Jack and the Bull
There was a boy named Jack, who went to work for a man who was rich and had lots of cattle. The old man took a liking to Jack, but his old woman, for whatever reason, just hated Jack.
Jack had to work mighty hard. He didn't get anything for his work except the clothes on his back and precious little to eat. But because the old man liked Jack, he gave the boy a calf that grew up to be a fine black bull.
Jack had to go to the pasture to feed the cattle twice a day, and he would feed his calf then. And the calf grew into a bull, big and strong.
Yet that old woman, for whatever reason, decided she would get rid of Jack. Starving him seemed the best way to do it, so she made sure he was out in the fields morning, noon, and night, when meals were being served. Soon enough, Jack was nearly starving to death. He got so weak, he could barely walk.
It happened that one evening Jack went out to the field feeling so bad that he began to cry.
But the black bull Jack had been tending wandered over and asked, "What's made you cry so?"
Jack replied, "That old woman is starving me to death. Her husband don't dare cross her, and I'm sure to die afore very long."
"Don't you cry," the bull told Jack. "Just screw off my left horn and you'll find bread and butter inside. Then screw off my right horn, and you'll find milk and porridge."
Jack did, and found everything the bull had promised. He did this every evening, and soon the mean old woman wondered why Jack was getting fat. So she decided to send a spy to watch him.
As U happened, she had three sons of her own: one was three-eyed, one was two-eyed, and the last was one-eyed. First she sent the one-eyed boy to watch Jack. But the one-eyed son got sleepy after a while and lay down in the shade of a tree and went to sleep. So he didn't see Jack screw off the bull's horns and have himself a fine meal.
Then the old woman sent her two-eyed son to see where Jack was getting food. But this boy fell asleep also, so he didn't see Jack take a bite of anything.
The old woman grew hopping mad: She knew Jack was getting something to eat somewhere. The next day. she sent her three-eyed son, who closed two eyes in sleep, but kept his third eye open. He saw Jack get vittles from the bull's horns and ran home to tell his mother about it.
The old woman told her husband that she wouldn't have peace of mind until the bull in the pasture became her meal.
But Jack heard what she was planning. He told the bull, and that big black bull said, "Climb on my back. Jack." The boy did so, and the bull sprang over the fence and carried Jack away down the road.
They hadn't gone far before they heard another bull a-bellowin'. Jack's bull warned Jack to hold tight. The two bulls — Jack's all black, the newcomer all red — fought and fought, until Jack's bull slew the red challenger.
Soon after this, they met a big blue bull, bellowing and pawing the ground in front of him. Jack's black bull met him in combat, and took him down, so he ran away. Then Jack screwed off his bull's horns, ate his supper, and went on his way with his friend.
Soon they met a big white bull who blocked their way. Jack's bull locked horns with the creature, and the two battled this way and that. But the white bull finally bested Jack's bull and left him dying in the road.
Jack ran over and cradled his friend's head, crying at this sad turn of events. But the bull said, "Cut a tiny bit of skin from the root of my tail, touch it three times with your finger, and see what you'll see."
So Jack cut the bit off flesh off the bull, and touched it three times. To his amazement, the bit of skin grew into the finest horse he had ever seen, with a fine saddle and bridle upon it. Jack quickly climbed into the saddle. Away the two rode.
Soon they came to a place where the wealthiest man in the land had said that he would marry his daughter to the one who could ride a horse up a greased ramp and catch the crown of flowers at the top. All day long, would-be heroes had tried, only to slide down the slippery ramp. Though others laughed at him. Jack mounted the ramp, grabbed the crown of flowers, and claimed the rich man's daughter for his wife. To tell the truth, though, that gal had taken a fancy to Jack the moment she laid eyes on him, so getting hitched wasn't much of a problem for either Jack or his lady fair.
By Robert San Souci
Jack had to work mighty hard. He didn't get anything for his work except the clothes on his back and precious little to eat. But because the old man liked Jack, he gave the boy a calf that grew up to be a fine black bull.
Jack had to go to the pasture to feed the cattle twice a day, and he would feed his calf then. And the calf grew into a bull, big and strong.
Yet that old woman, for whatever reason, decided she would get rid of Jack. Starving him seemed the best way to do it, so she made sure he was out in the fields morning, noon, and night, when meals were being served. Soon enough, Jack was nearly starving to death. He got so weak, he could barely walk.
It happened that one evening Jack went out to the field feeling so bad that he began to cry.
But the black bull Jack had been tending wandered over and asked, "What's made you cry so?"
Jack replied, "That old woman is starving me to death. Her husband don't dare cross her, and I'm sure to die afore very long."
"Don't you cry," the bull told Jack. "Just screw off my left horn and you'll find bread and butter inside. Then screw off my right horn, and you'll find milk and porridge."
Jack did, and found everything the bull had promised. He did this every evening, and soon the mean old woman wondered why Jack was getting fat. So she decided to send a spy to watch him.
As U happened, she had three sons of her own: one was three-eyed, one was two-eyed, and the last was one-eyed. First she sent the one-eyed boy to watch Jack. But the one-eyed son got sleepy after a while and lay down in the shade of a tree and went to sleep. So he didn't see Jack screw off the bull's horns and have himself a fine meal.
Then the old woman sent her two-eyed son to see where Jack was getting food. But this boy fell asleep also, so he didn't see Jack take a bite of anything.
The old woman grew hopping mad: She knew Jack was getting something to eat somewhere. The next day. she sent her three-eyed son, who closed two eyes in sleep, but kept his third eye open. He saw Jack get vittles from the bull's horns and ran home to tell his mother about it.
The old woman told her husband that she wouldn't have peace of mind until the bull in the pasture became her meal.
But Jack heard what she was planning. He told the bull, and that big black bull said, "Climb on my back. Jack." The boy did so, and the bull sprang over the fence and carried Jack away down the road.
They hadn't gone far before they heard another bull a-bellowin'. Jack's bull warned Jack to hold tight. The two bulls — Jack's all black, the newcomer all red — fought and fought, until Jack's bull slew the red challenger.
Soon after this, they met a big blue bull, bellowing and pawing the ground in front of him. Jack's black bull met him in combat, and took him down, so he ran away. Then Jack screwed off his bull's horns, ate his supper, and went on his way with his friend.
Soon they met a big white bull who blocked their way. Jack's bull locked horns with the creature, and the two battled this way and that. But the white bull finally bested Jack's bull and left him dying in the road.
Jack ran over and cradled his friend's head, crying at this sad turn of events. But the bull said, "Cut a tiny bit of skin from the root of my tail, touch it three times with your finger, and see what you'll see."
So Jack cut the bit off flesh off the bull, and touched it three times. To his amazement, the bit of skin grew into the finest horse he had ever seen, with a fine saddle and bridle upon it. Jack quickly climbed into the saddle. Away the two rode.
Soon they came to a place where the wealthiest man in the land had said that he would marry his daughter to the one who could ride a horse up a greased ramp and catch the crown of flowers at the top. All day long, would-be heroes had tried, only to slide down the slippery ramp. Though others laughed at him. Jack mounted the ramp, grabbed the crown of flowers, and claimed the rich man's daughter for his wife. To tell the truth, though, that gal had taken a fancy to Jack the moment she laid eyes on him, so getting hitched wasn't much of a problem for either Jack or his lady fair.
By Robert San Souci
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posted by Krivedgo at 6:33 AM
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