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.