Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1897-08-13

The House That Jack Built
As the occupations and pleasures
of childhood produce powerful
impression ON the memory, it is
probable that almost every reader
recollects the delight with which he
repeated that puerile iingling legend,
"The House that Jack built. Very
few, however, are at all aware of
the original form of its composition.
or the particular subject it was de-
signed TO illustrate And fewer still
would suspect that it is only an ac-
comnodated and altered translation
of an ancient parabolical hymn,
sung by the Jews at the feast 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 your Magazine
l will here furnish them with lit
eral translation of it, and then add
the Interpretation, as given by P. N.
Lsbercht, Laipsic, 1871. The hymn
itself is found in Sepher Haggadah,
fol %
A kid, a kid my father bought,
For two pieces Of money
A kid, kid.
Then came the cat and ate the kid,
That my father bought,
For two pieces of money;
A kid, kid.
Then came the dog and bit the cat,
That ate the kid
That my father bought,
For two pieces Of money:
A kid, a kid
I'LL
Then came the staff, and beat the dog,
That bit tho cat
lnat my tntner bought,
For TWO pieces of money;
A kid, a kid
V.
Then came the fire, and burned the staff
That beat the dog,
That bit the cat,
That ate the kid,
That my father bought,
For two pieces of money:
A kid a kid
Then came the water and quenched the
fire,
That burned the stuff,
That beat the dog
That bit the cat,
That ate the kid,
That my father bought,
For two pieces of money.
A kid, a kid
Then came the OK, and drank the water,
That quenched the fire,
| That burned the stntf,
| That bit the cat,
! That ate the kid,
That my fathor bought,
For two pieces Of money:
A kid II kid
VIII
Then came the butcher, and slow the OK,
That drank the water,
| That quenched the fire,
That burned the staff,
That boat the dog
| That bit the cat,
/ That ate the kid,
That my father bought,
For two pieces OF money:
A kid kid.
TX
Then came then angel Of cath, and killed
the butcher,
I That slew the OK,
| That drank the water
That quenched 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, a kid.
X.
Then came the Holy One blessed be Hei
And killed the angel of death,
That killed the butcher,
That slew the OK,
That drank the water,
That quenched 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:
a kid, kid
The following is the interpreta
tion.-
/ The kid which was one of the
pure animals, denotes the Hebrews.
The father, by whom it was pur-
chased, is Jehovah, who represents
himself as sustaining this relation to
the Hebrew nation.
The two pieces of money signify
Moses and Aaron, through whose
mediation the Hebrews were brought
out of Egypt
2. The cat denotes the Assyrians
by whom tho ten tribes we're carried
into captivity.
3 The dog is symbolical of the
Blbylonians
4. The staff signifies the Persl-
ans.
5. The fire indicates the Grecian
empire, under Alexander the Great.
6. The water betokens the Roman
or the fourth of the great monarch
les, to whose dominion the Jews
were subjected.
z. The OK is a symbol of the
Saracens, who subdued Palestine,
and brought it under the caliphate