JACK FROST
by Violet Jacob · from The golden heart, and other fairy stories
Adapted Version
Once upon a time, a wicked man lived. His name was Jack Frost. He lived high in the sky. He was very small. He had a long, pointy nose. His hands were crooked. He wore a cap made of ice. It sparkled in the moonlight. He liked to jump into gardens. He would pinch the pretty flowers. The flowers would wilt and die. He was very mean. The birds did not like him. The squirrels did not like him.
One night, he sat on the moon. He felt cross. He jumped down onto a weather vane. It was on a tall tree. A boy saw him from his window. The boy wore his night clothes. He saw the funny little man. He did not know who it was.
Jack Frost jumped into a holly tree. A Robin was there. "What are you doing?" asked Robin. "Go away!" said Jack Frost. He was very rude. Robin was not happy. "He is up to no good," thought Robin.
A Squirrel ran up the tree. "Good night," said Squirrel nicely. Jack Frost threw a snowball at him. "He has bad manners," said Squirrel. Squirrel went to watch him.
An Owl flew to the tree. "Tu-whoo! Jack Frost!" said Owl. Jack Frost just said a mean thing. Owl flew to a branch to watch.
The beasts talked. They knew Jack Frost was wicked. They decided to watch him as one.
Jack Frost hopped to a garden wall. He looked at the pretty flowers below. He wanted to spoil them. The flowers were scared.
The Gardener slept in a cottage. He wore a red nightcap. Robin tapped on his window. "Please, sir!" chirped Robin. "Jack Frost is in the garden!"
The Gardener woke up. "Thank you!" he said. He put on his trousers.
Squirrel scraped on the window. "Quick! Quick!" chattered Squirrel. "He is on the wall!"
"Thank you!" said the Gardener. He put on his boots.
Owl hooted loudly. "Tu-whoo! He is jumping in!"
The Gardener ran outside. He had a stick. He found Jack Frost by the flowers. "Go away!" shouted the Gardener.
Jack Frost tried to run. He hid in some bushes. Owl hooted to show where he was. The Gardener found him.
The Gardener chased Jack Frost. He told him to leave. Jack Frost was very scared. He ran and climbed a tall tree. He could not reach the moon. He had to hide.
The garden was safe. The flowers were happy. The beasts helped the Gardener. Working together, small friends can stop a bully.
Original Story
JACK FROST
A STORY FOR VERY LITTLE CHILDREN
There was once a little old man called Jack Frost who lived up in the sky. He was very small and very wicked and he had a long, long nose and the most dreadful crooked hands in the world. His beard was thin and pointed and stuck out in front of him; and, on his head, he wore a pointed cap made of ice which glittered in the moonlight. When the moon was a crescent he would sit astride of it, looking into the earth below and thinking what horrible mischief he could do next.
His favourite amusement was to come jumping down into some nice garden where the flowers were still blooming at the end of the autumn and pinch all their beautiful heads until they died. Sometimes, too, he would pinch the birds’ toes, and sometimes, in the winter, he was so cruel as to kill the poor little things outright. He had a heart as hard as a stone, and the more wickedness he could do, the better he was pleased. The birds hated him, and the squirrels hated him, and the gardeners hated him, and no wonder, too.
One day he sat on the moon in a very terrible humour thinking of all the bad things he meant to do; and he took a great jump and came down on a weathercock which was fixed on the top of the larch-tree near a big stone house standing in a garden. Inside the house a little boy in his night-shirt stood at a window; the curtains were closed behind him in the warm room, but he had got out of bed to admire the stars which were bright overhead. He saw Jack Frost swinging about on the weathercock and he did not know who he was.
“Nurse!” he cried, “come and look at the funny little man who is sitting all by himself on the weathercock!”
“Nonsense!” said the nurse. “How can a man sit on the weathercock? Get back into bed this minute or you will have a cold in the morning and I shall be obliged to give you nasty medicine.”
“But come! come!” he cried again.
The nurse went to the window and looked out, and, just as she did so, Jack Frost jumped off the weathercock into a holly tree.
“There! did you see that?” shouted the little boy, clapping his hands.
The nurse saw it very well but she could not account for it, so she pretended it had not happened.
“Stuff!” she said; “it was only a bird flying.”
“But a bird hasn’t got a pointed cap, and a long beard, and a coat with long tails!”
“If I said it was a bird you may depend I was right,” said the nurse, pushing him back into bed rather roughly. But she tucked him up well and gave him a kiss, for she was a very kind person, really.
As Jack Frost sat in the holly tree, a robin who happened to be awake came to get a few holly berries, for they were beginning to turn red.
“What are you doing on the holly tree?” he asked as he saw him.
“What’s that to you?” said Jack Frost, who had no manners.
“I am sure he is up to some harm,” said the robin. “I will just wait about and see.”
Jack Frost sat mumbling and laughing to himself; what he really wanted to do was to go into the garden and spoil the flowers.
Presently a squirrel who was out of bed late ran up the trunk of the larch-tree close by; he flourished his tail and stopped to look at Jack Frost.
“Good evening,” he said very civilly, for though he did not like Jack Frost he knew how to behave.
For answer Jack Frost took out a fir-cone he had in his pocket and threw it at the squirrel’s head.
“He has been badly brought up,” said the squirrel, who had several children and was very particular about their behaviour. Then he went and sat at the foot of the tree to watch Jack Frost, for he knew he was wicked, and he thought it better to keep his eye on him.
All this time the horrid little man was looking at the garden wall; he sat very still till he heard “Tu-whoo! Tu-whoo!” close by, and saw a large, soft-winged owl flitting among the branches.
“Tu-whoo! Jack Frost!” he cried, as he sat down beside him. “How are you this evening?”
For answer Jack Frost kicked up his heels very rudely in the owl’s face. The bird flew silently away, but he did not go far; he knew Jack Frost was up to no good, so he perched hard by and watched him with his round, burning eyes.
When all was quiet again, Jack Frost went hopping from tree to tree till he got close to the garden wall, where he could see over into the flower-beds; he did not know that the robin, the squirrel, and the owl were all looking at him from the places in which they had hidden themselves.
Such a lovely garden as it was! There were green walks and hedges and borders of heliotrope and pansies; and, all round the hedges, rows of dahlias and hollyhocks stood like kings and queens, red, yellow, pink, white, and gorgeous orange. When they saw the little wicked man they were terrified, poor things, and though they tried to look bold and stand up straight, they knew in their hearts that he had come to kill them.
Close by stood a cottage in which the gardener was asleep in his bed, wearing a fine red nightcap with a handsome tassel on the end of it. He was very kind to the little boy who lived in the stone house, for he had no children of his own, and he liked to take him out and show him birds’ nests and flowers, and teach him to dig and plant and water the garden.
In the middle of his sleep he was wakened by hearing a strange noise outside. He sat up in bed.
“Tap, tap,” it went on.
“Who’s there?” cried the gardener, jumping out of bed and opening the window.
The robin was on the window-sill, very much excited and dancing about. “Please, sir,” said he, “Jack Frost is sitting up in a tree close to the garden.”
“Thank you! Thank you!” said the gardener, beginning to put on his trousers. “I’ll get up this moment!”
He had just got them on when a loud scraping began on the window-sill.
“Who’s there?” cried the gardener, again.
“Me!” said the squirrel; “quick! quick! Jack Frost is sitting on the garden wall.”
“Thank you! Thank you!” said the gardener, beginning to put on his boots.
In another moment there was a great cry outside. “Tu-whoo! Tu-whoo!” and a great flapping of wings.
“Come out! Come out!” screamed the owl. “Jack Frost has jumped down into the garden.”
“Thank you! thank you!” cried the gardener, catching up a big stick and running out of the house.
Jack Frost was in a flower bed looking up into the face of a beautiful pink hollyhock and thinking which of its blossoms he would pinch first, when he heard a loud shout and saw the gardener with his red nightcap and his big stick coming in at the garden door. He was most dreadfully frightened, and began to run with all his might. The gardener was after him at once, so he tried to reach the gooseberry bushes and hide himself among them, hoping it would be too dark for anybody to see him.
But the owl, who could see everything at night, flew after him, calling out, “There goes Jack Frost among the gooseberry bushes! There he is! This way! This way!” So he found it impossible to hide himself. It was a good thing for him that he could run much faster than the gardener, because he was so thin and had such long legs.
He ran and ran, and the gardener puffed and blew and could not catch him, so at last he took up a flower pot and threw it as hard as he could at Jack Frost. It hit him in the very middle of the back and knocked him flat on his face on the path. He tried to get up, but the gardener got hold of him by the collar and shook and beat him with his big stick till he prayed for mercy. Then he took him by the ear and dragged him out of the garden.
At last Jack Frost wriggled out of his grasp and ran for his life; he dashed into the larch-tree and climbed up the branches to the topmost bough where the weathercock was. There was no moon for him to get on to, for she had gone to bed and the sky was so high that he could not jump up all the way at once, so he was obliged to sit hidden in the tree until the next night.
The next night was misty and the moon came only occasionally out of the cloud. The little boy who lived in the stone house got out of his bed again to see her.
While he was looking, Jack Frost took a mighty leap and sprang up right through the clouds.
“Look! Look!” cried the little boy, “there is the funny man again!”
“It’s you who are funny,” said the nurse; and she hurried him back into bed and gave him one of his favourite toys to put under his pillow.
She knew nothing about little men who jumped among the trees.
Jack Frost landed safely on the moon and then flew high, high up. But he never came down into that garden again.
THE END
R. CLAY AND SONS, LTD., BREAD ST. HILL, E.C., AND BUNGAY, SUFFOLK.
TRANSCRIBER NOTES
Misspelled words and printer errors have been corrected. Where multiple spellings occur, majority use has been employed.
Punctuation has been maintained except where obvious printer errors occur.
Book cover is placed in the public domain.
[The end of The Golden Heart, by Violet Jacob.]
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Story DNA
Moral
Even the smallest and most vulnerable can, through cooperation, overcome a powerful bully.
Plot Summary
Jack Frost, a wicked little old man, descends from the sky to a beautiful garden, intending to destroy its flowers. He is observed by a little boy and then by a robin, squirrel, and owl, whom he treats with contempt. The animals, recognizing his malicious intent, work together to wake the sleeping gardener and warn him of Jack Frost's presence. The gardener confronts Jack Frost, chases him, and eventually catches and beats him with a stick until Jack Frost begs for mercy. Humiliated and defeated, Jack Frost escapes and is forced to hide in a tree, unable to return to the moon, leaving the garden safe.
Themes
Emotional Arc
malice to fear to defeat
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Violet Jacob was a Scottish writer, and her stories often have a gentle, traditional British feel, suitable for children's literature of the early 20th century.
Plot Beats (14)
- Jack Frost, a wicked little old man with a long nose, crooked hands, and an ice cap, lives in the sky and enjoys pinching flowers and birds.
- One day, he jumps from the moon onto a weathercock in a garden, observed by a little boy who tries to tell his disbelieving nurse.
- Jack Frost moves to a holly tree, where a robin questions him, but Jack Frost responds rudely.
- A squirrel politely greets Jack Frost, who throws a fir-cone at him in response.
- An owl greets Jack Frost, who rudely kicks up his heels in the owl's face.
- The robin, squirrel, and owl, all aware of Jack Frost's wickedness, decide to watch him.
- Jack Frost hops to the garden wall, planning to spoil the beautiful flowers below.
- The gardener, asleep in a nearby cottage, is woken by the robin tapping on his window, warning him of Jack Frost.
- The squirrel then scrapes on the window, confirming Jack Frost's presence on the garden wall.
- The owl screams a warning as Jack Frost jumps into the garden.
- The gardener, armed with a stick, confronts Jack Frost in the flowerbed.
- Jack Frost tries to run and hide in the gooseberry bushes, but the owl guides the gardener.
- The gardener throws a flower pot, hitting Jack Frost, then catches and beats him until he begs for mercy.
- Jack Frost escapes the gardener's grasp and climbs to the top of the larch-tree, unable to reach the moon, and is forced to hide until the next night.
Characters
Jack Frost ⚔ antagonist
Very small in stature, with a slight, wiry build. His hands are described as 'dreadful crooked hands'. He moves by jumping and hopping.
Attire: A coat with long tails, and on his head, he wears a pointed cap made of ice which glitters in the moonlight.
Wants: To cause mischief and destruction, particularly to beautiful things like flowers and vulnerable creatures like birds. He enjoys being wicked.
Flaw: His overconfidence and open display of wickedness make him predictable and eventually lead to his capture.
He is captured and imprisoned by the gardener, ending his reign of terror over the garden.
Wicked, cruel, mischievous, ill-mannered, hard-hearted. He delights in causing harm and destruction, especially to living things.
Image Prompt & Upload
A very small, elderly-appearing male figure with a slight build, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a very long, prominent nose, and a thin, pointed white beard that sticks out. His hands are noticeably crooked. He wears a dark, long-tailed coat and a sharply pointed cap made of shimmering, translucent ice. He has a mischievous, wicked grin. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Little Boy ◆ supporting
A young boy, small enough to be in a night-shirt and still be put back to bed by a nurse.
Attire: A simple white night-shirt.
Wants: To observe and understand the world around him, particularly the stars and the 'funny little man' he sees.
Flaw: His youth makes him dependent on adults who sometimes dismiss his observations.
Remains consistent, serving as the initial witness to Jack Frost.
Curious, observant, excitable, truthful (insisting on what he saw).
Image Prompt & Upload
A young boy, around 6-8 years old, with a slender build, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has fair skin, wide, curious blue eyes, and short, light brown hair. He wears a simple, loose-fitting white linen night-shirt that reaches his knees. He stands with a slight lean forward, one arm raised as if pointing, a look of wide-eyed wonder and excitement on his face. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Nurse ◆ supporting
An adult woman, likely of a sturdy build, capable of pushing a child back into bed.
Attire: Period-appropriate nurse's attire, likely a practical dress with an apron, perhaps a cap.
Wants: To care for the little boy and ensure his well-being, which includes dismissing fanciful notions to keep him in bed.
Flaw: Her practicality makes her initially unwilling to believe in magical occurrences.
Remains consistent, her role is to provide a contrast to the boy's fantastical claims.
Kind (ultimately), practical, dismissive (initially), firm, protective (of the boy's health).
Image Prompt & Upload
An adult woman, around 40-50 years old, with a practical, sturdy build, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has a kind but firm expression, with warm brown eyes and her dark hair neatly pulled back under a white linen cap. She wears a long, dark blue wool dress with a crisp white linen apron tied at the waist. Her posture is upright and composed. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Robin ◆ supporting
A small bird with a distinctive red breast, as is characteristic of a robin. Agile and quick.
Attire: Natural plumage: brown back, white belly, and a vibrant red breast.
Wants: To gather food (holly berries) and to warn the gardener about Jack Frost's destructive intentions.
Flaw: Small size makes him vulnerable to Jack Frost's direct attacks.
Acts as an early warning system, demonstrating the unity of the garden creatures against Jack Frost.
Curious, observant, polite (initially), concerned, helpful, excited.
Image Prompt & Upload
A small, plump robin with a bright orange-red breast, dark brown back, and a light belly, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. Its head is slightly tilted, and its dark, beady eyes are alert and expressive. It stands on delicate legs, poised as if about to hop or take flight. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Squirrel ◆ supporting
A typical squirrel, agile with a bushy tail.
Attire: Natural fur coat, typically reddish-brown or greyish-brown.
Wants: To watch Jack Frost due to his known wickedness and to warn the gardener.
Flaw: Vulnerable to Jack Frost's direct attacks (like being hit by a fir-cone).
Acts as a secondary warning system, reinforcing the danger of Jack Frost.
Civil, observant, particular about behavior (due to having children), cautious, helpful.
Image Prompt & Upload
A medium-sized, reddish-brown squirrel with a large, bushy tail, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. Its fur is soft and textured. It has bright, intelligent black eyes and small, pointed ears. It sits upright on its hind legs, holding its front paws delicately, with its bushy tail curled gracefully behind it. Its expression is alert and watchful. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Owl ◆ supporting
A large, soft-winged owl. Flies silently.
Attire: Natural plumage, typically mottled browns and greys for camouflage.
Wants: To watch Jack Frost because he knows he is 'up to no good' and to warn the gardener.
Flaw: His silent nature makes him less direct in communication, but he is effective in observation.
Acts as the final warning system, completing the trio of animal allies.
Observant, quiet, knowing, cautious.
Image Prompt & Upload
A large, majestic owl with soft, mottled brown and grey feathers, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. It has a broad, flat face with prominent, round, luminous yellow eyes that seem to glow. Its wings are broad and feathered, and its talons are strong. It sits upright on a branch, its posture regal and still, with an intense, watchful expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Gardener ★ protagonist
An adult man, likely sturdy and strong from his work. He jumps out of bed quickly.
Attire: A red nightcap with a handsome tassel. When alerted, he quickly puts on trousers and boots.
Wants: To protect his beloved garden and the little boy from harm. He has no children of his own, so the garden and the boy are very important to him.
Flaw: Initially asleep and unaware of the danger, requiring the animals to alert him.
He is roused from sleep and successfully thwarts Jack Frost's plans, becoming the hero of the story.
Kind, responsible, observant (once alerted), decisive, grateful (to the animals).
Image Prompt & Upload
A middle-aged man with a sturdy, strong build, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a kind, slightly weathered face, with friendly brown eyes and short, practical brown hair. He wears a vibrant red nightcap with a prominent tassel on the end, a simple white linen undershirt, and dark brown work trousers. His posture is alert and ready for action, with a determined expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
The Moon
The moon, sometimes a crescent, where Jack Frost sits astride, looking down at the earth. It glitters in the moonlight.
Mood: eerie, mischievous, solitary
Jack Frost plots his mischief and observes the earth below.
Image Prompt & Upload
A vast, dark night sky with a sharp, glowing crescent moon. Jack Frost, tiny and menacing, sits astride the moon, his pointed ice cap sparkling. Below, a distant, hazy view of the earth's surface. The atmosphere is cold and clear, with countless tiny stars. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Garden of the Stone House
A lovely garden with green walks, hedges, and borders of heliotrope and pansies. Rows of dahlias and hollyhocks stand like kings and queens, in red, yellow, pink, white, and gorgeous orange, all still blooming at the end of autumn. A larch-tree with a weathercock stands near a big stone house. A holly tree is also present.
Mood: vulnerable, beautiful, threatened
Jack Frost descends here to spoil the flowers. The robin, squirrel, and owl observe him from various trees.
Image Prompt & Upload
A late autumn garden at night, bathed in soft moonlight. Lush green hedges and winding paths lead to vibrant flowerbeds bursting with dahlias, hollyhocks, heliotrope, and pansies in rich reds, yellows, and oranges, still defiantly blooming. A tall larch-tree with a prominent weathercock stands to one side, its branches silhouetted against the night sky. A dense holly tree with nascent red berries is nearby. The garden is enclosed by a low stone wall. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Little Boy's Bedroom in the Stone House
A warm room inside a big stone house. Curtains are closed, but a window looks out onto the garden and the night sky. The room contains a bed.
Mood: cozy, safe, curious
A little boy looks out the window and spots Jack Frost on the weathercock, alerting his nurse.
Image Prompt & Upload
A cozy, warm bedroom interior within a sturdy, traditional British stone house. A small, curtained window is slightly ajar, revealing a glimpse of the dark, star-filled night sky and the top of a larch tree outside. Inside, a simple wooden bed with a thick duvet is neatly made. Soft, warm light from an unseen source illuminates the room, contrasting with the cool blue light from the window. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Gardener's Cottage
A small cottage located close to the garden. It contains a bed where the gardener sleeps, wearing a red nightcap with a tassel. It has a window.
Mood: sleepy, humble, alert
The gardener is awakened by the robin and squirrel, who warn him about Jack Frost.
Image Prompt & Upload
The humble, rustic interior of a British gardener's cottage at night. A simple, sturdy wooden bed with a patchwork quilt is the focal point. A small, mullioned window, slightly open, reveals the dark garden outside. On the bed, a red nightcap with a prominent tassel rests. The room is dimly lit by a soft, warm glow, suggesting a hearth or a small lamp. The walls are perhaps whitewashed or exposed timber. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
