Lazy Jack

Jack lived alone with his mother in a small cottage, and though she loved him dearly, she often sighed that he was the laziest boy in the village.At last she told him that unless he found work and earned some money, she would have to turn him out to fend for himself.So on Monday, Jack hired himself out to a neighboring farmer, who paid him a single shiny coin at the end of the day.

Jack had never carried money before, so on the walk home he held the coin awkwardly in his hand, and it slipped out and fell into a stream without his noticing.“You silly boy,” his mother scolded when he told her. “You should have put it in your pocket!” “I’ll do so next time,” Jack promised.

On Tuesday, Jack worked for a cowherd, who paid him with a jar of fresh milk.Remembering his mother’s advice exactly, Jack poured the milk straight into his coat pocket, and of course it had all spilled out by the time he reached home.“You should have carried it on your head!” his mother cried. “I’ll do so next time,” Jack said cheerfully.

On Wednesday, Jack worked for a baker, who paid him with a large, soft cream cheese.Jack balanced the cheese carefully on top of his head, just as he had been told, but it crumbled and slid down into his hair and collar long before he was halfway home.“You should have carried it in your hands!” his mother sighed. “I’ll do so next time,” Jack said, not troubled in the least.

On Thursday, Jack worked for a butcher, who rewarded him with a fine young tomcat.Jack held the cat firmly in his two hands the whole way, but it scratched and clawed at him so fiercely that by the time he arrived home it had torn itself free and run off.“You should have tied it with a string and dragged it behind you!” his mother said. “I’ll do so next time,” Jack agreed.

On Friday, Jack worked for another farmer, who gave him a shoulder of meat as his pay.Jack tied a string around the meat and dragged it home along the dusty road behind him, exactly as he had been told, until every dog in the village had followed him and eaten it clean away.“Oh, Jack,” his mother said, shaking her head, “you should have carried it on your shoulder!” “I’ll do so next time,” Jack said, quite unbothered.

On Saturday, Jack found work with a stable owner, who paid him with a donkey too old and stiff to be worth much else.Jack struggled and heaved until he had hoisted the donkey onto his shoulders, and set off carrying it home exactly as his mother had told him to.Now, on his way, Jack passed the grand house of a rich man whose only daughter had never once laughed or spoken a single word in her whole life.

The doctors had long since given up hope, and it had been promised that whoever could make her laugh would be allowed to marry her.As it happened, the poor girl was looking out of her window at the very moment Jack came trudging by with a donkey balanced upside down over his shoulders, its legs waving helplessly in the air.The sight was so wonderfully ridiculous that the girl burst out laughing for the very first time in her life, and could not stop.

Her father was overjoyed and kept his promise at once, and Jack — donkey and all — was brought inside to marry her.They lived happily together in the great house, and Jack’s mother, who had worried over him for so long, came to live with them and never had to scold him again.