The Young Chronicle: For 1st Graders October 31st, 2014 | Page 4
YOUNG CHRONICLE
November 1st , 2014
Jack-o’-Lanterns
SAY NO!
You have all seen these spooky carved
You kiss your family
Pumpkins, haven’t you? But the original
Jack O'Lantern was a Turnip and not a
Your siblings, grandparents,
Pumpkin. Pumpkins did not exist in
Your Mom and Dad
Ireland. These lanterns were used to
But if a stranger asks for a kiss,
ward off evil spirits.
Say NO, because that’s bad.
The Tale of Stingy Jack and the
Jack O' Lantern
You hug and cuddle your dolls and toys
Jack O'L antern legend goes back hundreds of years in Irish
And even your pet cat or dog
History. Many of the stories, center round Stingy Jack. Here's
But if someone you don’t know
the most popular story:
Tries to hug or cuddle you,
Stingy Jack was a miserable, old drunk who took pleasure in playing
tricks on just about everyone: family, friends, his mother and even
Say NO, because it’s wrong.
the Devil himself. One day, he tricked the Devil into climbing up an
Apple tree. After the Devil climbed up the tree, Stingy Jack
hurriedly placed Christ’s crosses around the trunk of the tree.
With your Grandma and Grandpa,
Unable to touch a cross, the Devil was stuck in the tree. Stingy
You hold hands
Jack made the Devil promise him not to take his soul when he died.
As you walk, jump and prance.
Once the devil promised not to take his soul, Stingy Jack removed
But if a stranger tries to grasp your hand,
the crosses, and the Devil climbed down out of the apple tree.
Say NO and take a stand.
Many years later, Jack died, he went to Heaven and was told by
Saint Peter that he was mean and cruel. Stingy Jack was not
So, if you don’t like someone’s
behaviour or touch,
Don’t take fright.
Instead tell your Mom or
Dad.
Just say NO, because that is
right!
allowed to enter heaven. He then went down to Hell and the Devil.
The Devil kept his promise and would not allow him to
NO!
enter Hell. Now Jack was scared. He had nowhere
to go, but to wander about forever in the dark
Netherworld between heaven and hell. He asked
3
the Devil how he could leave him in the dark.
The Devil tossed him an ember from the flames
of Hell. Jack had a Turnip with him, as it was one of
his favourite foods. Jack hollowed out the Turnip, and placed the
ember, inside the Turnip. From that day onward, Stingy Jack
roamed the Earth without a resting place, lighting his way as he
went with his ‘Jack O'Lantern’.
On Halloween, the Irish hollowed out Turnips, and placed a
light in them to ward off evil spirits and keep Stingy Jack
away. In the 1800's a couple of Irish immigrants came to
America and realised that Pumpkins were bigger and easier
to carve out. So they used Pumpkins for Jack O'Lanterns.
Recommended Reading for Halloween
http://www.readingrockets.org/articles/books/c361
Recom m ended M ov ie for Hallow een
http://fun.familyeducation.com/slideshow/halloween/54314.html?page=1