The Magic Beans

The Magic Beans

by Sheri Grutz

One day when Jack was walking home from school, it had just rained, and the leaves were blowing drops down on his threadbare clothes, and pot holes in the road were filled with water, and he went jump-2-3-4, jump-2-3-4, jump-2-3-4, Splash, at an opening in the sky he saw a vivid rainbow what seemed to be right over his house, but he was distracted by a flier nailed to the cafe porch pillar, so he approached it, and it said:

Guess How Many Beans Are In My Jar

and Your Future Will Be Golden

-Wizardlark, upstairs

Jack had heard of this man who came to town from California, that distant land rumored to have gold and sun so bright you'd need to wear a straw hat. He had never seen this man though, and wondered why he came here. Jack stood and thought about it, then slowly entered the cafe to the stairs.

“Don't you be tracking in that mud!” Rosie said from the counter. Jack found a rug at the landing of the stairs, and he quickly wiped his shoes on it.

“Sorry, ma'am.”

“The way you kids ruin things...just look at those shoes....and now a track on the floor.”

Jack took his shoes off, and set them by the door. “Better?”

“Hmmm.” She was cutting into a pie. “Here. Take this loaf. It's for your mother.”

Jack walked up to Rosie barefoot, checking behind him that a trail wasn't being left.

“Thank you, ma'am.”

“What business is it of yours going on upstairs?”

“A magic man. Things are going to change.”

“Bah, nothing going to change until your father comes home.”

“We'll see.”

Jack turned quickly before she could say more, and nearly ran up the stairs. There were many rooms up and down the hallway, and he surveyed all of them, til he found the one near the end that said: Wizardlark Services. Jack listened, it was silent. He lightly knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked a bit louder, then heard a shuffling coming to the door, and there stood the magic man wearing a purple gown, and a black top hat.

“Who might you be?”

“I am Jack Mosier.”

“Well, Jack Mosier, you're kind of young, but do you want a reading?”

“No, I want to guess how many beans.”

“Certainly. Come in.”

The dark room was filled with lit candles, stones, gems, and an assortment of wands. Jack was thrilled.

“Do you make things disappear?!”

“You haven't been to my shows, have you?”

“No, it costs a nickel.”

“Over here is the jar.” The jar was set on a top shelf of a small bookcase. It contained so many white beans Jack worried if his guess would ever be right.

“So what do you think?”

“Ummmm....well.....I was thinking about....no....how about 6 hundred and fifty.”

“Alright. Let me just get my ledger. I'll write in your name, and your guess. Tomorrow I will reveal the winner. That is all, you can be going on home now.”

“But wait, what is the golden future?”

“I can't tell you that unless you win.”

“I've never won anything my whole life.”

“You might have a lucky day coming.”

“Thank you, sir. I'll stop by tomorrow afternoon.” Jack grabbed the loaf, looked around some more, smiled, then walked out, lightly latching the door.

Jack's mother was happy with the loaf. “Tomorrow you stop early and give Rosie our fresh cut flowers for her tables.”

“Yes, mother.”

“What's wrong with you, why are you smiling?”

“Just happy. I saw a rainbow today.”

“There's nothing to be happy about. You need to get the cow out in the pasture, it's done raining now.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

The barn had a leaking roof, so the cow still got wet, and it looked at Jack entering with nothing but contempt. Jack used the prong, lightly pushing at the cow's backside to get out of the stall, and out into the yard, but the cow wouldn't budge. Jack tried pulling it around the neck toward him, to move,” just move, you stupid cow.” The cow gave out a growling sound, then picked up one hoof, then another, and Jack slowly got her out of the barn. “How is this thing supposed to move a plow next month?” She was one of the last remaining things that made him think of his father, his investment. And back then, the cow did everything, right on the money. But everything went South, when supposedly his father did.

They ate the bread, and then Jack lay in his partially wet bed, just staring up ceiling where the leaks had come down, and even before he fell asleep, he was dreaming.

Jack did as his mother asked him to do, and brought flowers into the cafe. It was busy with morning breakfast, and loud with talk on farm reports. Jack saw another vase half filled with rose stems she was selling for a penny, and quickly inserted his flowers in with them. Rosie wasn't around, probably in the back. Jack glanced up at the stairs, and knew he'd be back.

After school, Jack excitely ran up to the cafe, but it was locked with a sign on the door that said, Sick Child. Will Reopen Tomorrow. Oh no, thought Jack, how will he get to the magic man. He peered in the window, then a voice was behind him, nearly scaring him half to death.

“Are you coming to see me?” There stood Mr. Wizardlark, bright and shiny in green.

“Yes, yes! I must know who won!”

“Come around back, we'll take the back stairs up to my room.”

They walked around to a weatherworn set of steps leading up to the second floor. The Wizardlark seemed to not be walking, but gliding through the air. Jack's heart was pounding. They entered his room, the same as Jack dreamed about.

“I'll tell ya what....you want the winner, right?

“ah huh.”

“Well the truth is, I don't know how many beans are in here....your guess is as good as mine. So, let's just say, Jack Mosier, You Are the Winner! You got the closest I think.”

“Oh my goodness! I can't believe it.”

“Well, believe it.” Mr Wizardlark stood looking at Jack questioningly. “And now you want the golden future?”

“Something like that.”

“Back 5 years ago, I was traveling through the state of Iowa, and I met a Giant. A real live Giant. He was the tallest, biggest man-beast I had ever seen.”

“Ohhh...”

“Well, that's all he would eat, was beans. He had so many beans, this jar is only a fraction of them, but he gave me them. He said, “This is how I got so big.” Well, I took them, and look over here, you seeing this fig tree? I put 2 beans in it, and it grew to the ceiling. I put 2 beans in a glass of water, and it grew into hominy.”

“So, these are some kind of magic beans.”

“Yes, Jack, they're magic beans. I knew I was in the right line of work when I got my hands on these. And so, what I'm going to do for you, is, I'm going to give you a handful, and I want you to plant them in the ground. See what happens.”

“What will happen?”

“I don't know, no one knows. And now what will you give me in return?”

“I have nothing to give.”

“Jack, do you wonder why I'm here in this town?”

“Yes.”

“Well I grew up in this town, and you wouldn't believe it, but I went to the school house with your mother.”

“She never told me that.”

“She knows me. But my own mother is living here too, just out by Cripple Creek. And what she needs is a cow.”

“A cow?”

“yes, my brother needs to plant her garden.”

“We've got a cow....yes! I can give you our cow.”

“Oh, that would be so great. Why don't you go home and get it right now, and I'll hitch her behind my wagon.”

“Alright, and then I will get the magic beans, right?”

“That is right.”

“I'll be right back.”

Jack ignored the danger of going down too quickly on these rickety steps, but he ran all the way home. His mother was not there, and then Jack realized it was Friday, and she was probably cleaning the church.

It was no easy task getting the old grumpy cow to move once again, but then Jack remembered, his father used to sing to this cow, so Jack gave it a try. He sang all the folklore he could think of, and the cow eased up and walked at a good pace.

“The thing about this cow is, if you just sing to her, I think she'll do alright,” Jack told Mr. Wizardlark upon getting back just before it got dark.

“Alright, I'll remember that. Thank you so much, Jack, here's your magic beans.” He scooped out a handful from the jar, and carefully put them in Jack's small hand.

“I'm going to have a golden future!”

“Best of luck, Jack. Don't forget to plant them when you get home.”

“I won't. Thank you, Mr. Wizardlark.”

Jack ran all the way home again, then time getting winded by the time he reached his house. His mother had a plate on eggs on the table, and was rocking her in chair, sewing up Jack's pants.

“Where have you been?”

“Mother, the greatest thing happened. I got magic beans!.”

“Your supper is stone cold.”

“I will eat it.” He sat down and finished his plate up in less than a minute.

“What is this about magic beans?”

“All I had to do was give him our old grumpy cow.”

“You did not sell the cow for magic beans, tell me you didn't!”

“I did, mother, you will see.”

“Oh Jack, what will we do now?”

“I think I hear something wild outside the house. I better go check.” Jack went out to the side of the house, and he took the magic beans out of his pocket, and with his own bare hands, he dug into the partially frozen ground, until he had a nice size hole, then he poured the beans in, and covered it back up with dirt. He patted it down good. He wondered, how long will it take?

Jack went to bed hearing his mother pacing down below, but he fell into a deep sleep, nothing would wake him, until the sun did, and right outside his window was the biggest, tallest beanstalk that reached way up into the sky. Jack ran outside, screaming for his mother.

“Jack, what in the world is this?”

“I told you mother, it's the magic beans. This is going to be our golden future, and all I have to do is climb it.”

“Are you certain? What's at the top?”

“I don't know, but I'm going to find out.” Jack started climbing the beanstalk, smiling, and excited, while his mother mouthed, “Wait until your father finds out.” Jack was long gone after a few minutes, and she waited and waited, not knowing what was going on up there, but marveling at something she didn't believe until she saw it with her own two eyes.