Beanstalk

"It's a little freakier than I remember from the story."

- Emma Swan

The Beanstalk is a location featured on ABC's Once Upon a Time. It first appears in the fifth episode of the second season.

The Beanstalk is based on the location of the same name from the fairytale, "Jack and the Beanstalk".

Before the Curse
The Beanstalk is an enormous plant in the Enchanted Forest that leads to the home of the giants. The story, first told by Hook, is that a "man" named Jack led those who climbed to the top of the beanstalk in a war against the evil giants. All the giants were killed, except one, the biggest and most terrible giant, who survived and, apparently, trapped and killed Jack. Later, the actual story of what really happened is revealed. A giant named Anton, otherwise known as "Tiny" to his family due to his being the smallest of all of them, is interested in humans, despite the fact that all his brothers say that humans must not know of their existence because they would use the beans to conquer and plunder other realms. Anton secretly goes down the beanstalk to see humans for himself. He meets Prince James and a woman named Jack. They convince him that the kingdom is in debt to a neighboring kingdom. Anton goes back up the beanstalk to retrieve treasure to help them, but they follow him back, in order to take the giants' beans. Using poisoned swords, they kill the giants, but Anton destroys the beans to prevent their theft. Jack dies after being stabbed by Arlo, Anton's brother, with her own poisoned sword while Prince James steals treasure and makes his way down the beanstalk back to his kingdom.

After the Curse
Emma Swan, Hook, Mary Margaret, Mulan and Aurora go to the beanstalk to steal a magic compass from the last remaining giant. Emma and Captain Hook climb the beanstalk, while the rest wait at the bottom for their return. Emma asks Mulan to cut down the plant if they were not back in ten hours.

While they climb, he tells her the version of the story that he knows. That the giants were evil and grew the beans to plunder other lands. Jack led the war against them. The giants destroyed the beans, so that no one else could have them. The last giant survived and still guards the hoard of stolen treasure.

After the ten hours are up, Mulan starts cutting the beanstalk, but Emma jumps down from the beanstalk, just in time. Emma tells her not to cut the beanstalk down, because she trapped Captain Hook in the giant's lair, as she wanted to give them a head start over him. Eventually, Hook manages to escape the beanstalk and climbs down. Cora is waiting for him at the bottom, and accuses him of betraying her. Hook denies this and tries to justify his actions, but Cora does not listen. She decides to leave him there in the Enchanted Forest with his "thirst for revenge unquenched". When he tries to come at her with his hook, she vanishes in a puff of purple smoke. Anton is transported to Storybrooke by Cora. He brings with him a cutting from the beanstalk, which he intends to plant, so that he may grow more magic beans.

The Giant's Lair
At the very top of the beanstalk is a lair where the last giant in existence resides. He lives alone in a house containing many jewels and gold valuables.

Appearances
Pianta di Fagiolo