Mila and João loved being neighbors! They lived in houses close to each other in Columbus, Ohio. João lived in a house with a big yard, all grassy, where many cows and chickens used to live. Nowadays, João lived with his mother and just one cow in the yard, named Branca. Sometimes, Branca’s milk was all they had to eat in a day! Whenever Mila could, she and her family brought snacks to ensure endless playtime in the grass. João’s mother was always grateful. João loved to play tag, and Mila loved to watch butterflies. That day, they were looking for butterflies with big, colorful wings!
One day, João’s mother asked him to sell Branca because they needed more than just milk. “We need to eat more than just milk!” João’s mother said, sadly. So João called Mila. With laughter, they headed to the market to sell Branca. But when they passed by a corner, they met a kind old man. “Hello!” the old man called out. “I need a cow to give to my wife. It’s her birthday!” The old man was very friendly! He smiled at João and Mila.
“Do you want some magic beans in exchange for your cow?” the old man asked, holding out a bag. “Magic beans?” asked Mila, her blue eyes wide. “Yes, magic beans!” the old man said, “They will give you more food than milk!” João and Mila quickly thought, “Beans provide more food than milk!” They accepted the offer, and João’s mother was relieved.
When they returned to João’s house, João’s mother started crying. “We won’t have milk anymore!” she cried. The old man had tricked João and Mila! “We need milk!” João’s mother said, sadly. “I don’t know what we will eat!” João said, looking at the beans. João’s mother asked Mila to go home and for João to go to bed. At night, crying because he didn’t know what they would eat the next day, João threw the beans out the window in anger and went to sleep too.
The next day, the beans proved to be magical! A beanstalk that reached up to the clouds had grown in João’s yard! João’s mother wasn’t sure what to do with it, but she didn’t worry. She let João meet Mila to go play.
“Let’s climb the beanstalk!” João said. Mila, always curious, agreed. João and Mila climbed the beanstalk. It seemed endless! And it took forever! Finally, when they passed the clouds, they found a giant castle! A giant woman, very tall indeed, welcomed João and Mila. Though she was kind, she asked them to leave because her husband was a giant who ate children! “Leave before my husband gets home!” she said.
The ground began to shake, and João and Mila hid in a small shed behind the castle. They found some gold coins on the ground, and João quickly put them in his pocket. When they thought they could run away from the giant, they did, and managed to climb down the beanstalk quickly! “I’m glad we’re back in our hideout, the Magic Garden!” Mila said. “It’s much better than hiding in a shed!” João agreed.
João and Mila decided to live simply, but when the coins ran out, they would climb the beanstalk again. For a long time, João and his mother lived simply but comfortably with the coins João had taken. Now, João’s mother gave pieces of cake for Mila to take home, repaying the kindness. “My family will be happy with this cake!” Mila said.
Eventually, the coins ran out. João and Mila decided to climb the beanstalk again, knowing the danger of the giant. This time, they entered the castle and hid in the kitchen. The giant was taking care of a fat hen. And when they least expected it, João and Mila saw the hen lay golden eggs! They waited for the giant to fall asleep, and managed to capture the hen, who didn’t make any noise. Then they climbed down with her! It was difficult, but they succeeded!
João’s mother was happy. They would always have something to eat! But João had seen a golden harp on his way out of the castle and thought he would go alone this time. “I’ll be quick,” he thought. The next day, João didn’t play with Mila and climbed the beanstalk again. But this time, the giant was waiting for João at the door. The giant chased João, but the boy finally managed to escape!
Very distressed, João went to Mila’s house and told them what had happened. “We need to cut down the beanstalk,” Mila said. “The giant can’t come down anymore, and your mother is happy with the golden eggs.” João agreed.
João and Mila managed to cut down the beanstalk with a lot of effort. It took a lot of sawing! But they succeeded! And thus, the giant would never come down. “It’s good to have the essentials,” Mila said. “And the essentials are all we need! We don’t need more, just the essentials!”
João’s mother felt relieved with the beanstalk gone and invited João and Mila for a delicious afternoon snack! “Come for a snack,” João’s mother said. And that afternoon, the table at João’s house was full: of bread, cake, love, and laughter! The essentials!
