The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1868-03-27
The House rhat Jack Built.

The House Fhat Jack Built.
TIE JEWISH ORIGIN OF THR CELEBRATED PoPULAl
LEGEND ''THE HOUSE. THAT JACK BUILT"
AS the occupation and pleasures o
childhood produce a powerful i'm
pressIon on the memory, it is proba
bic that almost every reader who ha
passed his infantile day in all Englisl
nursery, recollects the delight will
which he repeated that puerile jing
ling legend, s.The House that Jacl
Built" Very few, however, are a
all aware of the original form OF it
composition, or the particular suhjec
it was designed to illustrate. An(
fewer still would suspect that it is on
Ily an accommodated and altered
. translation of an ancient parabolica
hymn, sung by the Jews at the feas
of the Passover, and commemorative
of the principal events in the history
of that people. Yet, such is actually
the fact. The original, in the Chal
dee language, is now lying before
me, and as it may not be uninterest
ing to the readers of The Congresa
tional Magazine, l will here furnish
them with literal translation of it.
and then add the Interpretation, as
given by p. N. Leberecht, LEIPZIG,
1871. The hymn itself is found in
Sepher Haggadah, vol. %.
l. kid, kid my father bought,
For two pisces of money:
kid, kid.
2. Then came the cat, and ate the kid,
That my father bought,
For two pieces of money:
kid, kid.
3. Then came the dog, and biz the cat,
That ate the kid,
That my father bought,
For two pieces of money:
kid, kid.
4. Then came the staff, and beat the dog,
That bit the cat,
That ate the kid.
That my father bought, Tr4s.s
Fer two pieces of gznpey:
ffd, kid.
5. Then came the fire, and burned the staff,
That beat the dos.
That bit the cat,
That ate the kid,
That my father bought,
For two pieces of money:
a kid, kid.
6. Then came the wafer, and quenohed the
fire,
That burned the staff,
That teat the dog,
That bit the Cat,
That ate the kid,
That my father bought,
For two pieces of money:
kid, kid.
Z. Then came the OK, and drank the water,
That Qenched the fire,
That burned the staff,
That beat the d, G.
That bit the cat,
That ate the kid,
That my father bought,
For two pieces of money:
kid, kid.
8. Then came butcher and slew the OK.
That drank the water,
That quenched the fire,
Tina burned the staff,
That beat the dog,
That bit the cat.
That ate the kid,
That my father bought,
For two pieces of morey:
A kid, kid.
Q. Then came the angel cf death and killed
the butcher,
That slew the OK,
That drank tie water,
That quenched the fire,
That burned tho staff.
That beat the dog,
That biz the cat,
That ate the kid.
That my father bought,
For two pieces of money:
A kid, a kid.
10. Then came the Holy One, blessed be He
And killed the angel Of death,
That killed the butcher,
That slew the OK,
That DIR nk the water,
That Iuenche1 the fire,
That burned the staff.
That beat the dog,
That bit the cat,
That ate the kid,
That my father bought,
For two pieces Of money:
kid. kid.
The following is the interpreta
tion:
1. The kid, which is one OF the pure
animals, denotes the Hebrews. The
father by whom it was purchased II
Jehovah, who represents himself al
sustaining this relation to the Hebrew
nation. The pieces of money signify
Moses and Aaron, through whose
meditation the Hebrews were brough
out of Egypt.
2. The cat denotes the Assyrians
by whom the Ten Tribes were car
ried into captivity.
3. The dog is symbolical to th'
Babylonians.
4. The staff signified the Persians
5. The fire indicates the Grecial
empire under Alexander the Great.
6. The water betokens the Roman
or the fourth of the great monarchie
to whom the Jews were subjected.
I. The OK is a symbol OF the Ssrs
Gems, who subdued Palestine, an
brought it under the Calphate.
8. Tho butcher that killed the O.
denotes the Crusaders, by whom tn
Holy Land was wrested out of tn
hands of the Saracens.
9. The angel of death signifies tn
Turkish power, by which the land Z
Palestine was taken from the Franks
to whom it is still subject.
10. The commencement OF tn
tenth stanza is designed to show tbs
God will take signal vengeance o
the Turks, Immediately after who's
overthrow the Jews are to be restol
ed to their own land, and live unde
the government oftheir long-expecte
D Messiah.-London Congregations