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Discussion and telling of a story about Jack's adventures in...

Date 26 March 1979
Track ID 65813
Part 1
Part 2

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1979.35

Original Tape ID

SA1979.035

Summary

Discussion and telling of a story about Jack's adventures in search of the water of life.

There is some discussion of 'The Water of Life', which John Stewart had largely forgotten and had to fill out from his imagination. Barbara McDermitt presses him to tell the story and he points out that he is "the jam-maker here".

Jim, Tom and Jack all went off in different directions to look for the water of life, to save their father, the king, though the other brothers thought Jack was only fit to work as a water carrier. Jack was kind to an old horse, which directed him to an old woman, who told him he would have to climb a glassy mountain. He shared his food with a little bird, which directed him to another old woman, who gave him special shoes to climb the mountain, and a cloak of darkness to escape from a giant. [Break to turn tape.] The bird helped Jack to get a sword from the giant, with which he had to cut off a girl's head. Instead of blood, the head ran water, which he used to save the king. He had to kill the bird, and it turned into a princess. She and Jack got married and he got the kingdom. The other girl's head was buried and grew into a tree whose fruits gave everlasting life.

Barbara comments on differences from a previous telling. John talks about how different motifs can be re-used in different stories. He discusses the motif of killing a giant by destroying the thing that holds his life, for instance in the story he calls '[Crawdoun?] in the Tree', known to Barbara as 'The Three Feathers'.

Item Notes

When John Stewart jokes that he is the jam-maker here, he is perhaps implying that he will produce good things if allowed to work on his own initiative.

Item Subject/Person

Stewart, John

Language

English

Collection

SoSS

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good