The Princess of Canterbury

Long ago, the King of Canterbury had a daughter who was very clever. The king said, “Whoever can answer my daughter’s three questions shall marry her.” Many fine young men came to try, but they could not answer, and they all had to go home.

Far away lived a man with three sons. The two older sons were proud and fancy, and the youngest, Jack, was a cheerful shepherd boy. When the older brothers set off for Canterbury, Jack skipped along behind them.

On the way, Jack laughed and picked up an egg from the grass. “What will you do with that?” laughed his brothers, but Jack just put it in his pocket. A little later, he found a crooked hazel stick, and he put that in his pocket too. Then he found a nut, and in it went as well.

At the palace, the princess sat with all her ladies in a bright, warm hall. “What a lot of fine ladies!” said Jack with a big grin. “Yes,” said the princess, “we are so warm and bright that we carry fire inside us.” “Then please cook my egg!” said Jack, and he pulled the egg out of his pocket. “How will you get it out of the fire?” asked the princess. “With my crooked stick,” said Jack, and he held up the hazel stick. “And where did that stick come from?” asked the princess. “From a nut!” said Jack, and he showed her the nut. The princess laughed, because he had answered all three questions.

“Not so fast,” said the king. “Come back in one week, and stay awake all night in this hall.” “If you fall asleep, you must go back home to your sheep.”

A week later, Jack set off for the palace again, and on the way he had to cross a river. Little fish were swimming around his feet, so he scooped up a few and carried them in a little pail of water. At the palace, they gave him a soft chair and a big supper, and soon his eyes began to close. “Aha, shepherd, you are sleeping!” said the princess. “No, no, I am fishing,” said Jack. “Fishing? There is no pond in here!” said the princess. Jack reached into his pail and pulled out a shiny little fish. “Oh, catch me another one!” said the princess, clapping her hands. So Jack caught another, even shinier than the first. The princess was so pleased that she let him take a nap.

In the morning, the princess told the king, “Jack was fishing in the hall all night!” The king laughed, and Jack and the princess were married. And the very first thing they did was carry the little fish back to the river.