marți, 20 ianuarie 2009
FAIRY TALES FROM ATENA
A cock with boots, a swan with earrings
Once upon a time there was a princess, who had a beautiful voice. She was singing for the birds, and they sat listening to her mesmerized. One day along with the other birds came a glorious swan to listen to her sing. That kept happening but one day the princess was sad and asked the birds to leave her alone. But the swan was mad and took her ring. The other day the same thing happened and the swan took her necklace.
At the other end of the kingdom, lived a poor girl who made her living by washing other people’s clothes. One day as she was off to the river she saw a cock, wearing boots and singing: “Hey-ho off we go, to walk a field, to the forest we go, to crawl in a tree, inside to be, to eat and sleep peacefully”. The girl found this very strange, and followed the cock, through the forest until they arrived in front of a huge tree, where the cock stepped inside followed by the young girl. As they descended the girl saw a glorious palace full of birds. A kingdom of birds one might say. The girl hidden suddenly saw a swan coming down the palace. The swan suddenly was transformed to a beautiful young prince. All the other birds then gathered around him and he told them: “I liked everything I saw, but that princess sang more beautiful than anything else. The princess I stole the jewelry from was the prettiest creature there is.” As the girl hears that she comes out of the tree following again the cock, who kept singing “Hey ho, we ate and drank, we leave our tree, to the river heading to the river happily”.
As the time passed news flew in the kingdom that the princess was very sad, and she doesn’t sing anymore. Many went and tried to cheer her up, but no one could. So the little girl went and described to the princess her whole experience down at the bird palace. When the princess heard about the swan, who became a man, she was ecstatic. So that night, the two girls went by the river where they saw the cock in boots. And as they followed him they went down to the bird palace and waited for the swan to show up. They girls hid, but the birds realized that they were there. And when the swan came down, turning into a prince, the birds pointed in the princesses’ way and she sang to him:
I will hold you in my arms
The spell that has been cast to you I shall reverse
You from now on are simply a man
Then he hugged her and the spell was gone. And so they lived happily ever after.
Σημείωση: αυτό είναι ακόμα καλύτερο!!!!!!!
The bird king
Once upon a time there was an old man who used to plant wheat, but birds kept eating it. One day, one bird was caught and the old man took it to the princess. As she was an only child she treated the little bird as her brother. One day the princess woke up and saw that half of her food was missing. The same thing happened for several days, so one night she decided to stay awake and find out what was going on. She then saw the bird taking human form and becoming a beautiful prince!! He was the one who ate her food. The youngsters fell in love, and the princess gave him a ring as a token of her love. But one day the princess became pregnant. Their love was secret because the prince had warned her that if she revealed his secret she would lose him forever. But as her pregnancy became more obvious, her parents tried to find her a husband. To avoid getting married the princess told her parents the truth and as she opened the birdcage to show them her prince, he flew away!
The princess, ill from sadness left the kingdom and moved in the woods. On her door a note was hanging: “if you are a passer-by, come inside and I will give you food, but you will have to tell us all you know about that night”. One day, as the time passed the princess gave birth to a beautiful baby boy.
Near the princesses’ house lived a poor woman with her son. The boy went into the woods to find something for him and his mother to eat. As he sat to rest he saw an old woman picking up twigs, so he went and helped her carry them. He followed the old lady through a huge door, and down 40 huge steps. Then 40 birds flew in the old lady’s house, and as they sat on the table took human form and started eating. But only one bird was sad and did not eat anything. The little boy asked the old lady who those birds were and she replied that they were her sons and that they were enchanted. The only way that they would become normal men again was if they ever got married. The little boy told everything he saw to his mother and then she ran to the princess house to inform her. The little boy then took the princess to the old lady’s house. After a while all the birds flew in and sat around the table. Then the princess without letting anyone see her gave the ring that she had given to her prince once more. The prince understood who she was and whispered to her: “stay locked inside your house for 40 days. After that open wide all the doors and windows in your house, keep the fire place burning and have a clean table cloth lying on the table. And when I arrive, until I kiss our son, you should wrap my wings with that tablecloth and then I will be free from the spell”. And so it happened, and the family lived happily ever after.
Σημείωση: Κε Νίκο αυτό είναι το πιο ωραίο από όλα τα παραμύθια!!!!!
The golden apple
Once upon a time there was a king and a queen who had a daughter. The princess was a good girl, but she was very arrogant. As her time came to get married, her father arranged for many princes to come and meet her, but she drove them all away by asking them to bring her a golden apple! Only then she would marry. No one could deliver this golden fruit and so the king and queen were afraid that their daughter would remain unmarried forever!
At the palace there lived a good gardener who had a son. The young gardener saw the princess and fell in love with her, so he decided to go and find for her the golden apple so she would become his wife. As time passed the young gardener left the kingdom in search for the golden fruit. As he was walking he came across a river where he saw an old man, standing in one side of the river waiting to cross it. “How long have you been waiting here old man?” asked the young gardener “forever my son” the old man replied. And so the young lad took him and crossed him to the other side of the river. “No one has ever helped me. As a token of my gratitude I give you this magic knife. When you are in trouble the knife will always save you” said the old man and disappeared. So the young man continued his journey until he found himself in a crossroads. He then used his knife to help him find his way. As he walked further he saw a garden not been cared for in year. In this garden he saw a tree with golden apples! But the tree was being guarded by two dragons! Using his knife again the young boy beat them and took his apple! He then started walking back home. When he arrived at the kingdom he gound the princess and gave her the apple. But as he was poor she did not liked him! He used once more his magic knife and turned his dirty old clothes to royal attire and said “if you don’t like me the way I really am you will never see me again” and disappeared! The princess then immediately regretted the way she spoke to him and ordered her servants to find him. But he was nowhere to be found. The princess then went for walk, and as she was really upset she sat under a reed tree. The tree was very sick and about to die, so the princess, as she was kind at heart, saved it. Then the tree in human voice said: “let the one who found the golden apple show”. And the young gardener appeared! Then the tree told the princess and the young man “cut one of my twigs and uses it as a flute in your wedding, and then you’ll live happily ever after. And so they did…
THE GOLDEN DEER.
Once upon a time there was a great big kingdom where everyone was happy. The queen of this kingdom had a beautiful and good son. The day that the prince was getting married the whole kingdom was having extravagant festivities; when a passer-by showed up he asked an old man sitting beside him what was going on. The man replied: “We are celebrating the prince’s wedding with my daughter who used to be a deer.” The passer-by did not believe what he was hearing, so the old man explained.
The prince was very lonely after the king died. He only liked going hunting for deers in the woods. One day as he was hunting he saw a beautiful young woman sitting in the woods with a deer’s roan in her lap. When he saw her he loved her immediately and asked her to marry him. The girl replied that he would have to ask her father for permission. When he went to the girl’s father, the man replied: “You should be ashamed of making fun of an old man! I do not have a daughter.” And as he said those words a deer showed up. “That’s my daughter” said the old man “do you take her for your wife?” The prince then left disappointed and ordered his servants to find out the truth. When the servants came back they told him that into that small cabin in the woods, lived an old man with his wife who could not have children. One day they prayed to god “God, give as a child, even a small deer.” And so he did. The little deer became a member of their family, like a daughter to them. When the prince learned all this he decided to marry the deer! And so the wedding took place.
As the time passed by news came from a nearby kingdom, that there would be a wedding. Our prince along with the queen and his deer wife went to the festivities. When the deer was left alone she took of her roan, and became the beautiful woman that the prince had first seen in the woods. When the prince saw her, he immediately understood who she was.
So he announced that a king was coming to their kingdom for a visit and that they should prepare a great feast. He told the baker that he should built a great fire, for the women to prepare their foods for the feast. The prince clever as he was found the deer’s roan and threw it in the flames!! When the deer, as a woman, tried to find her roan to be transformed into a deer once more, she couldn’t find it! The prince saw her, and told her not to be afraid, that he would love her, and she was now a princess! “ And so today we are having a wedding. The prince is marrying the deer again, but as a beautiful young woman!” said her old father. And they all lived happily ever after.
The wooden girl
Once upon a time, there was a king who had three beautiful daughters. But the prettiest of them all, the older one, named Agni was who he loved the most. The king gave all his daughters to good princes, to be their wives. But only Agni was left unmarried. The king loved her so and thought she was so beautiful, that he wanted to marry her himself! But the princess had fallen in love with a young prince! Her father was very mad and he sent the young prince away. The princess was very sad, and one day she told her father: “Father I will think what you ask of me, only if you’ll give me three dresses, each as beautiful as the sea, the sun and the moon”. But as the dresses were getting made the girl went to a carpenter and asked him, if he could make for her a wooden armor, that when she would wear it no one would recognize her. So one day as her father went away, she claimed that she was ill. So she wore all her three dresses, and over them her wooden armor. And of she went, to her loving prince. He didn’t recognize her as she was wearing her wooden armor, and she told him that her name was Wooden Girl. As the prince liked her he asked her to stay with him. One day the kingdom had a ball, and Agni showed up, wearing her sea dress. The prince loved the way she looked, and stayed with her all night. At another kingdom ball the girl wore another one of her fancy dresses, and the prince loved her once more. At the third ball, the girl wore her sun dress, so the prince decided to tell her how she felt. As he was holding her hands, she took them violently away from him and her ring fell down to the floor, and she ran away. The prince fell ill from sadness, and he wouldn’t see anyone else but his friend, Wooden Girl. One day Agni, posing as Wooden Girl, felt sorry for her prince and decided to come forward. When the prince recognized her, he was so happy and proposed to her. The wedding took place, and the entire kingdom was ecstatic from joy! Everyone came to their wedding, but Agni’s father, who ashamed went away forever. And they lived happily ever after.
Fairy Tales from Bulgaria
1.
Garbage for Plums
One old man wanted to find a bride for his son. But he wanted to find for him the best caring hostess. He got a plan how to find the right woman. He decided to go from one village to another with a donkey carrying plums and to invite non-married women to exchange garbage for plums. In the first village one middle aged woman brought to him three heavy bags full of garbage. He got her plums and immediately run away. In the second village another one, even older, brought him one huge bag full of garbage. He did the same as in the first village. In the third village one young and shy girl brough him a little package with very little garbage. He asked her why so, and she answered that it is so clean in her house that she could get any garbage there, and she even went to her neighbour to borrow a little. The man was so happy, and he invited the girl as a bride for his son.
2.
The Hen who Laid Bonbon Instead of an Egg
Once upon a time there was a Hen leaving in an yard of an old lady. One sunny day, can you imagine, she laid a mathly candy instead of an egg! She was frightened and she thought something wrong is going on in the world. She went to his best friend the Duck to ask for an advice. But the Duck was so occupied with his own obssession of becoming a Swan that she did not pay any attention to the Hen. The the hen went to the Doctor. He checked her up side down and he discovered that she was ill from an unlnown so far disease which has no cure. In deep panic the hen run to the Tzar to complain of the disorder in his tzarstvo (kingdom). The Tzar was listening to her without saying a word and freezed in his own pride. Higly dissapointed the Hen went back home crying. Then suddenly she noticed that it was a bright sunny day and everything arround looks so beautiful! She saw a kid and gave him her bonbon. The Kid was extremely happy! At the end of the day the hen decided that nothing went wrong with her and with the world. There is nothing wrong to do something different than usual, specially when it give a joy to somebody, specially to the kids!
3.
Why March has 31 Days
Note: In Bulgaria, 1st March marks the beginning of spring, and the month of March is personified as Baba Marta (Grandmother March), a hunched old woman whose unpredictable temper is reflected in the changeable March weather. She is always arguing with her brother, Little Sechko (February), who likes a drop to drink.
Long ago, March had only 28 days and February had 31. One year on the last day of March, the sun was shining brightly. It was a fine day so an old woman decided that she would take her goats up to pasture early before the proper time. "Why should Baba Marta mind?" she said to herself. "After all, isn't she a woman, like I am? Grandmother to grandmother, what will she do?"
Baba Marta overheard her, and watched in a fury as the old woman set off up the mountainside with her herd of goats. At once Marta stormed off to her brother, Little Sechko. "Brother," she cried. "Now it's time for you to repay me for stealing my wine. Lend me three of your days so that I can kill that old woman who mocks me by taking her goats early to pasture." So Little Sechko, remembering how Marta had once threatened to shit on his beard, gave his sister what she wanted.
Then Marta started to blow and to storm, to rant and rampage across the mountain breathing icy winds and blizzards of snow. For three days and three nights she raged. And the old woman on the bare mountainside shivered and shook until her heart grew numb, her blood froze and she turned to stone.
For three days and three nights Baba Marta raged, but at last her anger subsided, the weather calmed and the sun smiled.
The people of the village wondered what had happened to the old woman during the terrible snow storm so as soon as the fine weather came they went up to the mountain pastures to look for her. There they found her, turned to stone, but from her bottom a spring of water was flowing. Although the villagers were very thirsty after their long climb, they could not bring themselves to bend down and drink from the spring because it made them laugh so much!
So Baba Marta wreaked her revenge and had the last laugh on the old woman. And that is why from that day to this, Baba Marta has 31 days, and Little Sechko only has 28.
4.
Hitur Petur (Sly Peter) and the Rich Man
Note: Hitur Petur, Sly or Clever Peter, is a Bulgarian peasant trickster character. He's crafty, sometimes slightly sinister and sometimes even quite cruel.
One day Hitur Petur was walking down the street when he met a rich man. "Hey you," said the rich man, "Why did you not bow to me?"
"Why should I bow to you?" asked Hitur Petur.
"Because I'm rich and have 1000 gold pieces."
"So, you've got 1000 gold pieces. They are yours, not mine, so why should I bow to you?" replied Hitur Petur.
"What if I give you 500 of my gold pieces? Will you bow to me then?" asked the rich man.
"If you give me 500, you'll have 500 and I'll have 500 and we'll be equal. Why should I bow to you then?" said Hitur Petur.
"What if I'm tired of being rich and give you all my gold pieces?" asked the rich man.
"If you give me all your gold coins, that will be good. I'll have 1000 and you'll have nothing. But why then should I bow to you?" And Hitur Petur turned and walked away.
5.
Tiny Boy
Once upon a time, there lived an old couple. They had a small cottage with a straw roof and a stork nest on it. They had two oxen - one blind, the other lame. They had some land too but it had not been plowed for years. The only thing they did not have, was a child. This made them sad and they could not find the strength to work.
One morning, the old man said to his wife :
« Today, I'm going to plow the land. I'll plant some barley and while it grows, birds will come to pick the seeds. When they start eating, I'll throw my fishing net on them. I'll catch about a dozen. I'll make cages for the birds and will go to the market to sell them. What do you think ? It's a good idea, isn't it ? »
« Sure, it's a great plan but we've nothing to eat for lunch. You'll stay hungry and you can't work if you're hungry. Go to the river first, catch some fish for lunch and then go plowing as much as you like ! »
The old man went to the river and threw his net in the water. He took it out after a while but as he hadn't caught enough, the old man gathered the fish and then, threw the net once more. And what do you think he saw when he took it out ?
Among the dozens of red, black and silver fish, he saw a small boy ! The boy was no bigger than a man's palm but had a very long moustache !
« Good to see you, dad ! » cried out the boy.
« Who are you ? » asked the old man.
« I'm your son. Don't you recgnize me ? I was waiting under a rock fo someone to come and find me. I would have gone straight to your house but nobody came. So I waited and waited, and my moustache grew and grew... I went for an underwater walk and you caught me in your net. Let's go home. You can show me the way because I don't know it ! »
The old man undid the knots of the net and took the boy out of it. He put it in his bag, together with the fish, and went back home. The old lady was very happy to see the boy.
« Oh dear ! » she exclaimed, « He has a moustache already ! Let's call him Tiny Boy. »
The old man went plowing. At noon, Tiny Boy, took a pot of hot fish soup for his father and went to see him in the field.
When he reached the field, his father saw him and stopped working. He sat down to eat. Tiny Boy looked here and there but when he saw his father's oxen, decided to plow. He caught one of the oxen's tails and climbed on the animal's back.
Then, he went into the ox's ear and shouted :
« Go ! »
The ox started pulling , the other followed him. The boy started plowing and did it better than his father.
« Dad ! » called he out to the old man, « take a nap while I plow. If someone passes by and asks you to sell me, doin't be obstinate. Strike a good bargain and take the money. I'll come back again. »
The old man sat under an oak tree and fell asleep. After some time, a rich tradesman came down the road on his horse. His pockets were full of money. When he saw the old man sleeping and the oxen plowing by themselves, he was very astonished.
« Hey ! » called he out to the old man, « What's this ? I've never seen someone sleep in the shade, while his oxen plow by themselves ! »
The old man got up and asked :
« What's the matter ? »
« Well, I can't see how you can make your oxen obey you, while you sleep... » answered the traveller.
« You're not blind, you can see that my son is leading them ! »
« Your son ? Where is he ? »
« Over there, in the left ear of the ox. »
The tradesman saw the boy and started bargaining with the old man.
« Why don't you sell him to me ? I'll pay you good money for such a boy ! »
« How much ? » asked the old man
« I'll give you two thousand leva! »
« I agree ! Give me the money and take the boy ! »
The traveller counted the money, gave it to the old man and took Tiny Boy with him. His put him in the outside pocket ot his overcoat and walked away. On the way, Tiny Boy managed to cut through the cloth as well as mice could do it and jumped out from the pocket. He glissed quietly in the nearby bushes. Then, he ran back home. He reached a bridge and as it was getting dark, he lay down to sleep. He had just closed his eyes, when three thieves descended under the brigde. « Tonight, » the first one said, « we're going to steal the mayor's ox. There are two but it's safer to steal only one of them. Do you agree ? »
« Yes, it's OK. Let's go ! » said the other two.
« Take me with you, please ! » Tiny Man called out in the dark.
« Who are you ? » asked the startled thieves. One of them took out some matches and lit up one to see who was there.
« Oh ! But you could be of much help to us, boy ! You are so tiny ! You will enter through the key hole. You will go out with one of the oxen and we'll wait for you outside. »
They did as they had planned. They went to the mayor's house, helped Tiny Man enter through the key hole and sat down to wait for him. They whispered in low voices but Tiny Man started to shout from the inside :
« Hey ! Buddies ! Which one shall I steal ? The white one or the black one ? »
« Quiet, Tiny Man ! Kepp silence ! Take out the black one ! » the thieves said.
Tiny Man came out with the black one. The thieves took the animal to the forest and baked it. Everyone got a part of it to eat. Tiny Man got one of the ox's ears.
After the thieves left him, he descended in the nearby valley where he found a small river. He drank some water but he was so tired that he covered himself with the ox's ear and fall fast asleep. The same night, a hungry wolf passed by. He was the ear, sniffed it and swallowed it.
Tiny Man woke up in the wolf's stomach. He walked about the wolf's stomach for a while. He went up to the wolf's mouth and looked through his teeth.
It was getting past noon. Nearby, a shepherd had left his herd and was taking a nap under a tree. The dogs were sleeping and nobody noticed the wolf, who stole behind some bushes. He had decided to steal one or two sheep from the herd and then eat them in the forest. But just when he tried to catch the sheep, Tiny Man started screaming from inside the wolf's mouth.
« Hey, shepherd ! Wake up ! There is a wolf around and he wants your sheep ! »
The shepherd jumped up and woke up the dogs who jumped at the wolf. He ran towards the forest and managed to escape but was even more hungry. And just when he saw a rabbit and started stealing behind a tree, Tiny Man shouted again :
« Rabbit, run ! The wolf wants to catch you ! »
The rabbit ran away. The wolf asked :
« Who are you ? Why do you walk about my stomach scaring everything I try to eat ? »
« I'm Tiny Man. »
« What do you want from me ? »
« I want you to take me home because my mother and father are waiting for me. »
« Where do they live ? »
« Over there, in the village. »
The wolf ran towards the village. He reached it very quickly, hoping to get rid of Tiny Man. Following all the instructions, the beast reached the yard of Tiny Man's parents. Tiny Man showed up his head between the wolfe's teeth and shouted :
« Mom ! Dad ! Get the wolf ! I'm in his stomach ! »
His father grabbed an axe and ran after the wold who tried to escape. He opened the wolf's stomach and took out Tiny Man, who was very happy to see his parents at last.
« How have you been ? » Tiny Man asked.
« Good. But we were waiting for you. Where have you been up to now ? »
« Well, I had some adventures and then this wolf swallowed me... You know what I'm worried about ? I have no coat for the winter... » Tiny Man laughed.
« Oh that's easy ! » retorted his father and made him a warm coat out of the wolfe's fur. And his mother amde him a pretty hat.
Garbage for Plums
One old man wanted to find a bride for his son. But he wanted to find for him the best caring hostess. He got a plan how to find the right woman. He decided to go from one village to another with a donkey carrying plums and to invite non-married women to exchange garbage for plums. In the first village one middle aged woman brought to him three heavy bags full of garbage. He got her plums and immediately run away. In the second village another one, even older, brought him one huge bag full of garbage. He did the same as in the first village. In the third village one young and shy girl brough him a little package with very little garbage. He asked her why so, and she answered that it is so clean in her house that she could get any garbage there, and she even went to her neighbour to borrow a little. The man was so happy, and he invited the girl as a bride for his son.
2.
The Hen who Laid Bonbon Instead of an Egg
Once upon a time there was a Hen leaving in an yard of an old lady. One sunny day, can you imagine, she laid a mathly candy instead of an egg! She was frightened and she thought something wrong is going on in the world. She went to his best friend the Duck to ask for an advice. But the Duck was so occupied with his own obssession of becoming a Swan that she did not pay any attention to the Hen. The the hen went to the Doctor. He checked her up side down and he discovered that she was ill from an unlnown so far disease which has no cure. In deep panic the hen run to the Tzar to complain of the disorder in his tzarstvo (kingdom). The Tzar was listening to her without saying a word and freezed in his own pride. Higly dissapointed the Hen went back home crying. Then suddenly she noticed that it was a bright sunny day and everything arround looks so beautiful! She saw a kid and gave him her bonbon. The Kid was extremely happy! At the end of the day the hen decided that nothing went wrong with her and with the world. There is nothing wrong to do something different than usual, specially when it give a joy to somebody, specially to the kids!
3.
Why March has 31 Days
Note: In Bulgaria, 1st March marks the beginning of spring, and the month of March is personified as Baba Marta (Grandmother March), a hunched old woman whose unpredictable temper is reflected in the changeable March weather. She is always arguing with her brother, Little Sechko (February), who likes a drop to drink.
Long ago, March had only 28 days and February had 31. One year on the last day of March, the sun was shining brightly. It was a fine day so an old woman decided that she would take her goats up to pasture early before the proper time. "Why should Baba Marta mind?" she said to herself. "After all, isn't she a woman, like I am? Grandmother to grandmother, what will she do?"
Baba Marta overheard her, and watched in a fury as the old woman set off up the mountainside with her herd of goats. At once Marta stormed off to her brother, Little Sechko. "Brother," she cried. "Now it's time for you to repay me for stealing my wine. Lend me three of your days so that I can kill that old woman who mocks me by taking her goats early to pasture." So Little Sechko, remembering how Marta had once threatened to shit on his beard, gave his sister what she wanted.
Then Marta started to blow and to storm, to rant and rampage across the mountain breathing icy winds and blizzards of snow. For three days and three nights she raged. And the old woman on the bare mountainside shivered and shook until her heart grew numb, her blood froze and she turned to stone.
For three days and three nights Baba Marta raged, but at last her anger subsided, the weather calmed and the sun smiled.
The people of the village wondered what had happened to the old woman during the terrible snow storm so as soon as the fine weather came they went up to the mountain pastures to look for her. There they found her, turned to stone, but from her bottom a spring of water was flowing. Although the villagers were very thirsty after their long climb, they could not bring themselves to bend down and drink from the spring because it made them laugh so much!
So Baba Marta wreaked her revenge and had the last laugh on the old woman. And that is why from that day to this, Baba Marta has 31 days, and Little Sechko only has 28.
4.
Hitur Petur (Sly Peter) and the Rich Man
Note: Hitur Petur, Sly or Clever Peter, is a Bulgarian peasant trickster character. He's crafty, sometimes slightly sinister and sometimes even quite cruel.
One day Hitur Petur was walking down the street when he met a rich man. "Hey you," said the rich man, "Why did you not bow to me?"
"Why should I bow to you?" asked Hitur Petur.
"Because I'm rich and have 1000 gold pieces."
"So, you've got 1000 gold pieces. They are yours, not mine, so why should I bow to you?" replied Hitur Petur.
"What if I give you 500 of my gold pieces? Will you bow to me then?" asked the rich man.
"If you give me 500, you'll have 500 and I'll have 500 and we'll be equal. Why should I bow to you then?" said Hitur Petur.
"What if I'm tired of being rich and give you all my gold pieces?" asked the rich man.
"If you give me all your gold coins, that will be good. I'll have 1000 and you'll have nothing. But why then should I bow to you?" And Hitur Petur turned and walked away.
5.
Tiny Boy
Once upon a time, there lived an old couple. They had a small cottage with a straw roof and a stork nest on it. They had two oxen - one blind, the other lame. They had some land too but it had not been plowed for years. The only thing they did not have, was a child. This made them sad and they could not find the strength to work.
One morning, the old man said to his wife :
« Today, I'm going to plow the land. I'll plant some barley and while it grows, birds will come to pick the seeds. When they start eating, I'll throw my fishing net on them. I'll catch about a dozen. I'll make cages for the birds and will go to the market to sell them. What do you think ? It's a good idea, isn't it ? »
« Sure, it's a great plan but we've nothing to eat for lunch. You'll stay hungry and you can't work if you're hungry. Go to the river first, catch some fish for lunch and then go plowing as much as you like ! »
The old man went to the river and threw his net in the water. He took it out after a while but as he hadn't caught enough, the old man gathered the fish and then, threw the net once more. And what do you think he saw when he took it out ?
Among the dozens of red, black and silver fish, he saw a small boy ! The boy was no bigger than a man's palm but had a very long moustache !
« Good to see you, dad ! » cried out the boy.
« Who are you ? » asked the old man.
« I'm your son. Don't you recgnize me ? I was waiting under a rock fo someone to come and find me. I would have gone straight to your house but nobody came. So I waited and waited, and my moustache grew and grew... I went for an underwater walk and you caught me in your net. Let's go home. You can show me the way because I don't know it ! »
The old man undid the knots of the net and took the boy out of it. He put it in his bag, together with the fish, and went back home. The old lady was very happy to see the boy.
« Oh dear ! » she exclaimed, « He has a moustache already ! Let's call him Tiny Boy. »
The old man went plowing. At noon, Tiny Boy, took a pot of hot fish soup for his father and went to see him in the field.
When he reached the field, his father saw him and stopped working. He sat down to eat. Tiny Boy looked here and there but when he saw his father's oxen, decided to plow. He caught one of the oxen's tails and climbed on the animal's back.
Then, he went into the ox's ear and shouted :
« Go ! »
The ox started pulling , the other followed him. The boy started plowing and did it better than his father.
« Dad ! » called he out to the old man, « take a nap while I plow. If someone passes by and asks you to sell me, doin't be obstinate. Strike a good bargain and take the money. I'll come back again. »
The old man sat under an oak tree and fell asleep. After some time, a rich tradesman came down the road on his horse. His pockets were full of money. When he saw the old man sleeping and the oxen plowing by themselves, he was very astonished.
« Hey ! » called he out to the old man, « What's this ? I've never seen someone sleep in the shade, while his oxen plow by themselves ! »
The old man got up and asked :
« What's the matter ? »
« Well, I can't see how you can make your oxen obey you, while you sleep... » answered the traveller.
« You're not blind, you can see that my son is leading them ! »
« Your son ? Where is he ? »
« Over there, in the left ear of the ox. »
The tradesman saw the boy and started bargaining with the old man.
« Why don't you sell him to me ? I'll pay you good money for such a boy ! »
« How much ? » asked the old man
« I'll give you two thousand leva! »
« I agree ! Give me the money and take the boy ! »
The traveller counted the money, gave it to the old man and took Tiny Boy with him. His put him in the outside pocket ot his overcoat and walked away. On the way, Tiny Boy managed to cut through the cloth as well as mice could do it and jumped out from the pocket. He glissed quietly in the nearby bushes. Then, he ran back home. He reached a bridge and as it was getting dark, he lay down to sleep. He had just closed his eyes, when three thieves descended under the brigde. « Tonight, » the first one said, « we're going to steal the mayor's ox. There are two but it's safer to steal only one of them. Do you agree ? »
« Yes, it's OK. Let's go ! » said the other two.
« Take me with you, please ! » Tiny Man called out in the dark.
« Who are you ? » asked the startled thieves. One of them took out some matches and lit up one to see who was there.
« Oh ! But you could be of much help to us, boy ! You are so tiny ! You will enter through the key hole. You will go out with one of the oxen and we'll wait for you outside. »
They did as they had planned. They went to the mayor's house, helped Tiny Man enter through the key hole and sat down to wait for him. They whispered in low voices but Tiny Man started to shout from the inside :
« Hey ! Buddies ! Which one shall I steal ? The white one or the black one ? »
« Quiet, Tiny Man ! Kepp silence ! Take out the black one ! » the thieves said.
Tiny Man came out with the black one. The thieves took the animal to the forest and baked it. Everyone got a part of it to eat. Tiny Man got one of the ox's ears.
After the thieves left him, he descended in the nearby valley where he found a small river. He drank some water but he was so tired that he covered himself with the ox's ear and fall fast asleep. The same night, a hungry wolf passed by. He was the ear, sniffed it and swallowed it.
Tiny Man woke up in the wolf's stomach. He walked about the wolf's stomach for a while. He went up to the wolf's mouth and looked through his teeth.
It was getting past noon. Nearby, a shepherd had left his herd and was taking a nap under a tree. The dogs were sleeping and nobody noticed the wolf, who stole behind some bushes. He had decided to steal one or two sheep from the herd and then eat them in the forest. But just when he tried to catch the sheep, Tiny Man started screaming from inside the wolf's mouth.
« Hey, shepherd ! Wake up ! There is a wolf around and he wants your sheep ! »
The shepherd jumped up and woke up the dogs who jumped at the wolf. He ran towards the forest and managed to escape but was even more hungry. And just when he saw a rabbit and started stealing behind a tree, Tiny Man shouted again :
« Rabbit, run ! The wolf wants to catch you ! »
The rabbit ran away. The wolf asked :
« Who are you ? Why do you walk about my stomach scaring everything I try to eat ? »
« I'm Tiny Man. »
« What do you want from me ? »
« I want you to take me home because my mother and father are waiting for me. »
« Where do they live ? »
« Over there, in the village. »
The wolf ran towards the village. He reached it very quickly, hoping to get rid of Tiny Man. Following all the instructions, the beast reached the yard of Tiny Man's parents. Tiny Man showed up his head between the wolfe's teeth and shouted :
« Mom ! Dad ! Get the wolf ! I'm in his stomach ! »
His father grabbed an axe and ran after the wold who tried to escape. He opened the wolf's stomach and took out Tiny Man, who was very happy to see his parents at last.
« How have you been ? » Tiny Man asked.
« Good. But we were waiting for you. Where have you been up to now ? »
« Well, I had some adventures and then this wolf swallowed me... You know what I'm worried about ? I have no coat for the winter... » Tiny Man laughed.
« Oh that's easy ! » retorted his father and made him a warm coat out of the wolfe's fur. And his mother amde him a pretty hat.
FAIRY TALES FROM BRESCIA
Myths, legends, fables and folklore from the local tradition
Translated from Italian by
Chiara Lucchetti
Bombel’s nanny goat
Once upon a time a little girl behaved badly towards her mum. In the evening, she went upstairs to her room and started knitting socks sitting down on her bed.
She had a long face and was very angry.
Suddenly, she dropped the ball of thread which fell down and stopped under her bed. She was lifting the blanket up when she heard a very hoarse voice saying:
“I’m the Bombel’s nanny goat,
with no bones and no skin,
with such a very sharp horns,
that I thrust at your throat!”
The little girl got frightened and screamed out calling her mum.
Her mum came with the broom.
The mum was sticking the broom under the bed, when both the mum and the little girl heard that terrible voice:
“I’m the Bombel’s nanny goat,
with no bones and no skin,
with such a very sharp horns,
that I thrust at your throat!”
The mum extremely frightened called the dad who came with the stick.
The dad was pushing the stick under the bed when everybody heard again those horrible voice and words.
Mum and dad rushed down the stairs and called the grandma who was having a rest.
The grandma went up the stairs, making no noise, and entered the little girl’s room. She went near the window and whistled briefly.
Immediately a little bird with colourful feathers arrived.
The bird stared at the little girl firmly and said:
“If you cook for me a plate of gnocchettini[1], I will send the nanny goat which is under your bed away.”
“All right”, said the little girl and went immediately downstairs to prepare gnocchettini.
In the meantime, the little bird went near her bed.
The little bird lifted the blankets with his beak and then said:
“I am the little bird with the crooked beak,
if you do not give me the ball of thread back,
I will peck you and you will die!”
Hearing those words, the nanny goat run away in a flash and got so afraid that never dared to come back again to that house!
The little girl promised to her grandma she would be obedient and the little bird with the crooked beak flew on to a branch of the pear tree, that was standing in the courtyard, and ate gnocchettini.
Hen blackbird’ days
The hen blackbird’s days, i.e. the last three days of January, are in Brescia as well as in the rest of Italy and Europe, the coldest days of the year. The legend narrates that in the past blackbirds “were all white”.
A hen blackbird, together with her family, used to be mistreated by Sir January. Sir January was a cold and touchy month which had no other occupation than waiting for the hen blackbird pushing her beak out of her nest to send cold and chill to the earth. One day, the hen blackbird decided to provide herself with an abundant supply of food which would last for a whole month. Then, the hen blackbird shut herself up in a tree staying warm all the month of January long. In that period of time, January had only 28 days. The last day of the month the hen blackbird was completely sure she had cheated January. Honestly, January that year had been particularly clement. So, the hen blackbird decided to come out from her hiding place and started making fun of January. She would had never done this. January asked February to lend him three days and vented his anger by sending snow, chill, wind, rain, and any kind of worst things he could invent to the earth. The hen blackbirds, that had always had white feathers until that day, found a shelter into a chimney, where she hid for three days. Finally safe, when she came out from her hiding place, she noticed that her feathers where black because of the soot.
The legend of Sarneghera[2]
In the castle of Montisola[3], lived a beautiful young lady who used to go every morning to the lake shore to look herself into the clear waters of Sensole[4] which mirrored her enchanting beauty.
One day, she went too near the lake’s shore and she fell into the water. Immediately, from a near bush came out a brave hearted young men who threw himself into the lake, reached her, gripped her into his arms and brought her back on the lake shore.
He was a fishermen who every morning came from Sarnico[5] to Sensole’s cove to throw the fishing nets, and above all to see the beautiful young lady.
The two young fell in love, but the beautiful chatelaine was the promised bride of a country gentlemen from Franciacorta[6]. Therefore, she was shut into the tower of the castle by her father and the miserable young man was chained into a cave in Sarnico.
The young lady refused any food and wasted away in such a pitiful way that her cruel father moved to compassion and allowed her to go to the lake shore for the last time before moving to Franciacorta. At the same time, the father ordered to kill the fisherman. While the beautiful chatelaine was mirroring herself into the water, the waves got high and foamy, the sky became black as the night and a violent wind brought to her hearing a long, heartrending, dreadful shout in which she recognized the voice of her beloved.
She wanted to die with him throwing herself into the lake.
Still nowadays when the “Sarnéghera” comes to terribly shake the countries of Franciacorta, people tell that, while from the bottom of the lake the beautiful chatelaine and the fisherman are calling each other, the sky sends from Sarnico his revenge on the lands of Franciacorta turning into hail the two lover’s tears.
When they tried to steal the moon
Once upon a time there was a village inhabited only by fishermen. Every night they went up to their boats, sailing towards the centre of the lake of Garda[7] and here disclosed their nets under the feeble light of their little lamps.
One fine day, they got tired to fish always in the dark. Therefore, they decided to steal the moon in order to make her illuminate their nights.
The fishermen went straight away to a near village where lived a man who gave himself out to be a magician and asked him how they can catch the moon.
He answered: “Provide yourself with a big net, the hugest ever seen, then when it gets dark go in the middle of the lake. Then when the moon comes down near the water you will catch her!”
Happy with this precious advice, the poor fishermen paid a great amount of money to the magician and went back home.
When they arrived at home, they carried out their plan. As none of them had such a big net, they started to join all their nets together by sewing them.
Once they had finished their sewing, they waited patiently for the night to come and then loaded the huge net into the largest boat they had and sailed towards the centre of the lake.
When they saw that the moon was coming down near the waters, they started to row as fast as they could, like fools. As soon as they reached the place where the light of the moon appeared to dip into the water, they threw their nets.
Their first attempt to catch the moon failed. So, they tried again to steal the moon for the second time. But also this time they were not successful. They tried again and again all the night long. They tried until the moon disappeared at the first light of the morning.
Tired and embittered, the poor men came sadly back to the harbour where their wives and children were waiting for them excited to finally see the moon nearby.
The fishermen were very disappointed. However, feeling that their pride had been hurt, they promised to themselves that they would have tried again the next night, and the day after tomorrow, and all the following nights, until they could catch the moon.
So, since that day every body had been trying to catch the moon and fishing had been abandoned.
Ciribicì
In a country which I do not know exactly where it is, but certainly it is not so far away from us, neither that near, lived a poor little family of four people who lived on the country work.
You might very well expect that they were dad, mum, a little boy and a little girl.
Not at all! Stepmother, because the mother of the children died.
The little family lived in an isolated little country cottage, lonely, on the path that led towards the wood, which was at the back of the country.
The little boy was nine years old while the little girl was ten.
Dad tenderly loved his children. However, he did not know what to do to show his deep love to them. He had just a few time to stay with them. He had to sweat over hoe and rake, to bend his back down towards the ground and to work hard to obtain from the earth the amount his family need just to survive.
So, the two little children were always left at home alone with their stepmother, a wicked woman who shouted at them as a possessed all the day long, slapped them and hit their heads with her fists. She was mean and never satisfied and she had a cruel heart. When her husband came back at nights, she complained that the children had broken this and that, had stolen from home, and they must be punished. Nontheless his love for the children, the man, after having heard continuous complaints from his wife, punished them with no mercy.
“Children must be punished with the cane now, if we do not want troubles in the future!”
But the children’s misbehaviour and tricks were only lies invented by the cruel stepmother.
The children defended themselves against her but their father did not believe in their words.
The truth was that they passed all the time splitting wood, bringing home heavy buckets of water, grazing goats in the meadow nearby their house, and they could not even take a step without having permission from their stepmother. She was so evil and cunning that she would have be able to deceive the Devil and make you believe that black is white.
One night, however, the husband, having talked to his neighbours, realized that his wife was lying to him and that his children’s misbehaviour was all an invention. When he came back, he got very angry with his wife and bitterly reproached her.
The stepmother could not bear that attack and wanted to take her revenge on them all. Like a viper, she gave her husband a withering glance, silently finished to bake the bread for the following day, and stayed up all the night sitting down near the fireplace, staring at embers without sleeping.
At dawn, the husband got up and went to the wood to work, without saying a word to his wife who seem to be still in anger.
Now, she was free to carry out her revenge.
She called her stepchildren and said:
“Go to the wood and pick up a bundle of wood each. In the mean time I will cook the bread. The one of you that will come back with the biggest bundle of wood, will get the biggest matòt[8].
The two children left immediately to go to the wood, in a place where there was a great amount of dry pinewood.
The little boy said to his sister: “Help me to put together my wood in a bundle. Then, I will do the same with you!”.
So the little girl helped his brother. But, as soon as he had finished to put together his bundle of wood, the little rogue run back home and left his little sister in tears.
As he arrived home, the little boy proudly threw his bundle of wood at his stepmother’s feet and asked her his matòt.
“Go for it in the wood case downstairs in the cellar.”
The little boy went downstairs, lifted the lid of the wood case, rummaged in it, but he could not find any bread. “There isn’t anything in the wood case”, he said. “Oh, it must be in the iron case!”, replied the stepmother. The little boy tried to lift the lid of the iron case, but it was too heavy for him. He tried again with all the strengths he had in the body, but it was still impossible to lift it.
“I can’t open it!”
And she replied: “You are such a bad boy! I always tell you that you are not able to do anything! I’ll do that!”.
The cruel woman went downstairs to the cellar, lifted the heavy lid and showed the bread that was at the bottom of the case to the little boy. The poor kid happily stooped down to pick up the bread. He was coming out from the case with his head, when she left the lid fall down to him. His head fell down into the case, while his body collapsed in a lake of blood.
She got her revenge.
She felt a shiver of fear.
However, she went on. It is awfully dreadful to say, but she cut the little body into pieces, put them into a huge pan, and cooked them into the fireplace.
She also made disappear the bundle of wood of the first winner.
Just a few time later, also the little girl arrived at home mortified.
Her stepmother was calmly sweeping the kitchen. As the little girl did not see his brother’s wood, asked: “Where’s Bertolino?”.
“I haven’t seem him yet. He must be still in the wood looking for nest. Don’t worry, he’ll be back soon. In the mean time, take the biggest matòt and peacefully eat it. I’m stuffing a goose on the fireplace. As soon as it’s ready you’ll bring it to daddy who is in the wood. He must be hungry, and he’ll be very happy.”
The little girl sat down near the fireplace eating her bread, and a little bit surprised by the unusual kindness of her stepmother.
As soon as the boiled or the roasted or whatever meat was ready, the woman made a little pail of it and the little girl went to the wood. As soon as the dad saw her, he left down the hatchet and waved his hands at her as to greet her.
The little girl, hopping like a nanny goat, threw herself into his daddy’s arms who was really hungry like a wolf. He voraciously ate that good plate that unexpected came from his wife who really had a kind attention, and basically she was not that bad.
He had nearly fished his dish when noticed something that looked like a little finger on the bottom of the pail. He tried to pick up the last piece of meat left, but as soon as he grabbed it the little finger flew away in the air saying: “Ciribicì! My stepmother killed me! Ciribicì! My sister brought me! Ciribicì! I am in heaven. Ciribicì! A grey horse will bring my stepmother to Hell.”
Traditional legend from Corteno’s Valle, from Edolo to Aprica
-----------------
[1] A kind of dumplings. Italian gnocchi are round lumps of flour and smashed potatoes mixed with water, cooked in boiling water and generally served with tomato of sauce.
[2] Sarneghera is the frightening name of a wind that in April, July and September usually moves terrible storms from the south-west side of the Lake of Iseo towards Valcamonica.
[3] Montisola or Monte Isola is the name of an island situated in the middle of the Lake of Iseo. This is the biggest lake island in Europe.
[4] Sensole is the name of a village of Monteisola.
[5] Sarnico is the name of a village situated on the west side of the Lake of Iseo in the province of Bergamo.
[6] Franciacorta is the name of an area situated between Brescia and the south side of the Lake of Iseo. This is very famous for the production of sparkling-wine.
[7] my italics
[8] The matòt is the name in the local dialect of Brescia given to a puppet made of bread.
Translated from Italian by
Chiara Lucchetti
Bombel’s nanny goat
Once upon a time a little girl behaved badly towards her mum. In the evening, she went upstairs to her room and started knitting socks sitting down on her bed.
She had a long face and was very angry.
Suddenly, she dropped the ball of thread which fell down and stopped under her bed. She was lifting the blanket up when she heard a very hoarse voice saying:
“I’m the Bombel’s nanny goat,
with no bones and no skin,
with such a very sharp horns,
that I thrust at your throat!”
The little girl got frightened and screamed out calling her mum.
Her mum came with the broom.
The mum was sticking the broom under the bed, when both the mum and the little girl heard that terrible voice:
“I’m the Bombel’s nanny goat,
with no bones and no skin,
with such a very sharp horns,
that I thrust at your throat!”
The mum extremely frightened called the dad who came with the stick.
The dad was pushing the stick under the bed when everybody heard again those horrible voice and words.
Mum and dad rushed down the stairs and called the grandma who was having a rest.
The grandma went up the stairs, making no noise, and entered the little girl’s room. She went near the window and whistled briefly.
Immediately a little bird with colourful feathers arrived.
The bird stared at the little girl firmly and said:
“If you cook for me a plate of gnocchettini[1], I will send the nanny goat which is under your bed away.”
“All right”, said the little girl and went immediately downstairs to prepare gnocchettini.
In the meantime, the little bird went near her bed.
The little bird lifted the blankets with his beak and then said:
“I am the little bird with the crooked beak,
if you do not give me the ball of thread back,
I will peck you and you will die!”
Hearing those words, the nanny goat run away in a flash and got so afraid that never dared to come back again to that house!
The little girl promised to her grandma she would be obedient and the little bird with the crooked beak flew on to a branch of the pear tree, that was standing in the courtyard, and ate gnocchettini.
Hen blackbird’ days
The hen blackbird’s days, i.e. the last three days of January, are in Brescia as well as in the rest of Italy and Europe, the coldest days of the year. The legend narrates that in the past blackbirds “were all white”.
A hen blackbird, together with her family, used to be mistreated by Sir January. Sir January was a cold and touchy month which had no other occupation than waiting for the hen blackbird pushing her beak out of her nest to send cold and chill to the earth. One day, the hen blackbird decided to provide herself with an abundant supply of food which would last for a whole month. Then, the hen blackbird shut herself up in a tree staying warm all the month of January long. In that period of time, January had only 28 days. The last day of the month the hen blackbird was completely sure she had cheated January. Honestly, January that year had been particularly clement. So, the hen blackbird decided to come out from her hiding place and started making fun of January. She would had never done this. January asked February to lend him three days and vented his anger by sending snow, chill, wind, rain, and any kind of worst things he could invent to the earth. The hen blackbirds, that had always had white feathers until that day, found a shelter into a chimney, where she hid for three days. Finally safe, when she came out from her hiding place, she noticed that her feathers where black because of the soot.
The legend of Sarneghera[2]
In the castle of Montisola[3], lived a beautiful young lady who used to go every morning to the lake shore to look herself into the clear waters of Sensole[4] which mirrored her enchanting beauty.
One day, she went too near the lake’s shore and she fell into the water. Immediately, from a near bush came out a brave hearted young men who threw himself into the lake, reached her, gripped her into his arms and brought her back on the lake shore.
He was a fishermen who every morning came from Sarnico[5] to Sensole’s cove to throw the fishing nets, and above all to see the beautiful young lady.
The two young fell in love, but the beautiful chatelaine was the promised bride of a country gentlemen from Franciacorta[6]. Therefore, she was shut into the tower of the castle by her father and the miserable young man was chained into a cave in Sarnico.
The young lady refused any food and wasted away in such a pitiful way that her cruel father moved to compassion and allowed her to go to the lake shore for the last time before moving to Franciacorta. At the same time, the father ordered to kill the fisherman. While the beautiful chatelaine was mirroring herself into the water, the waves got high and foamy, the sky became black as the night and a violent wind brought to her hearing a long, heartrending, dreadful shout in which she recognized the voice of her beloved.
She wanted to die with him throwing herself into the lake.
Still nowadays when the “Sarnéghera” comes to terribly shake the countries of Franciacorta, people tell that, while from the bottom of the lake the beautiful chatelaine and the fisherman are calling each other, the sky sends from Sarnico his revenge on the lands of Franciacorta turning into hail the two lover’s tears.
When they tried to steal the moon
Once upon a time there was a village inhabited only by fishermen. Every night they went up to their boats, sailing towards the centre of the lake of Garda[7] and here disclosed their nets under the feeble light of their little lamps.
One fine day, they got tired to fish always in the dark. Therefore, they decided to steal the moon in order to make her illuminate their nights.
The fishermen went straight away to a near village where lived a man who gave himself out to be a magician and asked him how they can catch the moon.
He answered: “Provide yourself with a big net, the hugest ever seen, then when it gets dark go in the middle of the lake. Then when the moon comes down near the water you will catch her!”
Happy with this precious advice, the poor fishermen paid a great amount of money to the magician and went back home.
When they arrived at home, they carried out their plan. As none of them had such a big net, they started to join all their nets together by sewing them.
Once they had finished their sewing, they waited patiently for the night to come and then loaded the huge net into the largest boat they had and sailed towards the centre of the lake.
When they saw that the moon was coming down near the waters, they started to row as fast as they could, like fools. As soon as they reached the place where the light of the moon appeared to dip into the water, they threw their nets.
Their first attempt to catch the moon failed. So, they tried again to steal the moon for the second time. But also this time they were not successful. They tried again and again all the night long. They tried until the moon disappeared at the first light of the morning.
Tired and embittered, the poor men came sadly back to the harbour where their wives and children were waiting for them excited to finally see the moon nearby.
The fishermen were very disappointed. However, feeling that their pride had been hurt, they promised to themselves that they would have tried again the next night, and the day after tomorrow, and all the following nights, until they could catch the moon.
So, since that day every body had been trying to catch the moon and fishing had been abandoned.
Ciribicì
In a country which I do not know exactly where it is, but certainly it is not so far away from us, neither that near, lived a poor little family of four people who lived on the country work.
You might very well expect that they were dad, mum, a little boy and a little girl.
Not at all! Stepmother, because the mother of the children died.
The little family lived in an isolated little country cottage, lonely, on the path that led towards the wood, which was at the back of the country.
The little boy was nine years old while the little girl was ten.
Dad tenderly loved his children. However, he did not know what to do to show his deep love to them. He had just a few time to stay with them. He had to sweat over hoe and rake, to bend his back down towards the ground and to work hard to obtain from the earth the amount his family need just to survive.
So, the two little children were always left at home alone with their stepmother, a wicked woman who shouted at them as a possessed all the day long, slapped them and hit their heads with her fists. She was mean and never satisfied and she had a cruel heart. When her husband came back at nights, she complained that the children had broken this and that, had stolen from home, and they must be punished. Nontheless his love for the children, the man, after having heard continuous complaints from his wife, punished them with no mercy.
“Children must be punished with the cane now, if we do not want troubles in the future!”
But the children’s misbehaviour and tricks were only lies invented by the cruel stepmother.
The children defended themselves against her but their father did not believe in their words.
The truth was that they passed all the time splitting wood, bringing home heavy buckets of water, grazing goats in the meadow nearby their house, and they could not even take a step without having permission from their stepmother. She was so evil and cunning that she would have be able to deceive the Devil and make you believe that black is white.
One night, however, the husband, having talked to his neighbours, realized that his wife was lying to him and that his children’s misbehaviour was all an invention. When he came back, he got very angry with his wife and bitterly reproached her.
The stepmother could not bear that attack and wanted to take her revenge on them all. Like a viper, she gave her husband a withering glance, silently finished to bake the bread for the following day, and stayed up all the night sitting down near the fireplace, staring at embers without sleeping.
At dawn, the husband got up and went to the wood to work, without saying a word to his wife who seem to be still in anger.
Now, she was free to carry out her revenge.
She called her stepchildren and said:
“Go to the wood and pick up a bundle of wood each. In the mean time I will cook the bread. The one of you that will come back with the biggest bundle of wood, will get the biggest matòt[8].
The two children left immediately to go to the wood, in a place where there was a great amount of dry pinewood.
The little boy said to his sister: “Help me to put together my wood in a bundle. Then, I will do the same with you!”.
So the little girl helped his brother. But, as soon as he had finished to put together his bundle of wood, the little rogue run back home and left his little sister in tears.
As he arrived home, the little boy proudly threw his bundle of wood at his stepmother’s feet and asked her his matòt.
“Go for it in the wood case downstairs in the cellar.”
The little boy went downstairs, lifted the lid of the wood case, rummaged in it, but he could not find any bread. “There isn’t anything in the wood case”, he said. “Oh, it must be in the iron case!”, replied the stepmother. The little boy tried to lift the lid of the iron case, but it was too heavy for him. He tried again with all the strengths he had in the body, but it was still impossible to lift it.
“I can’t open it!”
And she replied: “You are such a bad boy! I always tell you that you are not able to do anything! I’ll do that!”.
The cruel woman went downstairs to the cellar, lifted the heavy lid and showed the bread that was at the bottom of the case to the little boy. The poor kid happily stooped down to pick up the bread. He was coming out from the case with his head, when she left the lid fall down to him. His head fell down into the case, while his body collapsed in a lake of blood.
She got her revenge.
She felt a shiver of fear.
However, she went on. It is awfully dreadful to say, but she cut the little body into pieces, put them into a huge pan, and cooked them into the fireplace.
She also made disappear the bundle of wood of the first winner.
Just a few time later, also the little girl arrived at home mortified.
Her stepmother was calmly sweeping the kitchen. As the little girl did not see his brother’s wood, asked: “Where’s Bertolino?”.
“I haven’t seem him yet. He must be still in the wood looking for nest. Don’t worry, he’ll be back soon. In the mean time, take the biggest matòt and peacefully eat it. I’m stuffing a goose on the fireplace. As soon as it’s ready you’ll bring it to daddy who is in the wood. He must be hungry, and he’ll be very happy.”
The little girl sat down near the fireplace eating her bread, and a little bit surprised by the unusual kindness of her stepmother.
As soon as the boiled or the roasted or whatever meat was ready, the woman made a little pail of it and the little girl went to the wood. As soon as the dad saw her, he left down the hatchet and waved his hands at her as to greet her.
The little girl, hopping like a nanny goat, threw herself into his daddy’s arms who was really hungry like a wolf. He voraciously ate that good plate that unexpected came from his wife who really had a kind attention, and basically she was not that bad.
He had nearly fished his dish when noticed something that looked like a little finger on the bottom of the pail. He tried to pick up the last piece of meat left, but as soon as he grabbed it the little finger flew away in the air saying: “Ciribicì! My stepmother killed me! Ciribicì! My sister brought me! Ciribicì! I am in heaven. Ciribicì! A grey horse will bring my stepmother to Hell.”
Traditional legend from Corteno’s Valle, from Edolo to Aprica
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[1] A kind of dumplings. Italian gnocchi are round lumps of flour and smashed potatoes mixed with water, cooked in boiling water and generally served with tomato of sauce.
[2] Sarneghera is the frightening name of a wind that in April, July and September usually moves terrible storms from the south-west side of the Lake of Iseo towards Valcamonica.
[3] Montisola or Monte Isola is the name of an island situated in the middle of the Lake of Iseo. This is the biggest lake island in Europe.
[4] Sensole is the name of a village of Monteisola.
[5] Sarnico is the name of a village situated on the west side of the Lake of Iseo in the province of Bergamo.
[6] Franciacorta is the name of an area situated between Brescia and the south side of the Lake of Iseo. This is very famous for the production of sparkling-wine.
[7] my italics
[8] The matòt is the name in the local dialect of Brescia given to a puppet made of bread.
joi, 8 ianuarie 2009
The 5 romanian fairytales - Youth without old age and life without death
Youth without old age and life without death
Once upon a time, in a far, far away country there lived a young and powerful king and the most beautiful queen. They were happy together and the kingdom was peaceful, but they wanted to have children and an heir to the throne and they couldn’t. In the end they went to an old wizard who welcomed them and asked them what business they had with him.
The king and his wife requested a cure for them to have a baby. The old man gave them the cure and after a while the queen got pregnant. All kingdom was happy that soon their king would have their promised heir.
When the time came the child didn’t want to be born. To conciliate him, the father promised him a beautiful princess, but in vain. Then he promised the kingdom and all the gold in the world. He didn’t succeed in convincing him and finally he promised him youth without old age and life without death. Hearing the father’s words, the boy, who would be called in our story Prince Charming, was born.
They had a very handsome baby with soft white skin, blue eyes and dark curly hair.
One day the parents went to visit the wizard because they wanted to have another baby. Once more he gave them the potion and they had the baby.
Eighteen years later, the two brothers became enemies. The youngest brother was very bad and he killed their parents without knowing who was going to be the new king. After this he became the captain of his own army.
The eldest went to visit the wizard and explained to him the death of his parents. He wanted revenge and asked the wizard for a potion to kill his own brother. The wizard accepted but told the Prince that he needed some ingredients to prepare the potion, and the most important was a hair of his brother, without it the potion wouldn’t work. He didn’t know how to get it so the wizard decided that he would tell the young Prince that he needed a hair in order to make him stronger and braver if he was going to be the new King.
The wizard went to the castle with this purpose, but the young Prince discovered his intention and killed him.
When the older Prince knew this new death, he went into his brother’s bedroom and took a hair from his head.
Then he went to the wizard’s grotto and looked up in the potions book. He had all the ingredients and started preparing the potion.
He puts the last finishing touch into the potion. Little did he know that his younger brother was watching his every move. That night the younger brother brought a golden goblet* of wine and placed it beside his bed. Later, when he left the room the older brother switched the wine with the poisonous potion without realising that the hair in the potion was in fact the hair of the family cat. The younger brother switches the goblets again and the older brother drinks the poison and dies. The younger brother becomes the king but he is hated by his people and they throw him in a lake. Then the older brother comes back to life because, after all, a cat has nine lives and this explained the promise at his birth: ‘Youth without old age and life without death.’ The whole kingdom celebrated with a big ceremony.’
Once upon a time, in a far, far away country there lived a young and powerful king and the most beautiful queen. They were happy together and the kingdom was peaceful, but they wanted to have children and an heir to the throne and they couldn’t. In the end they went to an old wizard who welcomed them and asked them what business they had with him.
The king and his wife requested a cure for them to have a baby. The old man gave them the cure and after a while the queen got pregnant. All kingdom was happy that soon their king would have their promised heir.
When the time came the child didn’t want to be born. To conciliate him, the father promised him a beautiful princess, but in vain. Then he promised the kingdom and all the gold in the world. He didn’t succeed in convincing him and finally he promised him youth without old age and life without death. Hearing the father’s words, the boy, who would be called in our story Prince Charming, was born.
They had a very handsome baby with soft white skin, blue eyes and dark curly hair.
One day the parents went to visit the wizard because they wanted to have another baby. Once more he gave them the potion and they had the baby.
Eighteen years later, the two brothers became enemies. The youngest brother was very bad and he killed their parents without knowing who was going to be the new king. After this he became the captain of his own army.
The eldest went to visit the wizard and explained to him the death of his parents. He wanted revenge and asked the wizard for a potion to kill his own brother. The wizard accepted but told the Prince that he needed some ingredients to prepare the potion, and the most important was a hair of his brother, without it the potion wouldn’t work. He didn’t know how to get it so the wizard decided that he would tell the young Prince that he needed a hair in order to make him stronger and braver if he was going to be the new King.
The wizard went to the castle with this purpose, but the young Prince discovered his intention and killed him.
When the older Prince knew this new death, he went into his brother’s bedroom and took a hair from his head.
Then he went to the wizard’s grotto and looked up in the potions book. He had all the ingredients and started preparing the potion.
He puts the last finishing touch into the potion. Little did he know that his younger brother was watching his every move. That night the younger brother brought a golden goblet* of wine and placed it beside his bed. Later, when he left the room the older brother switched the wine with the poisonous potion without realising that the hair in the potion was in fact the hair of the family cat. The younger brother switches the goblets again and the older brother drinks the poison and dies. The younger brother becomes the king but he is hated by his people and they throw him in a lake. Then the older brother comes back to life because, after all, a cat has nine lives and this explained the promise at his birth: ‘Youth without old age and life without death.’ The whole kingdom celebrated with a big ceremony.’
The 5 romanian fairytales - The sun's girlfriend
The sun's girlfriend
A very ordinary girl, but extremely beautiful is kidnapped by the Sun and taken to the sky, where she lives very happily. But one day she starts to miss her mum and asks permission to go down and see her. Once arrived home everyone gathers to see her and she tells them that her only disappointment is that she can not see her husband’s face because he only comes home by night. A very old woman tries to help her and advise her to take back some candles, matches and a pot for a lightened candle.
On the way back home the coachman of Sun’s carriage asks her to throw everything she took from earth, due to the limited weight. The girl throws the pot and some candles except one. During the night she lights the candle and for the first time she sees her husband’s beautiful face, but she does not notice that pearls of wax are falling from his face.
In the morning her husband sadly wakes up and punishes her. He tells her that he will leave her unless she goes on a long trip by herself until the ironed crutches and her shoes will be worn-out; also she will have to wear ironed rings all over her body, rings that will stop her give birth until she will get back to her husband. On her road she meets Fairy Good Wednesday, Fairy Good Friday and Fairy Good Sunday that help her find the place where her husband was living with a gipsy woman. This gipsy woman tried to bewitch the Sun for 2 nights so that he could not see her wife begging and crying. On the 3rd night the Sun’s coachman awakes him and shows him the girl. Finally, the Sun punishes the gipsy woman instead of his wife and they lived together happily ever after along with their son
A very ordinary girl, but extremely beautiful is kidnapped by the Sun and taken to the sky, where she lives very happily. But one day she starts to miss her mum and asks permission to go down and see her. Once arrived home everyone gathers to see her and she tells them that her only disappointment is that she can not see her husband’s face because he only comes home by night. A very old woman tries to help her and advise her to take back some candles, matches and a pot for a lightened candle.
On the way back home the coachman of Sun’s carriage asks her to throw everything she took from earth, due to the limited weight. The girl throws the pot and some candles except one. During the night she lights the candle and for the first time she sees her husband’s beautiful face, but she does not notice that pearls of wax are falling from his face.
In the morning her husband sadly wakes up and punishes her. He tells her that he will leave her unless she goes on a long trip by herself until the ironed crutches and her shoes will be worn-out; also she will have to wear ironed rings all over her body, rings that will stop her give birth until she will get back to her husband. On her road she meets Fairy Good Wednesday, Fairy Good Friday and Fairy Good Sunday that help her find the place where her husband was living with a gipsy woman. This gipsy woman tried to bewitch the Sun for 2 nights so that he could not see her wife begging and crying. On the 3rd night the Sun’s coachman awakes him and shows him the girl. Finally, the Sun punishes the gipsy woman instead of his wife and they lived together happily ever after along with their son
The 5 romanian fairytales - Salt everywhere!
Salt everywhere!
Once upon a time there was a widower emperor who had three daughters. One day he decided to ask them how much they love him.
The oldest one told him blandishing him that he loves him so much as she loves sugar. The middle one replied him that he loves her dad as much as she loves honey.
The little one told him she loves him so much as she loves the salt in the meal. The emperor along with his oldest daughters got angry with the little one and decided to chase her away.
The youngest daughter left the castle after changing her noble cloths in some ordinary ones and headed to the wide world. Sooner she arrived to another emperor’s castle where she got a job.
Everyone adored her because she was very laborious. Even the queen took her as her maid. After a while the kingdom was attacked and the king and his son went to war. The prince was hurt and turned back home. Here the queen’s maid took very good care of him. The prince felt in love with the girl and asked her to marry him and she accept it.
At the wedding among the guests were also invited her father and her sisters. She cooked all the food without salt, just honey and sugar only for her family without telling the others that they were her family. They ate the food that was not salted and felt so offended when they found out that the others meal was salted that they condemned the cook chief to death.
This was the time when the youngest daughter came in and told the truth. Eventually her father admitted his mistake and asked for her forgiveness. He understood that her love was bigger than the others two daughters.
Once upon a time there was a widower emperor who had three daughters. One day he decided to ask them how much they love him.
The oldest one told him blandishing him that he loves him so much as she loves sugar. The middle one replied him that he loves her dad as much as she loves honey.
The little one told him she loves him so much as she loves the salt in the meal. The emperor along with his oldest daughters got angry with the little one and decided to chase her away.
The youngest daughter left the castle after changing her noble cloths in some ordinary ones and headed to the wide world. Sooner she arrived to another emperor’s castle where she got a job.
Everyone adored her because she was very laborious. Even the queen took her as her maid. After a while the kingdom was attacked and the king and his son went to war. The prince was hurt and turned back home. Here the queen’s maid took very good care of him. The prince felt in love with the girl and asked her to marry him and she accept it.
At the wedding among the guests were also invited her father and her sisters. She cooked all the food without salt, just honey and sugar only for her family without telling the others that they were her family. They ate the food that was not salted and felt so offended when they found out that the others meal was salted that they condemned the cook chief to death.
This was the time when the youngest daughter came in and told the truth. Eventually her father admitted his mistake and asked for her forgiveness. He understood that her love was bigger than the others two daughters.
The 5 romanian fairytales - Harap Alb
HARAP-ALB
by Ion Creangă
An emperor had three sons. His brother, the Green Emperor, had only daughters so he asked him to send one of his sons to inherit the throne. This emperor put his sons to the courage trial by disguising himself into a bear. Only the youngest son passed the test, advised by an old beggar woman. Before starting the long journey, his father told him to be aware of the bald man (Spânul) and especially the red-haired man. The son disobeyed the parental advices and accepted the bald man as a guide. Spânul forced the prince to make an identity change threatening him with death. He gave the prince a name, Harap-Alb, and made him his servant. When they came to the Green Emperor’s Court, Spânul forced Harap-Alb to endure a couple of trials hoping he’ll die. Firstly he demanded him to bring salad from the Bear’s Garden, then the Magic Deer’s skin adorned with precious stones. At last he requested to bring the sorceress daughter of the Red Emperor. Harap-Alb passed the first two trials helped by his enchanted horse and the beggar woman (who was in fact the Fairy Queen). In the third trial he was helped by other supernatural characters: Flămânzilă (who was insatiable), Setilă (who was always thirsty), Gerilă (who could freeze everything), Păsări-Lăți-Lungilă (who could reach any place in the world) and Ochilă (who could see everything through).
At the Red Emperor’s court Harap-Alb and his companions had again three trials to pass: to spend a night in an incandescent copper house, to eat and drink a huge amount of food and wine, to guard one night the Emperor’s daughter (turned into a bird).
Succeeding in these trials Harap Alb got back to the Green Emperor’s court together with the girl. She discovered the true identity of Harap-Alb. Spânul killed him for breaking the oath about their secret. Harap Alb’s horse destroyed Spânul throwing him from the sky. The girl made a magic potion mixing dead water, living water and apple branches, resurrecting the hero.
They got married and lived happily ever after.
by Ion Creangă
An emperor had three sons. His brother, the Green Emperor, had only daughters so he asked him to send one of his sons to inherit the throne. This emperor put his sons to the courage trial by disguising himself into a bear. Only the youngest son passed the test, advised by an old beggar woman. Before starting the long journey, his father told him to be aware of the bald man (Spânul) and especially the red-haired man. The son disobeyed the parental advices and accepted the bald man as a guide. Spânul forced the prince to make an identity change threatening him with death. He gave the prince a name, Harap-Alb, and made him his servant. When they came to the Green Emperor’s Court, Spânul forced Harap-Alb to endure a couple of trials hoping he’ll die. Firstly he demanded him to bring salad from the Bear’s Garden, then the Magic Deer’s skin adorned with precious stones. At last he requested to bring the sorceress daughter of the Red Emperor. Harap-Alb passed the first two trials helped by his enchanted horse and the beggar woman (who was in fact the Fairy Queen). In the third trial he was helped by other supernatural characters: Flămânzilă (who was insatiable), Setilă (who was always thirsty), Gerilă (who could freeze everything), Păsări-Lăți-Lungilă (who could reach any place in the world) and Ochilă (who could see everything through).
At the Red Emperor’s court Harap-Alb and his companions had again three trials to pass: to spend a night in an incandescent copper house, to eat and drink a huge amount of food and wine, to guard one night the Emperor’s daughter (turned into a bird).
Succeeding in these trials Harap Alb got back to the Green Emperor’s court together with the girl. She discovered the true identity of Harap-Alb. Spânul killed him for breaking the oath about their secret. Harap Alb’s horse destroyed Spânul throwing him from the sky. The girl made a magic potion mixing dead water, living water and apple branches, resurrecting the hero.
They got married and lived happily ever after.
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