Jack and the Körner Princess

The oral story telling tradition of the Southern Applachian Mountains features a clever teenager named "Jack". In these stories Jack bears some resemblance to the character in fable, Jack and and Beanstalk. The Southern Appalachian Jack is a clever, but lazy teenager, who is trying to best his olders brothers, Will and Tom. He happens into adventures with exotic mountain creatures and evil magic of villains. Richard Chase compiled these stories in a 1949 book entitled The Jack Tales.

As read by my third grade teacher, I was first introduced these tales. My interest was rekindled decades later by the work of a local elementary class whose own Jack Tale inspired me to begin a series of New Jack Tales. The first is a story of Jack and the Körner Princess. It is Jack's last great adventure where he sets off to the flatlands to find a bride. He has his heart set on a blonde headed maiden whom he finds locked up in the Körner Castle. Freeing her from the castle, outwitting an evil witch and surviving encounters with exotic and dangerous creatures challenges Jack as never before. The fictional setting of Dobson Town resembles Kernersville, North Carolina. Readers familiar with this hamlet will recognize some landmarks and characters.