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The original Jack O'Lantern was not a pumpkin. The Jack O'Lantern legend goes back hundreds of years in Irish History.
Jack, an irish man, grew up in a simple village where he earned a reputation for cleverness as well as laziness. He applied his fine intelligence to wiggling out of any work that was asked of him. In his whole life he never made a single enemy, never made a single friend and never performed a selfless act for anyone. Stingy Jack, a miserable and old drunk, liked to play tricks on everyone: family, friends, his mother and even the Devil himself.
One day, he tricked the Devil into climbing an apple tree for a juicy apple and then quickly cut the sign of the cross into the tree trunk, preventing the Devil from coming down. Stingy Jack made the Devil promise him not to take his soul when he died. Once the devil promised not to take his soul, Stingy Jack removed the cross sign and let the Devil down. Many years later, when Jack finally died, he went to the Gates of Heaven and was told by Saint Peter that he was not allowed to enter Heaven. He then went down to Hell.
But the Devil kept his promise and would not allow him to enter Hell. Now Jack was scared and had nowhere to go but to wander about forever in the darkness between Heaven and Hell. He asked the Devil how he could leave as there was no light. The Devil gave him a burning coal from the flames of Hell to help him light his way. Jack placed the ember in a hollowed out turnip, one of his favorite foods which he always carried around with him whenever he could steal one.
For that day onward, Stingy Jack wanders around the earth without a resting place, lighting his way as he went with his "Jack O'Lantern".Since, on all Hallow's eve, the Irish hollowed out turnips, potatoes and beets. They placed a light in them to keep Stingy Jack away.
The Irish brought the tradition of the Jack O'Lantern to America. The Irish immigrants quickly discovered that Pumpkins were bigger and easier to carve out. So they used pumpkins for Jack O'Lanterns.
A. Wordcheck.
Pumpkin: ___________________
Selfless: __________________
Heaven: ___________________
Hell: _____________________
Wander: __________________
Coal: _____________________
Turnip: ____________________
Beet: _____________________
C. True Or False
__ The “Jack O’ Lantern” story comes from Scotland
__ ”Jack O’ Lanterns” were always made of pumpkins
__ Jack grew up in a big city
__ Jack’s nickname was Stinky Jack
__ Jack wet to heaven and stayed there forever
__ “Jack O’ Lanterns” were used on all Hallow's eve
B. Answer The Questions.
Where was Jack from?
What did Jack to prevent the Devil coming down the apple tree?
What happened when Jack went to the Gates of Heaven?
What did the Devil give to Jack to light his way?
What was Jack’s favourite food?
Why did the Irish chose pumpkin to replace turnips?
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