Never had Jack seen such a sight before; neither had the gay young
daughter who, of course, was looking out of the next window in her
nightcap. And she looked so pretty and so gay that Jack felt quite cross
when he had to step back to let the three little red men fly to their
golden snuff-box. But they were far crosser than he was, and mumbled and
grumbled at the hustle, so that Jack was quite glad when they shut the
box down and began to snore.
Well, of course, Jack and the gay young daughter were married, and were
as happy as the day is long; and Jack had fine clothes to wear, fine
food to eat, fine servants to wait on him, and as many fine friends as
he liked.
So he was in luck; but he had yet to learn that a mother's malison is
sure to bring misfortune some time or another.
Thus it happened that one day when he was going a-hunting with all the
ladies and gentlemen, Jack forgot to change the golden snuff-box (which
he always carried about with him for fear of accidents) from his
waistcoat pocket to that of his scarlet hunting-coat; so he left it
behind him. And what should happen but that the servant let it fall on
the ground when he was folding up the clothes, and the snuff-box flew
open and out popped the three little red men yawning and stretching.
Well! when they found out that they hadn't really been summoned, and
that there was no fear of death, they were in a towering temper and said
they had a great mind to fly away with the Castle, golden pillars and
all.
On hearing this the servant pricked up his ears.
"Could you do that?" he asked.
"Could we?" they said, and they laughed loud. "Why, we can do anything."
Then the servant said ever so sharp, "Then move me this Castle and all
it contains right away over the sea where the master can't disturb us."
Now the little red men need not really have obeyed the order, but they
were so cross with Jack that hardly had the servant said the words
before the task was done; so when the hunting-party came back, lo and
behold! the Castle, and the church, and the golden pillars had all
disappeared!
At first all the rest set upon Jack for being a knave and a cheat; and,
in particular, his wife's father threatened to have at him for deceiving
the gay young daughter; but at last he agreed to let Jack have twelve
months and a day to find the Castle and bring it back.
So off Jack starts on a good horse with some money in his pocket.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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