Jill and the Beanstalk

Jill and the Beanstalk is a legendary fairy tale that has captured the hearts and minds of children everywhere. It is set in the days of the High Penguin Confederacy in what is now Eastshield.

The event
The Carter family was the poorest in the village. Mother Carter and her daughter Jill lived in an old shack, which they shared with their giant puffle, Gary. Mother Carter's only job was making quilts out of Gary's shed fur. It was not a high paying business, and now Gary was old and grey, and seldom produced enough fur to make even a scarf. Mother Carter treated Jill harshly, calling her useless when Jill actually helped collect the fur. It was a tough life.

One day, Mother Carter and Jill were eating dinner, a measly meal of mouldy pizza. Suddenly, Mother stood up.

"I'm sick and tired of being poor! I'm sick and tired of being hungry! I've had enough!"

She pointed a flipper at Jill, who shrunk back into her chair.

"Jill, listen here, you useless child. Tomorrow you shall go to market and sell Gary for a high price. Don't you dare come back with nothing, or you will be punished beyond your wildest dreams!"

And so she did.

The next day, Jill led Gary on a giant leash to the town square. She was stopped by a shifty penguin wearing a trenchcoat and sunglasses.

"Hey there. Would you like to buy a magic bean?" he asked.

"No thanks," said Jill, "I have to sell Gary at the market."

She walked on, but the penguin stopped her again.

"Listen, I have a fabulous deal," said he, "I'll swap you a magic bean for your puffle!"

Jill was silent for a moment, then spoke.

"That doesn't sound very worthwhile."

"But, they're MAGIC beans!" grinned the penguin.

Jill considered this for a second, then pulled out a shovel and whacked the penguin, knocking him out.

"Mother always said never to talk to strangers," she said as she walked on.

But the penguin had other ideas. He flipped a bean through the air and it was caught in Jill's shoulderbag.

Later, Jill sold Gary, but she was swindled. Instead of giving her 100 coins, she was given 1! Her mother was furious!

"HOW DARE YOU!" she screamed, "AFTER I SPECIALLY TOLD YOU TO GET A GOOD PRICE!"

"GET OUTSIDE!"

Jill slowly walked outside the shack, and sat on the ground. A small object fell out of her shoulderbag. It was the bean!

Jill never saw it, though. She was upset and kicked a pile of snow with her flipper. It covered the bean completely. Jill walked back inside the house, her head hung.

There was a flash of green light from behind a nearby cottage. Two penguins stepped out. The first, a black penguin with a blue shoulderbag, a red beanie and a friendship bracelet, checked a strange looking watch on his other wrist. The red puffle sitting on his shoulder was asleep.

"Willy, are you sure about this?" asked the black penguin.

The other, a blue penguin wearing a black hoodie and a baseball cap spoke.

"I'm positive, Kwik. I'm sure we're involved in this somewhere! According to the story, we show Jill how to climb the beanstalk!"

The black penguin, Kwik, reached into his satchel and pulled out a large book entitled Antarctican Nursery Rhymes. He flipped until he found the right page.

"Well, this place fits the description. I just hope we're not breaking the golden rule of time travel."

"Golden Rule?"

"My friend, Doctor Hickory, always told me never, ever to interfere with big historical events."