‘All right,’ said Jack. And away he went to his bed, and said his prayers quietly, and slept till it was near eight o’clock, and he had hardly any time to think what he was to do, till all of a sudden he remembered about the little golden box that his father gave him. And he said to himself, ‘Well, well, I never was so near my death as I am now’; and then he felt in his pocket, and drew the little box out. [[211]]
And when he opened it, there hopped out three little red men and asked Jack, ‘What is your will with us?’
‘Well,’ said Jack, ‘I want a great lake and some of the largest man-of-war vessels in the world before this mansion, and one of the largest vessels to fire a royal salute, and the last round to break one of the legs of the bed where this young lady is sleeping on.’
‘All right,’ said the little men; ‘go to sleep.’
Jack had hardly time to bring the words out of his mouth, to tell the little men what to do, but what it struck eight o’clock, when bang, bang went one of the largest man-of-war vessels; and it made Jack jump out of bed to look through the window. And I can assure you it was a wonderful sight for him to see, after being so long with his father and mother living in a wood.
By this time Jack dressed himself, and said his prayers, and came down laughing, because he was proud, he was, because the thing was done so well. The gentleman comes to him, and says to him, ‘Well, my young man, I must say that you are very clever indeed. Come and have some breakfast.’ And the gentleman tells him, ‘Now there are two more things you have to do, and then you shall have my daughter in marriage.’ Jack gets his breakfast, and has a good squint at the young lady, and also she at him.
(However, I must get on again with my dear little story.)
The other thing that the gentleman told him to do was to fell all the great trees for miles around by eight o’clock in the morning; and, to make my long story short, it was done, and it pleased the gentleman well. The gentleman said to him, ‘The other thing you have to do’ (and it was the last thing), ‘you must get me a great castle standing on twelve golden pillars; and there must come regiments of soldiers, and go through their drill. At eight o’clock the commanding officer must say, “Shoulder up.” ’[1] ‘All right,’ said Jack; when the third and last morning came and the three great feats were finished, when he had the young daughter in marriage.
But, oh dear! there is worse to come yet.
The gentleman now makes a large hunting party, and invites all the gentlemen around the country to it, and to [[212]]see the castle as well. And by this time Jack has a beautiful horse and a scarlet dress to go with them. On that morning his valet, when putting Jack’s clothes by, after changing them to go a-hunting, put his hand in one of Jack’s waistcoat pockets and pulled out the little golden snuff-box, as poor Jack left behind in a mistake. And that man opened the little box, and there hopped the three little red men out, and asked him what he wanted with them. ‘Well,’ said the valet to them, ‘I want this castle to be moved from this place far and far across the sea.’ ‘All right,’ said the little red men to him, ‘do you wish to go with it?’ ‘Yes,’ said he. ‘Well, get up,’ said they to him; and away they went, far and far over the great sea.