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Show At - , . f r I ' BY SEUMAS MACMANUS. ' BY SEUMAS MacMANCS. Author of "In Chimney Corners" (Copyright, 1900, by Seumas MacManus.) Once on a time there was a king and queen in Ireland and they had one son named Jack, and when Jack grew up to be a man big, he rose up one day j and said to his father and mother he i would go off and push his fortune, j ' All his father and mother could say ) 10 Jack' tn-y could not keep him from going. He was bound in going, so with j a staff in his hand and his father and mother's blessing on his head, off hni1 h and struS&led to get it away, but he could not get it hJ'lhV. for poor Jack. "and by th!S and by that," says he, "the giant will be back and find me stuck ntt' s he fcoopa out his knife and a .off h,s Anger and left it there And when, the giant came home that night, says he to Jack. "Well Jack what sort of a day had you had this day. and how did you get along'" 'I had a fine day," says Jack, "and got along very fine indeed." ... "Jack," says he, "show me your two hands," and when Jack held out his two hands there the giant saw one of face with rage when he saw this, and he said. "Jack, did I not warn you on i THE GATES WERE CLOSED, BUT HE PUT THE IiIAEE AT THE WALLS, WHICH ABE NINE MILES HIGH. f ( Jack started, and he traveled away far. further than I could tell you, and I twice as far as you can tell me. f At length, one day coming up to a big wood, he met a gray-haired old t man. The old man asked him, "Jack, I where are you going?" "He says: "1 am going to push my j fortune." "Well," says the old man, says he, i "if 'tis looking for service you are, there is a Giant who lives at the other ! side of that wood that they call the Giant of the Hundred Hills, and they i believe he wants a fine, strong, able, clever young fellow like you." "Very well," says Jack, "I will push j on to him." ' Push on Jack did away to the wood, until he got to the other side, and then he saw a big castle, and going up h j knocked at the door and a big giant I c&yie out. "Welcome, Jack," says he, "the king of Ireland's son! Where are you going anl what do you want?" "I come," says Jack, "to pu6h my fortune, and am looking for honest service. I hare been told," he said to the Giant of the Hundred Hills, "that you wanted a clean, clever boy like rne." "Well, yays the giant, "I am the Giaxit of the Hundred Hills and do "ant such a fellow like you. I have to Sl( away every day," he said, "to bat tle with another giant to the other end of the world, and when I am away I v.'ant somebody to look after my house and place. If you would be of good faithful oervice to me, and do every-5 every-5 thing I tell you, I will give you a bag : tf rHd at the end of the time." Jack promised that he would do all - that. The giant then gave him a hearty supper and a good bed, and well he slept that night. In the morning the giant had him called up before the first lark was in the sky. !'Jck. my brave boy, says he, 1 have got to be off to the other end of the world today to fight the Giant of the Four Winds, and it is time you are vj and looking after your business. Vou have got to put this house in or-and or-and look after everything in it un-t un-t fill come back tonight. To every room in the house and to every piece in the i house you can go except the stable. My stable door is closed, and on the j peril of your life, don't open it or go ir.to it; keet that In mind." Jack said he certainly would, then th giant vieited the stable and start-fi start-fi rTt. and as soon as he was gone. Jack went fixing and arranging it and siting everything in order. And a '' r-nderful house it was to Jack, so bis nd so great; and after that he went ' to the eaetle yard and into every house eG building there, except the stable, end when he had visited all the rest! of them, he stood before the stable door fcnd looked at it a long time. "And I '. "r'nder," says Jack, says he, "I wonder won-der what can be in there, and what is the reason he wants me in the peril of ny lift? nt to go 4nto it. I would like ' ' go and peep in, and there certainly Wi.uld be no harm." Everv door in and about the giant s Maoe was opened by a little ring turned in the pivot in the middle of the door. Forwarding the 6table door Jack then Hteps, turns the little ring and th floor then flew open, and inside, what does Jack see but a mare and a bear stand- by the manger, and neither of th-m eating. There was hay before the bear and meat before the mare. ; "Well," says Jack, "It is no wonder, j.oor creatures, you are not catin That was a nice blunder of the giant, and he stepped and changed t.hei food, j utting hay before the mare and meat before the bear, and at once both of !? them fell to it. and Jack wnt out and lfHed the stable door, but as he did 5 kl finger stuck in the ring and he l " i . . ' , A ' i " the peril of your life not to go in that stable?" Poor Jack pleaded all he could, and said he did not mean to, but the curiosity curi-osity got the best of him, . and he thought he would open the door and peep in it. Says the giant, "No man before ever opened that stable door and lived to tell it, and you, too, would be a dead man this minute only 'for one thine. Tour father's father did my father a great service once. I am the man who never forgets a good thing, and for that service," says he, "I give you your life and pardon you this time, but if irou ever do the like again, you won't live." Jaek he promised that surely and surely he would never do the like again. His supper he brought that night, and to bed. and on early morning again the giant had him up, and, "Jack," says he, "I must be off to the other end of tfie world again and fight the Giant of the Four Winds. Do you now your duty to look after this house and place and set everything in order about it, and go everywhere you like, only don't open the stable door, or go into it on the peril of your life." "I wiH mind all that," says he. Then that morning again the giant visited the stable before he went away, and after the giant had gone, and to his work went Jack, wandering through the house, cleaning and setting everything every-thing in order about it, and out into the yard he went and fixed and arranged everything out there, except the stable. He stood before the stable door a good while this day, and says he to himself, "I wonder how the mare and the bear are doing, and what the giant done when he went in to see them, I would do a great deal to know," says he. "I will take a pee? in." Into the ring of the door he put his finger, and turned it and looked In and there he saw the mare and the bear standing like the day before, and neither neith-er of them eating. In Jack steps, "and no wonder, poor creatures," sayS he, "you don't eat, and that is the way the giant blundered," he says, after he saw the meat before the mare and the hay before the bear this time also. Jack then changed the food, putting the hay before the mare nd the meat before the bear, as it should be, and very soon both the' mare and the bear were eating heartily, and then Jack went out. He closed the door and when he did his finger stuck In the door, and pull and struggle as Jack did he could not set it out. "Och, och, och," says Jack, says he, "I am a dead man today surely." He hoops out his knife and cuts off his finger and left it there, and 'twas there when the giant came home that nl'rht. "Well, Jack, my fine boy." says he, "how have you got on today?" "Oh, finely, finely." says Jack, says he, holding his hands behind his back all' the same. "Show me your hands. Jack, says the giant, "till I see if you wash them and keep them clean always," and when Jack showed up his hands the giant got black in the face with rage, and says he "didn't I forgive your life yesterday yester-day for going into that stable, and you promised never to do it again, and here I find you there again." The giant ranted and raged for a long time, and then, says he, "Because vour father's father did my father such a good turn. I suppose I will have to spare your life this second time: but Jack" says he, "if you should live to be a hundred years, and spend them all in my service, and if you should ever again open that door, and put your foot into my stable, that day," says he, you will be a dead man as sure as there is a head on you. Mind that." Jack! he thanked the giant very much for sparing his life, and promised that he never, never would again do that or disobey him. The next morning the giant had Jack up early, and told him he was going off j this day and fight the giants of the other end of the world, and gave Jack his directions and warned him just like the other das; then he went into the stable before he went away, and when he, was gone Jack went throuerh all the house, through the whole yard, setting set-ting everything in order, and when evervhing was done, he stood before the stable door. "I wonder," says Jack, "how the poor mare and the bear are getting along, or what the Giant of the Hundred Hills is doing today. I should just very much like," says he, "to take one wee, wee peep in," and opened the door. Jack peeped in. and there the mare and the bear stood loking at each other again, and neither of them taking a morsel. And there was the meat before the mare and the hay before the bear, just like on the other days. "Poor creatures," says Jack, "it is no wonder you are not eating, and hungry and hungry you must be." And forward he steps and changes the food, putting it as it should be, the hay before the mare and meat before the bear, and to it both of them fell. And when he did this, up speaks the mare, and "Poor Jack," says she, "I am sorry for you. This night you will be killed surely, and sorry for us, too, I am, for we will be killed as well as you." "O, O, O," pays Jack, says he, "that is terrible. Is there nothing we can do?" "Only one thing," says the mare. "Whait is that?" says Jack. "It's this," says the mare; "put that saddle ind bridle on me and let's start off and be away, far, far from this country, until the Giant comes back," and the saddle the bridle Jack had on the mare, and on her back he got to start or?. "O," says the bear, speaking up, "both of you are going away to leave me in for all the trouble." "No," cays the mare, "we will not do that." "Jack," says he, "take the chains and tie me to the bear." Jack tied the mare to the bear with chains that were hanging up, and then the mare started. And then after the three of them, the mare and the bear and Jack, started, and on and on before be-fore them as fast as they'could gallop. After a 'long time, says the mare: "Jack, look behind you and see what you will see." Jack looked behind him. and "O," says he, "I see the Giant of the Hundred Hun-dred Hills coming like a raging storm. Very soon he will be on us and we will all three be murdered." Says the mare, says he, "We will have a chance yet. Look in my left ear and see what you will see," and in her left ear Jack looked and saw a little chestnut. "Throw it over your left shoulder," says the mare. Jack threw it over his left shoulder, and that minute there was a chestnut wood ten miles. On and on they went that day and that night, and the middle mid-dle of the next day. "Jack," says she, "look behind you and see what you can see." Jack looked behind him, and '"O," says he, "I see the Giant of the Hundred Hun-dred Hills coming tearing after us like a harvest hurricane." "Do you see anything strange about him, Jack?" says the mare. "Yes," says Jack, says he, "there is as much bushes on the top of his head and as much fowl stuck about his feet and legs as will keep him In flesh for years to come. We are done for this time entirely," says poor Jack. "Not yet," says the mare; "there is another chance. Look into my right ear and see what you will see." In the mare's right ear Jack looked and found a drop of water. "Throw it over your left shoulder. Jack." says the mare, "and see what I will happen." Over his left shoulder Jack threw it, and all at once a lough sprang up between be-tween them and the Giant that was 100 miles every way and 100 miles deep the other place. "Now," says the mare, "he cannot reach us until the drinks his way through the lough, and very likely he will drink until he bursts, and then we will be rid of him altogether." Jack thanked God and on he went. It was not long now until he reached the borders of Scotland, and coming in there he saw a great wood. "Now," says the mare and the bear. this wood must be our hiding place." "And what about me?" says Jack. "For you, Jack," says she, "you must push cn and look for employment. The castle of the King of Scotland is near by. and I think you will be likely to get employment there, but first I must change you into an ugly little hookedy-crookedly hookedy-crookedly fellow, because the King of Scotland has three beautiful daughters, and he won't take into his service such a handsome fellow like you, for fear his daughters would fall in love with you." Then the mare put her nostrils to Jack's breast and blev his breath out of him, and. at last Jack was turned into an ugly little hookedy-crookedy fellow. "Jack." says the mare, "before you go, look into my left ear and take what you see there. Out of the mare's left ear Jack took a little cap. , "Jack," says she, "that is a wishing cap, and every time you put it on and wish to have anything done, it will be done, Whenever you are in any 1 "5 - The Horse Blew His Breath out of Him and Jack Was Turned Into an Ugly little Hookedy-crookedy j Fellow. j i trouble," the mare said, "come back to me and I will do what I can for you, and now, good-bye-" So Jack said good-bye to the mare and to the bear and set off. When he got out of the wood he soon saw a castle and walked up to it, and went in by the kitchen. A servant was employed scouring knives. He told her he wanted employment. She said the King of Scotland would employ no man in his house, so he may as well push on. But Jack insisted that he would employ him, and at length the girl consented to go and lei the king know. When the girl went away Jack put on his wishing cap and wished the knives and forks scoured, and all at once the stack of knives and forks that were piled ten feet high was scoured as brightly as new pins, and though the King of Scotland did not want to employ em-ploy him, when he found how quickly Jack had scoured all the big stack of knives and forks, he agreed to keep him. But first he brought down -his" three daughters to see Jack,' untit he would find what impression Jack made upon them. When they came into the kitchen and saw the ugly little fellow every one of the three fainted and had to be carried .Out. "It is all right," says the king, "we will surely keep you," and Jack r.'ks employed and sent out into the garden to work there. Now at this time the King of the East declared' war on the King of Scotland. Scot-land. The King of the East had a mighty army entirely, and he threatened threat-ened to fight the King of Scotland off the face of the earth. The King of Scotland was very much troubled, and he consulted with his grand adviser what was best to be done, and his grand adviser counseled that he should at once give his three daughters in marriage to the king's three sons, and in that way get big help for the war. The king said this was a grand .idea. So he sent out messengers to all parts of the world to say that his three Hookedy-crookedy Put His Head in Her Lap and She Combed Out a Bushel of Gold and Silver. beautiful daughters were open for marriage. mar-riage. In a very short time the son of the King of Spain, came and married the eldest daughter and the son of the King of France came and married the second, and a whole lot of princes came looking for the youngest, who was the most beautiful of the three, and whose name was Yellow Rose, but she would not take one of them, and for this the king ordered her never to come into his sight nor into company again. Yellow Rose got very downhearted and used almost all her time now in wandering in the garden where Hook-edy-Crookedy was looking after the flowers, and she wed to come around again and again, chatting with Hook-edy-Crookedy. And so it was not long until HOokedy-Croofeedy saw that the Yellow Rose was in love with him, and he got just as deeply in love with her, for she was a beautiful and charming girl. The next thing the grand adviser ad-viser counseled the king was that he should send his two new sons-in-law, the Prince of Spain and the Prince of j France, to the Well of the World's End for bottles of Ioca to take in the battle bat-tle with them that they might cure wounded and dead men. So the king ordered his sons-in-law to go to the WI1 of the .World's End and bring him back two bottles of Ioca. The Yellow' Rose told Hookedy-Crookedy Hookedy-Crookedy all about, this, and when he had turned it over in his mind he said to himself, "I will go and have a chat with the mare and bear about this." So off to the woods he went, and right e-lad the mare and the bear were to see him. He told -them all that happened, and then told them how the king's two sons-in-law were to start to the Well of the World's End the next day, and asked the mare's advice about this. "Well. Jack," says'the rpare, "I want you to go with them'. Take an old hunt horse in the king's Stable, an old bony, skinny animal that" is past all work, and put an old, strong saddle on it, and dress yourself in the most ragged dress you can get, and join the two men on the roads, and say ihat you are going with them. They will be heartily ashamed of you. Jack, and the figure of yours and the old horse you get, and they will do everything to get rid of you. When you come to the crossroads cross-roads one of them will propose to go in and have a drink, and then when you are chatting over your drink they will propose that the three of you separate and every one. of you take a road by yourself to go to the Well of the World's End, and all three will meet at that crossroads again, and whoever is back first with the bottle of water is to be the greatest hero of them all. You aree to this. When they start off their roads they will not go many miles till they fill their bottles from Spar-wells Spar-wells by the roadside and hurry back to the meeting place, and then to continue con-tinue on home to the kintr of Scotland and glva him these bottles as bottles of Ioca from the Wells of the World's End. "But you will be before them, and' after you have set on your road put on your wishing cap when you have gone around the first bend and wish for two bottles of Ioca from the Wells of the World's End, and at once you will have them," and then the mare directed Jack fully all that he was to do after. Jack thanked the mare and bade good-bye to the mare and went away. The next day when the king's two sons-in-law set out on their grand steeds to go to the Wells of the World's End, they had not gone far when Jack, in a ragged old suit and sitting on a strong saddle on an old white skinny horse, joined them and told them he, too, was going with them for a bottle of Ioca. Right heartily ashamed of Jack, they would do anything to get rid of him. By and by when they came to where the road parted in three they proposed to have a drink, and as they set off to drink they proposed' that each take a road for himself, and whoever wa.i to be back first with a bottle of Ioca would be the greatest hero. They aexeed. and each chose his own road and set out. When Jack went around the first bend he nut on his wishing cap and wished for two bottles of Ioca from the Wells of the World's End. and no sooner soon-er had he wished than he had, them, and back again he came, and was not very long, and when the other two came riding up, surprised they were to find Jack there before them. They said that Jack had not been to the Wells of the World's End, and it was no Ioca he had with him, but some water from the roadside. "No." said Jack, "take care that is not your own story." "All right," said Jack, "just test them: when the servant comes in with the drinks you cut off his head and then cure him with your bottle." But both of them refused to do this, for they knew their bottles could not cure anything, but they defied Jack to do it. "Very soon I will do that," said Jack. So when the servant came in with his drinks Jack drew his sword and dropped his head off him, and in a minute's time with two drops from one of his bottles of Ioca he had the head on again. Says they to Hookedy-Crookedy, "What will you take for your two bot-" ties?" Savs Jack: "I will take the golden balls of-your marriage pledge, and also to allow me to write something on your backs." - ' And they agreed to this. They handed over to Jack the two golden balls that were their marriage tokens, and, lying down on the floor, they let Jack write on their bare backs, and what Jack wrote on each of them was, "This Is an unlawful married man." Then he gave them the bottles of Ioca and they brought them to the king, and Jack Returned Re-turned to his garden again. -1 He did not tell the Yellow Rose where he had been and what he was doing, only said he was away on a message for her father. As soon as the king got the bottles of Ioca he gave orders that his army should -move to battle the next day. "The next morning early Jack was over to the wood to consult the mare. He told her what was going to happen that day. Says the mare: "Look in my left ear,- Jack, and see what you Will se." Jack looked into the mare's left ear and took out of it a grand soldier's dress. The mare told him to put it on and get upon her back. On he put the dress and at once Hookedy-Crookedy was transformed into a very handsome clever looking fellow, and word was passed on to the king about the great prince who was riding to the war, himself, the mare and the bear. The king came to see him, too, and they asked him on which side he was going to fiht. "I will strike no stroke this day," says Jack, "except on the side of the King of Scotland. The king thanked him very heartily and said he was sure they would win so. They went into the battle with Jack at their head, and Jack stroke east and west, and in all directions, and every blow of his sword he stroke, the wind of his stroke tossed houses on the other side of the world, and in a very short time the King of the East ran off with all his army that were still left alive. Then the King of Scotland awaited Jack to come home with him, as he was going to give a great feast in his honor, but Jack said no, he could not go. "They don't know at home," said Jack, "where I am. at all," and neither they did, "so he must be off to them as quickly as possible." . "Then," says the king, "the least I can do is to give you a present. Here is a table cloth," says he, "and every time you spread it out you will have it covered with all eating and drinking of all sorts." Jack took it and thanked him 'and rode away. He left the mare and the bear .in their own wood and became Hookedy-Crookedy again and ran back to his garden. The Yellow Rose told Jack of the brave soldier that had won her father's battle that day. "Well, well," says Jack, says he, "he must have been a grand fellow entirely. entire-ly. It is a pity I was not there, but I had to go on a message for the king." "Poor Hookedy-Crookedy," says she, "what would you do if you were there yourself?" Jack went to the wood again that morning and consulted with the mare. "Jack," said the mare, "look in the inside of my left ear and see what you will see," and Jack tpok out bfher left ear a soldier's suit, done off with sil ver, the grandest ever seen, and at the mare's advice he put the suit on and mounted on her back and the three of them went off to the battle. Every one was admiring the beautiful, dashing fellow that was riding to the battle this day, and word come to the king, and the king came to speak to him and welcomed him heartily. He said: "Your brother came with us the last day we went in the battle. Your brother is a very handsome, fine-looking fine-looking fellow. What side are you going go-ing to fight on?" Says Jack: "I will strike no stroke on any side but yours this day." The king thanked him very heartily, and into the battle they went with Jack at their head, and Jack stroke east and west, and in all directions, and the wind of the strokes blew off forests in the other end of the world, and very soon the King of the East with all his army that were still alive ran off from the battle. Then the king thanked Jack and invited in-vited him to his castle and he would give a feast in his honor, but Jack said he could not do that, for they did not know at home where he was and they would be uneasy about him until he reached back home again. "Than," said the king, "the least I can do for you is to give you a present. Here is a purse, and no matter how often and how much you pay out of it, it will never be empty." Jack took it and thanked him and rode away. In the wood he left the mare and the bear and was again changed into Hookedy-Crookedy and went home to his garden. The Yellow Rose came out and told him about the great victory a brave and beautiful soldier, brother to the fine fellow of the day before, had won for her father. "Well, well," says Jack, says he, "that was very wonderful entirely. I am sorry I was not there, but I had to be away on a message for your father." "But my poor Hookedy-Crookedy," says she, "it was better so, for what could you do?" Three days after that the King of the East took courage to come to battle again. The morning of the battle Jack, went to the wood to consult the mare. "Look into my left ear, Jack, and see what you will see," and from the mare's left ear Jack drew out a most gorgeous soldier's suit, done off with gold braidings and ornaments of every sort. By the mare's advise he put it on, and himself, the mare and the bear went off to the war. The king soon heard of the wonderful grand fellow that was riding to the war today with the mare and the bear, and he came to Jack and welcomed him and told him how his two brothers had won the last two victories for him. He asked Jack on what side he was going to fight. t "I will strike no stroke this dav," says Jack, "only on the king of Scotland's Scot-land's side." The king thanked him heartily, and said we will surely win the victory, and then into the battle they rode with Jack at their head, and Jack stroke east and west, and in all directions, and the wind of the strokes tumbled mountains at the other end of the world, and very soon the King of the East with all his army that were left alive took to their heels and never stopped running until they went as far as the world would let them. Then the king came, to Jack and thanked him over and over aeain, and said he would never be able to rep?.v him. He then awaited him to come to his castle and he would give a little feast in his honor, but Jack said they didn't know at home where he was and they would be uneasy about him, and so could not go with the king. "But," says he, "I and my brothers will come to feast with you at any other oth-er time." "What day will the three of vou come?" said the king. "Only one of us can leave home by the day." said Jack. "I will come to feast with you tomorrow and my second sec-ond brother the day after, and the third brother the day after that." The king agreed to this and thanked him. "And how?" said the king; "let me give you a present," and he gave him a comb, and every time he combed his hair with it he would comb out of it bushels of gold and silver, and it would transform the ugliest man that ever was to even the nicest and handsomest. Jack took it and thanked the king and rode away. On this day, as on the other two days after the battle, they cured the dead and the wounded with the bottles of Ioca and all were well again. When Jack went to the wood he i?ft the mare and the bear in it and became Hookedy-Crookedy again, and went home and to his garden. The Yellow Rose came to him and had wonderful news for him this day over the terrible grand fellow entirely. He had won the battle bat-tle for her father that, day: brother to the two brave fellows who had won the battles on the. other two days. "Well," says Jack, says he, "those must be wonderful chaps. I wish I had been there, but I had to be away on a message for your father all day." "C, my poor Hookedy-Crookedy," says she, "it was better so, for what could you do yourself?" The next day when it was near dinner time he went off' to the wood to the mare and the bear and got on him the suit he wore the day before in the battle and mounted the mare and rede for the castle, cas-tle, and when he came there all the gates haDDened to be closed, but he put the mare at the walls, which are nine miles hish. The King scolded the gate keepers, but Jack said a trlflle like that didn't harm him nor his mare. After dinner the King asked him what he thought of his two daughters and husbands. Jack said they were very good, and ask- ed him If they had anv more in his fam- ily. I The Kins said they used to have an- other daughter, the youngest, but he would not consent to marry as he wished, and that he had banished her out of his sight. Juck said that he would like to see ! ner. The King said he would never let her enter comnany again, but he could ii'tt refuse Jack; so the Yellow Rose was sent for. Jack fell ta chatting with her and used all his arts win her and, of course, in this hiimlsoi,- Jack she did not recognize ugly little Hookedy-Crookedy. He toid her he had heard that she had a very bad taste to fall in love with an ugr'y crooked wee fellow in her father's earden. "I urn a handsome tellow, rich prince.' says Jack, "and I will give you n-.yseli and all I possess if you will only say you will accept me." She was highly insulted, and she showed show-ed him that very quickly. She said: "I w-r.'t sit here and hear the man 1 love abused." and she got up to leave. "Well," says Jack, "1 admire your spirit; spir-it; but before you go." says he. "let me make you a little present," and he handed hand-ed her a tablecloth. "There." says he. "if you marry Hookedy-Crookedy, as lon as you have "this tablecloth you will never nev-er want eating and drinking of the best." i The other two sisters grabbed to get the tablecloth from her. but Jack put out his hands anil pushed them back. At dinner time the next day Jack came in in a dress in which he had gone into the second battle, and, with the mare, he cleared the walls, as he had done the day j before. i The King was enraged at the gate keepers keep-ers and began to scold them, but Jack laughed at them and said a tritle like that was never to him and his mare harmful. After dinner was over the Kins asked what he thought of his daughters and their husbands. Jack said they were very good, and asked him if he had any more in his family. fam-ily. The Kine: said: "I have no more except ex-cept one daughter, who won't do as i wish, and who has fallen in love with an ugly crooked wee fellow in my garden, and I ordered her never to come in my sight again." But Jack said he would very much like to see her. The king said that on Jack's account he would break his vow and let her come in. So the Yellow Rose was brought in and Jack fell to chat with her. He did all he could to make her fall in love with h'ni, and then told her of all his good wealth and good possessions and offered himself to her. and said If she only would marry him she would live with ease and luxury and happiness all the days of her life, things she would never know with Hooked v-Crookedy. But Yellow Rose got very angry, and said: "I won't sit here and listen to such things," and she got up to leave the room. "Well," said Jack, "I admire your spirit, and before you go let me make you a little present." So he handed her a purse. "Here." savs he, "is a purse, and all the days yourself and Hookedy-Crookedy live you will never want for money for that purse will never be empty." He sisters made a grab to snatch it from her, but Jack shoved them back and went out. and Jack rode away with the mare after dinner and left her in the wood. , When he came bnck to his garden he alwavs came in the Hookedy-Crookedy ship and always pretended he had been away on a message for ths king. The third day he went to the wood again. He dressed in the suit in which he had gone to the first battle, and when he came back he went to the castle and cleared the walls, and when the king scolded the gatekeepers Jack told him never to mind, as that was a small trifle to him and his mare. A very grand dinner indeed Jack had this dav, and when they chatted after dinner the king asked him how he liked his daughters and their husbands. He said he liked them very well, and asked him if ha had any more in his family. .. The king said no, except one foolish daughter, who wouldn't do as he wished, and who fell in love with an ugly, crooked, wee fellow in his garden, and sne was never to come within his sight again. Says Jack, "I would like to see that KIThe king said he could not refuse Jack any request he made, so he went for the. Yellow Rose. When she came in Jack fell into chat with her and did his very, very best to make ner ran in iuvb uu him, but it was of no use. He told her of all his wealth and all his good possessions,, and said if he would marry him she would own all that, and all the days she would live she would be- the happiest woman of the wide world, but if she would marry Hookedy-Crookedy, he said, she would never be out of want and hardships, hard-ships, besides having an ugly husband. If the Yellow Rose was in a rage the two days before, she was in a far greater rage now. She said she wouldn t sit there to listen to that. She told Jack that Hookedy-Crookedy was in her eyes a far more handsome and beautiful man than he and any of the King s sons she had ever seen. She said to Jack if he was ten times as handsome and 100 times as wealthy, she wouldn't give Hookedy-Crookedv's Hookedy-Crookedv's little finger for himself or for all his wealth and possessions, and then she got up to leave the room. , "Well," say Jack, says ha 'I admire your spirit Very much, and,' says he, "I would like to make you a little present. pres-ent. Here Is a comb." he said, and it will comb out of one's hair a bushel of gold and a bushel of silver every time they comb with it, and. besides, says he. "it will make handsome the ugliest man that ever was." . When the. other sisters heard this they rushed to snatch the comb from her, but Jack threw them backwards so very roughlv that their husbands sprang out. With the back switch of his two hands Jack knocked their husbands down senseless. sense-less. The king flew into a rage and said. "How dare you do tluvt to tne two finest and bravest men of this world?" "Fine and brave, indeed. said Jack. "One and the other two are worthless-creatures, worthless-creatures, and not even your lawful sons- '""How dare you say that?" says the king. "Strip their backs where they lie and see for yourself." And thero the king saw written "An unlawful married man. "What is the meaning of this? says the king. "They were lawfully married to my two daughters, and they have the golden tokens of tne marriage. Jack drew out from his pocket the two golden balls and handed t'hrm to the king, and said. "It is I who have ithe tokens, and handed them to the king. The Yellow Rose had gone oft to the garden in the middle of all this. Jack made the King sit down and told him all his story and how he came by the golden balls. He told him how he was Hookedy-Crookedv, Hookedy-Crookedv, and that it reflected a great deal of honor that she the King thoueht so -worthless would refuse to give up iiookedv-Crookedy for one she thought a wealthy prince, and that she walked away in a hurry. The King, you may bo sure, was highly delighted to grant his reauest. A couple of drops of Ioca then brought the King's two sons to their senses ajrain, and at Jack's request they we-e ordered to go and live elsewhere. Jack went off. left his mare in the wood and came in the garden as Hookedy-Crookedy. Hookedy-Crookedy. He told the Yellow Rose he had been satherins bilberries. "O " -ays she, "I have something grand for. you. Let me comb your hair with this comb." Hookedv-Crookedy out his head in her lap and she combed out a bushel of gold and silver, and when he stood up again she saw Hookedy-Crookedy no more, but Instead, the beautiful prince that had been tryins to win her in her fathers drawing room for the last three days, and then and there to her Jack told his whole story, and it's Yellow Rose is the delighted de-lighted cirl. . With Httle delay they were married. The wedding lasted a year and a day and t'-o-e were at it 500 fiddlers. 500 fluters and" 1.000 fifers. and the last day was better bet-ter than the first. Shortly after the marriage Jack and his bride were out walking one day. A beautiful beau-tiful young woman crossed the path. Jack addressed her, but she gave him a very curt reply. f "Your manners are not so handsome as your looks," said Jack to her. "4.r.a bad as they are they are better than your memory, Hookedy-Crookedy, says she. "What do you mean? says Jack. She led Jack aside and she told him: I am the mare who was so good to you. I was condemned to that ship for a number of years, and now my enchantment is over I had a brother who was enchanted enchant-ed to a bear, and whose enchantment is now ever also. I had hopes, she said, "that some day you would be my husband, hus-band, "but I see." she said, that you auickly forgot all about me. No matter now " she said. "I couldn't wish you a better and handsomer wife than you have got. Go home to your castle and he happy hap-py and live and Jive i prosperous. I win never see you, and you will Tever see me again for a while." |