Jack and His Golden Snuff-Box

Once upon a time, there lived an old man and an old woman. 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 were some more in the world besides his own father and mother because he had lots of books, and he read them every day. And when he read about pretty young women, he wanted to see some of them. 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. 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 says 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?”

And he said, “I see nothing at all here but great trees around me. If I stay here, maybe I shall go mad before I see anything.”

“Well,” says his father, “I’m sorry to see you going away, but if you decided 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. 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 came to it. He 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 maidservant called him in to the fire and gave him plenty to eat, good meat and bread and beer. While 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. 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.

“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 big ships sailing before my mansion. And one of the largest ships 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. He said his prayers quietly and slept till it was near eight o’clock. He had hardly any time to think what he was to do when suddenly 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.

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 the biggest ships in the world before this mansion. And one of the largest ships must fire a royal salute, and the last round must break one of the legs of the bed where this young lady is sleeping.”

“All right,” said the little men, “go to sleep.”

It struck eight o’clock when Jack jumped out of bed to look through the window. He saw the biggest ships in the world! It was a wonderful sight for him to see, after being so long with his father and mother living in a wood. Bang! Bang! he heard the largest ships fire a royal salute. The last round broke one of the legs of the bed where the young lady was sleeping.

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

“All right,” said Jack, and away he went to his bed. He said his prayers quietly and slept till it was near eight o’clock. 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.

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 to fall all the great trees for miles around.”

“All right,” said the little men, “go to sleep.”

It struck eight o’clock when Jack jumped out of bed to look through the window. He saw that everything 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, and away he went to his bed. He said his prayers quietly, and slept till it was near eight o’clock again. 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.

When he opened it, out there hopped three little red men and asked Jack, “What is your will with us?” “Well,” said Jack, “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 the little men; “go to sleep.”

It struck eight o’clock when Jack jumped out of bed to look through the window. He saw the great castle standing on twelve golden pillars. And there came regiments of soldiers and went through their drill. At eight o’clock, the commanding officer said, ‘Shoulder up!’ So Jack had the young daughter in marriage.

But, oh dear! Bad things happen.

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 servant, when putting Jack’s clothes by, after changing them to go hunting, put his hand in one of Jack’s waistcoat-pockets and pulled out the little golden snuff-box.

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 servant 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 who did not see it before. Jack’s father-in-law is threatening poor silly Jack to take his beautiful young wife from him. But the gentleman at last made an agreement with him: Jack would have twelve months 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 forests. 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, which did try to stop Jack from going in. He asked the little mouse, “Where does the King live? I want to see him.”

The little mouse sent another mouse with Jack to show him the place. When the King saw Jack, he began to question 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 twelve months 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. 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, nobody had seen it.”

The old King said to him that he had a brother, “My brother is the King of all the frogs. And if you go there, maybe he knows 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.” And then the King and Jack shook hands together.

And when Jack was going through the gates, the little mouse told him, “I will go with you; maybe I shall do some good to you some time.” “Jump up, then.” And the little mouse ran up the horse’s leg, and Jack put the mouse in his pocket.

Now Jack continued his way. At last, he found the place, and there was one of the frogs on sentry, and gun upon his shoulder. 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 collected all the frogs in the world. And he asked them if they knew anything of a castle that stood upon twelve golden pillars. All the frogs made a curious sound, Kro-kro, kro-kro, and said no.

The old King said to him that he had a brother, “My brother is the King of all the birds in the world of all the frogs. And if you go there, maybe he knows 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.” And then the King and Jack shook hands together.

And when Jack was going through the gates, the little frog told him, “I will go with you; maybe I shall do some good to you some time.” “Jump up, then.” And the little frog ran up the horse’s leg, and Jack put the frog in his pocket.

Jack came to the King of all the birds of the air, and as Jack was going through the gates, 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 will know in the morning from my birds whether they know anything or not.”

Jack put up his horse in the stable, ate something, and then went to bed. 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 birds that were in all the world. And the King asked them, “Did you see the fine castle?” and all the birds answered no.

“Well,” said the King, “where is the great bird?” The King asked the great bird, the eagle, “Did you 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.”

The eagle began his journey over the seas and carried 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. The party went back again and left the castle behind.

As they were all of them (Jack, mouse, frog, and eagle) passing over the great sea, the little box slipped down into the water. “Well, well,” said the frog, “Let me go down in the water.” And they let him go, and he was down for three days and three nights. Finally, the frog brings the little box.

Jack opened the little box and told the little men to go back and to bring the castle here to them.

Three little men brought the castle back. It was the last day for Jack to return the castle! His wife met him with a young son, and they made a great feast. Everybody was happy, and Jack did not lose his golden snuff-box anymore.