Jack B

Once upon a very long time ago in a far away country called England, in the little village of North Creake ( Just a mile North of South Creake) Jack Boris Nimble was born. His parents with the permission of the estate of the Earl Spencer, which owned and still owns most of the land in the village, ran a little candle and candlestick  business out of their house. When Jack was three he came out of his bedroom and found a lit candle on a candlestick blocking his way. So he did what any three year old would do he jumped over it.

His father , who was something of an artist drew a picture of the event. It showed Jack hanging in the air over the fire of the candle. His mother, who was a poet, wrote a little poem. Which I’m sure you have all heard.

When Jack was seven his family moved to America, the land of opportunity, and started the Nimble Candle Company and it’s logo was that picture of Jack jumping over the candle. I feel sure you have seen it. It was even more popular than the Little Dutch Boy emblem.  All the while this was happening the little poem was catching on and being taught to children everywhere that English was spoken ( it didn’t translate well-poetry seldom does).

Except for the logo and the poem Jack lived a pretty normal uneventful life.

Though his name was Nimble he wasn’t. No indeed! He was anything but nimble. He may have been close to the clumsiest person that ever lived. He tripped over things, a lot. He bumped into things , a lot.  He spilled things , a lot. He was definitely not nimble. He was always the last one picked for any school game when sides had to be chosen. Everybody knew that whoever got Jack would lose. So school was not much fun for Jack. Then there was the teasing.

“ Jump over any candlesticks lately Jack?

“ You should get together with that cow that jumped over the moon and compare notes”.

“If you had jumped a little higher. You wouldn’t have caught your pants on fire”

This last statement was often chanted by a group of kids who prefaced it with the original poem.

Poor Jack. Over and over he wished that he had never jumped over that stupid candlestick.But kids grow up despite the teasing. Jack went away to college. His roommate on hearing his name asked if he was the guy from the poem. Even in college he couldn’t escape that stupid candlestick.