Read Online Jack and the Beanstalk (Faerie Tale Collection) by Jenni James - Free Book Online
Authors: Jenni James
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something else.”
Rachel shared a look with Jack before searching for a song she felt was suitable. Was there a particular song the giant requested more often than not? Nay, there was none. It was always she who picked the songs. What did he want?
“Hurry! I want my friend see you sing something good.”
“Actually, I found that last song very nice,” Jack commented.
“No, you did not!” Gleefak slammed his fist on the table, causing it to tremble beneath them both and rattle the poor cage. Rachel nearly toppled over. “You can’t like that song. No! She is my singer. Mine! You do not like her silly, dumb songs. Only the songs I like do you like.”
Jack’s eyebrows shot to his forehead, and Rachel noticed the jagged red scar on the side of it. What had he done?
“Well, then, perhaps we should let her choose something more uplifting and fun. Something you would like.” She heard the chuckle in Jack’s voice. She could tell he thought the giant was acting like a little child.
Jack glanced at her and they shared a smile.
Gleeflak slammed his hand down on the table again, and this time the action startled the baby so much that she began to cry. “Enough! I do not like this game! We are done. Rachel, you go back to your cage now!”
“Are you sure?” She had never seen him this angry before.
“Yes! And you go in there with her!” He stood Jack up and pushed him toward her. “You need locked up too! You both bad. And you are not my friend!”
Jack turned and asked, “Me? Why?”
The giant pointed to him. “Because you like her! And you not allowed to like my singer. Only I like her!”
“I am sorry,” Jack said. “She is very pretty. And she sings wonderfully. It is hard not to like her.”
“Get in there!”
Gleeflak’s face turned so red, Rachel ran over to the cage as quickly as possible. The poor baby was really crying now. Rachel fumbled with the lock, but could not grasp such a large thing on her own.
Jack stepped up behind her and together they pushed the release until it clicked and opened. “Does he act like this often?” he asked.
“No. I have never seen him lose his temper the whole time I have been here.” She stepped into the cage and waited for him to enter as well.
“How has Verity been holding up?”
“Who?”
“The baby. Her name is Verity.”
The little girl ran to Rachel and wrapped her arms around her legs. She stopped crying immediately. “How do you know that?” she asked.
“The witch who helped me get to you claims the baby is hers and wants her back.”
“Oh, dear. You bargained with a witch?”
“I had no choice.” He knelt down and held out his arms. “Can I hold her? Will she come to me?”
“You could try.” Rachel gently pushed against the baby’s shoulder. “Do you want to see Jack?”
“Verity,” he called. “Come here.”
She clung to Rachel’s dress, but peeked over at him when she heard her name.
“Call her again.”
“Verity, come here. I will not hurt you. May I hold you, please?”
She turned around more fully and giggled before tucking her head back into Rachel’s dress. “Is that your name?” Rachel grinned down at the little darling below her. “Did Jack say your name?”
Verity giggled again and nodded.
“Would you like to go see him?”
Verity turned around and this time got a bit braver and let go of the dress to walk up to Jack.
“Come on,” he said. “Let me give you a hug.”
Slowly, while glancing back at Rachel for support, she walked into Jack’s arms. Her little frame being folded into his chest as he stood up with her nearly caused Rachel’s heart to burst. “You are a sweetheart,” she whispered.
“She certainly is.” He rubbed his chin upon her bouncy curls.
Rachel chuckled softly, a warm glow spreading all through her. “I meant you, Jack. You are a sweetheart to care about such a little one. It makes me happy to see you this way.”
“Enough!” Gleeflak cried into the cage
Rachel shared a look with Jack before searching for a song she felt was suitable. Was there a particular song the giant requested more often than not? Nay, there was none. It was always she who picked the songs. What did he want?
“Hurry! I want my friend see you sing something good.”
“Actually, I found that last song very nice,” Jack commented.
“No, you did not!” Gleefak slammed his fist on the table, causing it to tremble beneath them both and rattle the poor cage. Rachel nearly toppled over. “You can’t like that song. No! She is my singer. Mine! You do not like her silly, dumb songs. Only the songs I like do you like.”
Jack’s eyebrows shot to his forehead, and Rachel noticed the jagged red scar on the side of it. What had he done?
“Well, then, perhaps we should let her choose something more uplifting and fun. Something you would like.” She heard the chuckle in Jack’s voice. She could tell he thought the giant was acting like a little child.
Jack glanced at her and they shared a smile.
Gleeflak slammed his hand down on the table again, and this time the action startled the baby so much that she began to cry. “Enough! I do not like this game! We are done. Rachel, you go back to your cage now!”
“Are you sure?” She had never seen him this angry before.
“Yes! And you go in there with her!” He stood Jack up and pushed him toward her. “You need locked up too! You both bad. And you are not my friend!”
Jack turned and asked, “Me? Why?”
The giant pointed to him. “Because you like her! And you not allowed to like my singer. Only I like her!”
“I am sorry,” Jack said. “She is very pretty. And she sings wonderfully. It is hard not to like her.”
“Get in there!”
Gleeflak’s face turned so red, Rachel ran over to the cage as quickly as possible. The poor baby was really crying now. Rachel fumbled with the lock, but could not grasp such a large thing on her own.
Jack stepped up behind her and together they pushed the release until it clicked and opened. “Does he act like this often?” he asked.
“No. I have never seen him lose his temper the whole time I have been here.” She stepped into the cage and waited for him to enter as well.
“How has Verity been holding up?”
“Who?”
“The baby. Her name is Verity.”
The little girl ran to Rachel and wrapped her arms around her legs. She stopped crying immediately. “How do you know that?” she asked.
“The witch who helped me get to you claims the baby is hers and wants her back.”
“Oh, dear. You bargained with a witch?”
“I had no choice.” He knelt down and held out his arms. “Can I hold her? Will she come to me?”
“You could try.” Rachel gently pushed against the baby’s shoulder. “Do you want to see Jack?”
“Verity,” he called. “Come here.”
She clung to Rachel’s dress, but peeked over at him when she heard her name.
“Call her again.”
“Verity, come here. I will not hurt you. May I hold you, please?”
She turned around more fully and giggled before tucking her head back into Rachel’s dress. “Is that your name?” Rachel grinned down at the little darling below her. “Did Jack say your name?”
Verity giggled again and nodded.
“Would you like to go see him?”
Verity turned around and this time got a bit braver and let go of the dress to walk up to Jack.
“Come on,” he said. “Let me give you a hug.”
Slowly, while glancing back at Rachel for support, she walked into Jack’s arms. Her little frame being folded into his chest as he stood up with her nearly caused Rachel’s heart to burst. “You are a sweetheart,” she whispered.
“She certainly is.” He rubbed his chin upon her bouncy curls.
Rachel chuckled softly, a warm glow spreading all through her. “I meant you, Jack. You are a sweetheart to care about such a little one. It makes me happy to see you this way.”
“Enough!” Gleeflak cried into the cage
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