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021 - Jack and His Master · Celtic Folk and Fairy Tales

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  Speaker 1: Section twenty of Celtic Folk and Fairy Tales. This is
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  Speaker 1: a libertvoxs recording. All libery woks recordings are on the
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  Speaker 1: public domain. From more information not to moment you please
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  Speaker 1: visit libertyvox dot org. Recording by Siddhat Celtic Folk and
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  Speaker 1: Fairy Tales, edited by Joseph Jacobs. Section twenty. Jack and
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  Speaker 1: his Master. A poor woman had three sons. The eldest
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  Speaker 1: and the second eldest were hunting clever fellas, but they
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  Speaker 1: called the youngest Jack the fool, because they thought he
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  Speaker 1: was no better than a simpleton. The eldest got tired
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  Speaker 1: of staying at home and said he'd go look for service.
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  Speaker 2: He stayed away a whole.
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  Speaker 1: Year, and then came back one day dragging one foot
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  Speaker 1: after the other, and a poor viazened face on him,
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  Speaker 1: and he as cross as two sticks. Then he was
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  Speaker 1: trusted and got something to eat. He told him how
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  Speaker 1: he got service with the gray Child of the Thornland
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  Speaker 1: of Mischance, and that the agreement was whoever would first
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  Speaker 1: say he was sorry for his bargain should get an
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  Speaker 1: inch wide of the skin of his back from shoulder
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  Speaker 1: to hips taken off if it was the master, he
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  Speaker 1: should also pay double wages. If it was the servant,
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  Speaker 1: he should get no wages at all. But the thief,
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  Speaker 1: he says, gave me so little to eat and kept
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  Speaker 1: me so hard at work that flesh and blood couldn't
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  Speaker 1: stand it.
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  Speaker 2: And when he asked me once when I was in passion.
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  Speaker 1: If I was sorry for my bargain, I was mad
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  Speaker 1: enough to say I was, and here I am disabled
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  Speaker 1: for life. Nextally enough where the poor mother and brothers
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  Speaker 1: and the second eldest said on the spot, he'd go
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  Speaker 1: and take service with the great churl and punish him
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  Speaker 1: by all the annoyance he'd give him till he'd make
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  Speaker 1: him say he was sorry for his agreement. Oh won't
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  Speaker 1: I be glad to see the skin coming off the
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  Speaker 1: old villain's back, said he. All they could say had
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  Speaker 1: no effect. He started off for the town line of missions,
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  Speaker 1: and in a twelfth month he was back, just as
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  Speaker 1: miserable and helpless as his brother. All the poor mother
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  Speaker 1: could say didn't prevent Jack the Fool from starting to
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  Speaker 1: see if he was able to regulate the great child.
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  Speaker 1: He agreed with him for a year for twenty pounds,
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  Speaker 1: and the terms were the same now, Jack, said the
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  Speaker 1: great churl. If you refuse to do anything you're able
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  Speaker 1: to do, you must lose a month's wages.
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  Speaker 2: I'm satisfied, said Jack.
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  Speaker 1: And if you stop me from doing a thing after
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  Speaker 1: telling me to do it, you are to give me
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  Speaker 1: an additional month's wages.
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  Speaker 2: I am satisfied, said the master.
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  Speaker 1: Or if you blame me for obeying your orders, you
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  Speaker 1: must give the same. I am satisfied, said the Master again.
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  Speaker 1: The first day that Jack served, he was fed very
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  Speaker 1: poorly and was worked to the saddleskirts. Next day, he
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  Speaker 1: came up just before the dinner was served, up to
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  Speaker 1: the parlor. They were taking the goose off the spit,
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  Speaker 1: But well becomes Jack. He whips a knife off the
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  Speaker 1: dresser and cuts off one side of the breast, one
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  Speaker 1: leg and thigh, and one wing and fell to Then
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  Speaker 1: came the Master and began to abuse him for his assurance.
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  Speaker 1: Oh you know, Master, you're to feed me, and wherever
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  Speaker 1: the goose goes won't have to be filled again till supper.
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  Speaker 1: Are you sorry for your agreement? The Master was going
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  Speaker 1: to cry out he was, but he beathought himself in time.
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  Speaker 1: Oh no, not at all, said he that's well Jack.
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  Speaker 1: Next day, Jack was to go clamp turf.
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  Speaker 2: On the bog.
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  Speaker 1: They went sorry to have him away from the kitchen.
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  Speaker 1: At dinner time, he didn't find his breakfast very heavy
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  Speaker 1: on his stomach, so he said to the mistress, I think, ma'am,
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  Speaker 1: it will be better for me to get my dinner
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  Speaker 1: now and not lose time coming home from the bog. Thus, too,
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  Speaker 1: Jack said she.
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  Speaker 2: So she brought.
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  Speaker 1: Out a good cake and a print of butter and
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  Speaker 1: a bottle of milk, thinking he take them away to
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  Speaker 1: the bog. But Jack kept his seat and never drew
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  Speaker 1: reen till bread, butter, and milk went down the red lane.
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  Speaker 2: Now, Mistress said he.
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  Speaker 1: I'll be earlier at my work tomorrow if I sleep
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  Speaker 1: comfortably on the sheltery side of a pile of dry
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  Speaker 1: heat on dry grass, and not be coming here and
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  Speaker 1: going back. So you may as well give me my
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  Speaker 1: supper and be done with the day is trouble. She
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  Speaker 1: gave him that, thinking he'd take it to the bog,
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  Speaker 1: But he fell to on the spot and did not
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  Speaker 1: leave a scrap to tell tales on him, and.
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  Speaker 2: The mistress was a little astonished.
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  Speaker 1: He called to speak to the master in the haggard
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  Speaker 1: and said he what our servants asked to do in
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  Speaker 1: this country after attend this supper? Nothing at all but
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  Speaker 1: go to bed? Oh very well, sir. He went up
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  Speaker 1: on the stable loft, stripped and lay down, and someone
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  Speaker 1: that saw him told the Master.
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  Speaker 2: He came up, Jack, you anointed scoundrel. What do you
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  Speaker 2: mean to go to sleep? Master? The mistress, God bless
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  Speaker 2: her is after.
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  Speaker 1: Giving me my breakfast, dinner and supper, and yourself told
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  Speaker 1: me that bed was the next thing.
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  Speaker 2: Do you blame me, sir? Yes, you rascal.
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  Speaker 1: I do hand me out one pound, thirteen and fourpence
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  Speaker 1: if you please, sir, one devil and thirteen imps.
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  Speaker 2: You tinker? What for?
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  Speaker 1: Oh? I see you've forgotten your bargain. Are you sorry
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  Speaker 1: for it?
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  Speaker 2: Oh?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, no, I mean I'll give you the money after
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  Speaker 1: your nap. Next morning, early Jack asked how he'd be
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  Speaker 1: employed that day. You are to be holding the plow
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  Speaker 1: in that fallow outside the paddock. The Master went over
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  Speaker 1: about nine o'clock to see what kind of a plowman
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  Speaker 1: was Jack, And what did he see but the little
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  Speaker 1: boy driving the base and the sock and coulter of
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  Speaker 1: the plows skimming along the sword and Jack pulling ding
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  Speaker 1: dong again the horses. What are you doing, you contrary thief,
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  Speaker 1: said the master. And ain't a striving to hold the
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  Speaker 1: tale of a plow.
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  Speaker 2: As you told me?
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  Speaker 1: But that onund krown of a boy keeps nipping on
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  Speaker 1: the base in spite of all I say?
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  Speaker 2: Will you speak to him?
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  Speaker 1: No?
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  Speaker 2: But I'll speak to you.
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  Speaker 1: Didn't you know, you, pausthun that when I said holding
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  Speaker 1: the plow, I meant threatening the ground.
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  Speaker 2: Faith, And if you did, I wish you had said so.
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  Speaker 2: Do you blame me for what I have done?
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  Speaker 1: The Master got himself in time, but he was so
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  Speaker 1: stomached he said nothing, go on and thredden the ground.
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  Speaker 1: Now you knave as other plowmen do. And are you
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  Speaker 1: sorry for your agreement? Oh not at all, Oh not
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  Speaker 1: at all. Jack flowed away like a good workman all
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  Speaker 1: the rest of the day. In a day or two,
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  Speaker 1: the Master bade him to go and mind the cows
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  Speaker 1: in a field that had half of it on the
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  Speaker 1: young corn. Be sure, particularly, said hey, to keep Brownie
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  Speaker 1: from the wheat. While she's out of mischief, there's no
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  Speaker 1: fear of the rest. About noon he went to see
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  Speaker 1: how Jack was doing his duty?
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  Speaker 2: And what did he find?
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  Speaker 1: With Jack asleep with his face to the sword, Brownie
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  Speaker 1: grazing near a thorn tree, one end of a long
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  Speaker 1: crope round her horns, and the other end round the tree,
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  Speaker 1: and the rest of the piece, all trampling and eating
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  Speaker 1: the green beat Down came the switch.
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  Speaker 2: On Jack, Jack, you wagabond. Do you see what the
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  Speaker 2: cows are at? And do you blame me? Master?
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  Speaker 1: To be sure, you lazy sluggard, I do hand me
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  Speaker 1: one pound thirteen and fourpence. Master, you said if I
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  Speaker 1: only kept Brownie out of mischief, the rest would do
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  Speaker 1: no harm. There she is as harmless as a lamb?
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  Speaker 1: Are you sorry for hiring me?
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  Speaker 2: Master? To be? That is not at all. I'll give
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  Speaker 2: you your money when you go to dinner. Now understand me.
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  Speaker 1: Don't let a cow go out to the field nor
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  Speaker 1: into the wheat the rest of the day. Never fear Master,
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  Speaker 1: and neither did he, but the thirl would rather than
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  Speaker 1: a great deal, he had not hired him. The next
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  Speaker 1: three days, high fhirst were missing, and the Master bade
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  Speaker 1: Jack to go in search of them.
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  Speaker 2: Where will I look for them? Said Jack? Oh?
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  Speaker 1: Every place likely, and unlikely for them to be in.
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  Speaker 1: The child was getting very exact in his words. When
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  Speaker 1: he was coming into the barn at dinner time. What
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  Speaker 1: work did he find? Jack at but pulling at but
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  Speaker 1: pulling armfuls of the thatch of the roof and peeping
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  Speaker 1: into the holes he was making.
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  Speaker 2: What are you doing there, you rascal?
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  Speaker 1: Sure, I'm looking for their hyphers four things? What would
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  Speaker 1: bring them there? I didn't think anything could bring them
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  Speaker 1: in it. But I looked first into the likely places,
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  Speaker 1: that is, the cow houses in the pastures and the
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  Speaker 1: fields next time, And now I'm looking into the unlikeliest
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  Speaker 1: place I can think of. Maybe it's not pleasing to you,
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  Speaker 1: it is, and to be sure, it isn't pleasing to
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  Speaker 1: me you activating goose cap? Please, sir, hand me one
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  Speaker 1: pound thirteen and four pence before you sit down to
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  Speaker 1: your Dinna. I'm afraid it's sorrow that's on you for
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  Speaker 1: hiring me at all.
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  Speaker 2: Made that tiv Oh no, I'm not sorry.
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  Speaker 1: Will you begin, if you please, and put in that
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  Speaker 1: hatch again, just as if you were doing it for
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  Speaker 1: your mother's cabin. Oh, faith, I will, sir, with our
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  Speaker 1: heart and a half. And by the time the farmer
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  Speaker 1: came out of his dinner. Jack had the roof better
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  Speaker 1: than it goes before, for he made the boy give
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  Speaker 1: him new straw, says the Master, when he came out,
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  Speaker 1: Go Jack and look for the hiphers and bring them home.
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  Speaker 1: And where will I look for him? Go and search
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  Speaker 1: for them as if they were your own. The highers
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  Speaker 1: were all in the paddock with a sunset next morning,
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  Speaker 1: says the Master.
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  Speaker 2: Jack.
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  Speaker 1: The path across the bog to the pastor is very bad.
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  Speaker 1: The sheep does be sinking in it every step. Go
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  Speaker 1: and make the sheep's feet a good path. About an
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  Speaker 1: how after he came to the edge of the bog,
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  Speaker 1: and what did the jack and what did he find
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  Speaker 1: Jack at but sharpening and carving a knife and a
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  Speaker 1: sheep standing or grazing around. It's just the way you're
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  Speaker 1: mending the path, Jack said he. Everything must have a beginning,
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  Speaker 1: Master said Jack, and I think, well, begin it's half done.
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  Speaker 1: I'm sharpening the knife, and I'll have the feet of
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  Speaker 1: every sheep in the flock. While you'd be blessing yourself
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  Speaker 1: feet off my sheep, you anointed brog, and what would
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  Speaker 1: you be taking their feet off for? In sure to
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  Speaker 1: mend the path as you told me, says you, Jack,
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  Speaker 1: make a path with the food of the sheep. I
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  Speaker 1: meant make good the path for the sheep's feet. It's
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  Speaker 1: a pity you didn't say so. Master, hand me out
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  Speaker 1: one pound thirteen and fourpence. If you don't like me
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  Speaker 1: to finish my job. They will do you good with
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  Speaker 1: your one pound thirteen and fourpence. It's better prey than Curl's.
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  Speaker 2: Master. Maybe you're sorry for your bargain, And to be.
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  Speaker 1: Sure, I am not yet anyway. The next night, the
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  Speaker 1: Master was going to a wedding and says he to
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  Speaker 1: Jack before he set out. I leave at midnight, and
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  Speaker 1: I wish you to come and be with me home
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  Speaker 1: for fear I might be overtaken with a drink. If
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  Speaker 1: you're there before, you may throw a sheep's eye at me,
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  Speaker 1: and I'll be sure to see that they'll give you
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  Speaker 1: something for yourself.
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  Speaker 2: About eleven o'clock.
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  Speaker 1: While the Master was in great spirits, he felt something
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  Speaker 1: clammy hit him on the cheek. It fell beside It
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  Speaker 1: fell beside his tumbler, and when he looked at it
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  Speaker 1: it was but the.
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  Speaker 2: Eye of a sheep.
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  Speaker 1: Well, he couldn't imagine who threw it at him, or
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  Speaker 1: why it was thrown at him. After a little he
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  Speaker 1: got a blow on the other cheek, and still it
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  Speaker 1: by another sheep's eye. Well he was very vexed, but
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  Speaker 1: he thought better to say nothing. In two minutes more,
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  Speaker 1: he was opening his mouth to take a sup another
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  Speaker 1: sheep's eye was slapped into it. He sputtered it out
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  Speaker 1: and cried, Man, oh the house. Isn't it a great
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  Speaker 1: shame for you to have anyone in the room that
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  Speaker 1: would do such a nasty thing, Master says Jack. Don't
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  Speaker 1: blame the honest man. Sure, it was only myself that
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  Speaker 1: was throwing them sheef's eyes at you, to remind you
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  Speaker 1: I was here, and that I wanted to drink the
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  Speaker 1: bride and bridegroom's health. You know you yourself paid me.
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  Speaker 1: I know that you are a great rascal. And where
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  Speaker 1: did you get the eyes? And where would I get
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  Speaker 1: them but in the heads of your own sheep? Would
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  Speaker 1: you have me meddle with the pace of any neighbor
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  Speaker 1: who might put me in the stone jug? For it
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  Speaker 1: sorrow on me that I had the bad luck to
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  Speaker 1: meet you. You're all witnessed, said Jack that my master
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  Speaker 1: says he's sorry for having met with me. My time
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  Speaker 1: is up, Master, handy over double wages, and come into
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  Speaker 1: the next room and lay yourself out like a man
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  Speaker 1: that has some decency in him, till I take a
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  Speaker 1: strip of skin and inch brought from your shoulder to
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  Speaker 1: your hip. Everyone shouted out against that, but says Jack,
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  Speaker 1: you didn't hinder him when he took the same steps
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  Speaker 1: from the backs of my two brothers and send them
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  Speaker 1: home in that state and penniless to their poor mother.
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  Speaker 1: When the company heard the rights of the business, they
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  Speaker 1: were only too eager to see the job done. The
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  Speaker 1: master bowled and roared, but there was no help at hand.
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  Speaker 1: He was stripped to his hips and laid on the floor.
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  Speaker 1: And laid on the floor in the next room, and
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  Speaker 1: Jack had the carving knife in his hand, ready to
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  Speaker 1: begin knap you, cruel old villain said, hey, giving the
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  Speaker 1: knife a couple of scraps along the floor. I'll make
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  Speaker 1: you an offer, give me, along with my double wages,
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  Speaker 1: two hundred cunyears to support my poor brothers, and I'll
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  Speaker 1: do without the strip.
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  Speaker 2: No, said he.
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  Speaker 1: I'd let you skin me from head to foot. First,
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  Speaker 1: here ghirston, said Jack, with a grin, but with first
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  Speaker 1: little scar he gave, so I'll drove it out.
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  Speaker 2: Stop your hand.
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  Speaker 1: I'll give the money now, neighbors said Jack, you mustn't
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  Speaker 1: think worse of me than I deserve. I wouldn't have
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  Speaker 1: the heart to take an eye out of a rat itself.
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  Speaker 1: I got half a dozen of them from the butcher,
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  Speaker 1: and only used three of them. So all came again
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  Speaker 1: into the other room, and Jack was made to sit down,
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  Speaker 1: and everybody drank his health, and he drank everybody's health
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  Speaker 1: at one offer, and six starved fellers saw himself and
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  Speaker 1: the master home and waited in the parlor while he
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  Speaker 1: went up and brought down the two hundred gunners in
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  Speaker 1: double wages for Jack himself. When he got home, he
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  Speaker 1: brought the summer along with him to the poor mother
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  Speaker 1: and the disabled brothers. And he was no more Jack,
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  Speaker 1: the fool in the people's mouths, but skincherwl Jack.
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  Speaker 2: End of Section twenty