Jack the Lazybones

Once upon a time, there lived a young man named Jack. He lived with his old mother on a wasteland. The old woman spun yarn and sold it at the market, but this was hardly enough to make them rich. And Jack was as lazy as they come. He did absolutely nothing, just basked in the sun on hot days and sat by the hearth in winter.

That’s why everyone called him Lazy Jack.

Finally, his mother had enough and said to him:

"It’s time for you to earn your own keep, or I’ll throw you out into the street, and then you’ll have to fend for yourself!"

This happened on a Monday. His mother’s words seemed to get through to Jack, and the next morning he went and hired himself out to a farmer for a penny a day. He worked all day, got his penny, and headed home. But as he was crossing a stream, he dropped the coin.

After all, he had never held money in his hands before.

"Oh, you foolish boy!" his mother said. "You should have put the penny in your pocket."

"Next time, I’ll do that," Jack replied. On Wednesday, Jack went out again and hired himself out to a shepherd. The shepherd gave Jack a jug of milk for his work. Jack stuffed the jug into his pocket, but before he was halfway home, all the milk had spilled out.

"Oh, Lord!" his mother gasped. "You should have carried it on your head!"

"Next time, I’ll do that," Jack replied. And so, on Thursday, Jack hired himself out to the farmer again.

For his work, the farmer promised to give Jack a piece of cream cheese. In the evening, Jack placed the cheese on his head and set off for home. But once again, he arrived with nothing: the cheese had melted and stuck to his hair.

"What a fool you are!" his mother said. "You should have carried it carefully in your hands."

"Next time, I’ll do that," Jack replied. On Friday, Jack hired himself out to a baker, and the baker gave him a cat for his work. Jack took the cat and carefully carried it in his hands. But the cat started scratching so much that Jack had to let it go. And once again, Jack returned home empty-handed.

"You’re such a blockhead!" his mother scolded. "You should have led the cat on a string."

"Next time, I’ll do that," Jack replied.

And so, on Saturday, Jack hired himself out to a butcher. The butcher generously rewarded him with a whole leg of lamb. Jack tied a string around the leg of lamb and dragged it through the mud. You can imagine what kind of dinner that lamb would have made!

This time, his mother lost her temper. After all, for Sunday dinner, she had nothing but cabbage.

"Oh, you clod!" she said to her son. "You should have carried it on your shoulder."

"Next time, I’ll do that," Jack replied. On Monday, Jack left the house again and hired himself out to a cattle dealer. The dealer gave him a donkey for his work. It was quite a struggle to hoist the donkey onto his shoulders, but in the end, Jack managed it, and he slowly trudged home with his reward.

Now, it just so happened that along his path stood the house of a wealthy man. This wealthy man had an only daughter, a very pretty girl, but she was deaf and mute, and she had never laughed. The doctors had said that she would not speak until someone made her laugh.

And wouldn’t you know it, as Jack was passing by with the donkey on his shoulders, the girl happened to look out the window. She saw the big fool with a donkey on his shoulders and burst out laughing. And as soon as she laughed, she began to speak and could hear everything.

The wealthy man was so overjoyed that, in his happiness, he gave his daughter to Jack in marriage, and Lazy Jack suddenly became rich. The newlyweds settled in a big house, and Jack’s mother lived with them, and they all lived in complete comfort and happiness until the end of their days—or so the story goes, though it’s hard to believe. Fairy girl