Episode 14

Jack crept across the hay to another crack between the boards. “He’s an ugly ogre, isn’t he?”

Red Ridinghood kept her eye trained on the ogre. She watched him stop at the beanstalk for a few seconds. He looked at the barn and sniffed the air. Then he grabbed the beanstalk and jumped into the hole. One second later, he had disappeared. Red turned around and walked to the ladder. “He didn’t look ugly to me. He was just a big good-looking guy.

“What are you talking about? He’s just a bigger version of Rumpelstiltskin.” He watched Red begin to climb down the ladder. “Where do you think he’s going?” He hesitated a second. “Where are you going?”

Red was walking through the different rooms in the first floor of the barn. “I see some nests.” She shook her head sorrowfully. “Not a single golden egg.”

Red Ridinghood walked to the open doorway of the barn before she answered Jack. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure our where the ogre is going. He’s searching for his goose that lays the golden eggs.” She walked across the courtyard to the blacksmith shop, keeping one eye on the beanstalk.

Jack followed closely. “What will he do? The goose isn’t down there. We need to find it so we can rescue my mother.”

Red shook her head showing a bit of disgust. “Forget your dumb mom for a while. If we find the goose, we are certainly are not giving it back to the ogre for your mother.” She looked into each nest in the blacksmith shop. “The goose is extremely valuable and your mother is safe and sound somewhere having a good time.”

Jack mulled this over in his mind for a few seconds. “What do you think the ogre is doing right now? Is he tearing up my mom’s house?”

Red shook her head and looked at the ogre’s castle. “I doubt it since he’s already been to your house according to your mom’s note. He’ll be scouring the countryside. I’m sure he will soon be checking Snow White’s cottage. Those seven trolls will steal thunder and snatch at lightning. We want to run across this courtyard as quick as possible. The ogre may have servants and I’d rather we not be seen.” She broke into a mad dash across the courtyard toward a side door. Ten seconds later, she opened the door and stepped inside.