This is an old English folk tale story. This story was collected by James Halliwell Orchard Phillips.
Once upon a time there was a boy whose name was Jack, and he lived with his mother in a small and dull cottage. They were very poor, and the old woman earned a few pennies by doing some odd jobs, but that was not enough to maintain the family properly. Jack was so lazy that he would do nothing but relax in the sun in the hot weather and sit by the corner of the fire in the winter time. His mother could not make him do anything for the family. At last his mother warned him that if he did not begin to work for his porridge, she would turn him out of the house to get his living as best he could.
This threat finally stirred Jack. He went out and found a job for the day working for on a farm. The farmer paid him one penny, but he was not used to having money, and as he was coming him he lost it as he passed over a stream.
“You stupid boy, you should have put it in your pocket.” said his mother.
“Next time I will.” replied Jack.
The next day Jack went out again, and found a job with a cow-keeper, who gave him a jar of milk for his day’s work. Jack took the jar and put it into the large pocket of his jacket. The whole milk was spilling it all, long before he came home.
“Oh my Dear, you should have carried it on your head!” said his mother.
“Next time I will.” replied Jack.
The following day Jack found a job with a farmer. The farmer agreed to give him a cream cheese for his work. In the evening, Jack took the cheese and went home with it on his head. By the time he got home the cheese was completely spoiled, part of it being lost, and part matted with his hair.
“You are a good-for-nothing boy,” said his mother, “you should have carried it very carefully in your hands.”
“Next time, I will.” replied Jack.
The day after this Jack again went out, and found a job with a baker, who would give him nothing for his work but a large tom-cat. Jack took the cat and began carrying it very carefully in his hands, but in a short time tom-cat scratched him so much that he was forced to let it go.
When he got home, his mother said to him, “You silly fellow, you should have tied it with a string and dragged it along after you.”
“Next time I will.” said Jack.
The next day Jack hired himself to a butcher, who rewarded his labors by the handsome present of a shoulder of lamb. Jack took the meat, tied it to a string and trailed it along after him in the dust. So that by the time he had got home, the meat was completely spoilt.
His mother this time completely lost her patience with him. “You idiot,” said she to her son, “you should have carried it on your shoulder.”
“Next time I will.” replied Jack.
The next day was Sunday, so there was no work for him. On the Monday, Jack went out once more, and found a job with a cattle-keeper, who gave him a donkey for his work. Although Jack was very strong, he found some difficulty in hoisting the donkey on his shoulders, but at last he managed it. He started walking slowly to his home with his prize. Now it happened that in a house along his way there lived a rich man with his only daughter, a beautiful girl, but unfortunately she was deaf and dumb. She had never really laughed in her life and the doctors said that she would never recover till somebody made her laugh.
Many tried without success and at last the father of the daughter in misery, he said he would offer her in marriage to the first man who could make her laugh. This young lady happened to be looking out of the window when Jack was passing with the donkey on his shoulders, the legs of the donkey sticking up in the air.
The scene was so comical and strange, that she burst out into a great fit of laughter, and immediately recovered her speech and hearing.
Her father was overjoyed and kept his promised by marrying her to Jack. After that Jack became a rich gentleman and had a happy family. They lived in a large house and Jack’s mother lived with them in great happiness until she died.
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Once upon a time there was a boy whose name was Jack, and he lived with his mother in a small and dull cottage. They were very poor, and the old woman earned a few pennies by doing some odd jobs, but that was not enough to maintain the family properly. Jack was so lazy that he would do nothing but relax in the sun in the hot weather and sit by the corner of the fire in the winter time. His mother could not make him do anything for the family. At last his mother warned him that if he did not begin to work for his porridge, she would turn him out of the house to get his living as best he could.
This threat finally stirred Jack. He went out and found a job for the day working for on a farm. The farmer paid him one penny, but he was not used to having money, and as he was coming him he lost it as he passed over a stream.
“You stupid boy, you should have put it in your pocket.” said his mother.
“Next time I will.” replied Jack.
The next day Jack went out again, and found a job with a cow-keeper, who gave him a jar of milk for his day’s work. Jack took the jar and put it into the large pocket of his jacket. The whole milk was spilling it all, long before he came home.
“Oh my Dear, you should have carried it on your head!” said his mother.
“Next time I will.” replied Jack.
The following day Jack found a job with a farmer. The farmer agreed to give him a cream cheese for his work. In the evening, Jack took the cheese and went home with it on his head. By the time he got home the cheese was completely spoiled, part of it being lost, and part matted with his hair.
“You are a good-for-nothing boy,” said his mother, “you should have carried it very carefully in your hands.”
“Next time, I will.” replied Jack.
The day after this Jack again went out, and found a job with a baker, who would give him nothing for his work but a large tom-cat. Jack took the cat and began carrying it very carefully in his hands, but in a short time tom-cat scratched him so much that he was forced to let it go.
When he got home, his mother said to him, “You silly fellow, you should have tied it with a string and dragged it along after you.”
“Next time I will.” said Jack.
The next day Jack hired himself to a butcher, who rewarded his labors by the handsome present of a shoulder of lamb. Jack took the meat, tied it to a string and trailed it along after him in the dust. So that by the time he had got home, the meat was completely spoilt.
His mother this time completely lost her patience with him. “You idiot,” said she to her son, “you should have carried it on your shoulder.”
“Next time I will.” replied Jack.
The next day was Sunday, so there was no work for him. On the Monday, Jack went out once more, and found a job with a cattle-keeper, who gave him a donkey for his work. Although Jack was very strong, he found some difficulty in hoisting the donkey on his shoulders, but at last he managed it. He started walking slowly to his home with his prize. Now it happened that in a house along his way there lived a rich man with his only daughter, a beautiful girl, but unfortunately she was deaf and dumb. She had never really laughed in her life and the doctors said that she would never recover till somebody made her laugh.
Many tried without success and at last the father of the daughter in misery, he said he would offer her in marriage to the first man who could make her laugh. This young lady happened to be looking out of the window when Jack was passing with the donkey on his shoulders, the legs of the donkey sticking up in the air.
The scene was so comical and strange, that she burst out into a great fit of laughter, and immediately recovered her speech and hearing.
Her father was overjoyed and kept his promised by marrying her to Jack. After that Jack became a rich gentleman and had a happy family. They lived in a large house and Jack’s mother lived with them in great happiness until she died.
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