There once was a lad from Paddock Wood in jolly ole England. His name was Jacques, after his grandfather, originally from the Loire Valley. Everyone called him Jack, including his parents. The family lived a life of workhouses and meagerness, but was overall a happy bunch.
An adventurous sole was Jack, always climbing the trees, exploring the caves, and scampering the woods. One day while idling away Jack stumbled upon a sack of beans to the side of an oxen trail which had obviously fallen off an agriculturer’s wagon. A grand idea lit into little Jack’s mind. He could take the beans into town and sell them to make some money for the family. Mum and Daddy would be so proud. Off to town he strolled. Along the way he stopped dead in his tracks. “If I try and sell these beans in this bag everyone will know where they came from and think I stole them” he said out loud. Jack looked around and saw a black cast iron kettle hanging from a peg by a pig sty. Obviously used to slop the hogs he thought. “I’ll just borrow it, sell the beans, and return the pot on my way home”. So Jack wiped out the pot the best he could, dumped the beans in and was on his way.
Once in town Jack headed to market but no one seemed interested in his beans. Then Jack came up with a brilliant plan. He saw another lad tagging behind his mum. “Pssst. Hey, you want to see some magic beans”? said Jack. “Whut?” “Sure, these are magic beans, but you can’t tell a sole if I show them to you”. “Yea, I want to see them”. “You promise not to tell”. “I promise, I promise”. Jack held the pot of beans out and ran his fingers through them. “What’s so magic about those beans?” the boy asked. These beans will make wishes come true. Just take a bean, hold it in your hand, plant the bean, and when it grows your wish will come true” Jack replied. “Do they work?” the boy asked. “Do they work”, Jack spat out, “I wished that today, this very day, would be bright and sunny so I could take my beans to town”. “Wow, they do work” cried the lad. This is a beautiful day!” “That it is” said Jack, “that it is”.
Everyone knows what happens when you ask someone to keep a secret, especially when they swear to keep it. It wasn’t long and gossiping was spreading like a wild fire through the town. Everybody wanted a bean or two. Quickly, it was rumored the beans would summon a mound of gold if one wished upon it and carefully cultivated the harvest. Everyone marveled at Jack and his beans. The townsfolk searched him out. They searched for Jack and his Pot. "There's Jack's Pot" they would cry. Every last bean had been sold.
It had been a bountiful harvest for Jack and his wish did come true. A true Jack's Pot indeed.