How the Jack-o-Lantern
Came to Be Or Stingy Jack.
1 Many people think pumpkin carving is an
American holiday thing to do, but it first started in Ireland not
with pumpkins but with turnips. It all started with a mean, nasty, stingy man
named Jack. He would not share anything
with anyone! Jack was so stingy and so mean that even his
family did not like him. But he was best
at being tricky. It was said that no
one could trick Jack. In fact, Jack
bragged and became so full of pride that
he said he could even outsmart anyone.
2
So that is what Jack did all his life.
He did not share his money or anything else he had. He tricked people out of what they had and he
was proud of himself when he did it.
3 When Jack died, he wasn't
allowed into Heaven because he was so stingy and mean. He did not care or love anyone but himself.
4 It seems that Jack also had played tricks on
the Devil so the Devil would not let him come and stay with him, either.
5 Jack was stuck. He had no where
to go. He had to forever walk the earth,
holding a lantern, always looking for a resting place. That lantern was a turnip carved out to put a
light inside so Jack could see in the dark.
6 This is the story that has been handed down
to us by the Irish people who came to America in the 1800s. They carved
their turnips into the face of "Jack-of-the-lantern" to remind
themselves what happened to people who were misers and did not share with
others. And in the fall, pumpkins are much easier to find than turnips so now
we use big, orange pumpkins.
7 So that's why Americans today carve their pumpkins
into jack-o-lanterns. Here are my follow-up activities
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Jack
was so mean and stingy that ……….
a. everyone was afraid of him b. no one liked him
c. his family did not like him d. he had no friends
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What
did Jack brag about?
a. how generous he was b. how tricky he was
c. how smart he was d. how loving he was
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What
did Jack do all his life?
a. he was generous with everyone b.
he was loving with everyone
c. he was stingy with everyone d. he was kind to everyone
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What
happened when Jack died?
a. no one wanted him to rest at their
place b. he found a resting place
c. he still used his tricks to get what he
wanted d. he was happy
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What
did Jack take with him on his search for a resting place?
a. a carved pumpkin b. a carved turnip
c. all his money d. his family
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Why
do people use pumpkins today instead of turnips?
a. they are a pretty color b. they are rounder
c. they are easy to carve d. they are easier to find
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Demonstrate
with details from the story two ways Jack was stingy.
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In
paragraph 5 it says “Jack was stuck”.
What does the author mean?
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In
paragraph 6, find the word that means the same thing as stingy and write it
in the box.
Write
a word you know from your Spanish to English connection that is the opposite
of stingy.
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