On Friday, Lazy Jack again went out, and hired himself to a baker, who
would give him nothing for his work but a large tom-cat. Jack took the
cat, and began carrying it very carefully in his hands, but in a short
time pussy scratched him so much that he was compelled to let it go.
When he got home, his mother said to him, “You silly fellow, you should
have tied it with a string, and dragged it along after you.” “I'll do so
another time,” said Jack.
So on Saturday, Jack hired himself to a butcher, who rewarded him by the
handsome present of a shoulder of mutton. Jack took the mutton, 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 this
time quite out of patience with him, for the next day was Sunday,
and she was obliged to make do with cabbage for her dinner. “You
ninney-hammer,” said she to her son; “you should have carried it on your
shoulder.” “I'll do so another time,” replied Jack.
On the next Monday, Lazy Jack went once more, and hired himself to a
cattle-keeper, who gave him a donkey for his trouble. Jack found it hard
to hoist the donkey on his shoulders, but at last he did it, and began
walking slowly home with his prize. Now it happened that in the
course of his journey there lived a rich man with his only daughter,
a beautiful girl, but deaf and dumb. Now she had never laughed in her
life, and the doctors said she would never speak till somebody made her
laugh. This young lady happened to be looking out of the window when
Jack was passing with the donkey on his shoulders, with the legs
sticking up in the air, and the sight was so comical and strange that
she burst out into a great fit of laughter, and immediately recovered
her speech and hearing. Her father was overjoyed, and fulfilled
his promise by marrying her to Lazy Jack, who was thus made a rich
gentleman. They lived in a large house, and Jack's mother lived with
them in great happiness until she died.
JOHNNY-CAKE
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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