Wicked Jack is meaner than a rattlesnake. One day, Saint Peter visits him in the Great Dismal Swamp, and Jack is nicer than usual. To reward him, Saint Peter grants him three wishes. True to his nature, Jack comes up with three mean things that will happen to anyone who comes his way. When the Devil pays a visit and is the victim of one of Jack's wishes, the result is Jack's being turned away at the gates of both Heaven and Hell. To this day, he's still wandering around Dismal Swamp! Some say this folktale explains the origin of jack-o-lanterns. Author Wooldridge "dug around' to find as many retellings of this Appalachian folktale as she could find. Her adaptation is based on three different versions.
Link to this comment:
All Comments (0)