How Jack Went to Seek His Fortune

Once upon a time, there lived a cheerful lad named Jack. One fine morning, he decided to wander the world in search of happiness. He had barely left his home when he saw a cat coming his way.

"Where are you headed, Jack?" asked the cat.
"I'm wandering the world, looking for happiness," Jack replied.
"Can I come with you?"
"Of course! The road is always merrier with friends!"

And so, the two of them set off together. They hadn't gone far when they saw a dog approaching.

"Where are you headed, Jack?" asked the dog.
"I'm wandering the world, looking for happiness," Jack replied.
"Can I come with you?"
"Of course! The road is always merrier with friends!"

Now the three of them continued on their way. Soon, they met a goat.

"Where are you headed, Jack?" asked the goat.
"I'm wandering the world, looking for happiness," Jack replied.
"Can I come with you?"
"Of course! The road is always merrier with friends!"

Now the four of them walked together. Not long after, they encountered a bull.

"Where are you headed, Jack?" asked the bull.
"I'm wandering the world, looking for happiness," Jack replied.
"Can I come with you?"
"Of course! The road is always merrier with friends!"

Now the five of them journeyed on. Soon, they met a rooster.

"Where are you headed, Jack?" asked the rooster.
"I'm wandering the world, looking for happiness," Jack replied.
"Can I come with you?"
"Of course! The road is always merrier with friends!"

And so, they all continued together. They walked and walked until dusk fell and it began to grow dark.

"Where shall we spend the night?" they wondered. Suddenly, they spotted a house not far away.

Jack told his friends to stay quiet and crept up to the window to peek inside. What did he see? A group of robbers sitting there, counting their stolen loot!

Jack quickly came up with a plan. He returned to his friends and told them to make as much noise as they could when he gave the signal. As soon as Jack gave the signal, the cat meowed, the dog barked, the goat bleated, the bull bellowed, and the rooster crowed.

The noise was so terrifying that the robbers fled, abandoning all their loot. Jack and his friends entered the house and settled in for the night.

But Jack was still worried the robbers might return. To prepare, he placed the cat in a rocking chair, hid the dog under the table, put the goat in the attic, sent the bull to the cellar, and set the rooster on the roof. Then he went to bed.

The robbers, who had hidden nearby, noticed the lights in the house had gone out. One of them went back to retrieve their stolen goods.

But just a few minutes later, he came running back, frightened and out of breath.

"I went inside," he said, "and tried to sit in a chair. But there was an old woman with knitting needles sitting there! She stabbed me with them!"
(It was just the cat!)

"Then I went to the table to grab our money. But there was a cobbler under the table! He jabbed me with his awl!"
(It was just the dog!)

"Next, I went up to the attic. Someone was threshing grain up there! They hit me with a heavy flail!"
(It was just the goat!)

"Then I went down to the cellar. A woodcutter was there! He swung an axe at me!"
(It was just the bull!)

"But that wasn't the worst of it. There was a dwarf on the roof! He yelled, 'Bring him up here!' So I ran for my life."
(It was just the rooster crowing, "Cock-a-doodle-doo!")

From that day on, Jack and his friends lived happily together in the house by the road.

↑ To the top

How Jack Went to Seek His Fortune

More fairy tales