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The Legend of "Stingy Jack"
According to Irish folklore a man named Jack, well known for his drunkenness and quick temper, got very drunk at a local pub on All Hallows Eve. He met the Devil outside the pub because the Devil wanted his soul. Jack asked him one more drink but he didn’t have the money to pay. So he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin and Jack put it into his wallet that had a silver cross that caught the Devil. Jack agreed to free the Devil under one condition: he should let him live for another year. The Devil accepted.
The following year the Devil reappeared and asked Jack to accompany him. Jack told the Devil to take an apple from a tree; when the Devil climbed up, Jack carved a cross on the tree and the Devil was trapped again. This time Jack asked the Devil ten more years of life in exchange for his freedom; again the Devil had to accept.
Soon after, Jack died. God would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil kept his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as “Jack of the Lantern,” and then, simply “Jack O’Lantern.”
The Irish used to carve turnips or beets as Jack’s lanterns and place them into windows or near doors to frighten away evil spirits on Halloween night. When they emigrated to the USA, they brought their traditions with them. They couldn’t find turnips in America but they found a lot of pumpkins which were suitable substitutes to make a Jack O’Lantern; since then, pumpkins are an essential part of Halloween celebrations.
a. Match the words to their definitions.
1. stingy a. dishonest or morally offensive
2. convince b. a round white root vegetable
3. carve c. unwilling to spend, give, or use a lot of money
4. unsavory d. to persuade someone to do something
5. roam e. to write something on a surface by cutting into it
6. turnip f. to move or travel with no particular purpose
b. Choose the correct answers.
1. Where did Jack O’ Lantern first appear?
a. England b. The USA c. Scotland d. Ireland
2. Why did Jack meet the Devil outside the pub?
a. Because he wanted to invite the Devil for a drink.
b. Because the Devil wanted to collect his soul.
c. Because he sold his soul to the Devil.
d. Because he didn’t have money to pay for his drink.
3. Jack had a silver cross in his wallet ………………..
a. to prevent the Devil taking his soul
b. to turn the Devil into a coin
c. to drive the Devil away from him
d. to prevent the Devil from changing back Into his original form
4. What did the Devil have to do before he could come down from the tree?
a. Let Jack live for more ten years. b. Promise not to bother Jack any more,
c. Take an apple from the tree. d. Exchange his life for his freedom.
5. When he died, Jack wasn’t allowed into heaven because ………………..
a. he was a honest man b. the Devil didn’t accept him
c. he was a bad man d. the God didn’t want his soul
6. Which of the following statements is true?
a. The Devil gave Jack a candle to light his way.
b. The original Jack O’ Lanterns were carved from pumpkins.
c. People place Jack O’ Lanterns near doors to keep evil spirits away.
d. The jack o’ lantern tradition was introduced to England by native Americans.