Papa Joe ~ Telling Tales

Jack Frost, adapted from a Russian Folktale by Papa Joe

JACK FROST, WITH HIS ICY HAND,
FREEZES THINGS ALL OVER THE LAND.
THE ONLY THING THAT SLOWS HIM DOWN
IS BREAKING THROUGH THE ICE AS HE MOVES AROUND.

WHEN HE IS CLOSE, IT'S TOO COLD TO STAND.
SO NO ONE EVER SHAKES HIS HAND.
THAT IS VERY GOOD ADVICE.
WITH ONE TOUCH YOU'D TURN TO ICE.

'CAUSE HE'S JACK FROST, WITH HIS ICY HAND,
FREEZING THINGS ALL OVER THE LAND.
THE ONLY THING THAT SLOWS HIM DOWN
IS BREAKING THROUGH THE ICE AS HE MOVES AROUND.

JACK IS SAD AND LONELY TOO.
HE WOULD LOVE TO TALK WITH YOU.
BUT NO ONE EVER STAYS AROUND,
WHEN JACK FROST HAS COME TO TOWN.

'CAUSE HE'S JACK FROST, WITH HIS ICY HAND,
FREEZING THINGS ALL OVER THE LAND.
THE ONLY THING THAT SLOWS HIM DOWN
IS BREAKING THROUGH THE ICE AS HE MOVES AROUND.

HE PAINTS MY WINDOWS EVERY NIGHT.
COVERS THEM WITH SCENES OF WHITE.
FLOWERS AND TREES EACH DAY ARE NEW.
ONLY TO MELT WHEN THE SUN SHINES THROUGH.

'CAUSE HE'S JACK FROST, WITH HIS ICY HAND,
FREEZING THINGS ALL OVER THE LAND.
THE ONLY THING THAT SLOWS HIM DOWN
IS BREAKING THROUGH THE ICE AS HE MOVES AROUND.

Once upon a time, a long time ago, far far away, there lived an old man with fuzzy white hair. He had a daughter with a smile on her face. She always had a smile on her face.

In that house, there also lived an old woman with a hard heart. She had a daughter with a frown on her face. She always had a frown on her face.

And in that house there also lived a three legged dog, named Tasha Tripod.

Now the old man with the fuzzy white hair and the girl with the smile on her face, they were always nice, always polite; said please, thank you, And they always said your welcome.

But the old woman with the hard heart and the girl with the frown on her face, they were never nice, never polite, no please or thank you And they never said your welcome.

And the old woman with the hard heart didn't like the little girl with the smile on her face; always tried to get rid of her.

One day, the old woman with the hard heart had an evil idea. She turned to the man with the fuzzy white hair and said, "Old man! I found a husband for your daughter. He's very rich, very handsome, and very nice.

"Just take her out to the deep deep woods and leave her underneath the old fir tree. He'll come by and get her. But make sure you take away her coat, take away her hat, and take away her mittens. He wants to wrap her up in a beautiful cloak. And he doesn't want to see your rags."

So the old man with the fuzzy white hair, took the little girl with the smile on her face, off in his sleigh, out to the deep deep woods, and left her under the old fir tree with no coat, no hat, and no mittens.

Do you think she was cold? Yes, she was, but she still had a smile on her face. She always had that smile on her face.

When the sun went down, who came along? Jack Frost, leaping from tree to tree to tree. Saw the little girl with the smile on her face, sitting underneath the old fir tree.

"CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER! LOOKS LIKE FUN."

And he leaped on over to the old fir tree. Sat down right at the top. Called out, "LITTLE BIRDIE. LITTLE BIRDIE. ARE YOU COLD?"

Was she cold? She was so cold with Jack Frost that close, her breath came out like ice cubes. She thought Jack Frost was sad and lonely. "Oh Jack Frost. I'm fine. Thank you for asking."

In all the ages, Jack Frost had never heard anything like that. "CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER! WHAT A PUZZLE."

So he slid half way down that tree. "LITTLE BIRDIE. LITTLE BIRDIE. ARE YOU COLD?"

Was she cold? She was so cold with Jack Frost that close, her hair turned white with frost. But still she said, "Oh Jack Frost. I'm fine. Thank you for asking."

"CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER! WHAT A PUZZLE."

Then he slid on down to the bottom branch. "LITTLE BIRDIE. LITTLE BIRDIE. ARE YOU COLD?"

Was she cold? She was so cold with Jack Frost that close, she was covered in a layer of ice.

But still she said, "Oh Jack Frost. I'm fine. Thank you for asking."

Old Jack Frost could see she was about to freeze to death, but she still had a smile on her face. That made him so sad that he almost melted. He took off his magic cloak and dropped it down around her shoulders.

The moment the cloak touched her, she was so warm, her cheeks turned rosy red.

Well! Jack Frost and the little girl with the smile on her face spent the night talking. Just before the sun came up, off went Jack Frost, from tree to tree to tree. And the little girl with smile on her face, didn't forget to say 'thank you'.

Now the next morning, when the old woman with the hard heart got up, she went into the kitchen and started making pancakes. Do you like pancakes for breakfast? Well, in that place, in those days, people only made pancakes for breakfast when someone died.

So when the old man with the fuzzy white hair went into the kitchen and saw the pancakes he said, "Old woman. Who died?"

She said, "I think it was your daughter with the smile on her face. Now it's a frozen smile on her face."

The old man with the fuzzy white hair ran out to the barn, hitched up the sleigh, and drove it out to the deep deep woods to find his daughter.

The old woman with the hard heart just kept on making pancakes.

Into the kitchen came the three legged dog, Tasha Tripod, a howling and singing:

Howl! Howl! Howl!
Old man's daughter's trimmed in gold.
Howl! Howl! Howl!

The old woman with the hard heart said, "Doggie, stop singing like that. You got the song wrong. It should be: Old man's daughter is frozen cold. Now sing it right."

Still Tasha sang:

Howl! Howl! Howl!
Old man's daughter's trimmed in gold.
Howl! Howl! Howl!

The old woman with the hard heart said, "Stop that! I told you how to sing it. If you sing it right I'll give you a pancake."

She gave Tasha a pancake. Tasha gobbled it up, but still she sang:

Howl! Howl! Howl!
Old man's daughter's trimmed in gold.
Howl! Howl! Howl!

"Doggie, you stop it right now or I'll kick you."

Well, Tasha didn't stop it and the woman couldn't kick her, 'cause every time she tried Tasha just went some where else.

Round and round the house they went. Round and round until they heard sleigh bells. Old Man coming back from the deep deep woods.

"It's the old man and his frozen daughter. I can't wait to see that frozen smile."

The old woman with the hard heart, ran to the door and opened it up. Wasn't she surprised to see the little girl with the smile on her face, wearing a beautiful fur cloak all trimmed in gold.

"Where did you get that cloak?"

So the little girl with the smile on her face, told her all about Jack Frost.

Said the old woman with the hard heart, "Well tonight, it will be my daughter with Jack Frost. And he'll give her a better cloak than yours."

So that night, the old man with the fuzzy white hair hitched up the sleigh, took the little girl with the frown on her face, out to the deep deep woods and left her underneath the old fir tree. 

But she had a warm coat, a warm hat, and warm mittens. Do you think she was cold? No, she was not, but she still had a frown on her face. She always had a frown on her face.

When the sun went down, who came along? Jack Frost, leaping from tree to tree to tree. Saw the little girl with the frown on her face, sitting underneath the old fir tree.

"CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER! LOOKS LIKE MORE FUN."

He leap on over to the old fir tree, sat down right at the top. Called out, "LITTLE BIRDIE. LITTLE BIRDIE. ARE YOU COLD?"

Was she cold? She was so cold with Jack Frost that close, her breath came out like ice cubes.

She said, "Of course I'm cold, you stupid little man! What did you expect?"

Jack Frost didn't like that. Would you? So he slid half way down that old fir tree. Called out, "LITTLE BIRDIE. LITTLE BIRDIE. ARE YOU COLD?"

Was she cold? She was so cold with Jack Frost that close, her hat froze right to her head.

She said, "Of course I'm cold you stupid little man! I already told you that?"

Jack Frost didn't like that. Would you? So he slid down to the bottom branch. Called out, "LITTLE BIRDIE. LITTLE BIRDIE. ARE YOU COLD?"

Was she cold? She was so cold with Jack Frost that close, she was covered in a layer of ice.

And then she said, "Of course I'm cold you stupid little man! Just give me my cloak and get out of here!"

That made Old Jack Frost so angry. He jumped right out of the old fir tree. Touched her right on her nose. Froze her into a Popsicle. Off went Jack Frost, from tree to tree to tree.

Now the next morning, the old woman with the hard heart got up early. She went to the room of the old man with the fuzzy white hair and shook him.

"Old man! Old man! Get up and get my daughter. I want to see her new cloak."

So the old man with the fuzzy white hair went out to the barn hooked up the sleigh. Drove it out to the deep deep woods to find the little girl with the frown on her face.

The old woman with the hard heart went into the kitchen and started making breakfast. What do you like for breakfast? She made all those things and lots of sausage.

Then into the kitchen came their three legged dog, Tasha Tripod, a howling and singing:

Howl! Howl! Howl!
Old man's daughter's trimmed in gold.
Old woman's daughter's frozen cold.
Howl! Howl! Howl!

The old woman with the hard heart said, "Doggie, stop singing like that. You got the song wrong. It should be: Old man's daughter has a dumb old cloak. Old Woman's daughter's is better. Now sing it right."

But still Tasha sang:

Howl! Howl! Howl!
Old man's daughter's trimmed in gold.
Old woman's daughter's frozen cold.
Howl! Howl! Howl!

The old woman with the hard heart said, "Stop that! I told you how to sing it. If you sing it right I'll give you a sausage."

She gave Tasha a sausage. Tasha gobbled it up, but still she sang:

Howl! Howl! Howl!
Old man's daughter's trimmed in gold.
Old woman's daughter's frozen cold.
Howl! Howl! Howl!

"Doggie, you stop singing that right now or I'll kick you."

Well, Tasha didn't stop singing and the woman couldn't kick her, 'cause every time she tried Tasha just went some where else.

Round and round the house they went. Round and round until they heard sleigh bells. Old Man coming back from the deep deep woods.

"It's my daughter with her new cloak. I can't wait to see them."

The old woman with the hard heart, ran to the door and opened it up. Wasn't she surprised to see the little girl with the frown on her face frozen into a Popsicle.

She ran outside touched her daughter The cold ran up her arm and froze her into a Popsicle.

They didn't thaw out 'til spring.

But the old man with the fuzzy white hair, his daughter with the smile on her face, and of course Tasha Tripod. They lived happily ever after.

That's the story of JACK FROST. I hope you enjoyed it.

Papa Joe ~ Telling Tales