Spill the Beans

by Sarah Mlynowski

  We go inside the house and Jack shows his mom the sack of gold coins in the wheelbarrow.

  “Wow!” Ada says. “Thank goodness you kids got those magic beans, after all! Sorry I doubted you, Jackie.” She gives him a big hug.

  I could use a hug. A Prince hug. Boo.

  “Well, look around, kids,” Ada says. “This is the last time you’ll see any of these shabby furnishings! We can even move to a nice new house, Jack,” she adds. “You’ll have a proper bedroom!”

  As Jack and his mom talk about all the things they’ll finally be able to buy and all the meals they can’t wait to eat, Jonah and I get into bed. I want tomorrow to come fast so that I can get the goose, give him to Devin, and get my dog back.

  We’re coming, Prince!

  * * *

  The next morning, we wake up at 6:00 A.M., which is also 6:00 A.M. in Smithville. Good thing every hour at home is seven hours here, or we’d be in trouble!

  Jack’s mom makes us small bowls of porridge and then we head back outside to the beanstalk. We told Ada we were climbing up again today to check and see if there were other gold coins to be found.

  Like last time, Jonah climbs up first. Then I do.

  “Good job, Abby!” Jack calls up to me from below.

  I smile down at him. He smiles back.

  Focus on the mission, Abby. Not the boy!

  So back up I go. Up, up, up.

  When I start to see the different-colored clouds, I know we’re getting close to the top.

  Once all three of us make it up to the top, we go running down the cloud walkway to the castle. Then we pause at the front door.

  “What now?” I whisper.

  No way am I knocking on the door this time. Philippa probably knows we took the coins. She won’t be happy to see us. And forget about Magnus …

  “I hear voices,” Jonah says. “Coming from around the side of the castle.”

  “Shhh!” I say, holding a finger to my lips. “Let’s go see.”

  I tiptoe to the end of the house, Jack and Jonah right behind me. We all peer around the side.

  The two giants are in the garden. They’re both kneeling down in the clouds and pruning rosebushes.

  “Smell those beautiful rose petals!” Philippa says, breathing in the scent.

  Magnus sniffs and we can hear it all the way from where we’re crouching.

  Oops. I sure hope he doesn’t smell US.

  “They smell wonderful,” he says. “And they’re beautiful like you,” he adds, giving Philippa a kiss on the cheek.

  “Oh, you!” she says with a big smile. “Such a romantic.”

  Um, are the giants being sweet? My parents get all lovey-dovey like that sometimes and I pretend it makes me ill, but really? I kind of love it.

  “Aww, they’re cute,” Jack says. “Surprisingly so.”

  “Right?” I say. Then I remember why we’re here. To be goose-nappers. “Ugh, I hate that we’re stealing from them. They don’t deserve this.”

  We watch as Magnus plucks a flower and slips it into Philippa’s hair. Then he gives her another kiss on the cheek and they rub their giant noses together.

  “We’re doing it to get Prince back,” Jack reminds me. “Sometimes, you have to do something wrong to make up for something wrong. Know what I mean?”

  “I think I do,” Jonah says.

  Me too. Jack is right. Besides, we have no choice.

  We rush back to the front door. The giants must have left it open when they came outside. They are really bad with safety. It’s like they’re asking for us to rob them!

  In the kitchen, I listen for goose sounds, but then realize I have no idea what sounds a goose makes. Like a duck? I definitely don’t hear quacking. Or anything, really.

  “Let’s try the bedroom,” Jack suggests.

  We go down the hallway and sneak into the giants’ bedroom. They have an enormous bed the size of an Olympic swimming pool. Above the bed is a huge photograph in a gold frame of Magnus and Philippa on the dance floor, Philippa in a wedding gown and Magnus in a tux. One wall of the bedroom is full of massively tall bookcases stuffed with books. In front of the window is an easel with a big canvas on it and paintbrushes in a bucket beneath it. Someone has been painting the multicolored clouds outside.

  Magnus and Philippa seem like such nice, regular giants. Besides the eating-children part.

  “No goose in here,” Jack says, looking around. “Let’s try the living room.”

  “Or maybe the goose has her OWN room,” Jonah says. “She does lay golden eggs, after all. She certainly deserves her own mansion, never mind her own room.”

  “Smart thinking,” Jack says, winking at Jonah.

  Jonah’s whole face lights up.

  “I’ll check the other bedrooms,” Jack says. “You guys check the living room.”

  As the three of us leave the bedroom, I look at the photographs lining the walls of the hallway. Magnus and Philippa doing things together: out to dinner, walking in a park, floating on a cloud.

  I frown. We shouldn’t be here. We shouldn’t be walking into their home and taking their stuff.

  It’s wrong.

  Plain and simple.

  “Guys?” I say, turning to Jack and Jonah. They stop and look at me.

  “What is it?” Jack asks me.

  “This isn’t right,” I say, feeling choked up. “Even if Magnus eats children for snacks. It’s his house! And we’re in it! Eating kids for a giant is like us eating chicken fingers!”

  “Chicken fingers aren’t really fingers of chicken, you know,” Jonah says.

  “Yes, Jonah, I know that. But chickens are still animals. Just like we are to the giant. We wouldn’t want someone stealing from us just because we eat animals.”

  Jonah frowns. “We wouldn’t want chickens stealing from us?”

  “You know what I mean!”

  “I know what you mean,” Jack says. “But do you want your dog back or not?”

  “Of course!” I snap. “But it’s still wrong. Magnus has nothing to do with Devin and Prince.”

  “Well, the giant has the goose,” Jack reminds me. “And Devin WANTS the goose. Therefore, we’re here to get the goose. Just try to keep your focus on the most important thing.”

  Which is … Prince.

  Ugh. I hate what I’m about to do.

  “Fine, let’s just get the goose and go!” I say. But I don’t feel good about any of this. Also is the goose going to be giant-sized? If so, how will we smuggle her out of the house?

  Jack goes into one of the other bedrooms, then comes out and shakes his head. “No goose in there.” He goes into the next room. “Or in there.”

  We all go into the living room. I don’t see anything goose-ish, like a goose bed or goose food. Not that I know what geese eat. Bread? Fish?

  And I don’t see any golden eggs.

  “Where could that goose be?” I ask.

  THUD. THUD-THUD.

  Uh-oh.

  The thudding footsteps stop.

  “Fee, fi, fo, fum,” Magnus chants. “I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be he alive or be he dead, I’ll grind his bones to make my bread.”

  THUD. THUD-THUD.

  Ahhh! The giant is coming!

  And we didn’t find the goose!

  “Abby!” Jonah cries. “Is that the harp?”

  I look where he’s pointing. Yes! A golden harp is on a stand in the corner of the living room. The harp is massive. Three times the size of me.

  Jack rushes over and puts the harp on his back. “Let’s go! Before the giant gets us.”

  “How are you holding that?” I ask. “You’re going to hurt yourself!”

  “It’s surprisingly light!” Jack says. “Come on!”

  “But we can’t leave without the goose,” I say. “Or Devin won’t give us Prince.”

  “Devin will probably want the harp,” Jack assures me. “It’s gold!”

  “And it sings on demand,” Jonah reminds me.<
br />
  “Even better!” Jack says. “Cool. Devin will definitely want it, then.”

  THUD-THUD-THUD.

  “Fee, fi, fo, fum,” the giant begins.

  “Oh, not that again,” Philippa scolds.

  “I knew I smelled children the other day!” Magnus says in his booming voice.

  I hear a cabinet in the kitchen opening and shutting. UH-OH.

  “And I was right,” Magnus says. “Because someone stole a bag of my gold coins. They must be back. Search the house!”

  Ahhh!

  “We have to hide!” I hiss to Jack and Jonah.

  We go racing behind the huge couch. It’s the size of ten SUVs stacked on top of each other and at least twenty SUVs long.

  THUD-THUD-THUD.

  Magnus is coming!

  “Abby, Jonah,” Jack says. “The minute Magnus comes in, sneak along the back of the couch to the doorway, then run out. We’re so little compared to him that he won’t see us.”

  “Okay!” I say. It’s a good plan. Even I have to admit that.

  SNIFF. SNIFF-SNIFF.

  “FEE, FI — ” Magnus begins. “Oh, wait, I already said that,” he adds.

  I peek around the couch. Magnus is stepping farther into the room. Jack, Jonah, and I scoot to the far side of the couch.

  “Now!” Jack whispers. “Run!”

  Jonah and I hurry behind him, trying to help him hold up the massive harp. Which is not as light as Jack said it was!

  We all go racing out into the living room, and into the kitchen. We make it and hide behind a broom that’s leaning against the wall.

  SNIFF-SNIFF-SNIFF!

  “Philly!” Magnus calls. “Am I losing my mind? I swear I smell children. But I don’t see them anywhere.”

  “Oh, they probably left already,” Philippa responds. Her voice is coming from the bedroom, which means the coast is clear. “Don’t get yourself all worked up, honey bunny.”

  Honey bunny? Really?

  “Let’s rush out of the house now,” I whisper to Jonah and Jack.

  I take one more look at Honey Bunny — aka the giant. He throws his hands up in the air and looks upset, but at least he’s not coming after us.

  Jack slings the harp over his shoulder, and then the three of us go rushing out the front door and down the cloud walkway.

  “I sure hope the trader wants the harp,” Jonah says as Jack jumps onto the beanstalk and slides right down.

  Jonah follows, and I slide down right after him.

  Finally, we reach the ground. Yes!

  We go running to the market, but after the first hill, I have to take a break. Jack, holding the harp, is sweating. Jonah is raring to go.

  After a few minutes’ rest, we run to the trader’s house. The harp is not light. We are all sweating.

  Totally out of breath, I knock on the trader’s door.

  Ruff! Prince barks. Ruff-ruff!

  “Prince,” I call, my heart leaping at the sound of him. “We’re here! We’re going to take you home.”

  The door opens. The gold chain is up again and keeps the door open just an inch. I can see Devin’s brown eyes and his nose and part of his mouth.

  “Do you have the goose that lays the golden eggs?” Devin says.

  I bite my lip. “Uh, here’s the thing. We couldn’t find the goose anywhere. But we did find this!” I say, pointing at the harp in Jack’s arms.

  “A harp?” Devin asks with a scowl. “Why do I want a harp? I’m not musical. I can’t even carry a tune.”

  “The harp does the work for you,” I explain. “It’s a gold magic harp that plays beautifully on command.”

  Devin raises an eyebrow. “Let’s hear it.”

  “Harp,” I say, “Play ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.’”

  The harp begins to play all by itself. The melody is so beautiful that Devin’s eyes get misty with tears.

  “I love that song,” he says, dabbing under his eyes. “That was just lovely, Harp. Thank you.”

  The harp plays a note as if saying, You’re welcome!

  Devin’s eyes gleam. He looks very pleased.

  Yes! He’s going to accept the trade!

  “But it’s not the goose,” Devin says, turning away. “No goose, no Prince!” he shouts, shutting the door in our faces. Again.

  Abby, Jonah, don’t take this the wrong way,” Jack begins, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “But you COULD always adopt another dog. Right?”

  I stop in the middle of the cobblestone street and practically bump into the harp, which we’re all still carrying.

  “I do take that the wrong way,” I say. “Prince is not just a random dog. He’s part of our family.”

  “Yeah, Jack,” Jonah says with a frown. He looks pretty disappointed that his hero would even suggest such a thing.

  “I’m just being practical, I guess,” Jack says with a shrug. “We couldn’t find the goose. And the giants are onto us. We probably shouldn’t go back up to their castle. So you might have to accept that Prince now belongs to Devin. I’m really sorry, guys.”

  “Prince belongs to US!” I cry. “So of course we’re going back! We have to find that goose!”

  Jack leans the harp against the side of another house and folds his arms over his chest. “I wouldn’t if I were you. Because here’s what’s going to happen if you go back.”

  I fold my arms over my chest, too, and wait.

  “The giants will sniff you out in a second,” Jack insists. “And this time, they’ll catch you.”

  “We’ll be very careful,” I say.

  “Sure,” Jack says. “But while you’re being careful and finding the goose and running out with it, guess who might not be so lucky?” He points at Jonah. “Your little brother. He’ll probably get caught. Jonah’s a great kid. You want his bones ground up for the giant’s toast?”

  “Of course not!” I snap. How dare Jack suggest that? And to think I thought he was cute. Hmmpf!

  “Abby would never let that happen!” Jonah says.

  “Thanks, Jonah,” I say, feeling slightly better.

  Then Jonah looks sheepishly at Jack. “Do you really think I’m a great kid?”

  “Sure do,” Jack says, giving Jonah a high five. “I’m just trying to look out for you.”

  Oh, brother.

  “So do you guys agree, then?” Jack asks me and Jonah. “No going back up the beanstalk? It’s not safe!”

  He looks so sincere. Ugh. I get it. I really do. BUT STILL. This is Prince he’s talking about. And Prince is not his dog. So of course Jack doesn’t care about him the way we do.

  “Jonah?” I say. “What do you think?”

  I’m terrified he’ll say that Jack is right, and we shouldn’t take the risk of going back just so we can rescue Prince.

  But then, to my relief, Jonah shakes his head. “We need to get Prince,” he says. “We can’t go home without him!”

  “Exactly,” I say. I turn to Jack. “We’re going back to get that goose and save our dog,” I say. “With or without you. Come on, Jonah.”

  Jonah and I take off running back to Jack’s house.

  “Wait!” I hear.

  I stop and turn around.

  “I’ll help you look for the goose,” Jack says, jogging up behind us and carrying the harp. “Even though I think you’re making a mistake. But can you help me carry the harp back?”

  The three of us carry the not-light harp back to Jack’s house. When we get to Jack’s yard, Jack sets the harp down and heads for the beanstalk. “Let’s do this!” he cries.

  “Um, Jack, you’re forgetting the harp,” I say.

  “Are you kidding?” he says. “We can’t carry it all the way back up! And anyway, I think you guys should hold on to it. Just in case you don’t find the goose. That way, you can sell the harp and try to find another goose that lays golden eggs. Maybe they sell them at the market. They’re probably really expensive.”

  “I think there’s only one goose that lays go
lden eggs,” Jonah says.

  “Yeah. And he belongs to Magnus and Philippa,” I add. “We should give the harp back. We’re going to find that goose. So I’ll feel better if we return the harp.”

  “If you insist,” Jack says with a sigh.

  We all grab hold of the harp, and maneuver our way up the beanstalk.

  So. Heavy.

  Once we have Prince back, all this will have been worth it.

  * * *

  This time the castle door is closed.

  I guess the giants learned from their mistakes. They’re no fools.

  “Let’s go around back,” Jack suggests. “Maybe there’s a basement window we can go through. Or a doggie door.”

  “I don’t think they have a dog,” I point out. “We would have noticed it. Especially if it were giant.”

  “But they have a goose,” Jonah says. “Maybe there’s a goose-sized door.”

  “Good point!” I say. “Let’s look.”

  We heave the harp over to the other end of the castle and peer around the side like we did earlier. The garden looks very nice with the pruned rosebushes. Magnus and Philippa are not out here.

  Good.

  The three of us run into the garden. And there, on the side of the castle, is a small (well, relatively small) door with a flap. Above the flap is a small portrait of a white goose with a pale yellow beak. The word NELLY is painted in pink letters above the portrait.

  There really is a goose door!

  “You called it, Jonah,” I say, giving my brother a high five.

  “Yay!” he says.

  I’m glad that things are going right for Jonah again. He was really down before.

  The goose door is pretty much just our size, so we don’t even need to crawl through it. The three of us push through the heavy plastic flap and then we’re inside the living room again.

  I hear Magnus snoring in the bedroom. I hear Philippa humming in the kitchen.