Stingy Jack and The Devil
It was a moonless night,dreary,
and the streets were thick with fog
A stingy old drunkard named Jack
sat at the pub chugging his grog
Being he was a meiser
he didnt want to pay his tab so he started to think
Then all of a sudden it came to him
he would invite the devil
to join him for a drink
Sitting next to the devil
they struck up a chat
and laughed till they were both
drunk as can be
When Jack turned to the devil and said,
"I know a way
we wont have to pay."
"You just listen to me"
"You are the devil",he said in a coy way.
"Why dont you turn yourself into a coin
and I will pay"
So they laughed merrily
and the devil turned hisself into a coin
that Jack tossed into his jacket
the devil laid trapped by a silver cross
in the seam of Jack's pocket
The cross took his powers and there wasen't any way
that he could transform back to hisself the devil had been betrayed
Jack laughed,and said,
"Thats what you get for joining me in a beer"
But he eventually freed the devil
on one condition
he couldnt bother him for a year
So the devil agreed and went on his way
disgusted that he had been such a fool
He decided to give up drink
and go back to hell where he ruled
The following year
Jack and the Devil met up again
near an apple tree
They talked of the last time they had met
and made amends
when Jack said,"Could you get that apple down for me"
The devil said,"On one condition"
"you give me your soul
and no tricks this time"
Jack agreed with his fingers crossed
so the up the tree the devil climbed
When up the tree Jack carved a cross
and wouldn't let the devil be freed
Unless the Devil would not bother him for 10 more years
and give up the rights to his soul
the devil reluctantly agreed
So the devil disgusted he was tricked again
went back to hell in a firey rage
But that didnt stop Jack from dying
and when St Peter looked for his name
it wasen't on any page
Jack wasent allowed past Heavens gate
for his life of drink and deceit
But he couldnt go to Hell either
for the promise the devil made
in order to be free
So Jack asked the devil
"Where shall I go,what path do I walk,
which is the way"
The devil replied,"Back to where you came from
untill the Judgement day"
So Jack turned to walk in the cold night
and the devil pitched up a hot coal
from the firey pits of hell
Jack took the coal to light his way
and put it in a pumpkin shell
And this my friend is the way
the Jack o lantern came to be
As Jack walks with his lighted gourd
throughout eternity.
