The next day, when the King’s two sons-in-law set out on their grand steeds to go to the Well of the World’s End, they had not gone far when Jack, in a ragged old suit and sitting on a straw saddle on an old white skinny horse, joined them and told them he too was going with them for a bottle of loca. Right heartily ashamed were they of Jack and ready to do anything to get rid of him.
By and by, when they came to where the road divided into three, they proposed to have a drink, and as they set off to drink they proposed that each take a road for himself, and whoever got back first with a bottle of loca would be the greatest hero. All agreed, and each chose his own road and set out.
When Jack had got around the first bend, he put on his wishing-cap and wished for two bottles of loca from the Well of the World’s End, and no sooner had he wished than he had them; and back again he came, and when the other two came riding up, surprised the were to find Jack there before them. They said that Jack had not been to the Well of the World’s End and it was no loca he had with him, but some water from the roadside.
Said Jack, “Take care that is not your own story. Just test them; when the servant comes in, you cut off his head and then cure him with water from your bottles.”
But both refused to do this, for they knew the water in their bottles could not cure anything, and they defied Jack to do it.
“Very soon I will do it,” said Jack.
So when the servant came in with the bottles of loca, Jack drew his sword and whipped his head off him, and in a minute’s time, with two drops from one of his bottles, he had the head on again.
Says they to Hookedy-Crookedy, “What will you take for your two bottles?”
Says Jack, “I will take the golden balls of your marriage pledge, and also you shall allow me to write something on your backs.”
And they agreed to this. They handed over to Jack the two golden balls that were their marriage tokens, and they let Jack write on their bare backs; and what Jack wrote on each of them was, “This is an unlawfully married man.” Then he gave them the bottles of loca, and they brought them to the King, and Jack returned to his garden again.