled to himself. "I wish everyone could live in a place where everyone noticed and liked me."
So one night, he slid down the beanstalk that was connected from the giant world to the human world. The beanstalk was hidden from all human eyes. If the two legs knew, the world of giants and humans would become one; and an endless battle between the two creatures would then reign until the end of time.
Of course, Andre knew it was an old legend; but all legends have their meanings. Even though Andre was smart, he could never find the true lesson to this one.
His feet boomed under him as he hit the ground. Once he lumbered out of the sacred hiding place, he saw a small village in a valley near him. He slowly made his way there, trying to be sneaky and not make too much noise.
He hid behind some hills nearby the village once he got there. He couldn't believe his eyes. The village was peaceful and hardworking, as lovely as a little village can be. Children were playing on the streets, some just coming back from a long day's work at school. Bakers, farmers, silversmiths and other workers were working hard while the ladies watched their children.
What's so bad about the humans? The small giant thought, thinking back to the legend. It's so peaceful.
He was just taking it all in when suddenly; a boy tapped the side of Andre's huge foot. (Huge for a human, of course)
"Excuse me?" The boy asked when Andre looked down at him. "You're not from around here, are you?"
Andre gave the boy a surprised look and shook his head.
The boy said his name was Jack and asked Andre's name.
The giant told him.
"So then, Andre," the dark haired boy continued. "What are you? You don't look like any person I've ever seen."
The giant persisted, but finally told Jack who he was. This boy didn't look like harm.
Jack grinned slyly. "Well Andre, what do you think of the view? Nothing as magnificent as your home, I'm sure."
Andre shrugged his broad shoulders. "You're right about it being different; this is nothing like my world. But magnificent, I don't think so; your home is sure pretty. I wish I could live here."
The boy's raven eyes grew wide. "But you can Andre, it's easy."
"Really?" The giant asked, turning towards the small boy.
Jack nodded. "I can help you; with this." He held up a small sack.
Andre lifted his eyebrows.
"I traded my cow for them instead of money; the seller said they were magic beans. But my mother wants money, not beans. You see, even as a town as beautiful as this; we are poor."
Andre then came up with an idea and made a deal with Jack. He told him he'd give Jack a sack full of gold for the magic beans. For all he wanted was to fit in.
Once Jack agreed, Andre told him where to find the beanstalk for the trade tomorrow. Then they parted ways.
The next day, as Andre was sacking his gold for the trade, there was a commotion outside. Andre went outside and gasped. Giants were running all around, some even hiding. Shouts rang out from all around that made Andre freeze with fear.
"A human has found our world!"
"We're doomed!"
"The legend is bound to come true!"
Andre buried his hands into his hands. "What have I done?" He sobbed.
The short giant burned with anger and his foot boomed as he went to find Jack.
When he finally found the boy, he was covering himself gold, looking very greedy. Jack saw Andre before the giant could move and ran off; the short giant on his tail.
Jack slid down the beanstalk with Andre just behind him. Jack reached the ground before Andre did, but Andre snatched him up before he could go far.
"Please," Jack wailed desperately. "My village is so poor!"
"I should crush you like the liar you are," Andre boomed, anger flowing through him. But as he watched the squirming, wailing desperate boy; he knew he couldn't.
He sighed and carefully put the whimpering boy back on the ground.
"This isn't over!" Jack yelled as he ran with his riches. "I'll tell everyone where the beanstalk is!"
Alarm was clear on Andre's face, but it was too late to grab the small boy again. Jack was already long gone.
Andre looked up the beanstalk and knew what he had to do. Now he finally understood the legend; and to protect that from happening, to protect his kin, he knew what he had to do. He grabbed the shook it hard, until the bottom popped out like a cork from its bottle. Then, with all his might, he threw it as far as he could. In a blink, it was gone. The connection from both worlds was broken.
"Now, my brother will be safe," He sighed. "But I..." He sniffed. "Will now never fit in…"
He buried himself in his hands and sobbed his now big giant tears. But as he did, he began to shrink. He shrank and shrunk until he became human size.
He came out of his old clothes that became HUGE over him. He looked miraculously at himself. His heart was so pure that he'd finally got his wish.
He then ran off from the "secret sacred place" to find clothes. And that, my friends, is the true story of Jack and the Beanstalk.