Showing up in a closet had been a surprise to Jane. Of all the ways to get into the castle, that hadn't been one she had considered. Fortunately, she'd been down an empty hall, so when she crept out, it had been easy to get away. That was until the Giant had made his declaration about sniffing her out.

How am I supposed to get around that? she wondered. I can't make myself not smell. Now, she understood why Jack's adventures were always snatch-and-grab; get in, steal something, and get out before his stench alerted the Giant. It had seemed to work for him. He'd even managed to steal the goose that laid the golden egg from right under the giant's nose.

But Jane wasn't there to steal, only to explore. Maybe I can make friends with the Gaint? She tiptoed along. Probably best to not run into him at all.

Jane heard footsteps, and she dove behind a large potted plant. She peeked out and watched a trio of guards pass by. After several minutes, she wondered if it was safe to continue.

She decided to risk it and crept down the corridor, sticking close to the wall, moving from shadow to shadow cast by the greenery to another hall, scanning left and right. It was clear. Or, at least it was until she came to yet another intersection. She was so focused on what was behind her that she didn't see a young but large man turn the corner. She crashed into him, smashing into his solid mass.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" she said before she had a chance to be afraid.

He grabbed her to steady her on impulse. When he realized what had happened, he narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you the Englishman?" he demanded

Her heart pounded, and she shook her head hard. "No! Not at all. I mean," she switched to nodding and blurted, "yes, I'm English, but I'm not a man, so I'm not the Englishman."

He crossed his arms. "Yeah, but you're the one my father smells, aren't you?"

She started to back up, pulling away from him. "Maybe. I don't know. I guess?"

He tightened the hold on her arm. "You can't be here!" he hissed. "He gets terribly angry about the English. All they—you—do are steal things. He likes his things, especially the gold."

Jane nodded. "I know. My cousin Jack stole the goose." The moment she said it, Jane wished she hadn't. For once, being Jack's cousin was not a good thing.

The large boy's eyes widened. "You're related to that Englishman? Oh, this is not good. Father will not care that you are a girl." He glanced around, making sure the way was clear. "Come on." He pulled her along until they reached a door. Making sure the room was empty first, he pushed her into the room.

"If you're not here to steal from us, why did you climb the beanstalk?" he hissed.

"I'm not here to take anything, I swear!" It was only a small lie. She tried not to think about her promise to Audrey about bringing her something and all the taxes they needed to pay.

He studied her face, and Jane regarded him in return. He had sandy sun-bleached hair, brown eyes, and a square jaw. She thought he was handsome but imposing.

"Why should I believe you?" he asked.

"If I were here to steal, I'd have brought an empty bag," Jane explained. She opened the flap on her satchel, making Shelly, unbeknownst to her, scramble out of sight. "See? My pack is full of things I might need to explore. That's all I want to do, I swear."

"But, you're armed," he pointed to her knife.

"It's not meant to be a weapon. I wanted it in case I needed to cut the rope or something."

He scowled. "Or something. Right."

She sagged. "Honest. I just wanted to go on an adventure."

"Hmm," the boy said, studying her. "What's your name, anyway?"

She tugged, wanting her arm out of his grip, but he was too strong. "Jane," she answered, brow furrowing. "What's yours?"

"Orson." He regarded her for a moment. "Okay, come with me. Maybe I can get father to just let you go if you promised to climb back down the beanstalk, then cut it down."

Jane nodded. "Yes. I promise. Now, you let go!" She yanked against him again, but he only clenched her arm harder. She stumbled behind him as he pulled her out the door and down the hall. Jane heard more guards in the distance, but none came their way.

Realizing that he was too strong to overcome, Jane gave up trying to escape and became resigned to her fate. As he marched her along, she marveled at the size of everything, at least three times bigger than home. No wonder Orson stood more than a head taller, even though he appeared about her age. She wondered how tall he'd be when he grew up.

Rounding one last corner, they found a group of armed guards standing at attention in front of a man of impressive size. Jane's stomach flip-flipped. This is the giant!

"I smell the Englishman!" the giant bellowed at them, glaring at them. "Find him!"

"Father," Orson called down the hall. "I have found the person you smell. It's an Englishwoman," he declared, jerking Jane around to stand in front of him.

Jane trembled in the giant's presence. He was enormous and terribly frightening.

Orson's father scowled deeper as she stumbled. "A girl?"

"Yes, sir," Orson replied. The stiffness in his body accented his nervousness. He squeezed her arm just a little tighter.

Jane ignored his painful clutching. "Yes, sir," she echoed, wanting to be as respectful as possible. "My name is Jane Green. It's nice to meet you."

The man eyed her with suspicious eyes. After a moment, he said, "You may call me Mr. Thomas."

Jane inclined her head. "Mr. Thomas." She craned her head back to look him in the eye. "I don't suppose I can convince you to let me go? I promise to go straight home!"

The giant paused, the idea catching him off guard, then cackled.

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Oh, this is bad! Shelly thought for the second time that day. Of all the giants to meet, it had to be Mr. Thomas. He was notorious for his English Bread, and she was betting he was already reviewing the recipe in his head. Seeing no way around having to interfere, she sighed before squirming out of Jane's bag to sit on the top.

"Mr. Thomas, sir!" she shouted, attempting to get the giant's attention. Everyone turned in her direction but didn't see her; she was small and hard to spot. She flitted into the air to hover in front of Jane.

Shelly heard Jane's gasp. The girl had likely never seen a fairy but now was not the time for formal introductions. They would have to wait.

"What do you want, mosquito?" the giant asked, crossing his arms. Obviously, he didn't like Shelly's kind.

She kept her face neutral, not wanting to betray her anger at the name-calling. "Mr. Thomas, Jane is an upstanding citizen. She is not here to steal from you but rather came to explore and make friends."

He pursed his lips. "And why are you here?"

Shelly blushed. "Jane's sister found the magic bean I accidentally dropped while standing in tooth fairy."

"Ah. So you," he stabbed a finger in Shelly's direction, "are the reason she has invaded my home!"

Shelly's heart pounded. It would be nothing for the giant to swat her. Then, when she was knocked senseless, he could take her prisoner. It wouldn't be the first time he'd done it. She'd have to be careful to not let him know the satchel she wore was magical, or he'd certainly capture her. Especially when he figured out she could pull gold coins from it. He loved gold more than anything.

"I am sorry, sir," she apologized. "It was an accident. The family dog startled me, and I fell. I had been carrying the bean with me."

"Hmph," he grunted. "Well, you're responsible for the girl then. What do you think I should do with her?"

She wavered. Being asked such a thing hadn't been something she'd thought would happen. "Umm..."

"Spit it out, mosquito," Orson demanded. It was an unnecessary comment; Orson tried to impress but didn't quite manage. He sounded more like a bully. Though in retrospect, Shelly concluded, perhaps that would gain him respect in his father's eyes after all.

"Well, you like gold." Shelly began. "Maybe she could buy her way out of this?"

"Gold!" Jane exclaimed, stomach dropping and eyebrows lifting. "Buy my way? We don't even have the money to pay taxes! I can't pay something like that!"

Shelly waved her off. "Shh! I'm trying to help. Trust me," she said quietly over her shoulder.

The giant contemplated Shelly's suggestion. "Yes. She could buy her way home. And, if she doesn't have the money, I know where she could get it."

The little fairy gasped, realizing the trap she had created. "No! You can't!"

"Oh, yes, I can," the giant grinned.

Shelly did not like that grin at all. "It's dangerous!"

The giant threw his head back and laughed, a great roaring sound. Sobering, he exclaimed in a loud voice, "Then she shouldn't have come here!"

Jane's voice trembled. "What do I have to do?"

"You, Englishwoman, are going to steal from a dragon."

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