Jack and His Golden Snuff-box

JACK AND HIS GOLDEN SNUFF-BOX

Once upon a time, and a very good time it was, though it was neither in my

  time nor in your time nor in any one else's time, there was an old man and


  an old woman, and they had one son, and they lived in a great forest. And


  their son never saw any other people in his life, but he knew that there


  was some more in the world besides his own father and mother, because he


  had lots of books, and he used to read every day about them. And when he


  read about some pretty young women, he used to go mad to see some of them;


  till one day, when his father was out cutting wood, he told his mother


  that he wished to go away to look for his living in some other country,


  and to see some other people besides them two. And he said, “I see nothing


  at all here but great trees around me; and if I stay here, maybe I shall


  go mad before I see anything.” The young man's father was out all this


  time, when this talk was going on between him and his poor old mother.

The old woman begins by saying to her son before leaving, “Well, well, my

  poor boy, if you want to go, it's better for you to go, and God be with


  you.”—(The old woman thought for the best when she said that.)—“But


  stop a bit before you go. Which would you like best for me to make you, a


  little cake and bless you, or a big cake and curse you?” “Dear, dear!”


   said he, “make me a big cake. Maybe I shall be hungry on the road.” The


  old woman made the big cake, and she went on top of the house, and she


  cursed him as far as she could see him.

He presently meets with his father, and the old man says to him: “Where

  are you going, my poor boy?” when the son told the father the same tale as


  he told his mother. “Well,” says his father, “I'm sorry to see you going


  away, but if you've made your mind to go, it's better for you to go.”

The poor lad had not gone far, when his father called him back; then the

  old man drew out of his pocket a golden snuff-box, and said to him: “Here,


  take this little box, and put it in your pocket, and be sure not to open


  it till you are near your death.” And away went poor Jack upon his road,


  and walked till he was tired and hungry, for he had eaten all his cake


  upon the road; and by this time night was upon him, so he could hardly see


  his way before him. He could see some light a long way before him, and he


  made up to it, and found the back door and knocked at it, till one of the


  maid-servants came and asked him what he wanted. He said that night was on


  him, and he wanted to get some place to sleep. The maid-servant called him


  in to the fire, and gave him plenty to eat, good meat and bread and beer;


  and as he was eating his food by the fire, there came the young lady to


  look at him, and she loved him well and he loved her. And the young lady


  ran to tell her father, and said there was a pretty young man in the back


  kitchen; and immediately the gentleman came to him, and questioned him,


  and asked what work he could do. Jack said, the silly fellow, that he


  could do anything. (He meant that he could do any foolish bit of work,


  that would be wanted about the house.)

“Well,” says the gentleman to him, “if you can do anything, at eight

  o'clock in the morning I must have a great lake and some of-the largest


  man-of-war vessels sailing before my mansion, and one of the largest


  vessels must fire a royal salute, and the last round must break the leg of


  the bed where my young daughter is sleeping. And if you don't do that, you


  will have to forfeit your life.”

“All right,” said Jack; and away he went to his bed, and said his prayers

  quietly, and slept till it was near eight o'clock, and he had hardly any


  time to think what he was to do, till all of a sudden he remembered about


  the little golden box that his father gave him. And he said to himself:


  “Well, well, I never was so near my death as I am now;” and then he felt


  in his pocket, and drew the little box out. And when he opened it, out


  there hopped three little red men, and asked Jack: “What is your will with


  us?” “Well,” said Jack, “I want a great lake and some of the largest


  man-of-war vessels in the world before this mansion, and one of the


  largest vessels to fire a royal salute, and the last round to break one of


  the legs of the bed where this young lady is sleeping.” “All right,” said


  the little men; “go to sleep.”

Jack had hardly time to bring the words out of his mouth, to tell the

  little men what to do, but what it struck eight o'clock, when Bang, bang


  went one of the largest man-of-war vessels; and it made Jack jump out of


  bed to look through the window; and I can assure you it was a wonderful


  sight for him to see, after being so long with his father and mother


  living in a wood.

By this time Jack dressed himself, and said his prayers, and came down

  laughing; for he was proud, he was, because the thing was done so well.


  The gentleman comes to him, and says to him: “Well, my young man, I must


  say that you are very clever indeed. Come and have some breakfast.” And


  the gentleman tells him, “Now there are two more things you have to do,


  and then you shall have my daughter in marriage.” Jack gets his breakfast,


  and has a good squint at the young lady, and also she at him.

The other thing that the gentleman told him to do was to fell all the

  great trees for miles around by eight o'clock in the morning; and, to make


  my long story short, it was done, and it pleased the gentleman well The


  gentleman said to him: “The other thing you have to do”—(and it was


  the last thing)—“you must get me a great castle standing on twelve


  golden pillars; and there must come regiments of soldiers and go through


  their drill. At eight o'clock the commanding officer must say, 'Shoulder


  up.'” “All right,” said Jack; when the third and last morning came the


  third great feat was finished, and he had the young daughter in marriage.


  But, oh dear! there is worse to come yet.

The gentleman now makes a large hunting party, and invites all the

  gentlemen around the country to it, and to see the castle as well. And by


  this time Jack has a beautiful horse and a scarlet dress to go with them.


  On that morning his valet, when putting Jack's clothes by, after changing


  them to go a hunting, put his hand in one of Jack's waistcoat-pockets, and


  pulled out the little golden snuffbox, as poor Jack left behind in a


  mistake. And that man opened the little box, and there hopped the three


  little red men out, and asked him what he wanted with them. “Well,” said


  the valet to them, “I want this castle to be moved from this place far and


  far across the sea.” “All right,” said the little red men to him; “do you


  wish to go with it?” “Yes,” said he. “Well, get up,” said they to him; and


  away they went far and far over the great sea.

Now the grand hunting party comes back, and the castle upon the twelve

  golden pillars had disappeared, to the great disappointment of those


  gentlemen as did not see it before. That poor silly Jack is threatened by


  taking his beautiful young wife from him, for taking them in in the way he


  did. But the gentleman at last made an agreement with him, and he is to


  have a twelvemonths and a day to look for it; and off he goes with a good


  horse and money in his pocket.

Now poor Jack goes in search of his missing castle, over hills, dales,

  valleys, and mountains, through woolly woods and sheepwalks, further than


  I can tell you or ever intend to tell you. Until at last he comes up to


  the place where lives the King of all the little mice in the world. There


  was one of the little mice on sentry at the front gate going up to the


  palace, and did try to stop Jack from going in. He asked the little mouse:


  “Where does the King live? I should like to see him.” This one sent


  another with him to show him the place; and when the King saw him, he


  called him in. And the King questioned him, and asked him where he was


  going that way. Well, Jack told him all the truth, that he had lost the


  great castle, and was going to look for it, and he had a whole


  twelvemonths and a day to find it out. And Jack asked him whether he knew


  anything about it; and the King said: “No, but I am the King of all the


  little mice in the world, and I will call them all up in the morning, and


  maybe they have seen something of it.”

Then Jack got a good meal and bed, and in the morning he and the King went

  on to the fields; and the King called all the mice together, and asked


  them whether they had seen the great beautiful castle standing on golden


  pillars. And all the little mice said, No, there was none of them had seen


  it. The old King said to him that he had two other brothers: “One is the


  King of all the frogs; and my other brother, who is the oldest, he is the


  King of all the birds in the world. And if you go there, may be they know


  something about the missing castle.” The King said to him: “Leave your


  horse here with me till you come back, and take one of my best horses


  under you, and give this cake to my brother; he will know then who you got


  it from. Mind and tell him I am well, and should like dearly to see him.”


   And then the King and Jack shook hands together.

And when Jack was going through the gates, the little mouse asked him,

  should he go with him; and Jack said to him: “No, I shall get myself into


  trouble with the King.” And the little thing told him: “It will be better


  for you to let me go with you; maybe I shall do some good to you some time


  without you knowing it.” “Jump up, then.” And the little mouse ran up the


  horse's leg, and made it dance; and Jack put the mouse in his pocket.

Now Jack, after wishing good morning to the King and pocketing the little

  mouse which was on sentry, trudged on his way; and such a long way he had


  to go and this was his first day. At last he found the place; and there


  was one of the frogs on sentry, and gun upon his shoulder, and did try to


  hinder Jack from going in; but when Jack said to him that he wanted to see


  the King, he allowed him to pass; and Jack made up to the door. The King


  came out, and asked him his business; and Jack told him all from beginning


  to end. “Well, well, come in.” He gets good entertainment that night; and


  in the morning the King made such a funny sound, and collected all the


  frogs in the world. And he asked them, did they know or see anything of a


  castle that stood upon twelve golden pillars; and they all made a curious


  sound, Kro-kro, kro-kro , and said, No.

Jack had to take another horse, and a cake to this King's brother, who is

  the King of all the fowls of the air; and as Jack was going through the


  gates, the little frog that was on sentry asked John should he go with


  him. Jack refused him for a bit; but at last he told him to jump up, and


  Jack put him in his other waistcoat pocket. And away he went again on his


  great long journey; it was three times as long this time as it was the


  first day; however, he found the place, and there was a fine bird on


  sentry. And Jack passed him, and he never said a word to him; and he


  talked with the King, and told him everything, all about the castle.


  “Well,” said the King to him, “you shall know in the morning from my


  birds, whether they know anything or not.” Jack put up his horse in the


  stable, and then went to bed, after having something to eat. And when he


  got up in the morning the King and he went on to some field, and there the


  King made some funny noise, and there came all the fowls that were in all


  the world. And the King asked them; “Did they see the fine castle?” and


  all the birds answered, No. “Well,” said the King, “where is the great


  bird?” They had to wait then for a long time for the eagle to make his


  appearance, when at last he came all in a perspiration, after sending two


  little birds high up in the sky to whistle on him to make all the haste he


  possibly could. The King asked the great bird, Did he see the great


  castle? and the bird said: “Yes, I came from there where it now is.”


   “Well,” says the King to him; “this young gentleman has lost it, and you


  must go with him back to it; but stop till you get a bit of something to


  eat first.”

They killed a thief, and sent the best part of it to feed the eagle on his

  journey over the seas, and had to carry Jack on his back. Now when they


  came in sight of the castle, they did not know what to do to get the


  little golden box. Well, the little mouse said to them: “Leave me down,


  and I will get the little box for you.” So the mouse stole into the


  castle, and got hold of the box; and when he was coming down the stairs,


  it fell down, and he was very near being caught. He came running out with


  it, laughing his best. “Have you got it?” Jack said to him; he said:


  “Yes;” and off they went back again, and left the castle behind.

As they were all of them (Jack, mouse, frog, and eagle) passing over the

  great sea, they fell to quarrelling about which it was that got the little


  box, till down it slipped into the water. (It was by them looking at it


  and handing it from one hand to the other that they dropped the little box


  to the bottom of the sea.) “Well, well,” said the frog, “I knew that I


  would have to do something, so you had better let me go down in the


  water.” And they let him go, and he was down for three days and three


  nights; and up he comes, and shows his nose and little mouth out of the


  water; and all of them asked him, Did he get it? and he told them, No.


  “Well, what are you doing there, then?” “Nothing at all,” he said, “only I


  want my full breath;” and the poor little frog went down the second time,


  and he was down for a day and a night, and up he brings it.

And away they did go, after being there four days and nights; and after a

  long tug over seas and mountains, arrive at the palace of the old King,


  who is the master of all the birds in the world. And the King is very


  proud to see them, and has a hearty welcome and a long conversation. Jack


  opens the little box, and told the little men to go back and to bring the


  castle here to them; “and all of you make as much haste back again as you


  possibly can.”

The three little men went off; and when they came near the castle they

  were afraid to go to it till the gentleman and lady and all the servants


  were gone out to some dance. And there was no one left behind there only


  the cook and another maid with her; and the little red men asked them


  which would they rather—go, or stop behind? and they both said: “I


  will go with you;” and the little men told them to run upstairs quick.


  They were no sooner up and in one of the drawing-rooms than here comes


  just in sight the gentleman and lady and all the servants; but it was too


  late. Off the castle went at full speed, with the women laughing at them


  through the window, while they made motions for them to stop, but all to


  no purpose.

They were nine days on their journey, in which they did try to keep the

  Sunday holy, when one of the little men turned to be the priest, the other


  the clerk, and third presided at the organ, and the women were the


  singers, for they had a grand chapel in the castle already. Very


  remarkable, there was a discord made in the music, and one of the little


  men ran up one of the organ-pipes to see where the bad sound came from,


  when he found out it only happened to be that the two women were laughing


  at the little red man stretching his little legs full length on the bass


  pipes, also his two arms the same time, with his little red night-cap,


  which he never forgot to wear, and what they never witnessed before, could


  not help calling forth some good merriment while on the face of the deep.


  And poor thing! through them not going on with what they begun with, they


  very near came to danger, as the castle was once very near sinking in the


  middle of the sea.

At length, after a merry journey, they come again to Jack and the King.

  The King was quite struck with the sight of the castle; and going up the


  golden stairs, went to see the inside.

The King was very much pleased with the castle, but poor Jack's time of a

  twelvemonths and a day was drawing to a close; and he, wishing to go home


  to his young wife, gives orders to the three little men to get ready by


  the next morning at eight o'clock to be off to the next brother, and to


  stop there for one night; also to proceed from there to the last or the


  youngest brother, the master of all the mice in the world, in such place


  where the castle shall be left under his care until it's sent for. Jack


  takes a farewell of the King, and thanks him very much for his


  hospitality.

Away went Jack and his castle again, and stopped one night in that place;

  and away they went again to the third place, and there left the castle


  under his care. As Jack had to leave the castle behind, he had to take to


  his own horse, which he left there when he first started.

Now poor Jack leaves his castle behind and faces towards home; and after

  having so much merriment with the three brothers every night, Jack became


  sleepy on horseback, and would have lost the road if it was not for the


  little men a-guiding him. At last he arrived weary and tired, and they did


  not seem to receive him with any kindness whatever, because he had not


  found the stolen castle; and to make it worse, he was disappointed in not


  seeing his young and beautiful wife to come and meet him, through being


  hindered by her parents. But that did not stop long. Jack put full power


  on and despatched the little men off to bring the castle from there, and


  they soon got there.

Jack shook hands with the King, and returned many thanks for his kingly

  kindness in minding the castle for him; and then Jack instructed the


  little men to spur up and put speed on. And off they went, and were not


  long before they reached their journey's end, when out comes the young


  wife to meet him with a fine lump of a young SON, and they all lived happy


  ever afterwards.