How An Orphan Unexpectedly Found Happiness

Once there lived a poor day laborer who lived miserably with his wife from one day to the next. Of three children that was theirs The youngest, a son, remained, who was nine years old when he was first born Father and then mother buried. The boy had no choice but to go ahead to seek bread at the doors of good people. After a year's notice He goes to the farm of a wealthy farmer, where they are currently seeing one Guardian boys needed. The innkeeper wasn't exactly angry, but the woman was put on his pants and ruled the house like an evil dragon (“poker”). You can imagine what happened to the poor orphan boy. The beating, which he received every day would have been three times more than enough, but bread He was never given enough to fill him up. But there that If the orphan had nothing better to hope for, it would have to be misery bear. Unfortunately, one day a cow got lost from the herd; The boy probably ran along the forest until sunset, from one He moved to another place, but he couldn't find the lost cow again. Although He knew what would happen to his back at home, as he had to now round up the herd after sunset. The sun was still there Not long below the horizon, he heard the landlady's voice: "Lazy dog! Where are you with the herd?” No hesitation helped, just quickly home under the floor. It was already dusk when the herd came in at the gate, but the landlady's keen eye immediately caught him discovered that a cow was missing. Without saying a word, she tore it the next pole out of the fence and began to cover the boy's back edit as if she wanted to pound him to a pulp. In her rage she would have also beat him to death or cripple him for life, if the innkeeper, who heard the screaming and sobbing, didn't tell the poor man would have compassionately come to help. Since he has the disposition of the treacherous knew the woman exactly, he didn't want to put himself in the middle, but sought to mediate. He said, half pleadingly, "Break It would be better not to break his legs so that he could be the lost cow can search. We will benefit more from this than if he dies.” “It’s true,” said the landlady, “even the dear cow can’t eat carrion "Replace," - counted him a few more powerful blows and sent then left him to look for the cow. "If you come back without the cow," -- she added threateningly, -- "then I'll beat you to death." Weeping and groaning, the boy went out the gate and straight into the forest, where he had been with the herd during the day, he searched all night, but found no sign of the cow anywhere. When the sun came out the next morning had risen from the bosom of the dawn, was the boy's decision caught. »Whatever happens to me, I'm not going home again.” With these words he took off and ran in one breath forward, so that he soon had the house far behind him. How long and He didn't know how far he had run, but it came to him When his strength ran out and he fell down as if dead, the sun was almost up at midday height. When he woke up from a long, difficult sleep, It seemed to him as if he had had something liquid in his mouth and he saw a little old man with a long gray beard standing in front of him was just about to move the bung back towards the Lägel (milk barrel). set. “Give me another drink!” asked the boy. »For today you have it "Enough," replied the old father, "if my path does not lead me by chance had led here, it would certainly have been your last sleep, Because when I found you, you were already half dead." Then he asked Tell the boy who he was and where he wanted to go. The boy told Everything he had experienced for as long as he could remember, up until the Beatings from last night. The old man was silent and thoughtful after listening to the story, and after the boy falls silent for a while he said seriously: “My dear child! you are no better fared even worse than some, their dear carers and comforters resting in a coffin underground. You can't go back anymore. Since you Once you have gone away, you must find new happiness in the world seek. Since I have neither house nor farm, neither wife nor child, I can I don't care about you anymore, but I want some good advice give you for free. Sleep peacefully here this night; if tomorrow the When the sun rises, remember exactly the place where it rose. In You have to walk in this direction so that the sun shines on you every morning on your face and on your neck every evening. Your strength will pass by grow to daylight. After seven years, a mighty mountain will appear before you stand that is so high that its summit reaches to the clouds. There your future happiness will blossom. Take my bread sack and my keg, You will find as much food and drink there as you need every day. But beware of ever eating a crumb of bread or a drop of the Waste your drink uselessly, otherwise your food source could easily dry up. You may serve a hungry bird and a thirsty animal give abundantly: God likes to see one creature do good to another does. At the bottom of the bread sack you will be rolled up find burdock leaf; you have to watch this very carefully. If you If you come to a river or a lake on your way, spread it out Put the burdock leaf on the water and it will immediately turn into a boat transform and carry you over the flood. Then wrap the sheet again together and put it in your haversack." After this instruction was given He gave the boy a sack and a barrel and shouted: "God commands!" In the next In a moment he disappeared from the boy's eyes.

The boy would have thought everything was a dream if it weren't for Sack and The small barrels in his hand testified to the reality of what had happened. He now went to check the bread sack and found: half a bread bag Bread, a box full of salted Strömlings, another with Butter and a nice piece of bacon rind. As the boy When he had eaten his fill, he went to sleep with a sack and a barrel under him the head so that no thief could take it away. The next morning woke up He rose with the sun, strengthened his body with food and drink and then set out on the hike. Miraculously, he even felt it no fatigue in his legs; only his empty stomach reminded him that lunchtime had come. He filled himself with the good food, took a nap and continued hiking. That he is on the right path had struck, told him the setting sun that was just shining in his eyes Neck stood. So he continued forward in the same direction for many days left when he saw a small lake in front of him. Here he could test the strength of his burdock leaf. Like the old man had predicted, it happened: a small boat with oars was there him on the water. He got in and gave a few hard strokes of the oar led him to the other bank. There the boat turned back into a burdock leaf, and this was put into the sack.

So the boy had been wandering for many a year without any food in him Bread bag and in the barrel would have taken off. Seven years could be quite good must have passed, for he had grown into a strong youth grown up; Then one day he saw a high mountain from far away seemed to reach into the clouds. But another one passed week before he reached the mountain. Then he sat down at the foot of the Mountain to rest and see if the prophecies of the old man's wishes would come true. He hadn't had long was sitting when a strange hissing sound touched his ear: right away Then a large snake became visible, numbering at least twelve It was a fathom long and wound its way past the young man. Terror paralyzed his limbs so that he could not flee; but in Now the queue was over. Then everything stayed quiet for a while. Then it seemed to him as if a heavy body was coming in from the distance individual sentences. It was a large toad, the size of a two-year filling. This ugly creature also pulled at the youth past without becoming aware of him. Then he heard from above strong noise, as if a heavy thunderstorm was beginning. As he When he looked up, a large eagle flew high above his head Direction that the snake and the toad had previously taken. "The "They're wonderful things that are supposed to bring me happiness!" he thought Youth. Then he suddenly sees a man on a black horse to come to you. The horse seemed to have wings on its feet because it flew with the speed of the wind. When the man saw the young man sitting on the mountain saw, he stopped his horse and asked, "Who passed here?" The youth replied: “First, a large snake, probably twelve Fathoms long, then a large toad the size of a two-year-old and finally a big eagle high above my head. How big he is I couldn't estimate, but the flapping of his wings rustled like a thunderstorm." - "You saw it right," said the stranger, "it are my worst enemies, and I'm chasing them right now. You I could use you in my service if you don't have anything better to do. Climb over the mountain and you'll come straight into my house. There I will "We will arrive at the same time as you, if not sooner." -- The young man promised to come, whereupon the stranger rode away like the wind.

It wasn't easy to climb the mountain. Our hiker needed three Days before he reached the summit, and then another three days before he got up reached the foot of the mountain on the other side. The innkeeper was already there in front of his house and said that he saw the snake and the toad happy I killed him but didn't get hold of the eagle. Then asked He asked the young man whether he would like to work for him as a servant. »You get good food every day, as much as you want, and with that too I will not skimp on rewards if you administer your office faithfully.” The contract was concluded and the landlord introduced the new servant around the house and showed him what he had to do. There was a cellar there mounted in the rock and closed by triple iron doors. "In “My bad dogs are chained in this cellar,” said the innkeeper, “you You have to make sure that they don't get their paws under the door dig out. For know: if even one of these dogs were released, so it would no longer be possible to hold the other two firmly, but they would follow the leader one after the other and every living thing destroy on earth. If the last dog finally broke out, that would be it the end of the world and the sun would have shone for the last time." Then he led the servant to a mountain that God did not create but the one made by human hands from mighty boulders was piled up. “These stones,” said the innkeeper, “are because of that brought together so that a new stone can be rolled again and again can, as often as the dogs dig a hole. The oxen carrying the stone I will show you in the stable and also everything else share what you observed.”

In the stable they found a hundred black oxen, seven of them each had horns; they were twice as big as the largest ones Ukrainian oxen. “Six pairs of oxen harnessed to the stone cart lead a stone with ease. I'll give you a crowbar, If you touch the stone with it, it will roll itself onto the cart. You You see, your work is not so laborious, the greater yours must be be vigilant. You have to go three times during the day and once at night see the door so that no misfortune happens, otherwise the damage could happen be greater than you could answer for before me.”

Soon our friend understood everything and his new position was complete in his mind: the best food and drink every day, just like a human being could only desire. After two to three months the dogs had one Hole scratched under the door, big enough to fit the snout to push through, but immediately a stone was pushed in front of it, and the Dogs had to start their work again.

So many years had passed and our servant had become one collected a nice chunk of money. Then the desire awoke in him, once to get back into contact with other people; he hadn't been in one for so long seen another human face than that of his master. Was the gentleman well, the time was terribly long for the servant, especially when The Lord's desire turned to him to sleep for a long time. Then he always slept for seven weeks without interruption and without himself to let see.

Once again such a sleepy mood had come over the host as One day a big eagle sat down on the mountain and so on speak anhub: "Aren't you a great fool that you have your beautiful sacrifice your life for good food? The money you save is useful to you nothing, because there are no people here who need it. Take this Wirthe's wind-swift steed from the stable, tie your money bag to him your neck, sit up and ride in the direction where the sun is goes down, you'll be back among people after a few weeks. You need to but bind the horse with an iron chain so that it does not get away can run, otherwise it will return to its usual place and the Wirth can come to challenge you. But if he doesn't have the horse He can't leave the place." "Who's supposed to keep the dogs here? “If I go away while the innkeeper is sleeping?” he asked Servant. "You are a fool, and you will remain a fool!" he replied Eagle. »Have you not yet understood that the good Lord made him do this? created to guard the hounds of hell? It's pure laziness that he sleeps for seven weeks. If he no longer has a foreign servant, so he will pull himself together and serve his duties himself."

The servant was very pleased with the advice. He did as the eagle had said, took the horse, tied the money bag to it, sat up and rode of that. He wasn't even far from the mountain when it was already behind him heard the innkeeper shout: “Stop! Hold on! Go with me in God's name your money, but leave me my horse." The servant didn't listen, but kept riding until he closed again after a few weeks mortal men came. There he built himself a nice house and got married a young woman and lived happily as a rich man. If he does not died, he must still be alive today; but the wind-swift horse is different for a long time.