Circle round and find a way in back

There are gray clouds above you and a wall of huge, rough stone blocks not far away. Part of the giant's castle? Where are you? And where is Doe?

You take a breath and take stock. At least you won't have to climb UP half a mile of beanstalk today. You hope. But you will have to find out how the happy ending was stolen and how to restore it. Or make a new one.

You snort. It seems like Jack made most of his own trouble. If he had been content with the gold. Or even the gold and the hen that laid the golden eggs, Jack would have been comfortably rich. But he had to go to the well for a third time, and escaped by the skin of his teeth with the harp. That damned harp. What was that to Jack's mother, who just wanted to be free from hunger and want when her foolish son traded the cow for a handful of beans, and then went housebreaking at the castle of a man-eating giant?

You shake your head. A happy ending must be had, or your name isn't John the Interloper. Well, it isn't, exactly, but today that's who you are.

You recall the storybook was torn after Jack had charmed the giantess. But then what? Jack's situation is probably the key. But even so, if Jack's mother can have a happy ending ... maybe that would be enough.

You take a deep breath and have a closer look at the stone wall. Not too promising, but the sheer size of the blocks means that there are crevices you could jam your way up, in a pinch. If no one bothered you. Hold that thought.

You circle the giant's castle, struggling up and down the billows of cloud-stuff. Though the surface where you are is some crazy dream mixture of bouncy castle, lambswool and ground fog, near the castle wall it seems more solid. You circle further in and find the going easier.

Who would build a castle on a cloud? If anyone could reach the cloud, couldn't they just fly over the wall? Present company and beanstalk burglars excepted. Maybe Doe was a bird. You're a little worried you hadn't seen any sign of her. But you presume she must be in the castle to be part of the story. You smirk. She'd make a cute little hen, you're sure. But maybe that would be TOO much part of the story.

Circling further round, you find a crumbling bit of wall in the inside curve beside a corner tower. Nothing to a giant, but to you it's stairway, gate, and free passage. Taking care NOT to whistle at your good fortune, you slink into the back hallway of the giant's castle.

From the right you hear splashes and the resonant sound of singing, with a volume and timbre you presume no human -- no ordinary human, at least -- could produce. And then an echoing laugh. From the right you hear clucking and cackling. The hen? In front of you is an irregular hole at the base of the wall. A rat-hole, perhaps?

Where would Jack be? And where is your friend Doe, your key to escape once you restore the happy ending?

Well, it looks like left, right, or centre, unless you think of something cleverer.