My Jack Tale

Several years ago, man with black hat actually had a sidekick. Basically it was a guy who commented all the time, and often had something witty to say. I never met him, and rarely so much as corresponded with him.

His name was Jack, and he was from New Jersey. That was about all I knew about him.

I thought Jack was a perfect name for a sidekick, being as how there is an established tradition in Anglo-American folklore for "Jack tales." These are outlandish adventures made up by storytellers of an imaginary character -- well, named Jack. Perhaps the most over-exposed example would be "Jack and the Beanstalk." There are many more where that one came from, except no one really knows where they came from. What they all appear to have in common, is a wandering ne'er-do-well with a penchant for getting into trouble, and just as easily getting out of trouble. The latter is often through the concoction of outlandish schemes, and the ability to distort the truth at the expense of his adversary.

One day Jack -- that is to say, my sidekick named Jack -- disappeared without so much as a how-do-you-do. I wonder whatever happened to him. Wandering the countryside, perhaps, in search of newer and taller tales to tell.
.