Jack Tales are one of Appalachia’s most beloved storytelling traditions. The oral folklore series recounts the antics of Jack, a clever young boy, who finds himself in countless predicaments. 
 

Researchers and folklore collectors have found these tales, which originated in Europe, all over the world. The ones in the Appalachian Mountains took on the characteristics of the hearty immigrants who struggled to eke out a life in a beautiful, but challenging area.

Jack’s adventures have him encountering all sorts of foes — from giants to panthers to ghosts —  but he uses his wits, good nature, and, more often than not, good fortune to win out in the end. You could say, as W. Lewis Bolton, author and creator of Smoky Mountain Jack Tales Storytelling Theatre, observes that Jack’s character takes on a celebrity status comparable to today’s comic book action heroes.

The mountains near Mast Store’s Original Store are home to the Hicks family. Ray Hicks, who passed away in 2003, is a Smithsonian treasure for his telling of Jack Tales. His dialect and word choice hearken back to Elizabethan and Shakespearean language— not because Ray was scholarly but because he lived in such a remote area. (See below.)

Just as we might turn on the radio or television for a distraction while doing chores, Jack Tales accompanied the necessary undertakings for weathering the winter — like peeling apples for drying, breaking beans for canning, or grading tobacco for market. The oral tradition allowed Jack to “be adapted” to the time and region of the storyteller.

In the book Smoky Mountain Jack Tales of Winter and Old Christmas, Bolton proves Jack Tales’ agility by transforming Jack’s most famous exploit into a holiday-themed, distinctively Appalachian take on the classic “Jack and the Beanstalk.”

In “Jack and the Bean Tree Christmas,” Jack doesn’t steal a golden-egg-laying hen and a magical harp from the Giant, who lives at the top of the beanstalk, but rather he takes bread, wood, and a quilt to feed and keep his family warm for the winter. Appalachian families, for centuries, have understood that these necessities are the true Christmas gifts… Everyday items required for survival during cold, harsh winters are portrayed as luxuries as valuable as any riches and also gifts of hospitality should visitors grace their thresholds.

But Jack doesn’t just provide for his own family. By chopping down the bean tree to escape the Giant, green beans rain for “miles and mi-i-iles around… [feeding] many a mountain family a-a-all year long,” the tale proclaims.

Like the spoken tradition of Jack Tales, the people of the Appalachian Mountains have endured for generations thanks to their adaptability, wit, courage, resilience, and willingness to give to others with a full heart. 

If you'd like to watch a Jack Tale or two, here are a few options.

Ray Hicks tells about hunting with Jack. This was filmed on Ray's front porch on the backside of Beech Mountain. You'll love his facial expressions. He is sitting beside Stanley Hicks, who is best known for making mountain dulcimers and banjos.

Appalshop is located in Whitesburg, Kentucky. In 1969, Appalshop started a project to document and revitalize the creativity and traditions of Appalachia. Their documentarians visited many times with Ray, Stanley, and others in the Hick Family. This video was filmed in 1974 at Ray's home. He tells the story of Soldier Jack and plays a little harmonica. 

Orville Hicks is Ray's cousin, and he learned many of his tales at Ray's knee. Orville spent several years working at Watauga County's container site between Blowing Rock and Boone. Many a patron was regaled with a tale or two while they sorted their recycling. In this video, Orville tells the Hardy Hard Head Jack Tale.