Noah and João loved being neighbors! They lived in houses near each other in Chicago. The only difference was that João lived in a house with a huge yard, all grassy. Many cows and chickens used to live in the yard, but nowadays, João lived with his mother and a single cow named Branca. Sometimes, their only food for the day was Branca’s milk! Whenever he could, Noah brought snacks to João’s house so they could play in the grass. João's mother was always grateful for the snacks! João loved playing tag, and Noah loved talking about animals with João!
One day, João’s mother told him that they needed more than just milk to eat. She asked him to sell Branca! João called Noah, and they went to the market with lots of laughter. But when they passed by a corner, they met a kind old man. He quickly came over to talk to João and Noah.
"Would you like some magic beans in exchange for your cow, Branca?" the old man asked. João and Noah quickly thought about it. "Beans can provide more food than milk!" "Yes!" said Noah, smiling from ear to ear. "We'll take the beans!"
João and Noah were so excited. They ran back to João’s house and told his mother the news. She started crying! "Oh, João, the old man tricked you! He wanted your cow!"
João's mother told Noah to go home, and João went to bed. He was sad because he didn't know what they would eat the next day. He cried and threw the beans out the window in anger, then went to sleep.
The next morning, João woke up to a huge surprise! A beanstalk that reached up to the clouds had grown in his yard! The beans were magical! João’s mother wasn't sure what to do with it. She wasn't worried, though. She let João go play with Noah.
João and Noah were so curious! They decided to climb the beanstalk! They climbed and climbed, and it seemed endless… Noah smiled up at João, and they kept climbing until they were above the clouds. There, they found a giant castle! A giant woman, very tall indeed, welcomed them. Even though she was kind, she asked them to leave. "My husband is a giant who eats children!"
The ground began to shake, and João and Noah hid. In their hiding spot, they found some gold coins on the ground! João quickly put them in his pocket. When they thought they could run away from the giant, they ran! They climbed down the beanstalk very quickly.
"We'll be safe in my hideout under the bed," Noah told João, smiling. "It's much better than hiding in the castle!"
João agreed. "Let’s live simply for now. When the coins run out, we'll climb the beanstalk again.”
João and his mother lived simply but comfortably with the coins João had taken. Now, João's mother gave pieces of cake to Noah to take home to his family. It was a way to repay their kindness. “My family will be very happy with the cake,” Noah said, smiling.
Eventually, the coins ran out. João and Noah decided to climb the beanstalk again. They knew the giant was dangerous, but they wanted more coins. This time, they went into the castle and hid in the kitchen. The giant was taking care of a fat hen! And when they least expected it, João and Noah saw the hen lay golden eggs! They waited for the giant to fall asleep and managed to capture the hen. The hen didn't make any noise! Then, they climbed down with her. It was difficult, but they did it! Noah smiled at João, and they knew they could do anything together.
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. He thought he would go back alone to get it.
The next day, João didn't play with Noah. He climbed the beanstalk again. He wanted to be quick because he knew where the harp was. But this time, the giant was waiting for João at the door! The giant chased João, but the boy finally managed to escape!
João ran to Noah's house and told him what happened. "We need to cut down the beanstalk," said Noah, "so the giant can never come down again. Your mother is already happy with the fat hen!"
João and Noah worked hard to cut down the beanstalk. It was difficult, but they did it! They were so excited that the giant would never be able to come down!
"All we need is the essentials," said Noah, smiling. "Nothing more, nothing less. Danger isn’t worth it."
João’s mother was relieved that the beanstalk was gone. She invited João and Noah for a delicious afternoon snack!
And that afternoon, the table at João’s house was full: of bread, cake, love, and laughter! The essentials!
