Jack's orgins

by The Silver Shroud

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life
Length: 1116

How jack o laterns came to be

Humble Pie tells his nieces a bedtime story about how jack o lanterns came to pass.

inspired by a story I was told once.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2014-09-28 16:00:01 UTC

A chair, a toolbox, and a wallet

It was a few nights before Nightmare Night and the in the city of New Fluereans seven year old Pinkie Pie was staying with her uncle Humble and his fillyfirend  Dazzle while her parents went to the national rock farming convention.

“I’m ready for bed unkie Humble!” shouted Pinkie and her sisters as they finished brushing their teeth before rushing to bed.

“All right, I’ll be up there in a moment to tuck you girls in,” said Humble watching tv with Dazzle. “Wanna come say goodnight to the girls honey?”

“Sure,” said Dazzle pausing the movie they were watching. “I’ll meet you up there after I use the restroom,” she said nuzzling him before leaving the room.

“Huh, wonder where Slit is,” said Humble.

“Unkie Humble!” shouted Limestone. “Come read us our bedtime story please!”

“I’m coming,” said Humble opening the bedroom door. “Aww, there you are Slit!”

The three sisters giggled as Slit came off their queen sized bed.

“So unkie Humble are you gonna read us a bedtime story?” said Marble.

“Yeah that’s a good question unkie,” said a smirking Dazzle in the doorway before putting her arms around Humble.

“It depends on what you want to hear,” chuckled Humble. “What do you girls wanna hear?”

“A horror story!” shouted the three filles.

“Hmm, well alright I su- huh?” said Humble feeling a poking from Dazzle. “What's wrong hon?” he whispered.

“I don’t want them to have nightmares,” hissed Dazzle.

Chuckling at this Humble said, “don’t worry, it’ll be a soft core one, now then girls once upon a time…”

There once lived a mule farmer of pumpkin by the name of Jack. Now Jack was a clever fellow always bragging about the town saying stuff like “I am the fastest mule this side of the river.” Now one day Jack was working out in his field when he was visited by a spirit from the afterlife.

“Greetings dear Jack,” said the spirit in the form of a unicorn. “How do you fare today?”

“Alright I suppose spirit,” said Jack getting his plow out of a rock. “How about you?”

“I’m doing fine thank you, but Jack I have come with a mission for you,” said The spirit.

“Oh now what would that be?”  replied Jack.

“I have come to grant you three wishes of anything you want,” said the spirit.

“Three wishes huh, and if I refuse?” said  Jack with a smirk.

“Then you will have not be allowed to enter the afterlife,” said the spirit.

“Barred from the after life huh? That might put a dent in my plans for retirement,” said Jack. “Okay spirit here are my wishes, I don’t like it when scoundrel sit on my porch chair, touching my tool box, or stealing from my wallet,” said Jack. So I wish that if anybody who sat on my chair, touched my tool box or felt my wallet would be stuck there forever till I say they can be released.”

“What?-I mean...what!?” said the spirit. “Don’t you want eternal life or rich or something?”

“Nope,” replied Jack.

“W-well alright,” said the spirit before disappearing.

The next day while Jack was sitting on his chair a sinister looking pegasus came to him.

“Greetings Jack, I am the warden of tartarus and I have come for you,” said the pegasus. “Do not try to put up a fight or else I will cut you down where you stand.”

“Wasn’t planning to,” said Jack getting up. “Let me just get some of my things, you can just sit on my chair while I get ready.”

“All right,” said the pegasus sitting down in the chair.

“Well now that is done I have some demands,” said Jack with a grin.

“What?!” said the pegasus trying to get up but only finding himself stuck. “What?”

“Now listen here warden I want you to not come for me for ten years and to give me wealth, got it?” said Jack.

“Fine,” grumbled the warden. “I promise.”

“Up you go,” said Jack allowing the warden to get up. Afterwards the warden left while leaving Jack with all the wealth he could ever want, ten years later though Jack felt himself lonely and wanted to have a wife to marry. One day the warden came again.

“Jack I have come for you, let us go.” said the warden.

“Oh alright, could you get my tool box thought? Need it to build a house in that there tarturas of yours,” said Jack.

“Ugh, fine,” said the warden.

“Make sure you use both your hooves,’” said Jack. “it’s heavy.”

“Yeah, yeah,” grumbled the warden picking it up with both his hooves. “Now let us go! Wait why can’t I drop this tool box?”

“Well now that you're trapped again my next demand is that you leave me alone for 5 years and that I  have my true love appear in front of me and we get married,” said Jack.

“Fine,” said the warden before disappearing in a flash of light and in the wardens place was the true love of Jack his fillyfriend Mindy.

After five years passed Jack and Mindy were happily married and wealth till the day the warden appeared on the street.

“Okay Jack I won’t fall for anymore of your tricks!” shouted the warden. “We will go now!”

“Ok, but before we do I here the wardens of tartarus can shapeshift into any form correct?” said Jack.

“Yeah, why?” replied the warden.

“I was wondering as just one last request you could transform into a bit so that I could buy a drink since I left all my bits at home,” said Jack showing the warden his empty  wallet.

“Fine,” said the warden transforming into a bit while Jack just put him in his wallet. “Wait...I’m trapped aren’t I?” signed the warden.

“Eeyup, now I don’t want you to come near me again alright!?” said Jack.

“Fine,” said the defeated warden before Jack let him out and then disappearing into a flash of light.

Now the afterlife heard this and decided they didn’t want someone clever as Jack in or he might end up ruling the joint, so they barred him anyway along with his wife. So every Nightmare Night (which was the days that the warden came to him) ponies carve Jack O lanterns to guide Jack and his wife, but not knowing that the couple are just happy to be with one another forever.

“The end,” said Humble kissing his already sleeping nieces goodnight. “Sweet dreams girls.”

“Aww, what a sweet story,” said Dazzle nuzzling Humble. “Still wanna finish Icebreaker?”

“Of course,” said Humble as he and Dazzle closed the door.