Episode 22

The goose came out of the cage like a runaway locomotive. Its sharp toenails
and beating wings hit Jack on his head. In four or five wing beats, it went
out the loft door and disappeared in the night.

"Now look what you've done. You let our fortune fly through your
hands." She lit up the cage with her flashlight. "Get all those eggs and let's
get out of here." Ten minutes later, Jack stopped trotting and leaned
against a pine tree growing along the road going through the dark woods. "I've
got to rest. These eggs are heavy." He slid down into a sitting position.

Red looked behind them down the dark road. "I don't see or hear
anything." She tried to see Jack's face. "How many eggs do we have?"

"Ten."

"Five for me and five for you." Red danced a few steps in the
leaves.

"Aren't we going to give them back to the ogre? They are his eggs,
you know. He might not release my mom if we don't return them."

"How can you be so dumb?" She flicked the light in his eyes. "Your
mom is already free as a bird and doesn't want to leave. The ogre is
probably trying to get rid of her. Give me my five eggs. I'm going to
grandma's house and hide them. The big bad wolf can guard them. I'll meet
you at the beanstalk at daylight."

Jack walked around the beanstalk as the first rays from the sun
glistened on the upper leaves. He had his hand on the first branch when he
heard Red Ridinghood.

"You weren't going up without me, were you?" She gave Jack a
playful punch in the ribs. With a small jump, she was on the first branch
and climbing hand over hand like a red headed monkey. She stopped ten feet
below the fleecy white clouds and waited for Jack. "Above all, don't mention
the golden eggs. If the ogre asks, we didn't see any. The thieving evil
trolls must have them all." She waited until Jack got enough of his breath
to nod his head. "OK, let's go on up."

The two-headed dog was lying in the courtyard watching them get
off the beanstalk. One head snarled while the other panted happily.

Red Ridinghood petted the happy head and continued walking toward
the castle. She went to the same entrance, opened the door and entered
without knocking. She pointed at the staircase going down. "Let's see what's
down there." She took the steps two at a time and entered huge basement. A
wicker gondola was hanging over a circular hole in the floor. Grayish white
clouds floated by just below the hole. Over the gondola was a huge
electrical winch with miles of a thin steel cable wrapped around the drum.
"Here's how the ogre gets down to the surface." After a brief glance, she
turned and walked up the stairs to the kitchen.

Love to All from the Farm
in Two Double-aught Six.