Leaflet of the Comenius Project - Greece

HIGH SCHOOL OF VONITSA – ΓΕΝΙΚΟ ΛΥΚΕΙΟ ΒΟΝΙΤΣΑΣ
GREECE - ΕΛΛΑΔΑ
JUNE 2013

COMENIUS PROJECT 2011 – 2013
‘‘Let’s Meet under the Spots”
TYRKEY CROATIA CZECH REPUBLIC
GREECE ROMANIA
Let’s Meet under the Spots” is a student-focused project based
on creative writing and drama. The concerns of the project are fairy tales and
folk tales as they provide a common ground with their similarities and
differences in terms of their plots, themes, characters and images. Since the
duration of the project is two years’ time, the first year will be centered upon
fairy tales. In the following year, folk tales will be studied. As far as the process
of the project is concerned, the students read the fairy tales and folk stories of
each partner country, study them elaborately and create a new text. The next
step will be acting this newly-created text out as a short play. All partners
will shoot the performance and upload it to the website of the project. At the
end of the project, a collaborative play will be presented by students during
a mobility activity. The aim of this project is to develop our students’ creative
abilities and communication skills which will inevitably arouse self-confidence
in them. Pupils will participate directly in all activities and will be able to
suggest their own ideas and be expected to put them into action. By achieving
this goal, we intend to develop our students and staff individually and make
them aware of being a member of a group in terms of taking and sharing
responsibility.

PARTNER SCHOOLS
ΤΑ ΣΧΟΛΕΙΑ ΠΟΥ ΣΥΜΜΕΤΕΧΟΥΝ
Ahmet Kabakli Anadolu Ogretmen Lisesi
Elazig, Turkey
www.akaol.k12.tr
Ekonomska i turisticka skola, Daruvar, Croatia
http://www.ss-ekonomskaituristicka-da.skole.hr/
Gymnázium bratří Čapků
a První české soukromé střední odborné učiliště s.r.o.
www.gymnaziumbc.cz
www.pcssou.cz

Geniko Likeio Vonitsas
VONITSA, Greece
www.lyk-vonits.ait.sch.gr
Liceul cu Program Sportiv, Bacău, Romania
www.lpsbacau.ro

2011-2012-FAIRY STORIES
The Stone of Patience/TURKEY
Η ΠΕΤΡΑ ΤΗΣ ΥΠΟΜΟΝΗΣ/ΤΟΥΡΚΙΑ
Once upon a time, an old widow woman had a daughter whose cheeks were red and she
had no rival at beauty. They lived in a neighbourhood together. Her mother was sewing and
mending clothes. The girl was doing needlework.
One day, while the beautiful girl was doing her needlework, a bird flew through the
window and it said slowly: “ Beautiful girl! You will stay near a dead person, you will wait
for this dead person for 40 days and eventually you will be happy.” When the girl heard
these words, she got excited and shocked. Suddenly, the bird flew away and disappeared.
The girl became obsessed with this situtation and began to feel depressed.
Next evening, the sun was going down and the water was getting darker. The bird
flew through the window again and uttered the words which it had said before. The girl nearly
fainted when she heard these again. And she decided to tell everything to her mother. Then
they decided to wait for the bird together. In the evening, they hid clothes for bedding and the
bird came at the same time again. The bird said the same words again. Both the girl and her
mother were scared. They hurried out and the mother told her daughter:
- God heavens! My poor daughter! My orphan daughter! Let’s run away from
this bird. It isn’t an ordinary bird, it is interesting! We should protect ourselves from
this bird!
The girl answered:

- Alright mother. You are right.
They prepared their food in a saddle-bag. They hardly climbed up the mountains.
They passed from valleys. They walked along the stream. They walked, walked and walked.
They got tired and found themselves just opposite an amazing palace. They sat down and
started to eat their food. They decided to spend the night under a tree. While they were
sleeping, the bird glided towards them and took the girl gently. It took her away into a room in
the palace and left her on the floor. When the girl opened her eyes, she found herself in a
palace. The room was dressed with embroidery. There was a mattress and a dead person
was lying on it. His arms were folded on his chest. His eyes were closed and his face was
pale. When the girl saw him, she was shocked. And she remembered what the bird had said.
She thought: “ Of course, there must be a positive thing in this situtation. It is my
destiny. I mustn’t worry. Time will clear up everything.” And she prayed all night.
Next morning, her mother woke up and found her daughter was absent then. She
looked everywhere. She asked everybody whether they saw her daughter or not. But nobody
knew about her. It was such a strange land that nobody talked or laughed. Even if the world
collapsed, they wouldn’t care. Her mother cried for a long time.
The girl never slept and occasionally she cried. She continued to pray. Finally, she
spent 39 days near the dead man. Finally, the 40th day came. While she was waiting at the
palace, she saw a ship which came from Iran. While the ship was passing in front of the
palace, the girl waved and called the captain of the ship. She threw a purse full of gold in
order to get a female slave. She felt happy because finally she found a friend. Just as the
40th day came, she got tired and told the female slave: “Sit here. I will walk around the
palace and come back soon.” While the female slave was waiting near the dead body, the
man coughed and hecame to himself. He saw the female slave and said:
- Oh girl! Who waited for me 40 days? Is it you?
The female slave hesitated but answered:
-Yes, my shahzadah. It is me.
Actually, this dead man was the Shahzadah of this palace. He had sworn to marry
someone who would wait for him. And then he drank a mixture and he lied for 40 days and
nights. The wife of Shahzadah, the Sultan of the country, was to be selected by a bird who
would wait for him 40 days and nights. What a destiny! The selected one had gone out in
order to take a walk in the palace and the poor Shahzadah didn’t see her! He supposed that

the female slave had waited for him. And the female slave behaved like a Sultan. So, the
Shahzadah decided to marry the female slave. The Shahzadah asked:
- My Beloved Sultan! My Precious! Is there anyone here apart from you?
The Fake Sultan answered:
-Yes, I have a female slave here. She is a bit vagrant. I have told her to do
something but she hasn’t come yet. Oh, there she is coming! Come here, you
idiot! The Shahzadah wants you!
The girl understood the trick that her female slave played on her but didn’t say
anything. She thought: “I must be patient. Time will clear up everything.” The Shahzadah
and the Fake Sultan got married and their wedding ceromony lasted for 40 days and nights.
The Fake Sultan was cruel to the girl. The beautiful poor girl pretended to be a female slave
and served the Shahzadah and the Fake Sultan for years.
One day the Shahzadah told the Fake Sultan: “ I will have a journey to Yemen.
What do you want from me?” The Fake Sultan wanted diamond earrings. The Shahzadah
turned to the girl who was serving and asked: “ Poor girl what about you? What do you
want from me?” The girl answered: “ I hope you will come back alive. And I want a stone
of patience from you. But if you forget it, I hope there will be a storm in the sea and you
won’t come back here.” The Shahzadah laughed upon these words and he didn’t care.
The next day, the Shahzadah gave a farewell to the Fake Sultan. And he left on a
ship. A few months later, he arrived in Yemen. He bought the diamond earrings for the Fake
Sultan but he forgot the Stone of patience. On the way back to his country, there occurred a
storm in the sea and they couldn’t go further. The captain of the ship asked the passangers
whether anyone had a curse or had forgotten something or not. Suddenly, the Shahzadah
remembered that he had forgotten to buy a patience stone for the female slave and went
back to Yemen to buy it. Then, there was a lull in the storm and the passanges were able to
go back to their country. The Shahzadah arrived in his country as well. He gave diamond
earrings to the Fake Sultan. She was very happy and wore them at once. The Shahzadah
gave the patience stone to the female slave.
In the evening, the Shahzadah began to think deeply: “ How did all things happen?
The poor slave had told me if Iforgot what would happen, and it happened. I can’t
understand. The Sultan wanted diamond earrings from me, but the poor slave only
wanted a stone. The poor slave must be contented.”
While the Fake Sultan was snoring, curious Shahzadah went to the female slave’s
room and looked through the key hole. He saw the female slave. She was uttering these

words: “ The patience stone! , The patience stone! Do you know what happened? I was
my mother’s only girl. One day while I was doing needlework a bird flew through into
the window and said to me: “Beautiful Girl! You will wait for a dead body for 40 days
and eventually, you will be happy.” All things that the bird had said came true. I waited
for 39 days and on the 40th day; I made the Fake Sultan get the opportunity. The
patience stone! I am suffering now. My heart is bleeding. If you were in my shoes, what
would you do ?”
The patience stone swelled. She continued: “On the 40th day, I called the captain
of the ship and wanted to buy a female slave. Then I went out to walk around the
palace. Suddenly, I saw the Shahzadah had waken up from death sleep and this female
slave deceived him and convinced that she had waited for him 40 days. And then I
became a female slave. The patience stone! If you were me, what would you do?” Upon
these reprehensions, the patience stone couldn’t stand and cracked. The girl exclaimed:
“Patience stone! Even you couldn’t stand and cracked. How can I endure?”
Then, the girl attempted to commit a suicide. When the string was on her neck,
Shahzadah pulled himself together and came into the room, saved the girl from death. Then,
he lost his temper and woke the Fake Sultan up with anger and asked her:
- What would you want from me? Forty mules or forty cleavers? Make your
choice.
She understood that her lies had been learnt by the Shahzadah and said;
- I would like to forty cleavers to destroy my enemies, I would like to forty mules
to get back my homeland.
When she said that, The Shahzadah gave forty mules to her, she thought that she would
go to her homeland but in fact, the Shahzadah’s plan was completely different. He wanted to
punish her but the beautiful girl didn’t want to make anybody sad and begged the Shahzadah
to forgive the slave.
In the end, the Shahzadah sent her to a place that she had deserved: with no trees, no
plants and no animals. The Shahzadah and beautiful Sultan had a big wedding ceremony and
it lasted for forty days, they lived together happily till the end of their lives…

FISHERMAN PLUNK AND HIS WIFE /CROATIA
Ο ΨΑΡΑΣ ΠΛΑΝΚ ΚΑΙ Η ΓΥΝΑΙΚΑ ΤΟΥ/ΚΡΟΑΤΙΑ
(Ivana Brlic-Mazuranic)
Fisherman Plunk had had enough of his miserable life. He lived on a remote seaside place,
catching fish on a bone hook day by day, as the nets
were not known at that place. But what can you catch on a hook? "What a miserable life?" -
Plunk said to himself, - "what you catch today, you eat
in the evening, there is no happiness for me in this world."
Yet , Plunk had heard, that there was the world's wealthy county and Gavan tyrants, which
live in fortune and wealth, in gold and luxury.
Therefore, Plunk convinced himself that he should see such a wealth, and live in it as well.
He made a pledge to himself, that he would sit in his canoe on the open sea for three days,
but will not catch the fish, just in order to fulfil his pledge.
So, Plunk sits for three nights and three days in his canoe on the open sea - three days he
sits, three days he fasts, and three days
he doesn't catch a fish.
At the dawn of the third day, a silver canoe rose from the sea, with silver rows in it, and in the
canoe, as beautiful as a princess, stood a pale Zora.
"For three days you spared the life of my fish, but tell me, what do you want me to do for you
now?" - said Zora.
"Help me out of this misery and barren life. Here, I spend all day long on this lonely place.
What I catch during the day, I eat in the evening and
there is no happiness for me on this world." - Plunk said.
"Go home, and you will find what you need", - said Zora to him. As she said so, she disappeared into
the sea together with the silver canoe.

Plunk rushed ashore and to his home. When he came to his house, poor girl got out in from of him,
tired of long walk from distant highlands.
The girl said: " My mother died, I have no one on this world, take me as a wife, Plunk.
Now, Plunk didn't know what to do.
"Is this that happiness that Zora has sent me?," Plunk said.
Plunk saw that girl was as poor as Plunk himself, but he was afraid to make a mistake and spoil his
luck.
So, he agreed and took his poor girl for his wife. And she, tired of long walk, laid down and slept
through the next day.
Plunk could hardly wait another day to see what happiness will look like. But, next day, nothing had
happened.
Plunk took his hooks, and went to the sea, and his wife went to the mountain to pick up some sorrel.
In the evening, Plunk came back, and his wife came back, they had dinner of fish and some sorrel.
" If this is called happiness, I could live without is as well", thought Plunk.
After dinner, the wife sat next to Plunk and told him the stories to pass the time. She told the stories
about gavans and imperial gardens,
dragons that guard the treasure, and a princess which saw the pearls in the garden. Plunk listens and his
heart beats
faster. Plunk forgot about his poverty - he could listen like this for three years. But Plunk got even
happier when he thought: " This is fairy woman,
she will show me that way to the treasure dragon or princess' garden. The only thing I have to do is to
be patient and don't make her angry."
So, Plunk waits - day by day pass by, a year has passed, two years. They already got a son - they called
him Vlatko Little.
But, actually, everything remained the same: Plunk would catch the fish, and the woman would pick
the sorel during the day, in the
evening she would cook the dinner, rock the little son and tell the stories to Plunk. She told stories
more and more interesting, but Plunk was less and less
patient, until one night, Plunk had enough, and when she told the stories about great wealth and
splendor of King of the Sea, angry Plunk jumped,
grabbed woman's arm and said: "There is no wait any more, you take me tomorrow to the castle of
King of the Sea."
Woman got a fright when Plunk jumped so suddenly.(?)
She told him that she didn't know where the castle of the King of the Sea was, but Plunk beat woman
angrily and threatened her that he would kill
her, if she didn't tell him the fairy secret.
Now, the poor woman, realised that was held for a fairy, cried and said:
" I am not a fairy, but a poor woman, which does not know the spells. What I tell you, is what my heart
tells you to make you happy. "
This enraged Plunk even more, for he was cheated for two years, so he ordered to the wife to go next
morning with the son, to the right, down the
beach, whereas Plunk will go to the left, and not to come back until they find the way to the King of
The Sea.
In the morning, the woman cried and told Plunk not to separate. "Who knows, which one of two of us
will die on this rocky beach ", she said.
But Plunk attacked her again, so she took the child and left crying, as he has ordered. Plunk, on the
other hand, went the opposite way.
So, the woman walked with Vlatko Little as one week became two. She could nowhere find the way to
the King of The Sea.
Tired, she fell asleep on the rock. When she woke up, she realised that her baby, small Vlatko

disappeared.
She got such a fright that and she coudn't say a word, and she got speachless.
Poor mute went down the beach and came back home. Tomorrow Plunk arrived. He didn't find the
way to the King of The Sea, and he came
back angry and furious.
As he entered the house he couldn't find the son, but speachless wife. She couldn't tell him what has
happened of great sadness.
From that day that was life like in their house. The wife didn't cry, but quietly worked around the
house serving Plunk, in silent and empty house. Plunk stood this sadness for some time but then, he
has had enough: he hoped for the fortune and wealth of the
King of the Sea, but he got this poverty and misfortune.
Therefore, one day, Plunk decided to take off to the sea. For three days he sat in the canoe, he didn't
eat for three days,
he didn't fish for three days. On the third day, Zora appeared in front of him.
Plunk told her what happened and opened his heart:
" This is worse misery than before. My child disappeared, my wife is mute, and my house is empty.
"To die of sadness".
"What did you wish for? I will help you once again." .
But, Plunk has only one crazy mind, and he was convinced that the only thing he wanted was to see
and enjoy in the fortune and
wealth of the King of the Sea, so he didn't ask for his child to come back, nor his wife to speak again,
but he begs Zora :
"Please, glorious Zoro, show me the way to the King of the Sea. "
And Zora - girl did not say anything, but told to Plunk: "At the dawn of the new moon, you sit in the
canoe and wait for the wind, onwards and follow the wind towards the east.
The wind will take you to the island of Bujan, to the Alatir stone. I will wait for you there and show
you the way to the King of the Sea.
Plunk went home happily.
When the new moon appeared, he didn't say anything to his wife, but he sat in the canoe, and waits for
the wind to start blowing and
went towards the end.
The wind took the canoe to the unknown sea, to the island of Bujan. The green island floats like a
green garden. And in it, there was lushes
grass and vine,and blooming mandula.
In the middle of the island there was a precious gem, white glowing stone Alatir.
Half of the stone glows above, and half of the stone glows under the sea. Here on the island of Bujan,
on the stone of Alatir, Zora sits.
She kindly greeted Plunk. She showed him the way to the water - mill, near the island, and sea - girls
play the games.
She thought Plunk how to convince the Mill to take him down to the King of the Sea, and not to be
swallowed by the sea whirlpools.

Zora also told him:
"You will enjoy greatly in the fortune and wealth of the King of the Sea. But remember, you cannot go
back to the earth, as there are
terrible guards set up for you. The first one is making the waves, the second one is blowing the
winds, and the third one is throwing
down lightnings.
Plunk sat in the canoe happily and rowed to the water-mill, thinking:
"You do not know, Zora, what is the poverty in this world. I will not wish to come back to earth , as I
will leave only misery behind."
He came to the water-mill, to find Sea - girls playing games around it. They jump into the waves, they
play chase, their hair is splaid on the
wave, silver fins glitter, and their red lips are smiling. They sit on the mill, and splash the water around
it.
The canoe arrived to the water-mill, and Plunk did as Zora taught him. He raised the row above the sea,
not to be swallowed by the whirlpools,
and he told to the mill:
" Round wheel, please take me
down, either to the Dead Dark Deep, to the Sea King."
When Plunk said that, Sea - girls jumped as a silver fish, gather around the mill and turn it quickly as
they could. Deep and deadly whirlpool
appeared in the sea, and carried Plunk down to the castle of the Sea King.
He landed on the beautiful, golden sand, looked around himself and went mad with joy.
He clapped his hands, his heart beating happily, as he ran on the sand like a child, and made one, two,
three cartwheels, like a playful child.
The King of the Sea liked it and he gave to Plunk the branch of pearls.
He then ordered to the sea girls to bring the best of food and drink to Plunk to enjoy in the greatest
honour.
When Plunk finished his meal, Sea King asked him:
"What else do you want my boy?"
And what would ask for a miserable poor man?
" As you asked me the Sea King, i would like a good plate of cooked sorrel."
The Sea King was surprised as the sorrel is dearer than pearl, because it grows in the overseas land.
But, I will send sea-girl to fetch some for you.
In the meantime, make few more cartweels for me.
Plunk was happy to do a favour to Sea King, and he jumped to his feet like a squirrel, and made the
whole King's household laugh hilariously.
Out of all, the small child, a future king, spoiled by the sea-girls , was playing the games. When Plunk
turned over, the little king laughed happily.
Plunk looked at him and got a fright. It was Vlatko Little, his lost son. Enraged Plunk decided not tell
anyone about his son, as they would

separate them. He decided to become his son's servant, to mention him that he has a mother and father,
and hopefully,
return the boy to his mother.
So, once they were alone , Plunk whispered to child's ear that he was his father, but little kicked Plunk
in his leg and said:" You are not my father,
you are jester, turning around in front of the Sea King!"
It bits Plunk's heart, he could die of saddness.
As he cried his eyes out, the whole King's people gathered around and concluded:" You must have
been a great warrior on earth if you cry
in such a luxury."
Plunk replied:" I was like the Sea King, I had a wife, telling me fairy tales, I had a child climbing up
my beard - and a sorrel,
my brother, I had as much as I wanted, without having to do cartwheels for it.
The dwellers wandered what a big gentleman Plunk was, and allowed him to grieve for his lost
happiness. And Plunk remained as a little king's
servant, pleasing him and hoping that one day, they will run away together.
But little king was every day more and more arrogant, and he held Plunk for bigger and bigger fool.
Now all this time Plunk's wife was at home, all alone and grieving. The first evening she made up the
fire and kept the supper hot for Plunk ; but when she gave up expecting Plunk, she let the fire go out,
nor did she kindle it again.
So the poor dumb soul sat on her threshold. She neither worked, nor tidied, nor wept just pined away
with grief and sorrow. She could not take counsel with anyone, because she was
dumb ; nor could she cross the sea after Plunk, because she was all broken up with grieving.
Where could she go, poor soul ! but back one day to the far hills, where her mother lay buried. And as
she stood by her mother's grave a beautiful Hind up came to her. And as the dumb animals speak, so
the Hind spoke to the Woman:
" You must not sit there and pine away, my daughter. But every evening you must get Plunk's supper
ready for him. If Plunk does not come home, then you must take his supper in the morning, and go up
into the rocky mountain. Play upon the twin pipes ; the snakes and their young will come and eat up the
supper, and the sea-fowl will line their nests with the hemp."
The daughter understood all that her mother said, and as she was bid so did she do. Every evening she
cooked supper, and after supper she picked hemp. Plunk did not come back ; and so the Woman carried
both supper and hemp to the rocky mountain. And as she played on her little
pipes, played softy on the right-hand pipe snakes and baby snakes came out of the rocks. They
ate up the supper and thanked the Woman in the dumb speech. And when she played on the left-
hand pipe, gulls came flying, carried off the hemp to their nests, and thanked the
Woman.
For three months the Woman went on in this way; thrice the moon waxed and waned, and still
Plunk had not come home.
Again grief overcame the poor dumb soul, so that she went again to her mother's grave.
The Hind came up, and in dumb speech the Woman said to her :
"Well, Mother, I have done all you told me, and Plunk has not come back.
" Daughter of mine," said the Hind, " you must not fail in your trust. Your Plunk is in grievous

trouble. Now listen and hear how you may help him. In the Unknown Sea there is a Big Bass, and
that Bass has a golden fin, and on that fin grows a golden apple. If you catch that Bass by moon-
fight you will save your dear Plunk from his trouble. But on the road to the Unknown Sea you
will have to pass three caverns of cloud. In the first there is a monstrous Snake, the Mother of All
Snakes — it is she who troubles the sea and stirs up the waves ; in the second there is a monstrous
Bird, the Mother of All Birds — it is she who raises the storm; and in the third there is a Golden Bee
— it is she who flashes and wields the lightning. Go, daughter dear, to the Unknown Sea, and take
nothing with you but your bone hook and slender twin pipes, and if you should find yourself in great
trouble, rip open your right-hand sleeve.
Next day she took out the boat and put off to sea.
She drifted and sailed on the face of the sea three terrible caverns of lowering cloud !
From the entrance of the first cavern peered the head of a fearsome Snake, the Mother of All
Snakes. Her grisly head blocked up all the entrance, her body lay coiled along the cave, and with her
monstrous tail she lashed the sea, troubling the waters and stirring up the waves.
The Woman did not dare go near the terrible sight, but remembered her little pipes, and began
to play upon the right-hand pipe. And as she played, there came from the far-off rock-bound
lands snakes and baby snakes galore swimming over the sea. Great coloured snakes and tiny little
snakes all came hurrying up and scurrying up and begged the fearsome Snake —
" Let the Woman take her boat through your cavern. Mother dear ! She has done us a great
good turn and fed us every day in the morning."
" Through my cavern I may not let her pass," answered the fearsome Snake, But if she did you
such a good turn, I will repay it with another. Would she rather have a bar of gold or six strings
of pearls ?"
But a true wife is not to be beguiled with gold or pearls, and so the Woman answered in dumb
speech :
" I have come here for the Bass that lives in the Unknown Sea. If I have done you a good turn, let me
pass through your cavern, fearsome Snake."
So the Woman passed through the cavern.
The Woman came to the second cavern. And in the second cavern there was a monstrous Bird, the
Mother of All Birds. She craned her frightful head through the opening, her iron beak gaped wide ; she
spread her vast wings in the cavern and flapped them.
The Woman took up her twin pipes and sweetly played upon the left-hand pipe. And from the far
shore came flying gulls great and small, and begged the monstrous bird to let the Woman pass with her
boat through her cavern, for that she had been a good friend to them and unpicked hemp for them every
day.
" I can't let her pass through my cavern, for today I must raise a mighty storm. But if she was
so kind to you. From my iron beak I will give her of the Water of Life, so that the power of speech
shall be restored to her."
This is what she answered the Bird :
" It is not for my own good that I came, but for a small matter — for the Bass that lives in the
Unknown Sea. If I have done you a good turn, let me pass through your cavern."
Then the grey gulls asked the Mother Bird and also advised her to take a little nap, and
they would meanwhile raise the storm for her. The Mother Bird listened to her children's wishes,
clung to the wall of the cavern with her iron talons and went to sleep.

But the gulls, instead of raising the storm, calmed the wild winds and soothed them.
So the dumb Woman sailed through the second cavern and came to the third.
In the third cavern she found the Golden Bee. The Golden Bee buzzed in the entrance. Sea and
cavern resounded ; lightnings flashed from the clouds.
Fear seized upon the Woman. But she remembered her right sleeve; she ripped it off, her
sleeve all white, flung it over the Golden Bee and caught her in the sleeve !
The thunder and lightning were stilled at once, and the Golden Bee began to coax the Woman :
" Set me free, O Woman ! and in return I will show you something. Look out over the wide
waters, and it's a joyful sight you will see."
The Woman looked out over the wide waters.
And in the boat sat the Dawn-Maiden, pale and fair as a king's daughter, and beside her a little child in
a silken shirt and with a golden apple in his hand-
The Woman recognised her lost baby.
" I will show you," said the Golden Bee to the Woman, "how to get to the little King, your
son, and live with him in joy and happiness. But first set me free! "
She answered the Golden Bee :
" Don't sting me, O Golden Bee ! I shall not let you go, because I must pass through your
cavern. I have not come here for my own happiness, but for a small matter — for the Big Bass
that lives in the Unknown Sea."
When the moon rode high, the Woman sailed out upon the Un- known Sea at midnight, and in the
midst of the Sea she let down her little bone hook.
That very evening the little King bade Plunk knit him a nice set of silken reins. " First thing
to-morrow morning I shall harness you to my little carriage, and you shall give me a ride on the golden
sands."
Poor me, considered poor Plunk. The willful little King slept — only Plunk was awake and knitting
away at the reins. He knitted fiercely. When it seemed to him that the strings were strong enough.
Plunk said to himself :
"I never asked anyone's advice when I was making a fool of myself, nor shall I do so now that I have
come to my senses."
And as he said this he went softly up to the cradle and started to run away with his son.
Softly Plunk strode over the golden sand — and when he came to where the sea stood up like a wall,
nothing daunted, Plunk dived into the water with his boy.
Plunk swam and swam; but how was a poor fisherman to swim when he was weighed down by the
little King — golden cradle, golden apple — on his back?
Plunk felt as if the sea was piling itself up above him, higher and higher, and heavier and heavier !
And just as Plunk was at the last gasp, he felt something scrape along the golden cradle, something
that caught in the rocker of the cradle; and when it had caught fast, it began to haul them along
apace !

When the Woman felt that her hook had caught, she joyfully summoned all her strength, pulling and
hauling with all her might, for fear of losing the great Big Bass.
As she began to haul in her catch the golden rocker began to show above the water. The Woman
could not distinguish it rightly by moonlight, but thought : " It is the golden fin of the Bass."
Again the Woman thought : "It is the golden apple on the fish's fin. And as she cried out she hauled in
her catch, and when she had hauled it close alongside — why, dear mine, how am I to tell you rightly
how overjoyed were those three when they met again in the boat, all in the moonlight, in the middle of
the Unknown Sea?
But they dare not lose any time. They had to pass through the three caverns ere the monstrous
watchers should awaken. So they took out the oars and rowed with all their might and main.
When the little King awoke and saw his mummy, he remembered her at once. He threw both his little
arms round his mummy's neck — and the golden apple fell off of his hand. Down fell the apple into the
sea, down to the very bottom and into the Sea King's Castle, and hit the Sea King right on his
shoulder !
The Sea King woke up, and bellowed with rage. All the court jumped to their feet. They saw at once
that the little King and his servant were missing !
They gave chase. The mermaids swam out under the moonlight ; the light foam fairies flew
out over the water; runners were sent out to rouse the watchers in the caverns.
But the boat had already passed through the caverns, and so they had to pursue it farther on.
Plunk and the Woman were rowing — rowing for dear life, their pursuers close in their wake. The
mermaids whipped up the waters.For the hurricane beat upon the boat. Sea and storm whistled and
roared.
The fear of death was upon Plunk, and in his dire need he cried out :
" Oh, fair Dawn-Maiden, help ! "
The Dawn-Maiden arose from the sea. She saw Plunk, but never looked at him. She looked at
the little King, but no gift had she for him; but to the faithful Wife she gave her gift — a
broidered kerchief and a pin.
Quickly they hoisted the kerchief, and it became a white sail.
As soon as the land hove in sight, the pursuit slackened. The foam fairies fear the shore; the
mermaids keep away from the coast. Wind and waves stayed on the high seas, and only the boat
flew straight ahead to land like a child to its mother's lap.
The boat flew to land over the white sand bar, and struck on a rock. The boat hit on the rock.
Plunk and his wife and child were left alone on the beach outside their cottage.
When they sat down that night to their supper of wild spinach, they had clean forgotten all that
had happened. And but for those twin pipes, there's not a soul would remember it now. But whoever
starts to play on the pipes, the fat pipe at once begins to drone out about Plunk :
Harum-scarum Plunk would go
Where the pearls and corals grow;
There he found but grief and woe.
And then the little pipe reminds us of the Woman :
Rise, O Dawn, in loveliness !
Here is new-born happiness;
Were it three times drown'd in ill.
Faith and Love would save it still !
And that is the twin pipes' message to the wide, wide world.

GOLDILOCKS OR, THE GOLD-HAIR-MAID
Η ΧΡΥΣΟΜΑΛΛΟΥΣΑ/ΤΣΕΧΙΑ
Traditional Czech Folklore Fairy Tale
Collected in the Romanticism period from folklore verbal art
by Karel Jaromír Erben
Once upon a time there was a king, who was so prudent that he could
understand to all animals speech. And now attend the way, how he had learnt this skill.
One day, some old granny, herbalist, came to him and gave him the basket with
a snake. “Let the snake prepare as a meal, and if you eat it, you will be able to
understand everything, what animals say: in the air, in the earth, in the water.”
The king liked it, because he got a chance to know something what can´t anybody else,
so he paid the granny for her present very well. Then he immediately told to his servant to
prepare the “fish” as a lunch meal. But he warned him: “You have not taste it, nor a small
piece on you tongue. If you dare, you will be beheaded!”
But it was weird to Jiřík, that servant of the king, why the king forbids him so
much. „I´d never seen a fish like this,“ he told himself. „It looks like a snake! Why
should not a cook taste, what he is preparing?“
When it was baked, Jiřík took a bit and he tasted it. And suddenly – he is hearing
something, buzzing near his mouth: „Give us a bit too! Give us a bit too!“ Jiřík looked
around, what had been happening, but he didn´t see anything but flies, which were
flying around kitchen.

And then again! Outside he heard someone with a whistling voice, calling:
„Where are you going? Where are you going?“ And some thinner voices answered: „To
farmer´s barley! To farmer´s barley!“ Jiřík looked outside through the window, but he
saw only gooses.
„Oh!“ he thought, „That´s what the fish his like?!“ Then he understood what it is! And he
took another small bite of the fish to his mouth and then he brought the cooked snake to his
king, in the way like nothing has happened.
After the lunch, king ordered to Jiřík to saddle his horse, because he wanted to ride and
Jiřík had to accompany him as his first servant. King was riding ahead and Jiřík behind him.
When they were riding over the green meadow, suddenly Jiřík´s horse skipped and neighed:
„Hohohoho, brother, I´m feeling so airy and free, that I feel I would jump across the
mountains!“
„I would like to jump too,“ said king´s horse, „but on my back old man is sitting“. „If I
jump, he would trumble down like sacksful and brake his back of the neck.“
„And what´s important on that his neck will be broken?“ said Jiřík´s horse. „When old
man is dead, you will carry young man.“
Jiřík chuckled, when he heard what horses were talking about.
But the king understood to their speech very well too and he looked back. When he
saw that Jiřík was chuckling, he asked him: „What are you laughing at?“
„Nothing, my king, I just have recalled something on my mind,“ Jiřík was pleading.
But the old king began to suspect Jiřík and the horses too, so he decided to ride back
to the castle.
When they arrived back to the castle, the king commanded Jiřík to pour red wine to his
goblet. “But you will be beheaded, if you do not refill the goblet, or if you spill it!”
Jiřík took the wine kettle and began to fill king´s goblet with red wine. Suddenly two little
songbirds were flying by the window. One of them was hunting the second one and which had
three golden hairs in his beak.
“Give it to me!” the first one was crying, “they belong to me!”
“No, I will not, they are mine, because I have lifted them up!”
“But I saw how they had fallen down when the golden-hair maid was combing her long
hair in the morning sun! Give me two of them at least!”
“Neither two, nor one of them!”
“But the birdie who wanted to have golden hairs caught them by their end, so the birds
began to pull them, trying to get them only for each one.
But, in this fight, one of the golden hair fall on the window ledge with tender ringing.
Jiřík took a look at them, so he poured the wine over.
“”You have lost your life!” the old king yelled. “But I want to be merciful to you. If you
find the golden-hair maid for me and bring her to me as my bride and wife, I will allow to let
you live.”

What could poor Jiřík have to do? If he wanted to save his life, he would have to find
the maid, in spite of he did not know where does she live.
So he saddled his devoted, loyal horse and set out the adventurous journey.
He was riding crosswise many kingdoms, asking everywhere, where could he find the
maid with golden hair, but nobody knew.
One day Jiřík came to dark forest and suddenly he saw under the trees a bush which
was burning in fire; herdsmen have lighted it. But under the bush was an anthill, and sparkles
were falling on it, and poor ants with their ovums were running away, trying to escape, and
they began to cry: „Oh help us, Jiřík, help us,“ they were clamouring, „or we are going to burn
off here, and our youngs in ovum too!“
Jiřík dismounted immediately, he cut the burning bush and extinguished the fire. “When
you will need a help, just remember, think on us, and we will help you as well.”
After then he was riding through the forest until he arrived to tall fir-tree. There was a
raven nest in top of the fir and two little, young ravens were crying: „Father and mother have
left us, the just told us that we are able to find the food, but we are too small, we poor
nestlings, we cannot fly yet! Oh help us, Jiřík, please, help us and feed us, or we are going to
die because of hunger!“
Jiřík didn´t think about what to do too long, he dismounted from his horse and kill him
with his sword, so the nestling ravens could eat fresh meat for a long time.
„When you need a help,“ they cawed, „remember us, and we will help you too.“
After this episode, Jiřík had to go by feet. He was walking very, very long time through
dark forest, and finally, when he came to the end of the forest, he sought wide, endless sea.
There were two fishermen on the shore, arguing and wrangling, because they had
caught golden fish and both of them wanted it for himself only.
„My fishing net – my fish!“ cried the first fisherman.
„But you would never catch the fish without my ship and my help,“ argued the second
one.
„When we catch another gold fish, it will be yours,“ wanted the first.
„No, no, you will wait for another gold fish, and this will be mine!“ wrangled the second
one.
„I will judge you,“ told them Jiřík. „Sell the gold fish to me, and divide the money on two
same halves.“ And he gave him all coins which he had got from his old king on the way: he
did not let anything for himself.
Fishermen were happy that they had been sold the fish so well and Jiřík dismissed her
to the sea again.
The golden fish splashed cheerfully in the water, and then she plunged near the
shore once again and she raised her head from the water: „When you need me, Jiřík,

just remember me, and I will come to help you and serve you.“ And then she
vanished in the sea.
„Where are you going to?“ asked fishermen Jiřík.
„I am going for the bride for my old king and lord, the bride is the virgin with golden hair.
But I have no idea where I can find her.“
„Oh, we can tell about it very well,“ said fishermen. „She is called Zlatovláska, it means
Gold-Hair-Maid or Goldilocks, and she is the daughter of the King of the crystal palace, and
they live just on that island on the horizon. Every morning, when the light is becoming, she
combs her golden hair, and the shine of them goes into the sky and on the sea. If you want,
we can take you to the island, because you have judged us so well. But keep your attention
on, because of choosing the right maid: the king has got twelve daughters, but only one of
them has got golden hair.“
When Jiřík came to the island, he found the crystal palace, and he met the king
because of asking him for his daughter with golden hair, who he has to take to his king as a
bride. „Well, lad, I will give you my golden-hair daughter,“ the king told to Jiřík, but you must
earn her: there are three task which you must carry out, every day I will give you one task. But
now you can have a rest, until tomorrow morning.“
Next morning told the king to Jiřík: „My Goldilocks had had the twine of expensive,
precious pearls, but the twine had broken off and pearls fell in high grass on great green
meadow. You have to pick every of these pearls, you cannot miss one of them!“
Jiřík came on the meadow which was so wide that he could not see its end. He fall on
his knees and began to search for Goldilocks´s pearls. He was searching all day, but he did
not found anything, nor he smallest pearl.
„If only there were my aunts, they could help me,“ he uttered a sigh.
„But we are here to help you,“ told him aunts in the grass suddenly, they just appeared
amazingly, swarming around him. „What do you need?“
„I got this task: to pick up pearls which are on this meadow, but I have not found
anything.“
„Just wait for a while, Jiřík, and we pick them up instead you.“
And in the moment aunts began to carry pearls to Jiřík and he had to put them on the
twine. When he wanted to tie the twine up, one small, crippled aunt, because his leg had
been burnt during the fire: „Wait, Jiřík, I am carrying you the lost, little pearl!“ Jiřík gave him
thanks and brought the pearls to the king.
Goldilocks´s father praised Jiřík´s good work, the pearls were all of them. „You have
completed the first task, but there is the second one for tomorrow: when Goldilocks had been
swimming in the sea, she had lost her gold ring. You have to find it and bring it.“
Jiřík went to the sea and he was walking around the shore very sadly. The sea was
clean, but very deep, that he couldn´t see to its bed. And what about searching for the ring at
the whole bed!
„Oh, if only there was my goldfish, she could help me!“

Suddenly something flashed in the sea and from the depth the goldfish rose to the
surface.
„But I am here to help you. What are you needing?“
„I need to find the gold ring of the Princess, which is somewhere in this deep sea, but I
even cannot see to the bed!“
The goldfish smiled. „Right now I met agile pike fish, and she has been brought the
gold ring on her fin! Just wait for a while, I am going to bring it to you.“
And it really wasn´t long waiting, the goldfish was back from depths of the sea, with
pike and ring.
The king praised Jiřík again because of well done work. Next morning, he told him
about the third task: „If you really want my goldilocks for your king, you have to bring the dead
and living water; it will be necessary.“
Jiřík didn´t know where can he find these kinds of water, so he was walking and
walking whatever his feet were carrying him, until he came to black, deep forest. „Oh, if only
there were my ravens, they could help me!“
…And suddenly there was some rush above his head and he noticed that a pair of
ravens… “We are here to help you, what do you want?”
“I am supposed to obtain live and dead water, but I do not know where I should look for
it.”
“We know it, wait a second and we will get some for you,” said the ravens. And in a
little while they were back, each of them with one bottle of water. One of them contained the
live water and the second one the dead water. George was glad for being such lucky and he
rushed back to the castle.
On the edge of the woods he saw a web spreading between two firs. In the middle of
the web there was a huge spider digesting a fly. George took the bottle with dead water and
splashed it on the spider. The spider dropped dead. Then Jiří splashed a little of the live water
on the dead fly. It started moving, climbed out of the web and flew away.
“Lucky you, that you saved me,” buzzed the fly around his head. “Without me you
would hardly find out which one of twelve princesses is your Goldilocks.”
When the king saw that Jiřík had accomplished the third task as well, he promised to
give Goldilocks to Jiřík… But the king had a condition: “Jiřík, you have to choose her among
her eleven sisters by yourself.”
Then he led Jiřík to a large hall and in the middle of it there was a round table with
twelve beautiful maidens sitting around it. All the maidens were looking the same and each of
them was having a long veil as white as snow so it was impossible to see the colour of their
hair.
“These are my daughters,” said the king. “If you guess correctly which one of them is
Goldilocks, you can leave with her immediately, if not, you have to leave the kingdom alone.”
Jiří was very worried, upset and he did not know what to do. Then suddenly something
whispered in his ear. “Bzzz, walk around the table. I will tell you which one of them is
Goldilocks.”

It was the fly, which Jiřik has resurrected with living water: „This lady – she is not the
one you are searching for, nor this one, nor this one – but this one is Goldilocks!“ The fly was
advising to Jiřík.
„Give me this daughter,“ cried Jiřík, „this one I have earned for my king…“
„Yes, you are right,“ the king said, and the maid stood up from the table, removed the
headdress, and her golden hair were flowing from her head to the ground in huge torrents,
and the shining was so bright and strong, that Jiřík had to close his eyes, he felt like looking
into the morning sun.
And then the king gave his daughter equipment on her way, as right and proper, and
Jiřík take her away from her home to his lord, the old king, for marriage.
Old king´s eyes were sparkling and he was jumping because of joy, when he saw
Goldilocks´s beauty, and he ordered to prepare the wedding.
“I just wanted to hang you for your disobedience, that ravens would eat you,” he told to
Jiřík, “but because you have served me so well , I just cut your head off! with axe like you
were a nobleman, and then I am going to bury you honourably.”
When Jiřík was beheaded, Goldilocks began to beg the old king to donate her Jiřík´s
body. The king was not able to say „no“ to so beautiful and fairy lady.
Goldilocks put Jiřík´s head to his body directly, and then she sprinkled it with the dead
water. The head and the body has been put together like before the persecution, without any
scar.
Then she sprinkled Jiřík´s corpse with living water, and Jiřík wake upon again, like
reborn, full of power like young deer. The youth was shining from his face.
„Oh, how deeply I have been sleeping!“ said Jiřík, rubbing his eyes.
„Oh yes, you have been sleeping very, very deeply,“ said Goldilocks, „and if I had not
been, you were never waken again for ever and ever!“
When the old king saw that Jiřík has waken from the death and he is younger and more
handsome than before, he wanted to be young again. He commended his servants to be
beheaded and then to sprinkle his body with living water.
So they beheaded him and then sprinkled him with living water as he had said, and
they sprinkled it all, but the head didn´t increment to his body. Then they only just started to
pour the dead water, and in the moment the head and the body was connected as before…
But the king was still dead, and because they had no living water yet, he could not be
resurrected.
And since the kingdom could not be without a king, and anyone could be so wise as
Jiřík who was able to talk to all animals, Jiřík became the king and he married Goldilocks
because they fell in love and they were ruling with loyalty, prudence, justice, and goodness for
ever and ever.

THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE
Η ΧΕΛΩΝΑ ΚΑΙ Ο ΛΑΓΟΣ/ΕΛΛΑΔΑ
(by Aesop)
One spring morning a hare had come out of its burrow grazing fresh grass. While
grazing, he saw a tortoise passing by in the distance, and the way it walked seemed so
funny, that the hare started making fun of the tortoise that it was slower even than
snails. The tortoise stopped, turned towards the hare and said:
How about racing and seeing who is the fastest of the two? That was it! The hare fell on
the ground bursting into laughter. However, seeing that the tortoise remained solemn,
the hare realized that the tortoise was deadly serious and thus accepted the challenge.
Being the most appropriate, the fox set the starting point, the course and the finishing
point.
The race was fixed for the next morning and, indeed, the two contestants as well as
many other animals of the forest were at the starting point early morning. The fox gave
the signal and the race started. Without losing time, the tortoise started crawling and
had already covered the first inches of the course. Seeing the pace of its opponent and
being sleepy, as it was early morning, the hare thought of taking a nap , and when it
woke up it would race in its unique way and would definitely win. Thus, the tortoise
kept going along the course set by the fox, while the hare drowsed. Time flew and at
some point the hare woke up. “ Time to race” , it thought to itself and set off. It was
surprised that it didn’t find the tortoise on its way and at some point thought that the
tortoise had given up the race since it would definitely lose. However, do you know
when the hare was really taken aback? When reaching the finishing point it saw the
tortoise waiting, nibbling at a small leaf with a triumphant expression on its face.
So, the tortoise beat the hare at the race, not because it is faster but because it remained
devoted to its goal without being as arrogant as the hare.
The end
--------------------------------------------------
Aesop was an ancient Greek story teller. He is considered to be the creator of the
literary kind known as parable or allegory. There is no exact or specific information
about his life, and even his existence is by many doubtful.

Greuceanu (The Mighty)
Ο ΔΥΝΑΤΟΣ/ΡΟΥΜΑΝΙΑ
Once upon a time ...
There lived a ruler whose name was The Red Emperor. He was very sad
because one day some ogres stole the sun and the moon from the sky.
So he announced that whoever brought the sun and the moon back from the
ogres, would have his daughter as wife and half and his empire into the bargain, but
that he who dared return empty handed, would have his head cut off.
Many valiant young men came but none knew where to begin or where to
leave off for not all that flies make honey. And the Emperor kept his word.
In those days there lived a brave man called Greuceanu. He heard of the
Emperor’s promise and set off to see the Emperor and offer his services. Greuceanu
addressed him in honeyed words saying:
"Your Highness, may you rule this land for many years. Many valiant
youths have promised Your Highness to bring back the moon and the sun which
the ogrs have stolen from the sky, and I know they met their death because they
did not keep their promise. I too would like to try my luck hunting this ogres.
Who knows, perhaps God will help me punish them for the monstrous audacity.
Even if I were to perish in the attempt, I shall not give in before I accomplish the
task I have undertaken."
A few days later Greuceanu set out for the great adventure. Greuceanu took
his brother with him and they went a long, long way until they reached Faur, the
world's greatest smith, who was his sworn brother. Faur, besides being the most
skilled smith in the world, was also a man who could work wonders. For three days
and three nights Greuceanu and the smith worked out on their plans.
After resting a few days Greuceanu and his brother set forth.
As soon as they left, Faur, the world's greatest, began to make an iron replica
of Greuceanu which he ordered placed in the forge where the fire was to be kept
burning night and day.
Greuceanu and his brother walked a long the endless road, until they came to a
crossing where they stopped, hugged each other, and crying like children, each went
his way.
But before parting they each chose a kerchief: if one of the kerchiefs should
tear along the edges they could still hope to meet, but if it torn down the middle then
they would know that the other had perished. They also stuck a knife into the ground
and said: "Whoever comes back first and finds the knife rusty, he need no longer
wait for his brother, for it will mean that he's dead." And Greuceanu turned to the
right and his brother to the left.

The brother, after wandering aimlessly for many days, returned to the place
where they had parted and, finding the blade of the knife clean, sat down to wait his
brother. His heart filled with joy when he saw the sun and the moon riding high in the
sky again.
In the meantime, Greuceanu started out along the path that led straight to the
ogre's house, which stood at the spot where the devil had weaned his children. Once
there, Greuceanu turned three somesaults and changed into a dove. For, you see, he
had listened to the advice of Faur, the world's grestest smith. And now, in the form of
a dove, he flew up into a tree just in front of the ogre's house.
The ogre's eldest daughter came out the house and looked around, then ran
back again quickly to call her mother and her youngest sister to see the wonderful
bird.
Her young sister said: "Dear mother and sister, this lovely bird does not
seem to be a good omen for our house. Its eyes are not those of a bird, but rather
those of the Golden Greuceanu. We've fared well so far! But from now on may
God have pity on us and ours."
It seemed that the ogres had heard of Greuceanu.
So the three ogresses went in and took counsel together.
Greuceanu again turned thrice head over heels and became a fly, which flew in
the ogresses’ room and hid in the crack of a beam that supported the ceiling. There he
listened to everything they said and stored it in his mind. Then he left the house and
followed the road which led to the Green Forest. As he drew near he hid beneath a
bridge that spanned the road.
He had probably overheard that ogres would return that way from the Green
Forest where they had been hunting in turns, one in the evening, the other at midnight,
and the fiercest of the all at dawn.
And as Greuceanu was waiting there, he beheld the younger ogre coming
home and, as he approached the bridge, his house neighed and leaped backwards. But
the ogre shouted angrily:
"May the wolves devour all the horse flesh there is! I fear no one in the
world except for Greuceanu,and he I'll fell to the ground with a single blow."
When Greuceanu heard him he jumped up from under the bridge and called
out: "Come on, you brave ogre, let's fight with our swords and see who is the
most skilful, or let's wrestle and see who is the strongest."
They clutched each other and began to wrestle.
The ogre lifted up Greuceanu and thrust him into the earth up to his knees.
Then Greuceanu cought hold of the ogre and thrust him into the earth up to his neck
and quickly cut off his head. After throwing the body of the ogre and of his horse
under the bridge, he sat down to rest.
When the night was at its darkest, the elder brother came riding home and as
the horse drew near the brigde it sprang back seventeen feet. The ogre cursed his
horse as his brother had done; but Greuceanu rose and spoke to him as he had done to
the first ogre.
Thereupon he came out from under the bridge and they began to wrestle. The
ogre lifted Greuceanu up and thrust him down into the earth up to his waist. But
Greuceanu jumped up quickly and, getting hold of the ogre, dashed him into the
ground and buried him up to his neck in the earth, cutting off his head. After hurling
the dead bodies of the ogre and his horse below the bridge he again sat down to rest.
At dawn came the father of the ogres, as pitch-black as the devil himself.
When he reached the bridge his horse sprang back seventy-seven feet. His master was

angrier then words can say shouted:
"May the wolves devour all the horse flash there is. I fear no one in this
world except for Greuceanu; and as for him I need only aim my arrow at his
heart and that's the end of him."
Greuceanu jumped up from under the bridge and said: "Come let us fight it
out! We will cut eatch other with swords, or pierce each other with spears, or wrestle
and crush each other with our arms."
The ogre rushed him with his sword and they fought and fought until their
swords broke; then they took up their spears and lunged at each other untiltheir spears
broke too. After that they wrestled together until the earth shook beneath them. Then
the ogre god hold of Greuceanu and tried to squeeze the life out of him, but when the
ogre least expected it, Greuceanu crushed him in his arms and pressed so hard until all
the ogre's bones cracked.
A fight so terrible had never seen before. They fought and fought until the sun
was high in the sky and both were weary. A raven flew up and hovered in the sky
above, watching them as they fought:
Greuceanu called to him:
"O raven, raven bring me a beakful of fresh water and I'll give you three
ogres and and three horses to feed upon."
On hearing these words the raven flew to Greuceanu with his beak full of
water and quenched this thirst. With renewed strenght Greuceanu lifted up the ogre
and dashed him into the earth to his neck. Putting his feet on the ogre's head and
keeping him down,he said:
"Now tell me, accursed ogre, where you have hidden the sun and the
moon."
The ogre hesitated, but Greuceanu became more menacing:
"Whether you tell me or not, I'll find them, and I'll cut your head in the
bargain."
Then the ogre, still hoping to save his own life, owned up:
" There is a tower in the Green Forest. They are locked up there. And they key
to the tower is the pinkie of my right hand."
As soon as Greuceanu heard this he cut off the ogre's head and then his pinkie
and took it with him.
First he gave the raven all the dead bodies as he had promised, then going up
to the tower in the Green Forest he opened the door with the ogre's pinkie and there he
found the sun and the moon in his left, he flung them back into the sky, happy to have
carried out his pledged task.
When the people saw the sun and the moon in the sky again, they were
overwhelmed with joy and thanked God for giving Greuceanu the strenght to defeat
those develish ogres who hated manking.
Greuceanu, thankful that he had brought light again into the world, started on
his way back.
He found his brother at the crossroads and they embraced warmly. Then,
buying two horses that could travel it the speed of arrows shot from bows, they took
the road leading back to the Emperor.
On thew way they saw a pear tree filled wit golden fruit. Greuceanu's brother
wanted to spot and rest for a bit in the shade and eat some pears, for he was very
hundry. Greuceanu, however, who had overheard the ogresses plotting together,
agreed to rest but did not allow his brother to pick any pears, saying that he alone
would do it. Then he drew out his scimitar and cut the pear tree down at its roots, and

blood, horrible poisonous blood began to flow from the tree, and a voice moaned: "
You've trapped me, Greuceanu, as you did my husband."
Nothing remained of that pear tree but dust and ashes; Greuceanu's brother
was struck dumb by these happenings, for he knew nothing of their hidden meaning.
Some time later, as they rode on, they came to a cold clear spring in a
beautiful garden full of flowers and butterflies.
The brother said: "Let's stop here, brother, and rest the horses, We'll
drink some fresh water and pick flowers."
"We will do so, dear brother," answered Greuceanu, "only if its garden
was planted by human hands and if the water comes from one of God's sources."
Pulling out his scimitar, he struck at the stem of a flower which seemed the
most beautiful and it fell to the ground. Then he plunged the tip of his scimitar into
the spring and dark blood began to bubble up, as it had from the broken stem of the
flower and a sickly smell filled the air. Dust and ashes alone remained of the ogre's
eldest daughter, who had turned herself into a beautiful garden and a spring of fresh
water to poison Greuceanu.
Having escaped this danger too, they jumped on their horses and rode off as
swiftly as the wind, when, what should they see? The ogresses’ mother, mad with
rage, flying in pursuit after them to wreak her vengeance upon the man who had slain
her husband, daughters, and sons-in-law.
Greuceanu, realizing that the old ogress was on her heels, told his brother:
"Look behind you, brother. What do you see?"
"What should I see," he answered, "but a black cloud rushing up behind
us."
They whiped their horses, which kept sailing as fast as the the wind and as
smootly as kind thoughts. Then Greuceanu told his brother to look behind again. This
time he saw the cloud drawing nearer in a welter of flame, but spurring on their
horses, they managed to reach Faur, the world’s greatest smith.
Here they dismounted and locked themselves inside the forge. The ogress was
close behind them and had she caught up with them it would have certainly been their
end, for she would not have left a single bone in their bodies uncracked. However,
they were safely beyond her reach.
But she tried to outwit them and asked Greuceanu to make a hole in the wall,
that she could talk to him. Faur, the world's greatest smith, was ready with
Greuceanu's iron image, the one he had heated on his forge with sparks flying in all
directions. When the ogress put her mouth to the hole to suck Greuceanu's blood, Faur
quickly pushed the red hot iron dummy down her troat. She swallowed the ronce, and
swallowed twice, and at the third gulp she burst to pieces. Her dead body turned into
an iron hill, and so the world was rid of her too.
Faur then opened the forge, and they came out and celebrated their victory for
three days and three nights. As for Faur, he was more then delighted about about the
iron hill. He oredered his apprentices to make Greuceanu a cart and three horses out
of this iron. When they were ready, he blew up them and gave them life.
Then saying goodbye to his sworn brother, Faur, Greuceanu got into the cart
with his brother and drove off to the Red Emperor to receive his reward.
A great wedding was celebrated, and the fest and merriment lasted, as it lasts at
imperial courts, for three long weeks...
But now I must get into saddle again
To tell others this story of wonders and bane.

New created Greek text based on the stories
from all the project countries
Η ΔΥΝΑΜΗ ΤΗΣ ΑΦΟΣΙΩΣΗΣ
Narrator: “Once upon a time in a far-flung land lived a fisherman, called
Plunk, with his family. His wife, Erasmina loved animals and she liked
spending her leisure time with them every day. They also had a bewitching,
kind-hearted stepdaughter Goldilocks who was able to speak and
understand the language of all animals. The fisherman had found her
abandoned on the beach as a baby.”
Plunk: “My dear, you know how much I enjoy the company of both you and
our beloved daughter Goldilocks.”
Erasmina: “I’m aware of it my darling; I feel we’re so fortunate God sent us
this wonderful girl.”
Narrator: “A crisp October morning Plunk was ready to go to his usual
labour.”
Plunk: “Erasmina I’m going to go for fishing and I’ll be back after five or six
hours.”
Erasmina: “Plunk, I think there will be a thunderstorm. Please don’t go in the
open sea today. I have a feeling that something terrible will happen.”
Plunk: “Don’t worry. I am very experienced and I won’t have any problem. (he
calmed her down). After all, you know that our family is the most precious
thing to me. If I stay at home how will I support my family?”

Narrator: “After a while, all of a sudden a terrible thunderstorm broke out and
the fisherman was lost at sea. Time flew and as Plunk still hadn’t returned
home his family grew worried.”
Erasmina: “Goldilocks, your father went fishing in this freak storm and he
hasn’t come back, yet. Stay here in case he returns and I’ll go in search of
him”
Goldilocks: “No, mother; you won’t go alone. I’ll come with you!”
Erasmina: “No, my dear daughter! Just think that if he comes back and he
finds neither of us here he will panic”.
Narrator: “Meanwhile, the poor fisherman had an accident. His boat turned
over and he lost consciousness. Just then Greuceanu felt sorry for him and
took him to the bottom of the sea. When he came to his senses he realized
where he was at the sea bottom! Next to him were two goldfish taking care of
him.”
Plunk: “Where am I?”
Goldfish1: “Don’t worry; everything will be fine!”
Plunk: “Oh! My God… you can speak! Please, tell me what happened to
me?”
Goldfish2: “A few hours earlier you had a terrible accident which almost cost
your dear life!”
Plunk: “I must go back home. My wife and daughter will be sick with worry!”
(With a trembling voice)
Goldfish1: “Calm down and if you really want it there is a way to return to
your family.” (Pacified him)

Goldfish2: “The only thing you have to do is go to the Prince of the Sea and
he will tell you how you will be rejoined with your family.”
Plunk: “If this needs to be done, it shall be done!” (Answered determinedly)
Goldfish1: “Beware though! The way to the Prince of the Sea is long and
rough.” (Warned him).
Goldfish2: “You will walk for three days and nights; follow your heart and it
will show you the way to the truth!” (They said and they both swam away)
Narrator: “Not knowing what to do, Plunk followed his heart and without
losing his faith or courage for a single minute he kept wandering… At some
point he came across a turtle which was somewhat different from other
turtles…. it had a man’s voice.”
Turtle: “What are you doing here? Haven’t you been warned that it is
dangerous to be here all alone?”
Plunk: “Who is talking?” (Plunk asked mystified)
Turtle: “Look behind you.”
(On looking back Plunk was stupefied)
Plunk: “Oh! My God… you can speak!” (He stammered) (Bringing himself
together he asked) “My good turtle, do you know the way to the Dark Palace
where the Prince of the Sea lives?”
Turtle: “Do you know what you’re asking for? No one who went there ever
came back.” (The turtle answered in an awed whisper)
Plunk: “I’m afraid of nothing! I’ll do whatever it takes to return to my family!”
(Plunk snapped)
Turtle: “I warned you! You should know, however, that nothing is as it seems
to be. Take this and when the right time comes the stone of patience use it at
will” (the turtle confided putting in his hand a magic stone - the stone of
patience- and disappeared in the dark ocean.)
Narrator: “Plunk wondered for three days and three nights as the goldfish
had said and then he came outside the Dark Palace which was guarded by
three fearsome Ogres. Just then he recalled the advice of the turtle and he
figured out that the magic stone was his only help. On kissing the stone of
patience his shadow disappeared; he had become invisible. This way he went
through the gates of the palace unharmed and then he assumed his previous
form. The first thing he discerned was a long, dark hall leading to a golden
throne on which the Young Prince Jiřík reposed.”

Prince Jiřík: “Come closer.”
Plunk: “I want to go back to my family but I’ve lost my way and…”
Prince Jiřík: “I know what you want...” (The Young Prince cut in)
Plunk: “Please help me”
Prince Jiřík: “In order to fulfill your wish you must solve the following riddle
or else you will lose everything.”
Plunk: “I’ll do it.”
Prince Jiřík: “What is it that cracks but doesn’t break…
Hurts but doesn’t talk…
And if it stops it doesn’t restart?”
Prince Jiřík: “I’ll give you the following clue: Just think what you’ve been
through.” (The Young Prince said enigmatically.)
Narrator: “Just then Plunk recalled the words of the goldfish “Follow your
heart” and whispered hesitantly”
Plunk: “It’s the heart.”
Narrator: “All of a sudden a dazzling light blinded him and he lost
consciousness... Sometime later Plunk woke up on the beach having the form
of a wounded snake and next to him was the Prince taking care of him.
Shortly after, the Prince heard somebody’s footsteps. He turned around and
saw a beautiful, tall, golden-haired maiden with piercing blue eyes. The Prince
was transfixed by her striking beauty and could not take his eyes off her. The
snake was taken aback by the maiden’s presence, as she was Goldilocks
who was nostalgically walking along the shore thinking about her father. On
seeing the wounded snake and the Prince, Goldilocks was startled and
rushed back home.”
Goldilocks: “Oh, mother you’ll never guess what happened to me!” (She
sobbed) “While I was walking along the shore I saw a huge snake and a man
staring at me. I was so frightened.”
Erasmina: “Please, calm down. Let’s go back to the beach and show me,”
(said softly)
Goldilocks: “What are you talking about? It’s very dangerous!”
Narrator: “Just then she saw her friend the hare who was always close to her
in order to help her.”

Hare: “I have a surprise for you. Go to the beach with your mother and you’ll
see something which will make you rejoice.”
Narrator: “Goldilocks followed the hare’s advice and headed for the shore
with her mother... After a long trek they reached the shore… All of a sudden,
they were confronted with the wounded snake and the Prince. On facing this
strange sighting, Erasmina realized that the snake she was looking at was not
an ordinary one.”
Erasmina: “Goldilocks, my daughter, look at how this poor, wounded snake is
looking at both of us. Its eyes are full of nostalgia; there’s no the cold,
heartless look of a usual snake!”
Narrator: “Unable to fight back her tears, Erasmina burst out crying and
when a tear dropped on the snake it was transformed into Plunk… Both
Erasmina and Goldilocks were left speechless.”
Goldilocks: “Oh! Father it’s you!” (She cried out, throwing her arms around
her father)
Erasmina: “We thought we would never see you again”
Plunk: “Calm down. Nothing could keep me away from you my dears”
Erasmina: “But Plunk, where have you been all these days? We looked
everywhere for you.”
Plunk: “It was my love and devotion to our family that helped me come back.
An evil witch had trapped this lad making him the Prince of the sea. The witch
had cast a spell on him condemning him to live forever in the sea. The only
way for the Prince to break the spell was to find someone who would
renounce the luxury of the sea world for something else. That was finally me
who rejected the Prince’s offer and chose rejoining my family. This way I set
myself free and helped this lad escape from the prison of the sea world. If it
hadn’t been for Greuceanu I would be dead now.”
Erasmina: “My dear Plunk, I don’t believe it! I thought I’d never see you
again.”
Goldilocks: “Oh! Father, I’m here with you now and I’ll take care of you until
you get well.”
Plunk: “You make me feel much better now. I’ve missed both of you so much!
I love you more than my life!”
Goldilocks: “We love you too father! Now try to rest. Everything will be fine.”

Narrator: “The prince was amazed by Goldilocks’ love for her father and by
the kindness of her heart. He realized that she was the one for him.”
Prince Jiřík: “How I’ve been longing for this moment! I was suffering in
silence because an evil witch cursed me with eternal loneliness and only the
love of a kind-hearted maiden could break the spell. Now I’m sure I know how
the real love is. I’ve learned it from your family.”
Plunk: “You are a remarkable man and you worth the best in your life.”
Prince Jiřík: “If I have your permission I have a question for your daughter”
Plunk: “Of course you have”
Prince Jiřík: “My dearest, will you marry me?
Goldilocks: “I… I… Yes, I’ll marry you!”
Prince Jiřík: “I promise I will do everything within my power so that you are
happy for the rest of your life!”
Narrator: “Thus Erasmina found her missing husband and Goldilocks her
father and a loving husband… A few days later the graceful maiden got
married to the Prince, they had lots of children and lived happily ever after.”
“Thus, Plunk’s perseverance to go back to his family proved that family
ties and the devotion to it are more worthy than all the riches of the
world.”

2012-2013 FOLK STORIES
DELU DUMRUL/ΤΟΥΡΚΙΑ
Among the Oghuz people there was a man by the name of Delu Dumrul. He had a bridge built across a
dry river bed. He collected thirty-three akchas from anyone who passed over it, and those who refused
to pass over it he beat and charged forty akchas anyway. He did this to challenge anyone who thought
he was braver than Delu Dumrul to fight, with the purpose of making his own bravery, heroism and
gallantry known even in places as far distant as Anatolia and Syria.
One day it happened that a troop of nomadics camped along his bridge. A fine, handsome youth in the
nomad troop fell sick and died at the command of Allah. Some cried saying "Son", some cried saying
"Brother", and there was great mourning for him.
Delu Dumrul, enhancing to come along, asked: "Why are you crying? What is this noise by my bridge?
Why are you mourning?"
They said: "My khan, we lost a fine young man. That is why we are crying."
Delu Dumrul asked: "Who killed your bey?"
They said: "Oh, bey, it was by the order of Almighty Allah. The red-winged Azrail took his life."
"What sort of fellow is this Azrail who takes people's lives? For the sake of your unity and existence, O
Almighty Allah, let me see Azrail. Let me fight and scuffle with him to save the life of such a fine youth,
so that he never takes a life again", said Delu Dumrul. He then turned away and went home.
Now, Almighty Allah was not pleased with Dumrul's words. He said: "Look at that madman. He does not
understand my oneness. He does not express his gratitude to me and dares to behave arrogantly in my
mighty presence." He ordered Azrail: "Go and appear before the eyes of that madman.
While Delu Dumrul was sitting and drinking with his forty companions, Azrail suddenly arrived. Delu
Dumrul's eyes were blinded, his hands paralyzed. The entire world was darkened to his eyes. He began
to speak. Let us see what he said, my khan.
"What a mighty, big old man you are!
My eyes, which could see, now cannot;.
My soul trembled and was terrified;
My mouth is cold as ice;
Ho! white-bearded old man,

Cold-eyed old man!
Go away, or I may hurt you."
Azrail was angry at these remarks. He said:
"Oh, madman! You were boasting and saying that you would kill the red-winged Azrail if you caught him
to save the life of the fine young lad. Oh, fool, now I have come to take your life. Will you give it, or will
you fight with me?"
Delu Dumrul asked: "Are you the red-winged Azrail?"
"Yes, I am", replied Azrail.
"Are you the one who takes the lives of these fine boys?", asked Dumrul.
"That is so", said Azrail.
Delu Dumrul mounted his horse and said: “ Let me kill you and save the life of that fine young man." But
when the horse saw Azrail, it was frightened and threw Delu Dumrul off its back to the ground. He
became powerless. Azrail came and pressed down upon his white chest. Delu Dumrul gasped:
"O Azrail, have mercy!
There is no doubt about the unity of Allah.
I did not know you secretly took lives.
I was drunk, and so I did not hear.
I did not know what I had said.
O Azrail, please spare this life of mine."
Azrail said: "You mad rascal, why do you beg mercy from me? Beg mercy from Almighty Allah. What is
in my hands? I am but a servant."
Delu Dumrul said: "Is it, then, Almighty Allah who gives and takes our lives?"
"Of course", said Azrail.
Delu Dumrul then turned to Azrail and said: "You are a cursed fellow. Do not interfere with my business.
Let me talk with Almighty Allah myself." Delu Dumrul spoke to Allah. Let us listen to what he said.
"You are higher than the highest.
No one knows how high you are,
Allah the Magnificent.
Immortal, merciful Allah,
Almighty Allah was pleased with the way Delu Dumrul addressed him this time. He shouted to Azrail
that, because the mad rascal believed in His oneness, he was giving him his blessing and that his life
might be spared if he could find another willing to serve as a substitute for him.
Azrail said to Delu Dumrul: "Oh, Delu Dumrul, it is the command of Almighty Allah that you should
provide the life of someone else for your own, which will then be spared."

Delu Dumrul said: "How can I find someone else's life? I have no one in the world but an old mother and
an old father. Let us go and see if one of them will give his life for me. If so, you can take it, and leave
me mine." Delu Dumrul rode to his father's house, kissed his father's hand and spoke to him. Let us see
what he said to his father.
"My white-bearded father, beloved and respected,
Do you know what has happened to me?
The red-winged Azrail flew down from the sky
To take my sweet life.
Father, I beg you to give me your life.
Will you give me it, father?
His father answered:
"Son, son, oh, my son!
The world is too sweet, and living is too dear
Go to your mother, more dear and beloved than I.."
Refused by his father, Delu Dumrul next rode to his mother and said to her:
"Do you know what has happened to me, my mother?
To take my sweet life
My father denied me the life that I asked from him, mother.
I ask you for yours, now, my mother.
Will you give me your life..
his mother said:
"Son, son, oh, my son!
Son, whom I carried nine months in my narrow womb,,
Whom I fed my abundant white milk..
The world is too sweet, and the human soul is too dear"
His mother also refused to give her life for him. Azrail, therefore, came to take Delu Dumrul's life. Delu
Dumrul said:
"O Azrail, be not hasty.
Have mercy…”
Azrail replied: "Oh, you madman, why do you keep begging for mercy? You went to your white-bearded
father, but he refused to give you his life. You then went to your white-haired mother, and she also
refused to give you her life. Who do you think will give you his life?"
"I have yet a loved one. Let me go and see her", said Delu Dumrul.

"Who is your loved one, mad fellow?", asked Azrail.
"I have a wife, and I have two children by her. Take my life after I visit them. I have a few things to say
to them." He rode then to his wife and said to her:
"Do you know what has happened to me?
To take my life
My father denied me the life that I asked from him.
I went to my mother, but she refused, too.
They said that the world was too sweet and life was too dear..
His wife then spoke:
"What is it you say,
My strong ram, my young shah,
Whom I loved at first sight,
And gave all of my heart?
Whom I gave my sweet lips to be kissed;
Whom I slept with upon the same pillow and loved.
What shall I do with the life when you are no longer here?;
Let my life be a sacrifice made for the sake of your own."
Saying this, she consented to die. When Azrail came to take the lady's life, Delu Dumrul could not spare
his wife. He pleaded with Almighty Allah:
"You are higher than the highest;
No one knows how high you are,
Allah the Magnificent!
If you take any life, take the lives of us both.
If you spare any life, spare the lives of us both,
Merciful Almighty Allah."
Almighty Allah was pleased with Delu Dumrul's words. He gave his orders to Azrail: "Take the lives of
Delu Dumrul's father and mother. I have granted a life of 140 years to this married couple." Azrail took
the lives of the father and mother right away, but Delu Dumrul lived with his wife for 140 years more.
.
Vladimir Nazor

VELI JOŽE – Ο ΤΕΡΑΣΤΙΟΣ ΖΟΖΕ/ΚΡΟΑΤΙΑ
(adaptation of the tale)
It was a long time ago, when governor Barbabianka and Sir Zuane Della Zonta, a Venetian
major and a captain of Motovun forest, went around Istria to mark oaks they would knock down and
transport to Venice.
The summer sun heated Motovun. Barbabianka dragged a donkey behind him.
- How much have we marked untill now? – asked Barbabianka.
- Seven thousand thirty four. – answered Zuane.
- That's enough. The people are going to complain.
- No problem. Let’s make it seven thousand thirty five, and that’s enough!
Zuane gave the governor limestone and a small broom to mark his coat of arms on the timber,
when two arms emerged from the bush, grabbed and tossed the donkey into the air. A giant appeared in
front of them, strong as a bull, with messy hair, torn clothes and covered in dust. That was a serf Jože
from Branenci village.
Barbabianka was shaking from fear but Zuane told him:
- Noble sir, take that stick and smack that insolent man as hard as you can.
The governor started hitting the serf until his stick almost broke and the serf Jože stood there
before the mayor all mopped and kind. Then, Zuane ordered him to take the mayor back to the town and
the serf took him and placed him under his left elbow and took him to the town. The mayor was looking
at the Istrian serf trying to assure himself that everything that is big shouldn’t be looked at from close
distance. He was scared of the giant's teeth that could crush him so he told him:
-Good Jože, are you hungry?
-Yes I am, sir.
-Who feeds you?
-The people from the town. When I bring them wood or stone, when I dig all day long or chop
timber for them. And the sailors give me something when I pull their barge on the river.
-How old are you? – asked the governor.
-They say three hundred years old, but it is obvious I am older.
Barbabianka realized that Joze was the only remaining giant left, and thought it would be great
if he took him to Venice on a leash so he asked the giant if he would go to Venice with him to.

-Hm! – grounded the giant and put the governor down onto the Motovun's wall.
The people from Motovun rounded around him eager to make jokes with him.
-Hey, Jože, the gentlemen in the hall are roasting an ox for you.
-Sing Jože! – someone shouted. – You will get a bottle of wine.
And Jože started to sing a song about king Draganja, a song about the fame and death of the
giants. When the giant stopped, the citizens said:
-Good one, you earned yourself wine and ox. Open your mouth.
The giant wanted to say something, but a big ball of muddy hay shut his mouth. The giant was
insulted and he jumped over the town walls, grabbed Motovun tower with his hands and started shaking
it from the top to the bottom. The crowd got scared.
At that time, in the town hall, the mayor of Motovun held a speech and thanked the governor for
his bravery. In the speech he reminded them of a custom, which is two hundred years old, according to
which they feed a giant with an ox every Saturday, but the citizens wanted to end the custom. At the end
of the second council meeting, treasurer Civetta told them:
- I would gild that savage. Jože ploughs our land, he builds the town’s walls and towers, feeds us and
defends us. He has been so good to us to have any bad feelings for him!
In the end, they decided that the governor Barbabianka would take the giant to Kopar at Easter
and then everybody would be satisfied. They made the deal that serf Jože would get half a barrel of
wine, three baskets of bread and the best ox.
The gates of the town hall opened. The governor came out with the noblemen. A few men were
carrying roasted ox, three baskets of bread and a small barrel of wine. Jože was told that it all belonged
to him then but fearing some fraud, he took the gifts, and rushed to his pit near the shed. At Easter dawn
Zuane took his horse and Huge Jože to town Kopar to the governor Barbabianka while citizens were
throwing their hats into the air, waving their hands, screaming and yelling:
- Have a nice trip, Jože!
At dawn he set off from Kopar port on a big ship to Venice. Jože leaned his head against the stern. He
didn’t feel good because he was taken away from Motovun. As the land was disappearing on the
horizon, Jože was getting more depressed and he wanted to jump into the water and return to his
forests.
The ship was shaking. Suddenly Jože heard a song sung in his own language. In the darkness
he felt the lid, raised it and pushed it aside, and in there he found a galley-slave Ilija, chained to the ship.
They told each other their stories. Then Jože found out that Ilija was a giant from Neretva captured by
Venetians who cut off his legs and that he had been chained in the galley for 20 years. Then he told
Jože:
- Do not give up, crush them! You have hands to work with them, do it for you and your friends. And that
land is yours.
- The storm is coming. It will be terrible and our ship will sink. You are big and strong. I will sink with the
galley. So you must swear that from today on you will be like a dog who does not let anyone take his
bone.
- I swear, Jože told him.
The wind hit the boat harshly and made it shake as a wounded beast. The waves raised the sea, Jože
listened to the last song of galley-slave Ilija. The clouds came down, lightning burst, rain started. The
bow broke and the stern was damaged. The ship crashed into something and slammed on the sand.

Jože jumped into the water and tried to reach the ship with his hands, but the wave took the ship away.
Jože stayed alone.
At dawn the sea threw the giant to the shore of Raska Cave. Shepherds saw him while he was
resting and sunbathing near the cave. In a few days Jože gathered 20 giants and led them to the peak
of Dogheaded hill between Pazin and Motovun.
Strange stories were told about them around Istria and all towns closed their doors, and all
noble castles raised their bridges and set guards. Without serf-giants, fields, meadows and vineyards
were devastated. Citizens and noblemen were worried, and serfs started to clear up slopes and plough
the land. In summer crops were ripening, the land became green. They began fixing old walls of their
town and on the hill called Dogheaded hill they found shacks for animals and themselves. So they built a
wooden city surrounded by a wall of stones and oaks.
One day, when they were working in the field they saw enormous, cold plates.
- What is it? - Said Juric, digging further into the pit.
- Money. Gold. - Jože replied.
- And what is it for?
- I don't know what it is for. Those rings local people in Motovun wear on their fingers, and females in
their ears.
- And why is that?
- Oh, because, it's a sign that they aren’t allowed to work.
When they came out of the pit, they walked down the hill with hoes, they saw an army of dwarfs
and two knights in front of them, Oda and Bracciodura. Giants went back to their town. They sat on the
walls and observed the army in the valley.
Roaring and screaming dwarfs fought through the valley. They swarmed like ants, climbing the rocks
with knives in their mouth. Weapons resounded, spears flew by.
- What should we do? - Giants asked their chief.
Jože stood for a moment and pointed to the black oaks behind the shed:
- You sweep!
Several giants rushed to the trees. There were chaos and screams. Army of citizens encamped
on the Štriga's peak near Dogheaded hill. They said that the bandits should be punished and bring them
back into the shed as mad sheep. They decided that Motovun's, Pazin's and Labin's mayors should go
with treasurer Civetta to Giant's town. They climbed their donkeys and went to serfs without company.
When they came under the walls, giant Jurić asked them what they wanted, and then Huge Jože,
Liberat and Toma started to negotiate with them. Motovun's delegation promised the giants roasted
oxen and bottles of wine, but the Giants replied:
- We're fine here! We're working. We're free.
Treasurer asked Huge Jože if he knew what it meant to be free, and he replied:
- I don't, however... Now working is even better for me. Now it's all mine.
- Jože! - Asked one of the mayors – will you, therefore, come with us?

- Sir - replied the giant – leave us alone! If serfs listened to me, we would return what
belonged to us.
The mayor promised that the district would feed them and they would enjoy the same rights as
citizens, but the Giants replied:
- We shall not come to you. Forget about us and work alone in the fields.
The mayors were ashamed and started to pack and leave, but Jože said:
- Wait, I don't want you to go back empty-handed.
Giants's hands were filled with gold and silver.
- Remove the hats! – he said. Rings, chains and golden coins were falling out of his hands like golden
rain. The mayors picked up the treasure, mounted their donkeys and rushed down.
The citizens were alerted on the news that the mayors had come back with pockets full of gold,
and that the Dogheaded hill is full of buried treasure. The loudest ones were those from Motovun, Pazin
and Buzet because Dogheaded hill was located on the border of their districts and each district tried to
prove that the Hill was theirs. It was like fever shaking the noblemen' and tradesmen' bones. They
wanted to know whose gold it was and who would get it.
The crops were ripening at the heat of summer, serfs worked in the valley and on the slopes,
and people spent their days in argument. Twice they tried to reach the giants' walls, but they returned
beaten and disgraced.
- These wild serfs are giant Polifems' great-grandchildren. They're not worthy to be compared to me -
said Baron Braccioduro.
Treasurer Civetta just kept his mouth shut. Citizens began coming at night, to climb the
Dogheaded hill and dig another pit, but they found only a few skulls. One evening Jože caught four
locals from Motovun and recognized that they were the ones who had shut his mouth with muddy hay.
He decided to fight back:
- Do you want gold?
- Gold! – they cheered, and Jože saw how their eyes glowed in the darkness.
- But I will not give it to you. You must deserve it.
- How?
- Come and help us with our work in the valley.
Huge Jože awoke with his hair filled with dew, threw his hoe on his shoulder and headed for
the valley with citizens.
- I'm going to dig, and you'll clear the stones behind me. - He told them.
So they were working in the valley. The citizens filled with wrath gathered on the Štriga's peak .
- What a disgrace! Citizens serve serfs.
Tired and dusty, the four people who worked returned to Huge Jože. Locals from Motovun
rushed, seized and hanged them to save their good reputation. But after two days locals from Labin,
who wanted to serve those who were paying, came as poor citizens weren't ashamed to work. So over
hundred people began to work for Huge Jože.

The time for a plentiful harvest came around the Dogheaded hill. The mayor and treasurer Civetta
came from Motovun with several carts of wine. Civetta didn't come for gold, but he got involved in a fight
between the giants. Jože became arrogant, he drank like a nobleman, proud to be the grandson of
some king Dragonja whose glass and crown nowadays adorned the altar of Motovun's church. He
relentlessly spent his last gold coins.
- Are we going too? - said Motovun's mayor to Civetta one day.
- I'm staying. Someday I'll go with Huge Jože.
- Don't you see what happened? They don't need us anymore.
- They do. A path to freedom is long and difficult. The citizens used to serve to gold. It's a good thing
that they got the money from serfs' hands, but the serf is not allowed to get the money from our hands.
What he must overcome to reach true freedom lies in him. I'm counting on that!
Mayor went toward the city, and Civetta stayed with a few citizens.
It was a clear autumn day. In the middle of Dogheaded hill giants gathered to celebrate rich harvest, but
there was a fight. Jože wanted all the land in the valley for himself. Giants Liberat and Jurić didn't agree
and the fight about the land began. Insulted, because almost everyone was against him, he burned the
wheat, and the flame spread onto the whole town. Treasurer took Jože away into the pit on the west
side of the hill.
Giants wanted to punish him, and he just wanted to live quietly in the valley. The next day
Giants told Civetta about their misfortune and concluded that they had no one to be a good and wise
mayor. They were begging him to be their mayor, but he refused.
At Christmas treasurer dropped another apple of discord. He told the serfs that he was coming
to divide the land. Civetta divided the land and asked everyone to respect the document. Jože didn't
agree with that because he wasn't there and said that the valley would only belong to him. So giants
Liberat and Jože started a fight over the land in the valley which resulted in Liberat's murder. Other
serfs, all scared, listened to treasurer.
- We don't know how to be free. We would like to go back to our old masters - they said.
- That's all nice - Civetta said - but will they want you back?
Civetta wrote letters to chiefs that one serf would be brought to their town, and that he was
going with Huge Jože to Motovun.
- Giants surrendered, bowed their heads, and went to various parts of the Istrian land.
The last to leave the Dogheaded hill was treasurer Civetta. Huge Jože followed him. At noon
on the second day they saw houses of Motovun between rivers Mirna and Dragonja. Treasurer was
happy. He came back with serf Jože. He rode a donkey in front of the giant, and dragged Jože like a
dog.
Far on the horizon the sea came into sight. A big galley sailed on the sea. Giant remembered
the storm in the middle of the night, the galley-slave Ilija and his song. It seemed to him like Ilija was
yelling in his both ears: "Do not be a slave. You are a man, too."
Soon they heard drums, trumpets and cheers: Long live the treasurer!
Suddenly, people fell silent, turned pale of disappointment, turned yellow of anger.
Treasurer turned back and realized: Huge Jože disappeared without a trace.

MAIDENS´ WAR
Ο ΠΟΛΕΜΟΣ ΤΩΝ ΓΥΝΑΙΚΩΝ/ΤΣΕΧΙΑ
Ancient Bohemian folk tale.
In the beginning of the Bohemian tribe, there was the judge called Krok and his three daughters.
The youngest of them, Libuše, was the judge after her father´s death, and she married the ploughman
Přemysl who was, according to myths, the first Bohemian duke. Libuše was also the prophet, she could
see the future. For example, she saw the city of Prague in the future. Everybody loved her and before
she married Přemysl, she had been ruling herself.
But the duchess Libuše died and her ladies and girls were very sad. Men were making fun of
them: “Now you are as errant sheep without shepherd!”
And there is one folk tale, which belongs to one ace by the river Vltava not far away from
Vyšehrad, the first castle, where Libuše and Přemysl were living. This place, a hill by the valley, is called
Wild Šárka, according to one of the heroines of maidens´ war.
So, men were taunting maidens and women, and the flame of their anger flared up. Maidens
wanted to revenge and to rule as Libuše used to. The first of them, Vlasta (her name means Homeland),
prompted them to take the sword and the bow and to begin to fight. She created the company and begin
to build the forficate castle called Děvín (Maidens´ place).
Maidens were listening Vlasta in everything. They were searching for other girls in the whole
country, telling them: “Come to us, let´s fight against men! Leave your husbands, we are born for ruling
and men could be our servants. If Přemysl was a ploughman, may all men work, and we will rule.”
Soon Děvín was fool of women and maidens, and men ridiculed them, when they saw how
women are trying to ride the horse and handle weapons. Also the fellows of duke Přemysl were
laughing, and only he was sad and troubled: “I cannot laugh, my friends, because I have seen terrible
things in my dreams.” And he wanted to warn them: “I have seen the night and the air full of heavy dark
smoke. In the light of the fire, there was a young woman in head-piece, long hair were fluttering in wind.
She had a sword in her right hand and the goblet in her left hand. All around her were killed men. She
began to run and dance and tread on their corpses, and then she gathered their blood in the cup and
drank as the angry beast! Listen to me, my men: I am warning you. Listen to the voice of our gods,
search for their signs!”
Meanwhile maidens were preparing the battle against men. Without a heart, they told their
husbands and fathers: “We do not belong to you. Look after yourselves without us!”
And they promised themselves the faith and the oath: “If somebody of us betray, may she perish
by her own sword!” And maidens told their oath to their lady-chief, Vlasta.

Leaflet of the Comenius Project - Greece

Leaflet of the Comenius Project - Greece

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