Getting inside the grounds had been easy enough, but getting into the actual castle was not.

First, Red had tried knocking on the door. A ghostly figure had appeared and told them that all uninvited visitors were ‘encouraged to bear in mind that any attempt to enter the castle would result in a long and incredibly horrible death’. Deciding it was just a trick to scare off visitors, Jack went to try the doorknob. The ghost had reappeared, but this time it skipped most of the message and just repeated ‘DEATH’ in a very loud and very creepy voice until they all backed away.

Next Rapunzel had tried to use her hair to reach an open window, but as soon as her golden curls had touched the castle wall, her hair became a huge tangled knot. While Red and Jack were helping Rapunzel to unpick it, nobody noticed a single magic bean drop out of Jack’s pocket and burrow into the dry earth.

Finally, Anansi tried to climb a waterspout with the help of some spiders. At first it had seemed as if it was working, but suddenly a torrent of rainwater gushed down, flushing Anansi and all his incy-wincy friends off the wall before soaking into the dry ground around them.

‘It’s useless!’ exclaimed Jack as he helped Anansi up. ‘We’ll never get in!’

Betsy pointed a wing into the air behind him and squawked, ‘WHAAAAAT!?!’

Jack, Red, Rapunzel and Anansi spun around. Thundering up from the now wet earth was a huge, curling beanstalk. It twisted as it grew, thick leaves bursting out either side like rungs on a ladder.

‘I was saving that,’ said Jack quietly. ‘I’ve hardly got any left.’

‘But Jack, that’s our way in!’ exclaimed Red. ‘Come on, everyone, up!’

Jack stuffed Betsy inside his jumper and everybody scrambled up the beanstalk with Red at the back. She had just passed a window when she heard a voice that she recognized – it was the huntsman! She climbed silently back down to peer in.

‘But it looked like a troll!’ protested the huntsman. ‘You know, big and green an’ that.’

‘Yes, yes . . .’ hissed an impatient voice. ‘But it isn’t a troll, is it?’

Red craned her neck as far as she dared to see who the huntsman was talking to. When she saw, a shiver ran down her spine – it was a wicked witch, no doubt about that. Red wasn’t sure exactly how wicked this one was, but judging by the necklace of skulls that she wore, the answer was probably ‘very’.

‘The enchantment isn’t even very strong!’ continued the witch. ‘Why, even my magical necklace would be able to break it!’

A thrill of excitement ran through Red: so there was a cure for Anansi’s family!

‘Do you want me to try and find another troll?’ asked the huntsman.

‘Of course not!’ exclaimed the witch. ‘It took you long enough to find this one in the first place. It might not be a “real” troll, but it looks like one. Finally my collection of magical creatures is complete! Soon I will have my own private magical army!’ The witch cackled for a moment, glaring at the huntsman until he half-heartedly joined in.

‘Oh, never mind!’ she snapped a second later. ‘The moment’s passed.’ She turned on her heel and marched out.

The huntsman’s shoulders slumped and Red saw him sigh deeply.

A sudden movement in the corner of the room caught Red’s eye. Darting out from behind a tapestry was a girl – a very grubby girl – dressed only in rags. She paused for a second, looking straight at Red, and gestured something that could only mean ‘Get out of here’.

At the exact same moment the witch burst back into the room. ‘Intruders!’ she screeched. ‘Climbing a beanstalk! I saw them in my crystal ball!’

‘Do you mean that great big beanstalk what’s growing up outside the window?’ asked the huntsman.

‘Of course I do!’ shrieked the witch. ‘What other beanstalk would it be?’

‘Yes, ma’am. Right, ma’am. I’ll deal with it!’

‘I wish I could believe you!’ spat the witch.

‘But I don’t think you could deal a pack of cards! So instead let’s . . .’ She paused dramatically, then screamed, ‘RELEASE THE DRAGON! Mwaha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,!’

The huntsman’s shoulders slumped even further as he joined in with the witch’s evil laughter. Then he went to do as he was commanded.

Red scrambled up the beanstalk as quickly as she could, past thatched roofs and towards the battlements on top of the main tower. It was a long climb and soon she was out of breath. Eventually she could see her friends up above.

‘What took you so long?’ shouted Jack.

‘Dragon!’ gasped Red breathlessly.

‘What?’ yelled Jack. ‘Flagon? Flagon of what?’

‘There’s a dragon!’ repeated Red as she gasped for air.

‘There’s a wagon?’ replied Jack, sounding confused.

Red didn’t get the chance to say anything else. There was a ferocious roar, and suddenly Jack, Anansi, Rapunzel and Betsy were all staring down at a huge dragon with a heavy chain wrapped around one leg. It sniffed the air and then flew straight towards them, sparks flying from its mouth.

Red could only cling on to the beanstalk and watch in horror as a huge, clawed foot snatched up her friends as if they were a handful of sweets. The dragon turned in the air, smacking into the beanstalk and sending Red flying. Before she could take a breath, Red landed on a roof and slid down until she was hanging on to a length of guttering. She could see Rapunzel’s knotty hair trailing behind the dragon’s foot as the creature slowly circled the tower.

Red’s mind worked furiously. If she stayed where she was, the dragon would definitely see her – but where could she go? She peered down between her dangling legs to the thatched roofs below. Perhaps they would be a soft landing? Hopefully . . .

Red took a deep breath, closed her eyes and dropped soundlessly through the air.