The poor lad had not gone far, when his father called him back; then
the old man drew out of his pocket a golden snuff-box, and said to
him: "Here, take this little box, and put it in your pocket, and be
sure not to open it till you are near your death." And away went poor
Jack upon his road, and walked till he was tired and hungry, for he
had eaten all his cake upon the road; and by this time night was upon
him, so he could hardly see his way before him. He could see some
light a long way before him, and he made up to it, and found the back
door and knocked at it, till one of the maid-servants came and asked
him what he wanted. He said that night was on him, and he wanted to
get some place to sleep. The maid-servant called him in to the fire,
and gave him plenty to eat, good meat and bread and beer; and as he
was eating his food by the fire, there came the young lady to look at
him, and she loved him well and he loved her. And the young lady ran
to tell her father, and said there was a pretty young man in the back
kitchen; and immediately the gentleman came to him, and questioned
him, and asked what work he could do. Jack said, the silly fellow,
that he could do anything. (He meant that he could do any foolish bit
of work, that would be wanted about the house.)

"Well," says the gentleman to him, "if you can do anything, at eight
o'clock in the morning I must have a great lake and some of-the
largest man-of-war vessels sailing before my mansion, and one of the
largest vessels must fire a royal salute, and the last round must
break the leg of the bed where my young daughter is sleeping. And if
you don't do that, you will have to forfeit your life."

"All right," said Jack; and away he went to his bed, and said his
prayers quietly, and slept till it was near eight o'clock, and he had
hardly any time to think what he was to do, till all of a sudden he