by Ion Creangă
Once upon a time there were an old woman and an old man, the old man was 100 years old and the old woman only 90 and they were both as white as winter and as gloomy as bad weather for they had no children. And alas! How much they really wanted a child, and all day long and all night long they sat quite alone, and their ears hurt from so much silence and their hearts ache with spleen. And above all these there was nothing much of them either, they had only a poor cottage as home, some rugs as clothes and some torn carpets on benches and settles and that was all. And from some time the spleen was eating them alive for no human soul would open their door, as if they had plague, poor them!
One day, the old woman said with a sigh to the old man:
“Alas, old man, Lord have mercy on us! Since we are in this world no one ever told us mother nor father! Is this not a shame, why are we still living on this earth? For I believe that a home without children has no God in it.”
“Well, my old lady, what can we do if there isn’t God’s will?”
“Well, old man, I see that clearly too, but in the meantime do you know what I was thinking about last night?”
“I would know if you would tell me.”
“Well, tomorrow morning, as soon as the dawn breaks, you should wake up and start one way and go as far as you can see and whatever you will first meet on your way, man, snake, any kind of living soul, any kind of creature, take it with you in your bag and bring it home and we shall raise it as good as we can. And that shall be our child.”
The old man, sick of all this loneliness too and willing to have children, woke up the next morning, took his bag on a pole and did as his old lady said… He started walking across some fields and sink holes till he reached an oozy hole. And in this oozy hole he saw a sow with twelve piglets, all lying in sludge in the sun. When they saw the old man coming closer she started to grunt and run and all the piglets ran after her, except one which was scraggy and dirty and full of blains. It was stuck in the sludge and remained on its spot.
The old man grabbed the scraggy piglet as fast as he could, put it in his bag, as it was all covered in sludge and other things, and started his way back home.
“Thank God! said the old man, for I can bring some comfort to my old lady. What do I know? Maybe God or the devil put this thought into her mind the other night.”
And as soon as he reached home he said:
“Here you are, my old lady. Look what son I’ve brought you! Long may it live! It is a fine boy, with big eyes and nice brows, and as handsome as you have never seen. He looks just like you! Now prepare him a bath and take good care of him as you know one should take care of boys because as you can see he is slightly dirty, the lie one!”
“Old man, old man, said the old woman, you should not laugh, for he is too one of God’s creation, just like us… or maybe even more innocent, the poor one!”
Then, as quick as a young girl, she started to make the soap and prepare the bath, and as she knew well the art of midwifery, she took the little pig, bathed him, massed him with candle oil at all his joints, chucked his nose and said an invocation so her baby will be protected from the evil eye.
After that she combed his hair and took so good care of him that in a few days he was safe again and flourishing from all the bran and the crusts and peels that she was feeding him with. He was a pretty sight for the eye now. The old lady was so happy she did not know what to do for she had now such a charming funny son, fat as a watermelon. If anyone would say he is naughty and ugly, she would keep on saying there is no other like her son! She was unhappy with one thing only: he could not call them mother and father.
One day, the old man wanted to go to the fair to buy different things.
“Hey, old man, said the old woman, don’t forget to bring some carobs for the boy for he is longing for some, the little one!”
“All right, my old lady. But in his mind he was thinking: if only the erysipelas would get him, for he is such a discomfort to me. If only we would have bread and salt for us, but to fatten him with all these goodies… If I would do just as she says I would go nuts!”
Finally, the old man goes to the fair, bargains what he has to bargain and then comes home and the old woman asks him as she always does:
“Well, old man, what is new in town?”
“What is there to be? No good news, the king wants to marry his daughter.”
“And this is bad news, old man?”
“Just think a little, old woman, for it is not only that. What I’ve heard gave me shivers on the back. And when I would be about to end my story, I guess you will get shivers too.”
“Why so, old man? Oh me!”
“This is why: the emperor announced through all his bellmen in the entire kingdom that the one who would build from his courtyard to the royal courts a golden bridge, paved with precious stones and decorated with all sort of trees on both sides and in these trees all kinds of birds will be singing, those kinds no one ever saw before, then that one will get his daughter as wife! Even more, he will also get half of his kingdom. And the one will come to ask his daughter for marriage but won’t succeed to built the bridge, that one will lose his head instantly. And it seems that lots of kings’ sons and emperors’ sons, God knows where they came from, could not build the bridge and the king, as it was decided, cut their heads off, all of them, showing no mercy, and the people are now in mourning for their deaths. Now, old woman, what do you say? Is this good news? Even the king got sick because of such displeasure!”
“Well, old man, king’s illness is like our fortune! I am sorry for all those sons of different kings and emperors that you told me about! My heart breaks when I think of their mothers, their mourning and their longing. It is better now I see that our son cannot speak and his mind is not up to all these troubles.”
“These are all right as you have said, but it would be even better if there would be a young man who would build the bridge and marry the king’s daughter for all his troubles would go away and Lord, what praise he will get in this world!”
While the old couple were talking like this, the piglet was lying in its lair, in a corner under the bake-stove, with its snout up, and looking straight into their eyes he was listening to what they were saying and sniffing from time to time. And while the old couple were talking as such one with another, a voice came from underneath the dwelling.
“Mom, dad, I shall build the bridge.”
The old woman was knocked off by joy, but the old man, thinking that’s the devil, got scared and in surprise he was looking around the cottage to see where the voice came from and seeing no one he came a little to his senses. But the piglet cried again:
“Father, don’t be afraid, it is me! Wake mom up and go to the king and tell him I shall build his bridge.
Then the old man babbled:
“But can you really do it?”
“Have no worry about that, father, for you are with me. Just go and tell the king what I’ve just said.”
The old woman, coming to her senses, kissed her son and told him:
“My sweet boy! Don’t put your life in danger and leave us just now, all strangers, with our hearts broken and no aid!”
“Don’t worry, mother, for living and not dying you shall see who I truly am.”
Then the old man having nothing to say comb his beard nicely, took his old age handrail and got out of the house taking the road to the kingdom. As soon as he got in town, he went straight to the king’s palace. When a guardsman saw him walking around those parts asked him:
“What do you want, old man?”
“Well, I have some business with the king, my son says he will build the bridge he asked for.”
Knowing the king’s command, the guardsman says nothing more and takes the old man before the king. The king seeing the old man asks him:
“What do you want from me, old man?”
“Long may you live, our enlightened mighty king! My son hearing that you have a daughter to marry sent me on his behalf to let you know he can build your bridge.”
“If he can build it, then build it! And then my daughter and half of my kingdom will be his. And if not, then… maybe you have heard what happened to the others who were far more noble than he is?! If you agree to my conditions, then go bring your son to me. If not, then mind your way and stop acting like you have a maggot in your brain!”
Hearing this directly from the king, the old man bows to the earth and then exits the room and starts his way back home to bring his son. And as he got home, he told his son what the king said. The piglet, joyful, started to run about the cottage, underneath the benches and tipping over some kettles with his snout he said:
“Let’s go, dad, let the king see me!”
Then the old woman started to cry and said:
“I knew I had no luck in this world! I worked so hard trying to raise him and now that he is well and all grown up I see myself left without him!”
And she kept on crying till she fainted from too much grief. And the old man, honoring his word, put on his hat, clapped it well over his ears, took the handrail and getting out of the house he said:
“Then, my boy, come with your father to bring your mother a daughter in law.”
Then the piglet, joyful, ran once again about the cottage and underneath the benches and following the old man he was walking behind him grunting and nosing the ground just as pigs do. As soon as they reach the royal gates, the guardsmen see them, look at each other and start to laugh:
“What is this, old man? says one of them.„
“Well, this is my son, the one who said he’d built the bridge the king asked for.”
“Alas, old man, heaven forbid! You are not well!” said an old guardsman, “it looks like you had enough with this life and you want to end it sooner!”
“Well, what is written as one’s fate, one wears noted on his forehead! Someday, we all die.”
“Well, old man, as we can see you are looking for trouble!” said the guardsmen.
“That is not your business, you would better guard your mouth and let the king know we have come!” the old man answered.
The guardsmen look at each other in surprise and shrug their shoulders, after that one of them goes to tell the king about the arrival of these two new suitors, the old man and his pig! Then the king asked that they were brought before him. The old man as soon as he entered he bowed to the ground and remained near the door in a humble attitude. And the piglet stepped forward on the carpets, grunting and nosing around.
Then the king seeing such boldness, on one hand he was about to start laughing, on the other he got affected and said:
“Well, old man, when you came last time you seemed to be quite sane, but now where do you think you are, walking around with pigs following you? And who taught you to make a fool of me?”
“Heaven forbid, mighty king, for me, an old man, to think such a thing! May I be forgiven, your highness, but this is my son, the one I told you about the other day that he sent me to you, if you remember.”
“And he is going to build my bridge?”
“This is what we believe, he is the one, your highness!”
“Go! Take your pig away and get out. And if by tomorrow morning the bridge will not be ready, then old man, your head will be cut off and lying at your feet. Is it all clear?”
“Lord has mercy on us all, your highness! And if it will be so, have no fear, mighty king, then respecting our wish you will send your daughter to our home.”
In saying these, the old man bowed as it was the custom, took the piglet and went home, followed by some soldiers who had to watch them over upon the king’s command till next day, see if such a thing could be done as it was too much talking, laughing and wondering around the palace and the entire kingdom about such an unheard derision.
In the evening, when the old man and the piglet reached their home, the old woman got the shakes and in a fright she started to cry and said:
“Oh dear me, old man! What trouble did you bring upon us? We need soldiers?!”
“And you are still complaining! These are all your deeds! If I were not to follow your idea which your thick head is imagining and go wandering to bring you a child! And now look what this got us into! I didn’t bring the soldiers, they brought me! And as it seems it is written I should lose my head tomorrow morning!”
But the piglet was walking nosing around the house searching for food and had no care about the entanglement which was created. The old couple continued to argue for a while and then tired of all these worries they fell asleep before the break of day. And the piglet jumped on the bench, broke a window and puffing once through his nose two rolls of fire appeared and spread from the old man’s cottage, which was no longer a poor cottage, to the king’s palace. And the bridge with all that was requested was now ready. And the old man’s poor cottage turned into a palace which was brighter than the king’s palace! And suddenly the old woman and the old man were dressed in royal clothes and all the goods from this world where now in their own palace. And the piglet was running about and rolling over on the carpets, all around.
Meanwhile, in the kingdom there was much rumor and the king himself with all his advisers seeing this wonder they got scared and the king being afraid that something bad may happen to him he asked for his counselors’ advice and decided to send his daughter as wife for the old man’s son and immediately he sent her. Because though he was a king, he traded all for one and not even a good one: fear!
They had no wedding for whom they were to have it with? The king’s daughter as soon as she reached her groom’s house she liked the palace and her new parents in law. When she saw the groom first she went cold but later shrugging her shoulders she said in her heart: “if my parents and God decided as so for me, then so be it.” And she started to take care of the house as a true wife.
The piglet was nosing all day around the house as it was his habit and in the evening he was taking off his pig skin and changed into a handsome young prince! And the time went by and his wife got the habit of him and she was no longer disgusted as she was in the beginning.
After a week or two, the young queen, missing her parents, decided to visit them and left her husband at home for she wasn’t willing to walk aside him. Her parents, as soon as they saw her, their hearts filled with joy and asked her about her new home and her husband and she said all she knew. Then the king gave her this advice:
“My sweet child, heaven forbid you do some foolish thing! Beware so no misfortune happens to you! As I see this man, whatever he is, has great power. And there is something our mind cannot understand since he has done such things which are beyond any human power!”
Then the two queens, mother and daughter, went out for a walk in the garden. And here the queen mother gave her daughter a completely different advice:
“My sweet child, what kind of life are you living if you cannot show yourself to the world aside your husband? I think you should do as follows: make a great fire in the stove and when your husband will be sound asleep take his pig skin and throw it into the fire and let it all burn to ashes and that will be the end of it!”
“My dear, mother! I like your words, you taught me well for I myself could not think of such a thing.”
And as soon as the young queen returned to her home that evening, she asked the servants to prepare a big fire in the stove. And while her husband was asleep she took the pig skin from where he left it earlier and threw it into the fire! Instantly the bristly caught fire and started to smell and sizzle and all the pig skin burned and turned into ashes. And the house smelled so bad that her husband woke up in a fright and jumped on his feet and mournfully looked at the stove. When he saw this terrible disaster he wept and said to his wife:
“Ay! Unwise woman! What have you done? If someone taught you this, he or she did you great wrong, if you thought it yourself, then terrible thought you had!”
Then she discovered herself bound around her waist with a thick iron circle. And her husband told her so:
“Only when I’ll reach with my right hand your waist this circle will crack and only then the child you are carring will be born for you have taken other people’s advice and destroyed the life of these old couple, you destroyed me and you at the same time! And if you’ll need me someday then you should now my name is Prince Charming and look for me at the Incense Monastery.”
As soon as the Prince finished his saying a sudden awful wind started to blow and an appalling curl coming from nowhere surrounded the Prince, took him off the ground and then disappeared into the air. Then the magnificent bridge collapsed and disappeared too as if it never existed. And the palace where the old couple were living with their daughter in law, with all the wealth and the adornments changed again into the old poor cottage as it was before. Then the old couple seeing what misfortune happened to all of them and seeing their daughter in law in such a miserable state they started with tears in their eyes to blame her and asked her harshly to leave immediately and take which way she would know for they have nothing to support her. The young queen, seeing herself in such a miserable and hard condition, what could she do, which way to take? Should she go back to her parents? She was afraid of her father’s hardness and people’s calumny! Should she remain there? She had nothing left and she was afraid of her parents-in-law’s blames. In the end, she decided to go around the world and look for her husband. And she went on, went straight on, crossing desserts for a year till she reached a wild unfamiliar place. Here she noticed a hidden small house, all covered in moss stating its age and she knocked at the door. Then an old woman’s voice from the inside said:
“Who is there?”
“It is I, a stray traveller.”
“If you are a good soul, then come closer to my home, if you are a mean soul run as far as you can from this place as I have an anxious barker with steel teeth which will tear you apart in a thousand small pieces!”
“I am a good soul, mother!”
Then the gate is opened and the traveller went in.
“What wind guided you here and how did you succeed in crossing these parts, woman? If you were a magic bird and still you could not reach this place, especially that you are human.”
“My sins brought me here, mother. I am looking for the Incense Monastery and I don’t know in which part of the world it is.”
“Well, it looks as if you’ve still got some bit of luck for you have reached me. I am Saint Wednesday, if you’ve ever heard my name.”
“I know you by name, mother, but I could never imagine that you are living in this part of the world.”
“See? All humans complain of luck.”
Then Saint Wednesday called in an intense voice and all the creatures from her kingdom came and asking each of them about the Incense Monastery they all answered in one voice that they have never even heard of it before. Saint Wednesday, hearing such a thing, felt deeply sorry but having no other power offered the traveller a prosphoron roll and a small cup of wine as food for the road and then gave her a golden distaff which was spinning by itself and said in a soft voice: “Keep it for it will help you when in need”. Then guided her to her elder sister, Saint Friday.
And the traveller started her way again, and went on for another year crossing wild and unfamiliar places until with great difficulty she reached Saint Friday. Here it happened the same as with Saint Wednesday, except that Saint Friday gave her another prosphoron roll, a small cup of wine and a golden reel which was reeling by itself and guided her with great kindness and gentleness to her elder sister, Saint Sunday. From this place the traveller started her way the same day and went on for another year and with great difficulty she finally could reach Saint Sunday. And Saint Sunday received her in the same tidiness and timing and as well as her sisters. And feeling sorry for this unfortunate and shaking being, Saint Sunday called once, as wide as she could, and all the creatures gathered: the livings from waters, the livings from earth and all the flying livings from the sky. And then she asked all of them expressly if any of them would know which part of the world the Incense Monastery belongs. And all replied as in one voice it never occured to them learning of it. Then Saint Sunday sighing from the heart looked with compassion to the unfortunate traveller and said:
“It seems there is a curse from God or something else, it should be so if you are not to find what you are looking for, my daughter! For it exists beyond even the world I know and as much as you or anyone else would want to go forth from here on it is impossible.”
And just then, here comes a gimpy skylark pacing as it could, hobbling and stumping and presents itself in front of Saint Sunday. Then Saint Sunday asks the skylark too:
“Well, skylark, do you know by any chance where the Incense Monastery is?”
“How could I not know it, my landlady? For along those parts my lingering took me and there I have broken one leg.”
“Then if it is so, now presently take this woman and drive her straight there, as you know it, and advice her only the best.”
Then the skylark, sighing, answered in a humble voice:
“I obey with all my heart to your service, your enlightened highness though it is a real toil to reach those parts.”
Then Saint Sunday gave the traveller a prosphoron roll and a small cup of wine as food for the road to the Incense Monastery and then gave her a golden plate and a golden hen, all covered in precious stones along with her small golden chickens as aid when in need. And then entrusted her to the skylark which set on instantly hobbling and stumping.
When the skylark was on foot, the traveller was high up, when the traveller was down, he was up. And when the poor traveller could not walk high nor low, then the skylark was taking her on its wings and carried her forth. And thus they walked for another year with great difficulty and rumble-tumble, they crossed many countries and seas and forests and desserts so terrible, populated with dragons and poisonous aspics and the basilisk with its alluring eyes, otters with twenty four heads and lots of other dreadful and frightful creatures and buzzers, all set with their mouths open to swallow them instantly, with such a greed, slyness and hatred that a human tongue could never tell.
And at last, after much toil and many dangers, they succeeded in reaching the entrance of a cave. Here the traveller got again on the wings of the skylark who could hardly wave and they ran down into another world where there was a heaven in truth!
“Here it is, the Incense Monastery! said the skylark. Here your Prince Charming is, the one you were looking for so long. Do you see anything familiar around these parts?”
Then, though she was large-eyed with all this lightness, she became more wide-awake and attentive and looked around more carefully. Suddenly she recognized the bright bridge from that world and the palace where she lived before together with the Prince Charming for such a short while and instantly her eyes filled with tears of joy.
“Just wait awhile! and don’t cheer in haste for you are still a reprobate on this land and you are not out of danger yet”, the skylark said.
Then he indicated her a fountain where she was supposed to go for three days on a row. He told her who she is going to meet and what to talk with those persons and then advices her what to do, step by step and in turn with the distaff, the reel and the plate with the golden clucking hen and its chickens, the gifts she received from the three sisters: Saint Wednesday, Saint Friday and Saint Sunday.
Then bidding farewell from the traveller who was entrusted to him, the skylark turned back, flying ceaselessly as he feared he might break his other leg too. And the reprobate traveller, in tears, gazed him flying while stepping towards the fountain he showed her.
And when she reached the fountain she first took off the distaff from where she was keeping it and sit on the ground to rest for a while.
It was not long till a maid came to take water from the fountain and when she found there an unfamiliar woman and the wonderful distaff spinning by itself golden wires, thousand of times thinner than the hair, she ran to her mistress and told her the news!
This maid’s mistress was no other than the wasp that bleached the devil, the lady intendent at the Prince Charming’s palace, an awful witch, who could make the waters coagulate and knew all devil’s tricks. But she could not do one thing: read the humans’ thoughts. The Evil one as soon as she found out of such marvel she sent her maid to bring the foreign woman to her palace and as soon as they arrived she asked the woman:
“I’ve heard you have got a distaff that spins by itself. Is it for sale and how much would you ask for it, woman?”
“Just let me stay one night in the room where the emperor sleeps.”
“Why not? Give me the distaff and stay here this evening till the emperor returns from hunting.”
Then the traveller gave her the distaff and stayed. But the wicked witch, knowing that the emperor has the habit of drinking a cup of sweet milk in the evenings she prepared a different one so he would be sound asleep till next morning. And as soon as the emperor returned from hunting and laid on the bed, the beldam sent him the milk and as soon as he drank it he fell sound asleep. Then the Evil one called the unknown traveller into the emperor’s bedroom as they agreed and left her there saying softly:
“Stay here till next morning when I shall come to take you back.”
The witch not only whispered but she also stepped with much care so the emperor would not hear her and also she was careful so the emperor’s faithful man, who was accompanying the emperor while hunting and who was sleeping next door, would not hear her either. And as soon as the beldam left, the unfortunate traveller kneeled near her husband’s bed and starting to cry in despair she said:
“Prince Charming, Prince Charming! Reach your right hand over my waist so the cursed circle would crack and I may give birth to your child!
And so the poor one agonized till morning but it was all in vain for the emperor was like gone into the other world!
In the morning, the Evil one came darksome and took the unknown lady out of the room and said to her spitefully to get out and go wherever she knew. And so the unfortunate, sore and unspoken, got out and went again to sit near the fountain and this time she laid out the reel. And again, the maid coming to take water from the fountain saw this great marvel, ran to her mistress and told her that the yesterday woman had now a golden reel which was reeling by itself and it is far more precious than the distaff. So the wicked old witch asked the woman again to come following the maid, she took with one grab the reel using the same trick and the next morning threw the woman out again from the emperor’s bedroom and the palace court.
But during that night, the emperor’s faithful man sensing what happened and feeling sorry for the poor strange woman decided to pay attention to the old witch’s trick and reveal it. And as soon as the emperor woke up and went hunting, the faithful servant told him in detail the whole story of what happened in his bedroom during the two previous nights. And the emperor, when he found out such a thing, instantly shied as if his heart stopped beating. He left his eyes down and started to cry. And while the Prince Charming*s eyes were flooding in tears, at the known fountain, his shaken and unfortunate wife was taking out the plate with the golden clucking hen and its chickens, her last hope! And while she was sitting near the fountain, here comes the maid brought by God there again. And when she sees this great marvel she wastes no time in taking the water but runs straight to her mistress and tells her the news.
“Oh my God, mistress! What marvels I have seen! That woman has now a golden plate with a golden clucking hen and golden chickens and they are so beautiful that your eyes wander.”
The old witch hearing such a thing sent her back immediately to bring the woman to her and then she was thinking to herself: “she will never get what she is looking for”.
And as soon as the stranger came, the beldam grabbed the golden plate and the clucking hen with the golden chickens using the same trick.
But the emperor, when he returned home from hunting and saw the milk that was brought to him, said to himself:
“I shall not drink this milk” and as he said that he emptied his cup in secret and pretended he was instantly asleep.
After the old witch was convinced that the emperor is sleeping, counting on the power of the drink she prepared, she brought the stranger again into his room, the same way she did during the other two nights and leaving her there she went out! Then, the shaken traveller, kneeling again near her husband’s bed and drowning herself in tears, repeated these words:
“Prince Charming, Prince Charming! Have mercy on two innocent souls who are agonizing for four years with the most dreadful doom! And reach your right hand over my waist, make the circle crack and your child be born for I cannot carry any longer this unfortunate pregnancy!”
And when she finished saying this, the Prince Charming reached his hand, as if he were sleeping, and when he touched her waist twang! the circle cracked and instantly she gave birth to their child with no pain at all. After that the empress told her husband all she had to endure since he was out of her sight.
Then the emperor, in the middle of the night, got off his bed and awoke the entire royal court and commanded that the old witch be brought before him with all the marvels she has taken through trickery from his empress. Then he asked for a bare mare and a bag of nuts and that the bag to be tighten along with the old witch by the mare’s tail and let them go. And so it was done. And when the mare started to run, where a nut was falling, a piece from the Evil one was falling too and when the entire bag emptied, the old witch’s head fell off.
This old witch was the saw with the piglets that the old man run into the first day, the same old man who raised the Prince Charming. Using her evil spells, she had turned her master, the Prince Charming, into a shaggy piglet so she could turn him back later into human being when he would marry one of her eleven daughters, the other piglets which ran after the saw that day. This is why the Prince Charming gave her such a harsh punishment. And the faithful servant was rewarded with great gifts from the emperor and empress both, and he remained to live aside them till the end of his life.
Now, remember, good folks, that the Prince Charming had no wedding when he married. So they had the wedding and the alliance too at the same time and it was a celebration as no one has ever seen before. And the moment the Prince Charming thought of them, his adoptive parents and his empress’s parents were there instantly, and the old man and the old woman dressed in royal clothes were seated at the table above the salt. And lots of people gathered at this great and abundant wedding and the feast went on for three days and three nights in a row and probably it is still on if it did not end.
From “Tales, stories and memories”, by Ion Creanga Publishing House, Bucharest 1981, The Library for All Children
Translation: Ruxandra Cernat