The Singing Scoutmaster: Jack and the Bullies

One day, Jack was walking along the road when he encountered a group of mean bullies. They taunted him, calling him names and pushing him around. But Jack, never one to fight back with fists, decided to use his wits instead.

"I'll make a deal with you," Jack said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Let's have a contest to see who can throw this rock the farthest. If I win, you leave me alone forever. If you win, I'll carry your bags for a week." The bullies laughed, thinking it would be an easy victory, and agreed to the challenge.

Jack picked up a small rock and threw it as hard as he could, but it only went a few feet. The bullies howled with laughter, thinking they had won. Then, Jack pointed to a nearby mountain. "See that big boulder over there?" he asked. "I can throw this rock so far it'll knock that boulder down!"

The bullies scoffed, but Jack took a deep breath and hurled the rock straight up into the air. "Now," he said, "we just have to wait a little while for it to come back down." The bullies looked up, squinting at the sky, waiting for the rock to fall. Jack used their distraction to quietly slip away, leaving the bullies staring at the sky until nightfall.

From that day on, the bullies never bothered Jack again, and whenever they saw him, they would say, "There goes the boy who can throw a rock all the way to the mountain!"