Perhaps this represents something of a return to the more nomadic European roots of the Jack tales. Whatever the path of their evolution, they are again growing in popularity.

The Jack Tale Players, a performance group based at Ferrum College in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains has put on over the last twenty years before more than 75,000 appreciative audience members. Founder Rex Stephenson has called their stylish presentations “story theater … somewhere between storytelling and [an] acted out play.”

Yet, thanks to contributions like Jack in Two Worlds, the American trickster of Appalachia survives, so that a young Girl Scout can encounter him with friends at a theater or in the pages of a book filling a busy day’s final moments.

It came about that Jack went looking for work. He had walked a way, and it was hot and nearly suppertime, when Jack came to a very fine house surrounded by a fence. So Jack went up to the gate and shouted, “Hello!”

An older man emerged from the house. “Hello,” he replied. “I'm sorry to trouble you,” said Jack, “but I'm looking for work.”

“Well, I do need some land cleared,” said the older man, opening the gate. “Why don't you come on in and have some supper.”

As they sat down to eat, the man explained his problem to Jack. “I've hired a hundred men, but the giant has killed every last one of them,” he said.

“How big is this giant?” asked Jack.

“Well, he has two heads and is about the size of six men,” the old man replied. “Do you still think you can clear that land, Jack?”

Now they had just sat down to eat, and Jack was still hungry. “Well, sure ,” he answered.

Now after a while Jack had eaten his fill, but the man's wife kept bringing more food, all manner of good things to eat, like chicken and corn bread and pie and milk.