By this time Jack dressed himself, and said his prayers, and came down
laughing; for 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; and, to
make my long story short, it 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; when the third and last morning came
the third great feat was finished, and he had the young daughter in
marriage. But, oh dear! there is worse to come yet.
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 valet, when putting Jack's clothes by,
after changing them to go a hunting, put his hand in one of Jack's
waistcoat-pockets, and pulled out the little golden snuffbox, as poor
Jack left behind in a mistake. And 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 valet 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 as did not see it before. That poor silly Jack is threatened
by taking his beautiful young wife from him, for taking them in in the
way he did. But the gentleman at last made an agreement with him, and he
is to have a twelvemonths and a day to look for it; and off he goes with
a good horse and money in his pocket.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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