Lazy Jack

Quick Answer

Why This Story Works for Bedtime

It’s funny and low-stakes: mistakes aren’t scary, just silly. Great for bedtime giggles and a gentle reminder that we can learn better ways one try at a time.

Story Synopsis

Lazy Jack lives with his mother and wants to be useful, but he’s not very thoughtful about how he does things. Each time he earns something small—money, food, or a helpful item—he tries to carry it home, and each time he chooses the worst possible method. When he’s paid a coin, he drops it through a hole or loses it. When he’s given milk, he tries to carry it in a sieve and watches it disappear. When he earns a piece of cheese, he tucks it in his pocket until it’s ruined. He means well, but he doesn’t pause to think. His mother corrects him after each blunder, and Jack tries again, applying the last instruction to the next situation—only to discover that advice changes depending on what you’re carrying. The comedy comes from his literal-mindedness: he repeats a rule that no longer fits. Eventually, Jack gets a valuable chance—often a donkey or a prize—and this time he finally uses what he has learned. He thinks, adapts, and manages to bring home something worthwhile. Lazy Jack is a lighthearted story about growth. Even when someone starts out clumsy, practice and patience can turn effort into real helpfulness.

Story Excerpt

Once upon a time, on a wide, grassy common, there lived a boy named Jack and his mother. Their little home was plain, and money was scarce. Jack’s mother worked hard, spinning thread to earn their food. But Jack — Jack loved doing nothing at all. When the sun was warm, he lay in it as if it were a soft blanket. When winter came, he sat by the hearth in the coziest corner and watched the fire crackle. Folks who passed by would shake their heads and call him Lazy Jack. His mother tried and tried to get him to help. At last, on a Monday morning, she spoke very firmly. “ Jack, ” she said, “ you must begin to work for your porridge. If you won’t, you’ll have to go out and earn your living as best you can. ” That woke Jack up more than any cold water could. He didn’t want to be sent away. So he stood up, brushed the dust from his clothes, and went out to find work. The next day, Jack hired himself to a nearby farmer. He worked a whole day, and when evening came, the farmer paid him a penny. Jack held the penny tightly in his hand. He had never had money of his own before, and he kept looking at it as he walked home. On his way, he had to cross a little brook. The water bubbled over smooth stones, and Jack stepped carefully — too carefully, perhaps — because he kept staring at the penny. His fingers opened without him noticing, and plip! the penny slipped away into the brook. He hurried home anyway and told his mother what had happened. She sighed. “ Oh, Jack. You should have put it in your pocket. ” “ I’ll do so another time, ” said Jack. On Wednesday, Jack went out again. This time he hired himself to a cow - keeper. Jack did his work, and at…

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