In which today's story is all about the rewards of laziness

Lazy Jack (England)

”Once there was a princess who never laughed.  In all her life, she never giggled, grinned or guffawed.  She scarcely even smiled…until the day she met Lazy Jack.

 

Once upon a time there was a boy whose name was Jack, and he lived with his mother. They were very poor, and his mother could not get Jack to do work, until at last she told him that if he did not begin to work for his porridge she would turn him out into the snow. 

 

This roused Jack, and he went out and hired himself for the next day to a merchant and was paid with a fine shiny coin.  But, never having had any money before, he dropped it in passing over a stream. 

 

“Oh, Jack,” said his mother, “you should have put it in your pocket." 

 

“Oh, okay,” said Jack.  “Next time, I will.”

 

The next day, Jack went out again and hired himself to a dairyman, who gave him a jar of milk for his day’s work. Remembering his mother’s advice, Jack carefully poured the milk into the pocket of his jacket, spilling it all, long before he got home. 

 

“Oh, Jack,” said his mother, “you should have carried it on your head.” 

 

“Oh, okay,” said Jack.  “Next time, I will.”

 

The next day, Jack hired himself again to a farmer, who paid him with a great wheel of cheese.  Remembering his mother’s advice, Jack put the cheese up on his head and carried it home. But the day was sunny and hot, and by the time he got home the cheese was all runny and ruined. 

 

“Oh, Jack,” said his mother, “you should have carried it very carefully in your hands.” 

 

“Oh, okay,” said Jack.  “Next time, I will.”

 

The next day, Jack hired himself to a baker, who paid for his work with a large tom-cat. Remembering his mother’s advice, Jack carried the cat very carefully in his hands, but in a short time the kitty scratched him so much that he was compelled to let it go. 

 

When he got home, his mother said to him, “Oh, Jack, you should have tied it with a string, and dragged it along after you." 

 

“Oh, okay,” said Jack.  “Next time, I will.”

 

The next day, Jack hired himself to a butcher, who paid him with a fine ham. Remembering his mother’s advice, Jack took the ham, tied it to a string, and trailed it along after him in the dirt, so that by the time he had got home the meat was completely spoilt. 

 

His mother was quite out of patience with him.  “Oh, Jack,” said she to her son “you should have carried it home on your shoulder.” 

 

“Oh, okay,” said Jack.  “Next time, I will.”

 

The next day, Jack worked all day again, and this time his employer gave him a donkey for his trouble. 

 

Remembering his mother’s advice, Jack hoisted the donkey up onto his shoulders.  It wasn’t easy, for the animal kicked and brayed and carried on making a terrible racket.  But Jack was proud to do what his mother had said, and staggered along the road towards home with his payment. 

 

Now it happened that, on the way home, Jack walked right under the window of the princess who never laughed.  

 

Remember the princess?  This young lady happened to be looking out of the window when Jack was walking by with the donkey on his shoulders, and the donkey’s legs sticking up in the air, and the sight was so comical and strange that she burst out into a great fit of laughter. 

 

Her father the king was overjoyed, and rewarded Jack by letting him marry the princess. 

 

The princess was happy to have such a funny husband.  

 

Jack’s mother was happy, because she got to live in a castle.  

 

But the happiest of all was Jack, because he never had to work another day of his life.