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The Tale Of Jack Alexander

© Virginia Marin

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Jack tales belong to that body of folklore which originally depicted white male children and adults or tales in which Jack appeared, such as Jack-in-the-Bean-Stalk, or This is the House Jack Built. In time, Jack tales denoted any and all fairy tales. The name was coined by the Afro-American community. Black story tellers--mothers, grandmothers and professional tellers, taught their young at an early age to ask for a Jack tale if they wanted to be told a story. This is a contemporary Jack tale based on historical and prophetic events found in the Biblical Book of Daniel (2:32-33). The similitude of the multimetallic image is central to the tale. The lives and escapades of Nebuchadnezzar and Alexander the Great, from which I have drawn, are well known...

Jack was late for class. He quietly opened the door to the auditorium and slipped into a seat at the back. His professor of Indo-European Studies momentarily stared him down, then continued, unperturbed, with his lecture...

..."Nebuchadnezzar was the first great world ruler. I think this was God's ideal for Adam--who was given dominion, but lost it. The world has known four great world rulers, of four great nations, who have attempted to rule the world. They all botched the job. None of them were successful except the first one, Nebuchadnezzar, who did the best job, though Alexander the Great cannot be minimized." He stopped briefly to wipe his brow before continuing...

"Alexander the Great was leader of the Greek confederation. He did away with his rivals to the throne, and razed Thebes to the ground. He then began the invasion and conquest of Asia, and defeated King Darius III of Persia. Alexander marched through Syria, Egypt, Babylon, Susa and Persepolis and founded the city of Alexandria in 331 B.C. At the age of thirty-three, Alexander contracted a fever and died after only a three-day illness. It is possible that Alexander's death was due, rather, to excessive drink, though this has never been verified. He was greatly admired for his courage, but feared at the same time.

Whereas Alexander the Great was a realist, Nebuchadnezzar was a believer in dreams. The multimetallic image of which Nebuchadnezzar once dreamed was interpreted by Daniel, the prophet. The different metals represent world empires. The first, Nebuchadnessar was identified as the head of gold. He was an absolute monarch. The second kingdom was Medio-Persia, and represented by the breast and arms of silver. It was inferior to the first. The third kingdom was Greece-Macedonia and represented by the thighs of brass. It was inferior to the first and second. The fourth world kingdom was Rome. It was represented by the legs of iron. Rome was decadent and inferior to those who came before. The final world kingdom is considered to be where we are today. It is represented by the feet of clay--which contain all things Roman. But, THAT is for another day!"

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