King Bean

Thomas Crane was an American scholar and writer, mostly known as a collector and publisher of folk-tales and legends. 
 “King Bean” is an Italian fairy tale, entered in the “Italian Popular Tales” collection. The story is about one old woman who has no children; and one day she goes into the fields and picks a basket of beans. Having finished, she looks into the basket and wishes to all the beans become little children. When her desire is comes true she understands, that such a family is too large for her, so she says: "I wish you would all become beans again." Immediately the children climb back into the basket and become beans again, all except one little boy, whom the old woman takes home with her. The tale is about adventures of the boy called little Pepper-Corn. Enjoy the reading!