Jack in the box ("Jack in the box", also in Russian "poppypunchik") is a children's toy. It looks like a box with a handle that plays a melody. At some point, the box suddenly opens its lid and a figure (usually a clown or a jester) pops out of it. The tune played is often "Pop Goes the Weasel", with Jack popping out at the place where the word "pop" should be in the song.

The origin of the toy is unknown. According to one theory, the authorship belongs to Sir John Shorne, an English non-canonised saint, who is often depicted holding a boot containing the devil. The story goes that once, in order to save a village in Buckinghamshire, he caught the devil, precisely, in the boot.

According to another version, Spring-Heeled Jack is a character from Victorian English folklore, a humanoid creature notable primarily for his ability to make jumps of astonishing height. The earliest reported sightings of Jumping Jack in London date from 1837. Later his appearances were recorded in many places in England - especially in London itself, its suburbs, Liverpool, Sheffield, the Midlands (central England) and even Scotland. "Peak" reports occurred in the 1850s-1880s; although a number of reports of sightings of Jack from England and even other countries were also reported in the 20th century, the last date of his appearance is believed to be 1904.

There are many theories about the nature and identity of Jack the jumper, but none of them are scientifically proven and do not give affirmative answers to all questions related to Jack's "activity". Thus, his story remains unexplained to this day, science is not aware of a device with which a man could make such jumps, and the fact of his real existence is disputed by a significant number of historians. The urban legend of Jack the Jumper was incredibly popular in England in the second half of the 19th century - primarily because of his unusual appearance, aggressive eccentric behaviour (Jack often attacked people) and the aforementioned ability to make incredible jumps - to the point that Jack became the hero of several works of fiction in European "tabloid literature" of the 19th and 20th centuries.

The story of Jack the Jumper is significant because of two things. Firstly, his image had a huge influence on the "comic culture" of the 20th century, and it was his attire that became the prototype of the "superhero" costume (e.g. Batman's costume). Secondly, he is the only "intelligent mystical being" in human history whose "cause" was discussed at the level of a government agency that came to recognise its reality.

The photos were taken from public sources.