g slowly home with his prize.
Now it happened that in the course of his journey there lived a rich man
with his only daughter, a beautiful girl, but unfortunately deaf and
dumb. She had never laughed in her life, and the doctors said she would
never recover till somebody made her laugh. This young lady happened to
be looking out of the window when Jack was passing with the donkey on
his shoulders, the legs sticking up in the air, and the sight was so
comical and strange that she burst out into a great fit of laughter, and
immediately recovered her speech and hearing. Her father was overjoyed,
and fulfilled his promise by marrying her to Jack, who was thus made a
rich gentleman. They lived in a large house, and Jack's mother lived
with them in great happiness until she died.

156

The following noodle story is from Halliwell as
obtained from oral tradition in the west of
England. It is a variant of the "Lazy Jack"
type.

THE STORY OF MR. VINEGAR

Mr. and Mrs. Vinegar lived in a vinegar bottle. Now, one day when Mr.
Vinegar was from home and Mrs. Vinegar, who was a very good housewife,
was busily sweeping her house, an unlucky thump of the broom brought the
whole house clitter-clatter about her ears. In a paroxysm of grief she
rushed forth to meet her husband. On seeing him she exclaimed, "Oh, Mr.
Vinegar, Mr. Vinegar, we are ruined, we are ruined: I have knocked the
house down, and it is all to pieces!"

Mr. Vinegar then said: "My dear, let us see what can be done. Here is
the door; I will take it on my back, and we will go forth to seek our
fortune."

They walked all that day and at nightfall entered a thick forest. They
were both excessively tired, and Mr. Vinegar said: "My love, I will
climb up into a tree, drag up the door, and you shall follow." He
accordingly did so, and they both stretched their weary limbs on the
door, and fell fast asleep.

In the middle of the night Mr. Vinegar was disturbed by the sound of
voices beneath, and to his inexpressible dismay perceived that a party
of thieves were met to divide their booty. "Here, Jack," said one,
"here's five pounds for you; here, Bill, here's ten pounds for you;
here, Bob, here's three pounds for you."

Mr. Vinegar could listen no longer; his terror was so intense that he
trembled most violently and shook down the door on their heads. Away
scampered the thieves, but Mr. Vinegar dared not quit his retreat till
broad