The Modern Adventures of Jack and the Beanstalk

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21698, 13 January 1934, Page 4 (Supplement)

The Modern Adventures of Jack and the Beanstalk

On a small farm at Te Aroha West lived Jack and his mother.. His father had been dead some time, and he and his mother carried on with, the farm as well as they but prices were low and they never seemed ta be getting ahead; in fact they were getting behind with tha interest..

Jack waa a dreamer and not too good a worker, but hi! did his best. This morning hia mother came to him and said, " We must have another horse to start making tha ikay. Do you think yon could buy me one at the sale to-day? " Jack said he could. So his mother handed ftirn a cheque for £l2O, trusting that there would be enough money in the bank to cover i ; L Jack set off to the sale- to buy the Itorse. He managed to secure one for that price. Horses were dear then. Sc Jack started home with his horse, which was a fuia-Lcok-inxr animal.

On. the way back he met a man he knew coming slowly along in an aid Fard lorry. He pulled up when he saw Jack with, his horse.. 2faw this man wanted a horse like this himself, but he did not hare the money. His Icrry was worn out and was not much good, though ic looked all: right because he kept in well painted. Now,, thought he, if he only had Jack's horse.. No sooner had the thought entared hia head than he started telling: Jack what a good lorry hia was;, it was- much, better than Jack's horse, and could be used far making hav and taking milk to the depot. He soon got Jack interested, and as last persuaded Jack to exchange the lorry far the horse,, and giving Jack £1 to the* good, Jack thought he had

made a great bargain. Tlis mail scon. showed him. haw to drive. it, as he had often been allowed, to drive the baker's cart; home from school. So he drove home hi style. As- lie neared home he began, to wonder if he had done the right; thing, as his mother had sent; him to buy a horse not a motor-lorry. Hia mother came out. just as he drove up to the house. Jack jumped out and started telling her Jill about is.. * " Oil! ,T she exclaimed. c "you stupid boy. Haw could you: be so silly! Take your old lorry away, £ don:t wane it, and go out of my sight. I never wane to see you again." His mother did not mean but Jack thought she did. So he drove away to Wairongainai Mount by the hills, and putting tiie lorry as near to the bush as he could he sat down and began to think: what he could do with it."He could not go carting, for he had. only £1 and he needed a drivers licence, and he had to get the lorry registered in his own name. Oh dear, he had made a foolish bargain,, nearly as foolish as Jack and the Beanstalk. As he sat there thinking, looking up at the bills, he remembered the tales bis grandma used to telL him how his father and grandfather, when they were out of work,, they used to go prospecting for gold—there was no relief work in those days. Grandma, said there was always ;|old to be had in quantities if one on ly looked for it and worked, hard enougßi One of Jack's direams- was that ha would one day find a nugget up in those hills tike his grandfather did in the early days.. So- he decided he would climb the bill and see what Te Aroha looked like. He set! off. and going up the hill his foot slipped; and knocked oif a piece of stone. He picked it up and saw that it was a piece of quart;; like Gran had shown him when he was little, and putting it in his pocket he kept on climbing until he was thirsty.

By w! I .r.r wr LGCSTZISS, iianga c.msa, Waiurrca, IX yesirs 7 months.

He crossed over to where there waa a small stream running. When he had had i drink he put the quartz in the water, and on looking at it he saw it shining in one-' part.. Breaking: a piece-'a:i : an a boulder he saw what he judged t»> be strsaka of gold. Now where diii that piece come from? Was there any mere cf it? He went hack to. where he waa climbing and continued tip , until ha got to the top. Then he stopped and" went aver to a ledge whsira he ctrald get a good view of Te Aroha. Haw pretty it all. looked if only he had kept the horse.: He could see his mother's farm in the distance. Ha wondered how she would manage without. him. As he, wa3 fr'hinlrftg. he stepped on. the edge of tha ledge and his weight was too much for the earth, and the stones gave way and down he went. However, he was not hurt, so he climbed back to where he had been standing. What waa: that he could sea shining in the sun? A whoie lot of stone, the same as : the piece in. his pocket. Ha wondered if iihis waa where his piece had come from in the first place. Guild he break a piece off? He would try anyway.. So he went ever to ' the creek again, and get a large boulder, n.nrf bringing it down, heavily he managed ta break a large piece aS. ■ He took it over to the creek and washed it, and sure enough there was gold,, the same as in the small pieceJack forgot all abouti hia txoufciiies nnfi continued breaking off pieces of quartz until he had quite a lot of it.. TTiprrr ae uoak is ovear zo tie creek: ami crushed it up with boiuders. He gathered the particles in his hat and washed them like Gran used to tell

him. He kept on washing, it; and letting the particles go- until there wait rase a little' left then lie: tack his hmir and gazed at it, and sure enough, there was gold, quite ar lot of it.. Then fit* put it in his handkerchief and: tied, it up r. it was quite buavy for its size^

Now what did he hare " to do Tar claim the reef if it was any good.* Then ha rememheriid he had to* peg: ft out, so nulling up some sticks he placed them here nnri theire where'he thought che reef would go to. Then he went down to his lorry Jtgain. It was nearly dark sa he drove home again. His mother was; worrying; a great deal, for she had tsald him to go away,, and she was overjoyed on seeing him back home again, and when he told her or his find she could hardly believa him, and she said he was only- dreaming- , fie decided to go ta town the ness day and find out" about things. Jack knew he had to sret a miners right, which he did.. Than to a lawyer and when Jack told his tale he showed him tie gold. The_ lawyer soon found a man to go and see jit what Jack said wait true..

They went up tlie hill,, taking: picks and shovels with them.. They found there was over a mile of the reef. Sa a company was formed, and. they offered Jack: .£2OOO for hia claim, or else the largest share of the mine. Now Jack had been caught once,, and thought he would: make sure of hia money for his mother's sake.. So he accepted the £2oo<). leaving the otheis to make what they could out of the. mine. His mother- sold her farm. Jack put the £2OOO in the bank. What was saved on rhe farm after everything was paid oif bought them a small cottage by the seaside.- Jack bought a boat so that he could go felling and still dream of finding a big nugget down in Westlaiui where grandma used to live..