The Clever Wife (An English Folk-Tale)

4.5

Once there was a famous builder whose name was Gobborn Seer, and he had a son whose name was Jack.

One day Gobborn sent Jack out to sell a sheepskin. “You must bring me back the skin,” he said, “and the money for it.”

Jack went, but he could not find anybody who wanted to leave him the skin and give him money for it. So he came back home.

“Never mind,” said his father, “you must try again tomorrow.”

Jack went out a second time with the skin, but nobody wanted to buy it on such terms.

When he came home, his father said, “You must go and try once more.”

But the third day was no better. Jack could find nobody who wanted to pay him for the skin and let him keep it.

He decided not to go home at all because he was afraid of his father.

When he came to a bridge over a river, he met a girl. When the girl looked up at Jack and saw that he was very sad, she asked him:

“If I may ask, why are you so sad?”

“My father has given me the skin,” said Jack, “and I must bring it back and the money for it besides.”

“Is that all?” said the girl and began to laugh. “Give me the skin.”

Jack gave the skin to her, and she carried it to the river, washed it in the water, and took the wool from it. She bought the wool, paid Jack for it, and gave him the skin to carry back home.

When Gobborn heard the story he was very happy, and he said to Jack, “That is a clever girl; she will be a good wife. Go to the bridge tomorrow and look for her and ask her to come here and have supper with us.”

Jack went to the bridge the next day, and found the girl near the water.

“My father has a wish to meet you,” said Jack, “and asks you to come and have supper with us.”

“Thank you,” said the girl, “I shall come tomorrow.”

When she came, the old man could see that she was a clever girl and he asked her to marry his son Jack.

She said “Yes”, and they married.

Soon after that Jack’s father told him that he had to come with him and help to build the finest castle that ever was seen.

As they walked Gobborn Seer said to Jack, “Can you shorten the way for me?”

Jack looked at the long road before them and said, “I don’t see, Father, how I can do that.”

“Then,” said the old man, “you are no good to me, go back home.”

So poor Jack went back home.

When he came home and told his wife why he came home alone, she began to laugh.

“Why did you not tell a tale?” she said. “The tale can shorten the road. Now listen, I’ll tell you a story, and then you’ll catch up with Gobborn and begin it at once. He will like it, and when you finish the tale, you will come to the end of your journey.”

Jack heard the story, and then he ran to his father, began to tell his story and in this way he shortened the road.

When they came to the end of their journey they began to build the castle. For a year they worked and at last they built such a castle that thousands of people came to look at it.

Last of all the king came. “Is the castle ready?” he asked.

“We must finish the ceiling,” answered Gobborn, “and then it will be ready.”

Soon after that the housekeeper sent for Gobborn and Jack and said to them, “The king is afraid you will build a fine castle like that for some other person. So he decided to throw you into prison and keep you there for the rest of your life.”

When the king came the next day Gobborn said to him, “We are not able to finish the castle for we have left a very important tool at home. I must send Jack for it.”

“No, no,” said the king, “let one of my servants do this.”

“The tool is very valuable,” said Gobborn. “I cannot trust it to a servant.”

“Well, then,” said the king, “I shall send my own son for it.”

“All right,” said Gobborn. “Let him go. I shall send a letter to Jack’s wife, telling her where to find the tool.”

Then he wrote this letter: “I need a seequir. You will find it in my big tool chest. The prince who brought this letter must not return without it.”

After the prince went away, Gobborn said to Jack, “If your wife is as clever as I think she is, we must not be afraid. This letter will tell her what she must do.”

The prince very soon came to the house of Gobborn Seer. Jack’s wife read the letter and then she began to think. “There is no such tool as a seequir,” she thought, “and that big chest is empty, but the letter says that the prince must not return without that tool. Well, he will not return.”

Then she said to the prince, “I must ask you to help me to get that tool.”

“I am ready,” answered the prince.

Jack’s wife led him to the big chest and said, “I shall lift the lid and you try to find the tool.”

As the prince leaned over the chest she caught him by the two heels and threw him into the chest and closed the lid. Then she made a few holes in the chest.

“Now, prince,” she said, “you must tell me what you are going to do with my husband and his father. You will not go home until you have told me everything about it.”

Then the prince told her that his father was going to throw them into prison.

Jack’s wife brought some paper and a pen and ink, and gave them through the holes to the prince. “Now,” she said, “you must write a letter to the king, your father, and tell him that you will never return unless my husband and his father are released.”

The prince did not answer, but wrote as the woman told him.

When the king received the letter he paid Gobborn at once for his work and sent him home with Jack.

“Well, Jack,” said the old man as they walked towards home, “your wife has helped us well. So you must build a castle for her finer than the king’s castle.”

That was what Jack did, and they lived there happily ever after.