A game for the
ZX Spectrum, in which the hero, Jumping Jack, has to jump through gaps in moving lines to reach the top of the
screen, while avoiding falling down or being killed by
monsters. Each time you complete a
level, you are rewarded with a line from a series of four
limericks. My brother and I eventually
solved it by cheating - he hacked the game so that you had
infinite lives and could start at any level, and I completed all the levels. The
rhyme is:
Jumping Jack is quick and bold
With skill his story will unfold
THE BALLAD OF JUMPING JACK
A daring explorer named Jack
Once found a peculiar track
There were dangers galore
Even holes in the floor
So he kept falling flat on his back.
Quite soon he got used to the place
He could jump to escape from the chase
But without careful thought
His leaps came to nought
And he left with a much wider face.
Things seemed just as bad as could be
Hostile faces were all Jack could see
He tried to stay calm
And to come to no harm
But more often got squashed like a flea.
By now Jack was in a great flap
He felt like a rat in a trap
If only he'd guessed
That soon he could rest
After jumping the very last gap.