Clever Jack

 

An English Folktale told by a 16 year old boy from Wisbeach, a ward of a London workhouse 

You see, mates, once upon a time, there was a young man named Jack. He ran away and took up with a den of thieves. He snuck into a gentleman's home and robbed the house of a lot of money. The next day, a reward was posted for the robber, but nobody found him. So the gentleman placed a horse out in the field with two men. Then posted a notice that whoever was clever enough to catch the horse would be rewarded. 

This here Jack was watching and saw the two men hiding. So he went and caught two live hares. Hiding behind a hedge, Jack let a hare run out into the field. When the men ran after the hare, Jack released the second, and the men split up chasing them in different directions. Jack stole the horse and took it to the man for his reward. The gentleman said he'd give Jack another 100 if he would get the parson. 

Jack went to the church lighting the lamps and ringing the bells. When the parson went to check, Jack was standing in the pews claiming to be an angel here to take him up to heaven. The parson collected his riches in a bag. The parson climbed in another bag. Jack tied both to his horse and rode to fetch the gentleman, who horsewhipped the parson. And Jack got all the parson's money as well as the extra 100, and he gave it all to the poor. And the parson charged the gentleman for horsewhipping and they were both ruined. That's the end of it. 

With love, 

Autumn Rose Surratt 

The Ancestor Witch 

Source 

• "The Watkins Book of English Folktales", Watkins (2022), by Neil Philip, pages 17-19.