''Jake and the Kid'' is a collection of

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

W. O. Mitchell William Ormond Mitchell, (March 13, 1914 – February 25, 1998) was a Canadian writer and broadcaster. His "best-loved" novel is '' Who Has Seen the Wind'' (1947), which portrays life on the Canadian Prairies from the point of view of a smal ...

, originally published in 1961. Many stories in the series appeared in ''

Maclean's ''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian perspe ...

'' prior to the book's publication. Mitchell also published a sequel volume, ''According to Jake and the Kid'', in 1989.

Overview

Set in the 1940s and 1950s, "The Kid" is at the centre of stories of a boy on a farm in fictional Crocus,

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

, Canada. Jake is the hired hand who helps the Kid's mother run the farm who now keeps the Kid abreast of events in the greater world and in Crocus. The Kid's teacher, Miss Henchbaw, is unfairly dismissed by the school board until her friends fight back in the story "Will of the People"; Chet Lambert of the Crocus Breeze is hauled into court for comparing George Solway with Malleable Brown's goat in "The Face Is Familiar," resulting in a courtroom confrontation unrivalled in the history of Canadian jurisprudence; and "Political Dynamite" shows the men terrified by women curlers threatening to vote en bloc in the upcoming town election. The town is rich not only in disputes but characters, from Repeat Golightly in the barbershop to Old Man Sherry, the town's oldest inhabitant. Throughout the series of stories, many entertainers come through town: Belva Taskey, the sweet songstress ("Lo! The Noble Redskin!") and her memorable poetry reading; The Great Doctor Suhzee, the hypnotist; and Professor Noble Winesinger, whose snake-oil remedies had been known to turn his customers black.

Adaptations

Radio

Mitchell began to write the Jake and the Kid radio series for

CBC Radio CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...

in 1950. The radio series continued until 1956 with over 300 episodes produced.

Television

Two television adaptations have been produced, the 1961 ''

Jake and The Kid ''Jake and the Kid'' is a collection of short stories by W. O. Mitchell, originally published in 1961. Many stories in the series appeared in ''Maclean's'' prior to the book's publication. Mitchell also published a sequel volume, ''According to J ...

'' for

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French-l ...

, starring

Murray Westgate Murray Westgate (April 16, 1918 – August 27, 2018) was a Canadian actor. He is best known for his longtime role as a television pitchman in Canadian commercials for Esso on ''Hockey Night in Canada'' in the 1950s and 1960s, and also for his roles ...

as Jake and

Rex Hagon Rex Hagon (born 13 December 1947) is a Canadian actor and television host. His performing career began in his youth, most notably with the children's television program ''The Forest Rangers''. Born in Toronto, Ontario, Hagon attended Upper Cana ...

as Ben, and the 1995 ''

Jake and the Kid ''Jake and the Kid'' is a collection of short stories by W. O. Mitchell, originally published in 1961. Many stories in the series appeared in ''Maclean's'' prior to the book's publication. Mitchell also published a sequel volume, ''According to J ...

'' for

Global Global means of or referring to a globe and may also refer to: Entertainment * ''Global'' (Paul van Dyk album), 2003 * ''Global'' (Bunji Garlin album), 2007 * ''Global'' (Humanoid album), 1989 * ''Global'' (Todd Rundgren album), 2015 * Bruno ...

with

Shaun Johnston Shaun Johnston is a Canadian movie and theatre actor best known for his role as Jack Bartlett on the CBC drama ''Heartland'', which debuted in October 2007. He co-founded the Shadow Theatre in Edmonton and made his first professional forays ...

as Jake and Ben Campbell as Ben.

Awards

The book won the

Stephen Leacock Award The Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, also known as the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour or just the Leacock Medal, is an annual literary award presented for the best book of humour written in English by a Canadians, Canadian writer, publis ...

in 1962.

References

Canadian short story collections 1961 short story collections CBC Radio One programs Canadian radio dramas Saskatchewan in fiction Works originally published in Maclean's Works by W. O. Mitchell {{Canada-radio-show-stub