There is a hunger out there for storytelling. There's a hunger for stories,
even if people don't know they're hungry for it. Since the dawn of time,
we've shared stories. They remind us of who we were, who we
are, and who we wish to be. Through story, our ancestors speak
to us, passing on wisdom and truth from the past, and stories prepare
us for the future if only we listen. Welcome to episode four of Listen.
My name is Daniel Foytek and I love a good story. To returning
listeners, thanks for coming back to hear more stories, and hello to all
the new listeners. This podcast is called Listen, and it's about one of
my favorite activities and if you're here, hopefully one of yours two listening to
great stories. If you know a great storyteller who's working on building their following
and who should be featured here, contact me at feedback at ninth story dot
com to let me know or let them know. Today's featureteller is Connie Reagan
Blake. The story you're about to hear was recorded live at the twenty fifteen
three Rivers Storytelling Festival. You can find out more about Connie and purchase her
recordings at her website story window dot com. You can find out more about
the annual Three Rivers Storytelling Festival at three r STF. That's three of the
number r STF dot org. Of course, please support Connie and the other
tellers you hear in this podcast by picking up one of their CDs and attending
their lives whenever you can. The story you're about to hear is a traditional
jacktail with an Appalachian flair, which, as Connie shares, is a little
rougher than the jacktails from across the pond. Now to which your appetite,
I have two little known facts about our national storyteller, Connie Reagan Blake.
Number One, Connie has made a living as a full time storyteller for forty
four years. And Connie is the only storyteller to have been on the main
stage at the National Storytelling Festival every single year since nineteen seventy three, either
as a featured teller or as an MC. Truly amazing, and now let's
give a rousing welcome to veteran storyteller Connie Reagan Blake. Thanks very much,
Joan. It's amazing for me to hear those things you know, it's like,
really is that true? But it's true. I was hired as a
storyteller, you know, which who would think you could ever be hired as
a storyteller, especially back in nineteen seventy one, But it was my job
description at a public library. They had just gotten federal funds to hire a
storyteller to go out to daycare centers, which was also a brand new thing
back then. So this October first, that program which is called more making
Our Reading Enjoyable, and they got to say, Chattanooga Public Library is doing
more making our Reading Enjoyable, and that program is still going on, and
so am I. So I ended up being at that library for four years.
But after i'd been there two years, it's when I heard about that
somebody up in Jonesboro, Tennessee, was going to be putting together a storytelling
festival, And so I wrote him a letter. He couldn't email, you
couldn't cell phone call. I wrote him a letter and Jimmy Neil Smith and
said, I'm a storyteller. I don't want to come. So he said
he welcomed me and said that he would on Sunday afternoon they would have an
open mic if anyone wanted to tell us story. So I got to tell
it that very first one, and then was featured at the second one,
and I've been involved ever since. And something else, just a little other
little tidbit of news I will share you that I'm very excited about that I
just I've heard about in the last couple of months. It got sealed in
official paperwork. The Library of Congress is taking all of my papers. So
that very first letter that Jimmy Neil Smith sent me I have a copy of.
I have a copy of the letter I sent him. I'm amazed that
I saved all that, But something in me must have said, do that,
you know, save a few of those things. So I've done that.
So I was telling Joan and some of y'all that we're sitting here earlier.
And sometimes when I do a sound check, I have one or two
stories that I use for that sound check, and then while I'm doing the
sound check, I'm thinking, boy, that's really a good story, and
then I never think about telling it in my repertoire. So Oliver Hide is
one of those stories which I just love. But another one is the one
I use for the sound check here and I think I'm going to tell it.
It's a traditional Jack tale. And you know when people from Europe,
especially people from England, Ireland and Scotland, when they traveled across the oceans,
bringing their quilts and trunks, and they also brought their stories, and
the stories changed when they got to the mountains, to the Appalachian Mountains especially,
that's where it was a hotbed for people from Ireland and Scotland and England,
and they brought a lot of those Jack tales with them. They got
a rougher edge to them. I think one of the reasons for that is
because life was so hard for those people. You know, it's I don't
know if you've been down in those mountains, but there's a lot of rocks,
not so much a level ground, and so to get out new ground,
to get new ground ready for planting, it was a big deal to
move the rocks to get roots out. And I feel that the people really
made Jack's life a whole lot harder than theirs, so that by comparison,
there's didn't seem so bad. So there's a rough edge to some of them.
And you'll see a little bit of that rough edge in this story.
Now one of my main mentors was and still is. He's passed away,
but he's still a huge influence in my life and in my stories, and
that is Ray Hicks. And I'll tell you a little bit about him afterwards,
and maybe tell you a story about Ray. But when I would go
up to visit Ray, he lived on land that had been in his family
since the seventeen hundreds, and he lived a very kind of what we would
think of now is a rough life. You know, for Ray, it
was life. It was just the way that he lived. But he breathed
so much life into his stories. But when I would go up to visit
him, which was very often until he passed away in oh three, he
would start a story sometimes in the morning, and that afternoon he'd still be
telling that same story. He'd go off on all kinds of avenues and paths
and journeys and different countries. And sometimes I'd think, boy, surely he
can't make his way back to that story now, But he would. He
had always come back to the end. But I like to tell people my
jack tales are never quite that long. This is a whole odd shorter And
one of the ways that you know that it's over. Is when you hear,
well, last I heard Jack, Him and his mom are doing right
well. Well. Once there was a fella named Jack. Now this was
actually a different Jack than is in all the Jack tales. You know that
Jack. He's known all over the world stories because he's the one that seems
a little foolish. Sometimes he seems stupid, but he always turns things around.
He always makes the best of a bad situation. And often he's getting
the person that's in charge, the authority, the royalty, the government,
whoever that is, and twisting things around a little bit on those people that
need it twisting around on. But we have this idea of Jack, just
like Jack and the Beanstalk. You know, you think she's gonna trade a
cow milky white for a few beans, but he ends up with the gold.
And that's kind of Jack's nature. So in this story, it starts
off with a Jack, but it's not that same Jack. There was a
shortage of everything in the mountains, including names. This guy was called Big
Jack, and work got mighty hard to find down where Big Jack lived.
It was non existent, and him and his mama were having a hard time.
So finally he went to his mama told her he's gonna go out and
seek his fortune before you. When he went out to the potato patch and
dug up a few potatoes, they didn't have any left, but he dug
up a few for his mamma so she wouldn't starve while he was gone.
And then he headed on off down the road. He walked all day to
when he came to where a king lived. He walked up and he knocked
on the door, and the king answered itn't. Big Jack asked him did
he have a job or work? King said, are you a good hand
to herd sheep? Big Jack said he reckoned? He was. King said,
well, I got this here contract anybody working for me, we both
have to sign. It says here that the first one of us that gets
mad is gonna get three strips three strips cut out of their back long enough
to make shoestrings. Oooh does that suit you all right? Big Jack said,
ooh. But then he said, you know he needed the work,
and he said, I reckon. So big Jack signed up his name,
and King signed up his name, and then the King sent Big Jack on
upstairs to bed. He didn't give him any supper. Well, Big Jack
is awful hungry, and he got up the next morning. It's actually the
king that woke him up. Ain't big Jack, come on downstairs. I'm
not gonna pay you to sleep. So Big Jack came downstairs, and King
didn't say anything about breakfast. He just took Big Jack right out to the
barn. Right next to the barn there is a corral filled with sheep.
He opened that gate and he started counting those sheep getting them out of there.
Got all the way up to ninety eight ninety nine one hundred. Now,
big Jack, you take the sheep out to pasture, and then you
bring him in this evening. Well that's what big Jack did. He worked
hard all day. He picked about and got a few little berries and such,
and brought him back in that even King stood there accounting them. Ninety
eight ninety nine one hundred. You've done good, big Jack. Now you're
going upstairs to bed. No mention of supper. This went on for three
days. Big Jack is about to starve. He came in that third day
and the King was standing there accounting them, got up to one hundred,
told him he had done good, and told him going up to bed,
and Big Jack said, King, ain't you gonna give me nothing to eat?
King said, why no, I never hired you to eat. I
hired you to ten sheep. Are are you mad? Well? Looks like
a man ought to be mad. Work them all day, starve them to
death. That ain't no way to do. And he stopped his foot,
looked like he's about to cuss, and the King took hold of him,
got out his knife and cut three big strips right out of Big Jack's back.
Remember this is a story. And big Jack he recollected about that rule,
how he'd agreed to it, had signed his name up, and since
he had broken the contract, big Jack didn't even get paid for the work
he had done. So Big Jack just went on off down the road.
Now directly he met up with little Jack. That's the same Jack I was
telling you about, that's in all those other stories. Little Jack stopped him
and said, whoa, what's the matter with you? And Big Jack told
him all about what had happened, what the king had done and everything.
So Little Jack took Big Jack to the doctors, told him to get all
fixed up, said he'd pay whatever it cost when he come that way again.
Then Little Jack went to the King's place. See what the King hire
him. He knocked on the door and that king said, yeah. Jack
said, he is looking for a job of work. King said, are
you a good hand to herd sheep? Little Jack said, Old King heard
and sheep, why back home? They say, I'm one the best shepherds
there is. All right, anybody works for me has to sign this here.
Contract says here that the first one of us that gets mad is gonna
get three strops cut out of his back long enough to make shoestrings. Does
that suit you all right, little Jack, said old King, I hardly
ever get mad. King said all right, and King signed, and Jack
signed, and then King sent Jack on upstairs to bed. No word about
supper. Well, Jackie went upstairs, but he didn't go to sleep.
He snuck back down those stairs. He went over to that kitchen door,
and he peered through that keyhole, and he watched where that king and queen
put everything after they had finished eating. Then he snuck back up those stairs,
waiting until the King and queen had gone to sleep. Then he came
back down ease that kitchen door open, went in there, had his fill
of food, but bread and salt in his pockets, and then he went
on upstairs and he slept on a full belly. Next morning, King hollered
him out, Oh there, Jack, come on downstairs, I'm not paying
you to sleep. So Jack came on downstairs, went right out to the
barn. King opened that corral door and started counting those sheep got all the
way up to one hundred. Now, Jack, you take these sheep on
out to pasture. And that's just what Jack did. Now along about noon,
maybe it's one o'clock, he started getting a little hungry, so he
got him a big old sing tree, a big old stick, and he
went over. He locked one of those sheep in the head. He skinned
it out, built him up a little fire and roasted that me took out
his bread and salt, and he eat on it all day long. That
evening, King stood there counting ninety eight ninety nine. Well, now,
Jack, one of my sheep's gone. And Jack said, yes, King,
I was gonna tell you about that. I got hungry during the day,
so I just locked one of your sheep in the head. Are you
mad? No, I don't reckon, I'm mad. And Jack went on
upstairs to bed. This happened three days in a row. That king only
got up to ninety seven sheep, and he said, Jack, you were
gonna break me up this way? Jack said, King, Or are you
mad? No, I'm not mad, but I don't think you're cut out
to be a shepherd. How are you at plowing? Jack said, old
king plowing? Why back home? They say, I'm one of the best
there is. All right, tomorrow morning, you meet me down here at
the barn. And that's just what Jack did. And Jack helped the king
get out his two fine, perfectly matched horses. I mean, these horses
were a beauty. They even twitched their ears in the same direction at the
same time, swish that tail in the same direction too, And the king
was so proud of those horses. Then the two of them, Jack and
the King put all that harness on him, got that plow set up behind
it, and they put the plow on a sled, and King took Jack
and the horses and plowing all down to a big level field. And the
King showed Jack just where he wanted him to do that plowing, and Jack
he turned out good straight for us till the king left. Soon as that
king was gone, Jack let those horses go this way and that way,
and that was actually some of the first crop circles. They were arounding circles,
and directly Jack saw an old man come riding down the road. He's
riding on a little Jenny, little old mule. It's a small His feet
were practically brushing the ground. Jack stopped him when he got up close.
Oh, hold on there, old man, what is that you are riding?
That old man said, Oh, don't she be making fun of my
Jenny. She's the best I can do. Jack said, making fun?
Wan me, I'm not making fun. I want that thing. How much
will you take for it? Oh? You don't want this little old Jenny.
She's not worth anything. Why, yes, I do. How will
you swap it for one of these here horses? That old man said,
Oh, I don't have anything to pay you any boot? And Jack said
boot, Why be dad? I'd a lowed you'd want the difference. You
swapped me even, and the deal's made right here. That old man moved
faster than he had moved in four decades. He was off his little old
Jenny, had that saddle and brattle off of it. Jack helped him get
the other horse ready. Jack gave him a leg up, because that horse
was a whole lot higher than that little Jenny. And that old man took
off running with that horse, and Jackie he got that little mule next to
that big fine horse and got that harness on and started in plowing. Well
directly, the king come out there, Jack What in the world are you
doing? Jack said, oh, I I'm plowing, plowing, But my
horse may be my big fine team of horses. Where's my other horse?
Jack said, Oh, I was gonna tell you about that king. See,
this old man was riding down the road on this little Jinny. I
thought she is the prettiest thing in the world, and I just knew that
you would think so too. You don't look like you think so though.
Are you mad? No, I'm not mad. No, Well, I
don't think you're cut out for plowing. How are you at picking apples?
Picking apples? Well, I know back home you're the best. You're going
down the barn, Get me a basket and a rope, get yourself a
ladder, going up to the orchard and start picking some apples. I'll be
up there directly. He had a little bit of steam coming out of his
ears. So Jackie went down to the barn, got him a basket and
a rope and a ladder, and he got him an axe. He went
up to the orchard and he cut down three big apple trees. He laid
that ladder up sideways on one of them apple trees and commenced to picking off
apples directly the king come up there, Jack, what in the world are
you doing. I'm picking apples like you told me to picking apples, but
you cut down the trees, Jack said, King, how'd you expect me
to pick off apples? And them a way up yonder always cut down the
trees first. Are you mad? No, I'm not mad, but I'm
gonna show you how one of them apples picked. He took that ladder and
put it up on one of those few remaining trees. He got that basket
and rope and he climb up that ladder, and Jack saw him tie that
basket up there and grab holt of one of the branches, and Jack pulled
that ladder right from underneath that King just left him with dangling Jack, what
in the world you go and do that? Four? And Jack said,
well, King, why don't you tell me how come you didn't give me
nothing to eat. Well, Jack, I can't fix anything from up here.
Go down to the house. Tell the queen to fix up some beat
quick and so Jack he went down to the house, went right into the
kitchen there. Queen was in there working hard, and Jack said, Queen,
King told me to come down here and kiss up on you. She
said, he never done it. She went out into the yard and hollowed
up, King, did you send this boy down here? Yes? Do
whatever he says that I'll do the cooking and cleaning for a year. Well,
that sounded really good. Plus Jack wasn't a bad looking She went back
into the kitchen. She grabbed him up and laid a big one on him,
and then they chatted just a little bit, and then Jack said he's
gonna go back up the mountain. And Queen, since King was gonna be
doing all the work, she didn't have anything to do that afternoon, so
she followed Jack up the mountain. They got up to the top of the
orchard there and King was still a dangling. Jack took that ladder and put
it underneath them, and he started down the ladder just as the queen got
up there, and she said, King, how come you sent that boy
down there to kiss up on me. He said, I never done it.
Did you kiss him? She said, why, yes, it was
certainly worth a year of you cooking and cleaning. Jack could see smoke not
only in the ears, but in the mouth and the nose and the eyes.
Jack said, King, are you mad? Yes, I'm mad,
I'm good and mad. He reached out and he grabbed hold of Jack.
And Jack reached out and got hold of that king, and they started rolling
in a tussling and a fighting, and a kicking and a biden. But
Jack he got the best of things. And then he got at his knife
and he cut three strops right out of that king's back. And that king
he recollected about that rule and how he had agreed to it, and since
Jack had not broken the contract, he had to pay him for all that
work he had done. Jack took that pile of money and he had him
off down the road. He went right back to where that doctor was,
and Big Jack is all fixed up by then Little Jack paid the doctor,
and then little Jack he went on home, and last I heard him and
his mom are doing right well, thank you. There's a whole collection of
Jack tails. There's lot, actually a lot of different collections now, but
Richard Chase is the person who listened to those stories back in the thirties and
forties, and he collected him and he ended up putting them into a book.
They're still in print. You can find him, and like I said,
they have that little bit of a rougher edge, But I do like
that about him. There's something, there's a different sense maybe that we can
get about what life was like back then. Thanks for tuning in for episode
number five of Listen What did you think? Let me know at feedback at
ninth story dot com. Today's episode featured a story by Connie Reagan Blake,
Big Jack and Little Jack. If you like more information on Connie and her
work, please visit her online at story window dot com and follow her on
Twitter at story Window. Please share your love of story, share the show,
and help us grow. The best support you can give us is to
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some of the best tellers in the world of storytelling. Here you will rediscover
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recording and associated music and artwork or copyright of their respective creators, and may
not be used in any form without their permission. The story in this episode
of Listen was performed by Connie Reagan Blake. The Listen theme is a selection
from Better Start Walking and was written and performed by Robin Brown. For more
of Robin's work, visit Robin Brown dot info. Closing music was also from
Better Start Walking. Listen is a Ninth Story Studio's production. Ninth Story dot
com creator and producer Daniel Foytech. That's me. Full show notes with links
and info can be found at story listeners dot com forward slash five. This
has been Daniel Foytech. Until next time, Listen, tell and share stories.
The following preview is for a show called The Lift. The Lift is
also created by Ninth Story Studios and is intended for a mature audience. Everything
eventually comes down to a choice such a big word. There are many choices.
Yeah, in this literal last place, things are simpler, and you'll
find it because you're a man, and inside you'll find my lift and me.
I'll take your way you need to go, and then you choose you
do. Things will get much better or much worse. Find the Lift at
victoriaslift dot com and also in iTunes at iTunes dot victorianslift dot com