Jewish student with autism had swastika carved onto his back, mother says

[TeamProg]

18. Well, maybe! Ooooooh a Jack Of The Lantern. Very interesting story of how it came to exist.

https://carnegiemnh.org/the-jack-o-lanterns-origins/

The most popular version of the tale involves Jack first tricking the Devil into changing his form, then trapping him in his transfigured state. Jack then offered the Devil out of the deal in exchange for not taking his soul for a long time. Some longer versions of the story have the Devil being tricked 3 or 4 different times.

Eventually though, time caught up with Jack and he was unable to trick the Devil again. Stingy Jack was sentenced to roam the Earth for all eternity with nothing but an ember given to him by the Devil to light his way.


Okay the above was copied / pasted.


HOWEVER, below is the story I read in a Natural History magazine Halloween issue in the '80s.(reciting by memory):

Jack was a Blacksmith. He wanted to be the best of the best at his profession.

He made a deal with the devil that made Jack the world's best Blacksmith.

One of St. Peter's angels was flying around and saw the sign that Jack had now displayed:
"The Master of all Masters of my trade".
The angel reported the oddness to St. Peter and Peter thought it looked like the work of the Devil.

Peter went to Jack and asked him to renounce the devil and Jack's new found skill.
Jack said, 'no thanks' and Peter went on his way but not before giving Jack three wishes.
"May you use these wishes wisely" and then Peter went on his way.


Jack died somehow, accident, heart attack or something, and the Devil came to collect Jack's soul.

"Not so fast" Jack said. Then Jack used one of his wishes to wish the Devil into his coin purse.
The Devil was stuck until Jack negotiated for many more decades of life.

Two more times Jack would die and Devil would comoe to collect Jack's soul, but Jack still had two more wishes.
Jack used the wishes to force the Devil into Jack's chair until Jack got more years, Jack died again, then Jack forced the Devil up Jack's pear tree until Jack, again, got more years.

Jack finally died his last death while eating a turnip. He was immediately beamed up to Heaven's Gates.
St Peter was there to greet him and told Jack "I granted you three wishes, you should have wished for eternal peace in heavem and I cannot let you in".


Jack then ended up at Hell's Gate where the Devil was there to meet the newbies.
Devil yelled "You harassed me on earth, I will not allow you to harrass me in my own domain"! and the Devil slammed the gates closed.

Jack was able to quickly gather one the brimstones with his half-eaten turnip to light his way through eternal purgatory.



I love this story.

Happy meandering!