I was like a prisoner. No purpose or meaning to my name, no pride or accomplishment I was known for. That’s just the way it is for us girls. I was longing for a greater purpose ever since I could remember. I dreamed of accomplishing the greatest tasks life could give me, whether it was building the biggest barn in town or owning my very own factory. Papa would always encourage me to seek adventure outside of the norms. Now that he is gone, I can barely see the light of day.

I crawl down from the roof, back into my bedroom where I brushed my hair. The last thing I would do is look unorderly in front of my mother. I ran down the old, worn-out stairs that were held together by mud and a handful of nails. The kitchen was dark, with a grey tinge on any object in the room, and curtains barricading the warmth of the sunlight from entering our home.

“Billie, darling, it’s nearly half-past ten! Please! The more time we spend lagging, the less money we will earn at the marketplace.” My mother had become so uptight ever since Papa passed. She never saw me as a daughter, but rather an animal that slows down every step she takes. My brother slid a plate of eggs and a glass of milk towards me. Mother idolized Jack. As if he had some sort of superpower, her eyes sparkled every time she even mentioned his name. I guess it’s always the boys. They are stronger and smarter than us girls.

“Maybe after today, we might see something new on our plates for breakfast,” Jack said with a raspy voice.

“Jack, my love, today is the day you make the most important offer of our lives. You must use your gracious bargaining abilities to sell our cow for as many pounds as you can possibly get.”

“The cow!” I pushed my plate away.

“Billie, be quiet! Yes, the cow, it is our only hope.” My mother raised her thin, high-pitched voice. The cow was my closest companion, Papa bought him just for me so that I would use its milk to sell at the market and save up to buy my own shop. It was the only thing I had left from him. Yet, the poor thing has been tortured ever since our money became scarce. Jack and my mother milk her day and night just to sell her milk to make enough money to survive the week.

“Is there nothing else we could do? Maybe I should get a job at the shops down by the bank.”

“A job? Billie, you idiot. Do you think you would be able to make enough money to feed us and take care of us? You could never do such a thing.” My mother rose out of her chair with anger. I didn’t understand. I was almost the same age as Jack and I had much more knowledge than he did. Why wouldn’t I be able to work and help out?

“Tomorrow, late afternoon, I’ll take the cow down to the market, Billie. The men down there would never exchange their coins to a little girl like you. This is a man’s job!” Jack looked up at me with a smirk. He knew how much I disliked his sexist remarks.

Papa never belittled my skills and talents. He would teach me how to hammer a nail into the wall, how to milk the cow and start the tractor we used to own. He saw my brother and me as equal, knowing the potential that girls had. He urged my mother to get a job and explore the outside world. She resisted, thinking her husband would supply her with a lifetime of wealth and happiness. She lived like a princess when my father was with us. He spent time sewing the most beautiful clothing for herself, dressing up and doing her hair. She looked like the princesses I read about in books. I spend time at the library in town, the owner, Mr.Thomason knew my dad, so he let me go in and read books all the time. He surprised me with a book to take home last winter, which had a beautiful princess that was saved by her glorious prince from the evil of her mother. It reminded me a lot of my mother. The beautiful princess left her own family to live an amazing life with her prince. After my father passed, she became the evil mother in the fairytale.

I never understood the happy ending of my book. I saw the real love between my parents that suddenly disappeared overnight. Oh, the things I would do to change the narrative of that story Why couldn’t the princess help save the prince, and become the foundation of the family? The thoughts paced around in my head.

“If they will not let me, I’ll do it myself

I knew my mother would be visiting the neighbours this morning, exchanging nonsense and gossip. Jack, would be sleeping after working late last night. I walked into the barn and began to tie a rope around the cow, a leash, in case he runs away from me. As I tied the rope, my eyes met his eyes, and for a split second, I felt a sense of reassurance. That all of my thoughts and actions were going to work out in my favour. For a split second, I saw my father looking back at me.

The market was filled with people scattered around buying food, spices, and toys. Boys were yelling out the prices of goods and the heat of summer burnt our skin.

“Little girl, what a beauty you have got at hand.” A man in a brown suit and hat approached me from the closest storefront.

“She is definitely a beauty, isn’t she?”

“Your father is quite brave, handing such a beautiful animal to his daughter to sell.” He chuckled. I cringed at the comment, trying to contain my anger.

“If you are interested, I am open to any potential offers, that is, if you can afford such a desired animal,” I smirked, knowing my words would hurt the man’s outrageous ego. He raised his eyebrows and took his hand out of his pocket.

“Darling, my offer won’t compare to any other.” He opened his palm. In the center were five beans.

“Beans? I’m not an idiot. Why would I give you my cow for five beans?”

“Oh sweet girl, you see. These are not just beans, oh no. These are magic beans.” I rolled my eyes.

“Legend has it that once these beans are planted into the soil, fortune and wealth will fill your life. These are one of a kind, but you are only a little girl, what would you know about a good offer.” He was on to me, I was sure, but my mind was racing. The pride in my mother’s eyes after, I, Billie, her daughter, saves them from the miseries they faced. My eyes shifted from the beans to my beloved cow.

When I walked in the door I could hear my mother’s furious voice coming from the kitchen as she paced back and forth.

“Billie! The cow! We searched everywhere. There is no sign of her. We are done. We are going to die.” My mother breathlessly said as Jack patted her back, comforting her.

“Mother, don’t worry. I took the cow to the market earlier this morning. You’ll never guess the offer I got.”

“Billie, you took- how much did you get? Five pounds? Ten pounds? I doubt anything over fifteen pounds.”

“Look,” I took the magic beans out from the pocket of my pants, “magic beans that are guaranteed to give us years upon years of good fortune.”

The room fell silent as my mother fell to the ground.

“You idiot! Billie look what you have done.” Jack yelled back.

“I-”

“No, no Billie. How could you trade our cow for a handful of beans? You are going to kill mom and me with the pace you are going.”

“Jack, I promise, this is for us, we are going to be rich.”

“Forget about it. You can never do anything right. You are a waste of space and time. You are a girl, you were scammed at the market, Billie. Did you think these beans were going to save you?”

Tears began to flow down my face as Jack yelled at me.

Mom had fainted and I knew I had to leave before she woke up.

I ran to the barn doors and looked at the beans that wear cradled up in my hand. I knew that I had to prove my worth to my family. I bent down by the soil, dug a hole, and planted the beans into the richness of the earth. I locked myself into the barn and lay down on the pile of hay and grass.

I awoke to the noise of leaves and branches. It was a strange sound, nothing I was accustomed to hearing. I got up in the night, peering out from the window, with the moon being the only source of light in the darkness. To my surprise I looked up, reaching the clouds in the sky stood the silhouette of a huge beanstalk. My heart filled up, “this is my chance” I whispered under my breath. I put my hand onto the root of the beanstalk and started my journey up towards the sky. After what felt like an eternity, I reached the top of the beanstalk. I emerged into an unreal land filled with the most luxurious food and hills and hills of golden coins. I was in awe looking around at the fortune around me. I was so close to the happy ending that, I, Billie, would bring upon my family. I crawled onto the soft clouds, peering at the wondrous sight of the glistening coins and mouth-watering food. I climbed the hills of coins, putting handfuls of the gold coins into my pockets, reaching the very top, looking down at the unbelievable. Suddenly, I felt my foot slip and I came tumbling down the hill, and the golden coins followed me down.

The floor under me began to rumble as a giant emerged from the bottom of the mountain of coins. I began to run, as he gazed down at me in anger. He chased me up and down, leaping from one hill to the other. I began to run out of breath, knowing that my only hope was to climb back down the beanstalk before the giant caught me. I hid behind a golden egg twice the size of our house, trying to stay clear of the giant’s sight. I could hear the giant heading towards the table of food, sitting and munching on the variety of delicacies that awaited him. The beanstalk was right past where the giant was seated.

“Billie, this is your chance. Papa taught you to be the bravest and most adventurous girl you could be. Here is your chance to prove him right and your mother and brother wrong.” I thought as I slowly crept under the table of food. If I go any faster, the coins in my pocket would rattle and catch the attention of the giant. I could hear the giant stuffing his mouth with food.

As I was getting closer to the beanstalk the giant dropped a piece of bread right in front of my path I froze unable to decide what my next move was, and before I knew it, I was looking right at the giant’s enormous eyeballs. He picked me up and flung me up in front of his face.

“Yummy, little child.” He hungrily gazed back at me.

“Stop, you wouldn’t want to eat me” I screamed trying to get out of his tight clasp. Before I knew it, I was faced with the giant’s open mouth, ready to eat me. I began to shake and reach down into my pockets while he brought me closer and closer to his mouth. I flung the heavy golden coins at his throat. Handfuls at a time, until I had clogged his throat. To his surprise he began to choke, letting go of me. I fell to the ground and ran, running as fast as I could, reaching the top of the beanstalk. Before I climbed down I reached down and picked up more golden coins to stuff into my pocket, and watched the giant struggle to breathe.

“You did it, Billie!” I heard my Papa’s voice in my head.

I smiled as I climbed back down. As I got closer to the bottom, I saw my mother, Jack, all of our neighbours and townspeople were gathered looking up the beanstalk.

“Billie,” Jack said as I touched the ground. My mother ran to me, giving me a big hug.

“Honey, you scared me, I thought you were gone forever. My love, are you okay?”

“Yes, mother, I’m okay.” I looked into her eyes and for once, I could see a genuine feeling of concern. I smiled at her.

“Look!” I took out the coins from my pocket.

My mother and Jack looked at each other and back at me.

“This cannot be real. Billie, you are our hero!” Jack hugged me tightly.

For the first time ever since my father passed, I saw my mother smile with pride and happiness. I looked around as people cheered and clapped.

“I did it, Papa,” I whispered.

“I saved us!”

Selin’s retelling of “Jack and the Beanstalk” by Joseph Jacobs explores gender equality in regards to the typical gender stereotypes that are often showcased in fairy tale stories. Selin created a modern twist of the tale in which the protagonist is a girl, Jack’s sister.