Story Hour
Stingy Jack
Written by Gene B. Williams
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Stingy Jack was a farmer, but not much of a farmer. Mostly he liked to drink, play tricks on people, and steal things. One night he met the devil. The devil had come to take Jack’s soul. Jack said he would go after one last drink but didn’t have the money to pay for it. The devil changed himself into a coin to pay for that drink. Jack grabbed the coin and put it into his wallet. In the wallet was a silver cross that Jack had stolen. That made it impossible for the devil to change back from being a coin. Jack made a bargain with the devil. He would turn the devil loose if the devil promised to not take his soul for ten years. The devil had no choice and agreed.
Jack didn’t change his ways. He drank too much, never did any work, played tricks on people and was a thief. Ten years passed. The devil came to get Jack’s soul. Jack said that he would go, but asked if he could have one last apple from a nearby tree. When the devil climbed the tree to get that apple, Jack quickly placed a number of crosses around the trunk. Once again the devil was trapped. They made another bargain. Jack would remove the crosses and let the devil come down if the devil promised to never again come to take Jack’s soul.
In a few more years, Jack died. He went to the gates of heaven. They wouldn’t let him in because he had led an evil life. Desperate, he went to the devil just to have a place to go. He wasn’t allowed in, not even to that terrible place, because of the bargain. “Where will I go? How will I find my way?”
Jack’s favorite food was turnips, which he stole from the village when he could. The devil gave him a glowing ember to put inside a hollowed out turnip. This would be Jack’s lantern to light his way for all eternity. He came to be called Jack of the Lantern. Today we call him Jack o’ Lantern.
So many people carve a pumpkin for Halloween. It’s larger, softer and a whole LOT easier to carve than that older tradition – that of carving a turnip. Turnips, rutabagas and parsnips grow in places around Great Britain (Ireland, England, Wales, Cornwall, Scotland). From this tradition, people would carve turnips. Not many people do this today. Turnips are much smaller than pumpkins, and much harder. When people came to settle in America, pumpkins grew wild. The tradition continued but with the larger and softer pumpkins.
If you decide to carve a turnip, make SURE that a responsible adult is there! The same is true for pumpkins, of course, but more so with a tough turnip. Here are a couple of websites you can visit to learn more about it.
http://www.ehow.com/how_8760443_carve-turnip-halloween.html
http://blog.makezine.com/craft/how-to_carve_a_turnip-o-lanter/
Now on to the REAL story!
NICK-O-WEEN
Art by: Marci Carrara
Halloween is one of Nicker’s favorite holidays. If you remember from last year, Nicker dressed up as Danny, and Danny dressed up as Nicker. It’s one of the few times of the year when a sea dragon can be out in the open and not be noticed. “What a wonderful costume!” is all that most people say.
Sea dragons are very shy, you see. In fact, adults never really see them at all (except for Santa and Captain Kazoo). And sea dragons are so very good at hiding. At Halloween, though, they can dress up. They can put on costumes and be out and still not seen. Not really. When Nicker dressed up as Danny last year, no one knew they were giving out treats to a real, live sea dragon.
Well, for THIS Halloween, Nicker had an even better idea. He wanted Gordie the Tortie to join in the fun. Nicker’s first idea was that he would dress up as a tortoise, and Gordie would dress up as a sea dragon, and Danny would dress up as … as Danny? Naw, that didn’t work. Nicker dressed up as Danny last year and Danny WAS Danny.
He thought again. Gordie could dress up as Danny, and Danny could dress up as Gordie and … then Nicker would be dressed up as Nicker? Nope. It would be fun if YOU dressed up as a sea dragon, but for a sea dragon to pretend to be a sea dragon ….
No matter how he thought it out, it didn’t work.
Danny was Nicker last year, and last year Nicker was Danny. They still had the costumes from last year, but they wanted to be something different this year.
Danny said, “Gordie can go as a sea dragon, and I can go as a tortoise.”
At the same time Nicker said, “Gordie can go as a boy and I can go as a tortoise.”
Then both said to each other, “If you go as a tortoise what will I be?”
Well, let me tell you, Gordie didn’t help much. He told them importantly, “There is only ONE tortoise and that’s ME!”
Danny and Nicker looked at each and smiled. They both got the same idea at the same time. (Did you?)
“I look a little like a tortoise,” said Nicker.
“Not even a little,” said Gordie. “You’re green … like a … TURTLE! Yeuch. And you’re long … like a snake.”
Danny said, “I’m kinda round. Not long at all. I could be a tortoise.”
Gordie rolled his eyes. That’s not easy for a tortoise to do! It’s easy for you, but I bet you’ve never in your life seen a tortoise roll his eyes. He was disgusted with the very thought. He liked at least some humans. At least they weren’t horrible, lower forms of life … like turtles (yeuch!). But, a human pretending to be a tortoise? It was silly. It was ridiculous. What could be more grand, more wonderful, than a tortoise!!!
Just when Gordie was feeling very important inside about being a tortoise, the two boys looked at each other again, smiled again. Then both said at the same time, “Let’s BOTH be tortoises together!”
Well, that was enough for Gordie. In a huff he stomped his way across the yard, past the sign that said, “The Great Gordie Cavern – NO TRESPASSING. ” Next to it was a smaller sign. “This means you, skunks!”
Then he disappeared down the hole. He put on some music to calm down. He listened to songs you might already know, like, “Somehere Over the Tortoise,” “TipToe Around the Tortoise,” “Ring Around the Tortoise,” “All I Want for Christmas is a Tortoise,” and “The Tortoise in the Dell.”
After he calmed down a bit, he looked at himself in his mirror. “I’m not long and skinny like a sea dragon,” he thought. “I am a bit round, though.” That gave him an idea. He got busy.
The two boys went inside Danny’s house and also got busy.
Danny’s tortoise costume was coming along pretty well. Nicker’s was a mess. It’s a bit difficult to cut with scissors when you have no hands. Danny had to cut the ovals from the poster boards. Nicker could draw the plates for the shell, though. (It’s not a good idea for a human boy or girl, but Nicker could hold the marker in his mouth.) They used brown poster board for the back, and a cream color poster board for the Danny’s front. (Nicker didn’t need a front – he already plates on his chest and tummy.)
When they were done, they dressed up. They were proud that they actually did look a little like Gordie.
They went out to Gordie’s Cavern to show him. Oh, what fun it would be! Of course, Gordie would be the best tortoise, but now there would be three of them. What could Gordie do? Put colors on his shell? He’d still be a tortoise. He might put on a hat. He’d still be a tortoise.
By the time they got to the cavern, they were feeling a little sorry for Gordie. What COULD he do for a costume? This was Gordie’s first Halloween to go trick-r-treat. It should be special for him. Suddenly, the two boys dressing up as tortoises to tease Gordie didn’t seem so funny.
They paused a moment. Shyly, they leaned over the opening to the cavern and said, “Gordie, come see our costumes.”
After a moment of silence there was a shuffling sound from deep inside the cave. Soon, something large and orange appeared at the opening. Danny and Nicker looked at each other in wonder. It was a pumpkin. A big one! It came out farther and farther, pushed from behind, until it was all the way out. Danny’s eyes went wide, and Nicker’s eyes went wider. It wasn’t just any pumpkin, it was a jack o’ lantern! A beautiful jack o’ lantern.
“How …?” asked Danny.
“Where …?” asked Nicker.
From behind, pushing the jack o’ lantern, was another pumpkin – only this one had powerful clawed feet. And a pumpkin stem on his head. And marks around his eyes to match those of the jack o’ lantern.
“How …?” asked Danny again.
“Where …?” asked Nicker again.
Gordie looked at the two and smiled. At least he tried to smile. Smiling for a tortoise is even more difficult than rolling the eyes – and he’d already tried that (remember?). Gordie said, “You thought you’d come as two tortoises, so I decided to come as two pumpkins.”
Don’t ask me how Gordie could carve a pumpkin, or dress up as a pumpkin. There it was, and there he was. Two “tortoises” and ONE “pumpkin” went out. ONE pumpkin stayed home because it was too big and real pumpkins don’t walk very well.
Oh, my, they had fun! Back home they looked into their bags to see what all they got.
“Candy,” said Gordie grumpily. “Candy and more candy. Doesn’t anyone give out cucumbers or squash for Halloween? And not even one banana. Some holiday.”
Nicker offered to trade an apple he got for a bag of peanuts Gordie got.
As Gordie went back into his Cavern, he looked back and smiled (as best he could). “Thank you Danny. Thank you Nicker.” He crawled in a ways, stopped and turned again. “Tomorrow I’ll eat the pumpkin.”
Hey, kids!
You can enlarge and download these to print for coloring. Don’t be afraid to be creative. Then send your coloring to Nicker. While you’re at it, we’d love to see how you, family and friends dressed up for Halloween. Take some pictures and send them to:
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Hey, kids!
Nicker Stories Don’t forget to become a member of Nicker’s Newsletter |
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CALLING ALL TORTOISES
What will you be this Halloween? As you read in the story, Danny and Nicker decided to both be tortoises. Maybe you can be, too. It’s not difficult. The costume can be as simple, or as complicated, as you want. One easy way is to use poster board, some string and a marker. (Remember that most tortoises are brown on the back, not green. And they are more of a cream color underneath.) Cut the board into large ovals. Mark the plates on the shells. Tie the front and back together with you inside.
You’re a tortoise!
Of course, you can add a lot more to it. You can just draw lines to give an idea that there are plates. Or you can try to draw the shell the way it really is. Gordie’s shell isn’t divided evenly into squares. It’s not all one color. It’s not flat like a sheet of poster board. You can also have fun making other parts, like feet and a head.
Here is a picture of Gordie to help you along.
And here are a couple of websites if you want to see more.
http://www.ehow.com/how_7763525_make-tortoise-costume.html
http://www.coolest-homemade-costumes.com
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