I bring here some text about Hardly from Narcis Dictionary

Hardly

(1) Adverb
You use hardly to say that something is only just true.
I was beginning to like Sam, though I hardly knew him.... The boy was hardly more than seventeen.... She had hardly any money.... Her bedroom was so small that she could hardly move in it.
(2) Adverb
If you say hardly had one thing happened when something else happened, you mean that the first event was followed immediately by the second.
Hardly had he uttered the words when he began laughing.
(3) Adverb
You can use hardly in an ironic way to emphasize that something is certainly not true.
I will hardly need to remind you to be polite.... In the circumstances, it is hardly surprising that he resigned.



and about Jack's story

In your opinion: was Jack a gluttonous human?  No .he wasn't
He was just very hungry!
Then Ghost said about a old treasure in the cellar

The ghost went in to the undergroundpath &Jack followed it.
They went to a cave which was dark & dismal
Jack asked:"Do you have a map ?"
The cost answered :"no,because I hid the treasure myself"
....

.And I want give it to you
But you should do some work to reach treasure
Ghost said

Jack asked:
what do I do for you?

"Come with me ,I'll say it to you "the ghost said.
They went to the dark & extensive part of the cave ,where was full of terrifying things like
wild mushrooms,black flowers & a strange stone shaped like a greedy man who wanted to eat everything.
The ghost while pointing to the ground, said to Jack:"Dig this part".
Jack said surprised:"I've read alot about treasure,but I've heard nothing about treasure heretofore,this is like a dream."
Then started to dig but he was unable as the ground was hard.
He shouted:" bad furtune,I have to find a sharp edge."
..........