Poem: "Tabagnino and the Beanstalk"
This poem came out of the January 17, 2012 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from shadows_gallery and sponsored by rix_scaedu. I also pulled in ideas from the fairy tale "Jack and the Beanstalk," especially an Italian version, "Tabagnino the Hunchback."
Tabagnino and the Beanstalk
-- a sonnet
The cobbler had a son, a hunchback bent
So that he could not work and was half-lame.
He lived, and Tabagnino was his name,
But his cruel parents charged him board and rent.
A witch gave him some magic beans and sent
Him home to plant them on the family claim.
A beanstalk grew, and down a giant came
To trouble all the village where he went.
So Fiorenza let the giant climb
Back toward his home somewhere up in the sky,
Then poisoned all the vines so that he fell.
To Tabagnino went the treasure prime
That he might live in comfort by and by
And nevermore with his cruel parents dwell.