Storytelling is one of the pillars of Appalachian culture, and some of the stories told most commonly in these mountains are called Jack Tales. Jack Tales find their roots in the British Isles and were spread over to the southeastern U.S. as storytellers immigrated to the mountains. 

They revolve around Jack, a quick-witted young boy who uses a combination of clever schemes and pure luck to get what he wants. Jack tales have been told and retold over and over again, tweaked, altered, and added to as they have been orally passed down through generations. 

Doyle Pace, an Appalachian storyteller and long-time lover of folklore, tells his version of "Jack and the Robbers" in the video below.