Did you ever hear the story of the first jack-o-lantern? It goes like this:

There was once a blacksmith who was so mean and cussed his neighbors called him Mean Jack. He didn't give a hang for anybody, not even his wife, Sairy Ann. And he cared even less about his soul.

"That Jack!" his neighbors said. "He's as mean as the Devil!"

The Devil became enraged when he heard this, for he never yet had met his match for meanness. First he sent his youngest son, Norman, and then his oldest son, Everett, to bring the blacksmith back to him. But each time, Jack tricked the young devils into promising never to bother him again. Finally, the Devil himself went to fetch Mean Jack.

While doing research for an earlier book, Witches, Pumpkins, and Grinning Ghosts: The Story of the Halloween Symbols, Edna Barth came upon the fascinating but fragmentary story of the first jack-o-lantern. Drawing on other versions of the legend, Mrs. Barth has fashioned this colorful retelling, set in her native New England.

Paul Galdone has added strong illustrations that capture Mean Jack's skinflint personality, bring out the high humor of his encounter with the Devil, and dramatically portray his final punishment—to wander the earth for eternity with only a jack-o-lantern to light his way. 

From the dust jacket