Pepper & Salt

One must have a little pinch of seasoning in this dull, heavy life of ours; one should never look to have all the troubles, the labors, and the cares, with never a whit of innocent jollity and mirth. Yes, one must smile now and then, if for nothing else than to lift the corners of the lips in laughter that are only too often dragged down in sorrow. … Yet listen! One must not look to have nothing but pepper and salt in this life of ours—no, indeed! At that rate we would be worse off than we are now. I only mean that it is a good and pleasant thing to have something to lend the more solid part a little savor now and then! … Are you ready? Very well; then I will tell you a story.

>So Jacob laid his hands to the plough and—whisk!—away it went like John Stormwetter's colt, with Jacob behind it. Out of the farm-yard they went, and down the road, and so to the Herr Mayor's house, and behind them lay three fine brown furrows, smoking in the sun.

When the Herr Mayor saw them coming he opened his eyes, you may be sure, for he had never seen such a plough as that in all of his life before.

"And now," said Jacob, "I should like to marry Gretchen, if you please."

At this the Herr Mayor hemmed and hawed and scratched his head again. No; Jacob could not marry Gretchen yet, for the Herr Mayor had always said and sworn that the man who married Gretchen should bring with him a purse that always had two pennies in it and could never be emptied, no matter how much was taken out of it.

"Jacob and the Magic Plough"

Jacob did not know how about that; perhaps he could get it and perhaps he could not. If such a thing was to be had, though, he would have it, as sure as the Mecklenburg folks brew sour beer. So off he went home again, and the Herr Mayor thought that now he was rid of him for certain.

But Jacob went back of the woodpile and blew on his bone whistle again, and once more the red one came at his bidding.

"What will you have now?" said he to Jacob.

"I should like," said Jacob, "to have a purse which shall always have two pennies in it, no matter how much I take out of it."

I consumed a lot of Howard Pyle in my voracious childhood reading, and a walk back through his catalogue of disobedient maidens, cruel and crooked little men and terrible punishments for small moral infractions is always a satisfying reminder that old fairy tales weren't as snuggly as they are nowad

Pleasant and fun, light-hearted and imaginative. It so much reminded me of Enid Blyton's Tuppany Fefo and Jinx books that I loved as a kid. The vocabulary would never be used in children's books today and yet this is written as naturally as though children always used words like coverlets, and posse

I wonder if J.K. Rowling hasn't read the tale about the boggart.

In my library since 1975, now to find it to scan in the purple cover...

This book is written by a favorite author of mine. His story brought me back to younger days when I would sit for hours reading my favorite book. It was compilation of many stories, each with a moral and ethical outcome. Brought back the "feel goods", into my heart.

This book is so fun! Short stories punctuated by witty moral poems and, of course, brilliant illustrations by the author. Read it to your kids, then read it again.

Howard Pyle

Pepper & Salt

Howard Pyle

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