Jack, the Bull and the Golden Egg

“Listen, there’s nothing I can do.” Jack closed his eyes and shook his head. “Mom and I have no money left. We literally only have enough bread for four more days.”

Delilah’s hooves clicked as she lumbered her large frame alongside Jack. “I know, but are you really going to sell me? I’ve been giving you guys milk for years. And now your just gonna sell me off so that I can spend my golden years grazing away in a field until I’m slaughtered.”

Jack stopped and turned to Delilah. “Don’t put it like that!”

“Well it’s the truth, and the truth hurts.”

“We have no other option. We either keep you and we starve to death, or we sell you and get another cow that can….” Jack’s head dropped, he frowned and curled his lips. “…. that can produce milk.”

“MY UDDERS! I knew you were gonna bring that up. Well, have fun trying to control Micky! He will be livid when he finds out I’m gone.”

Jack gently pulled on the rope around Delilah’s neck, leading her forward. She stood her ground at first, pulling with her head, but then submitted to her master. “Well Mickey might be next to visit the market, he will just have to deal with it.”

“You know what that bull is like. He will go berserko. You better get rid of that red shirt you sometimes wear.”

The market bustled and hummed with people as they bought and sold various produce and merchandise.

Jack was distracted by a small group of people gathered around a cart. On the cart stood an old man, with a long grey beard and a multi-colored coat.

Next to him was a little girl. She was skinny and slightly emaciated, with dark circles under her eyes. The old man pulled up her sleeve to reveal painfully looking red blisters on her thin scrawny arms. Jack’s eyes grew large in shock.

“Come on.” Delilah groaned. “Let’s get this over with, sell me off, with my old withered udders.”

Jack stood on his tiptoes looking over the crowd at the girl. “Hold on a second. I want to see this.”

Delilah snorted, shaking her head. “Micky is gonna be raging over this.”

The old man took a bottle out of a wooden box.

“Do you all see this terrible curse this girl has succumbed to?” He said scanning his audience.

The crowd although slightly disgusted nodded in unison.

“This medication that I have here will cure all your rashes and itching. Look!”

He poured some of the contents of the bottle into his hand and wiped it down the length of the girl’s arm. The blisters seemed to brush off effortlessly like crumbs on a table.

“Five pennies for this amazing potion. Who wants a bottle?” Declared the old man, holding up the girl’s arm in one hand and the bottle in another.

The crowd let out a gasp, and an eruption of chatter began as they scrambled to buy the amazing medication.

Jack stood motionless next to Delilah, his jaw hung open.

As the crowd dispersed, Jack became aware of the old man waving him over. “Young man, come here.”

Jack sauntered over to the strange medicine man, with Delilah by his side.

“Young man, are you here to sell your cow?” He said as he stroked Delilah’s head. Enjoying it she pushed her head into his hand.

Jack’s shoulder sunk. “Unfortunately, I am.”

“Well I tell you what, I need a couple of beasts like this to pull my cart around. This will be a good start.”

“I’m no beast, I’m a lady!” Objected Delilah pulling her head away from the old man’s stroking hand.

“Oh, I’m sorry, a lady, and a feisty one at that.”

The old man chuckled.

“How much?”

“Well, I have something more valuable than money.”

Jack frowned. The old man pulled four large purple beans from his pocket and held them in the palm of his hand.

“These are stalk beans. Plant them tonight and tomorrow they will have grown high into the sky.”

He stretched his arm straight up as if reaching for a cloud.

Jack’s eyes were wide opened, mystified by the old man.

“Then what?”

“Climb it. High into the clouds. There you will find a castle. In the castle, you will find a golden goose that lays golden eggs. But be careful, there might be some giants that would love to eat little people like you.”

“OH. OLD UDDERS! You are full of cow dung!” Delilah said.

“Quiet!” Jack barked back.

“Sound like a deal?” Smiled the old man.

“Delilah, this is the best deal ever. You get to live and not be “slaughtered” as you like to put it. And mother and I can no longer be poor.”

“I guess so.” She muttered. “Come and visit me at the market next month.”

Jack gave her a big hug and rubbed her fluffy ears, and off he went with the strange beans.

Jack skipped all the way home with thoughts of the golden eggs, buzzing around in his head, and how rich his mom and he were going to be.

“Hey, w w w w where is my sweet Delilah?”

Jack came to a sudden stop. And approached the fence that stood between Micky and himself.

“Micky, I’m afraid I have some bad news.”

The large black bull frowned, as he looked at Jack with his fiery red eyes.

“B b b bad news? What bad news?”

“I want you to stay calm.”

“Tell me n n now!” Micky started to puff his nostrils.

Jack stood back from the fence. “I had to sell Delilah.”

“Delilah, you ssssssold Delilah?” His anger grew and he puffed more and more. Snot shot out of his nostrils. He started pawing his hoof aggressively against the ground, sending dirt into the air. He then bashed his horns against the wooden fence.

Jack jumped back.

Micky let out a whale and pounded the fence one last time with his horns before charging off. As he ran along the parameter of the field, head swaying, he shouted out Delilah’s name.

***

“YOU DID WHAT?!” Jack’s mother shouted, slapping him across the back of the head.

“But mom..”

“Mom nothing!” She whipped the beans out of the window.

“You stupid boy! You will go back to that market tomorrow and get Delilah back and then sell her, or have that crazy old man give you money for her.”

Jack defeated and sad went off to bed, his dreams of castles in the clouds, golden eggs, and riches had been squashed.

Micky wandered back and forth in his field sulking and repeating the name Delilah, over and over. His attention was caught by something purple in the grass. He tilted his head and sniffed the beans. Opening his large mouth he gobbled them up and wandered off.

The next morning Jack headed back to the market hoping to redeem himself. He noticed Micky laying down in the field. It was unusual for the bull to be so docile, especially since he was so upset the day before. Even stranger was the fact that the bull didn’t move at seeing Jack.

Jack climbed the fence and made his way toward Micky.

“You okay Micky?” Jack said nervously.

“I I I I’ve been bad. Something happened last night. I mean, I was upset! Delilah is gone!”

“What did you do?” Jack said tilting his head looking at the bull.

“Well, I didn’t feel so well last night, and I I I… I mean something…..”

Jack stomped his feet. “Spit it out, Micky!”

“Something came out of me. I thought I had to….poop,” he whispered. “And….”

Micky stood up. To Jack’s amazement laying in the grass sat a large shiny gold egg. Bigger than the biggest pumpkin Jack had ever seen at the fair.

“You laid a golden egg!! We are rich!!” Jack jumped up and down.

“Does this mean we we we we can get Delilah back?”

“No Micky, but it means you can go and be with her. I know just the man that will have you, and you can be with Delilah again.”

***

Robbie Sheerin was born in Scotland and is a quality inspector who enjoys classic sci-fi. He is inspired by such writers as Asimov, Bradbury, Serling, and Dan Brown. Robbie is married with one daughter and lives in New England, USA. He writes in his spare time and has been published in numerous online journals and magazines. He writes on Medium. Robbie is also on NewsBreak as THE HUNGRY TRAVELER.