When night came Jack and his master went out. They went to the field. Jack took one of the bullocks. He skinned the skin off it. He cut the flesh off the bones. He sewed the skin on the bullock again. They went home, and two loads of meat with them. They had enough that time. To make a long story short, they didn’t leave a bullock in the field but they did the same to. When the last of the cattle was eaten, they began with the sheep. They played the same trick on the sheep.
When the king thought it was time to kill a bullock he went to the butcher. They went to the field. When they went to look at a bullock, the bullock was barely able to walk. They were all like that. The king couldn’t tell what happened them. They went to the field where the sheep were. They were in bad condition. There wasn’t a sheep or a head of cattle that Jack and the tailor hadn’t eaten the flesh off.
The king went home, and he didn’t know what to do. He went to the old man who was in the town to tell him what happened to them.
“There’s some neighbour of yours that’s smart.”
“I don’t know how I can get hold of him.”
“I know,” said the old man. “The first fine day that comes take some gold and silver, spread it out, and leave it outside till the dark comes. Whoever is playing the tricks on you will spy it. He’ll try for it. When night comes, take in the money and put out a barrel of pitch.”
The king did so. Jack looked out at the window. He saw the king spread out the money. “Do you see,” said he, “what the man is doing yonder?” Jack was watching the money all day. Night was coming on, and nobody was going near the money. “He has forgotten it,” said Jack; “no one will come near it till morning.”
When night came Jack and his master went drawing near the money, to take home the full of a bag with them. They went to the place where the money was. There was a barrel of pitch there. “Which will you do, stoop into the barrel, or watch?” The tailor said he would stoop. He stooped into the barrel; he stretched his two hands down to get a handful. The two hands stuck in the pitch. He was caught then. He could not stir. He called to Jack to draw him out of the barrel. Jack went to draw him. He failed to draw him. He placed his two hands on his body and shoved him down on the crown of his head. He left him there.
The king came in the morning. He found the thief caught in the barrel. He couldn’t tell then who he was, he was so black with pitch. He was as bad as ever. He went to the old man again. He said the thief was caught by him, but he didn’t know who he was.
“Do you know what you’ll do? Take a beast and tie him to the beast’s tail. Whoever it is that has lost her husband, when she sees him she will go crying.”