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    Stingy Jack And The Devil

    It was a moonless night,dreary,and the streets were thick with fog
    When a stingy old drunkard named Jack, sat at the pub chugging his grog
    Being he was a meiser, he couldn't pay the tab, so he began 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
    "turn yourself into a coin and with that I will pay

    And so the devil transformed into a coin, that Jack tossed into his
    jacket
    But the devil laid trapped by a silver cross
    in the seam of Jack's pocket
    The cross took his powers and there wasn't any way
    He could turn back to hisself again, for he'd 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,
    "Dont bother me 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 they met up again near an apple tree
    They talked of the last time they had met
    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 give up the rights to his soul
    again the Devil hastily 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 was bound in law that the Devil
    had to keep

    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.






    (c)copyright 2006 all rights reserved.
    All poems are my orignal writings.
    If you would like to use them for your page,
    Please ask permission and give me credit.




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