Honest Jack dedicated to Edwin in L.A. who supports story-nory on Patreon.

Hello, this is Jana and welcome back to story-nory.

This is a traditional story from England.

As he's often the case with stories from England, the hero is a boy called Jack.

Honest Jack Jack was in love with the prettiest girl in his village.

He was poor and so was she, but he was sure they would be happy together.

He dreamed that with a lot of hard work and a little luck,

one day they would live in a nice big house and have lots of children.

On a fine morning he went to ask the girl's parents if he could marry their daughter.

He knew that the girl was listening at the door to the conversation that would decide her future.

She could hear him pop the question to her mother.

Mom, I want to marry Annie and she wants to marry me.

Will you give us the go-ahead, Mom?

But however carefully the girl was listening at the door, she could not catch the answer.

Her mother said nothing. She just stared blankly at Jack with her glassy eyes.

It was hard to know if she had even understood the question.

Well, Mom, I suppose you don't have to speak out loud.

Said Jack. Just, just an audible do.

At last after a long stony silence, the woman spoke. In fact, she shrieked.

Husband, come here right now.

This good for nothing boy without a penny to his name wants to marry our daughter.

A moment later, the father grasping a wooden spoon in his hand appeared from the kitchen.

...