The same tale is told in Austria (V., p. 113), and in Prussia (F., p. 197), where it is called Das Haus vom hölzernen Mann, "the house of the wooden Man." In Prussia it is recited as a game of forfeits. The sequence of the powers in the one version is house, door, lock, band, mouse, cat, dog, stick, fire, water, ox, butcher, devil; and in the other, house, door, lock, band, mouse, cat, huntsman.
Jack in Germany is called Jockel, Jöggeli, Jokele. The Master who sent out Jockel is mentioned already in the Gargantua of Fischart, which was published in 1575 (Chap. XXV.). The name Jack among ourselves is applied to a person or an object of peculiar serviceableness, as in Jack-of-all-trades, or boot-jack. But in Germany the expression "to send Jockel on an errand" implies that this will never get done.
In Vogtland the current nursery version of this piece begins:—
Es schickt der Herr den Gȏkel 'naus,
Er soll den Haber schneiden.
(Du., p. 35.)
"The master sent out Gokel to cut oats."
As he failed to come back, dog, fire, water, ox, butcher, hangman, devil, were sent after him.
In Swabia Jokele (Br., p. 44), and in Switzerland Joggeli, was sent to knock off pears on which a spell had fallen. The chant in Zürich has been traced back to the year 1769, and it begins:—
Es ist ein Baum im Gärtle hinne,
d' Birren wänd nüd fallen.
Do schückt de Bur de Joggeli usen
Er soll di Birren schütteln.
(R., p. 155.)
"There is a tree in the garden, its pears will not drop. The peasant sent out Joggeli to knock them off."
But the pears refused to be knocked off, and the usual sequence of powers was sent to secure them.