Floatling and Grandfather Allknow - Part Four

The old Grandfather Allknow came to his palace in the evening. He sniffed around a little suspiciously. “Why do I smell human flesh here?” 

The old mother shook her head. “You must be flying all over Earth and your nose is filled with a scent of human flesh. That is why you smelt it here.” 

The old man shrugged and sat down to eat his supper. 

After his meal he laid down on the old woman's lap and went to sleep. 

As he was sound asleep the old woman pulled out a golden hair and threw it to the ground. That made a sound like a harp string. 

The old man woke up sharply. “What do you want, mother?” 

The old woman studied the man on her lap. “Nothing son! I just had a dream.” 

“What dream did you have?” 

“I dreamt of a city where there was a well of water and if anybody drank from the well, they would become healthy and well. I also dreamt that the water in the well no longer flowed for the last twenty years. Is there any reason why that is so?” 

Grandfather Allknow shrugged. “Of course! There is a toad in the water which does not let the water flow. If the people there kill the toad and clean the well, the water would start flowing as before.”

After this the old man fell asleep again when the woman pulled out a second gold hair and threw it on the ground. 

The old man woke up again. “Did you wake me up, mother?”

The old woman again pretended to have a dream and in this dream she dreamt that a city had an apple tree which no longer bore any fruits. 

This time the old man replied that there was a snake at the based of the tree and that if the people of the kingdom killed the snake and transplant the apple tree, things would go back to normal. 

The old man fell asleep again when the woman pulled out the third golden hair. 

“Why don't you let me sleep?” The old man asked in an exasperated voice. 

“Don't be angry,” the old woman said, “I didn't want to wake you but this time I had another dream where I dreamt of a ferryman on a black sea. He has been ferrying across people on the black sea for twenty years and he wants to be free. How will he be free?” The old man sighed. “All that the very man needs to do is give the oar to another person and jump ashore. Then the other man will be the ferryman instead of him.” 

The old man studied the old woman. “Now please let me sleep.” 

The next morning, instead of the old man there was a young child with beautiful golden hair. The child bid farewell to his mother and flew out of the window. 

At that time the old woman turned to Floatling. “These are the three golden hairs and now you also know the answers. Go and fulfill your destiny.”

Floatling told the kings of the two kingdoms the answers that they were looking for.

They were delighted and both the kings gave gifts to Floatling. The first king presented Floatling with twelve horses that were white as snow, with as much riches as they could carry. The second king presented Floatling with twelve horses black as ravens with many riches on it. 

Floatling travelled on and he came to the black sea. He saw the ferryman and remembered Grandfather Allknow’s answer. 

The ferryman looked anxiously at Floatling. “Do you have an answer to my question?”

Floatling nodded. “Yes. But you will have to ferry me over to the other side. It is only then that I will tell you the answer.” 

The ferryman wanted to object to this. But then he realized that Floatling would not listen to him. 

So he ferried Floatling to the other side along with the horses and riches too. 

Floatling told him what Grandfather Allknow had said. “The next time you ferry someone just put the oar in the hands of the person and jump ashore. Then he will be the ferryman instead of you.”

Now that he was back the king could not believe that Floatling had come back with three golden hairs and also so much wealth and beautiful horses. 

Then when he learned about the apples and the water the king got greedy. 

He realized if he could eat the Apple or drink the water he could become a very powerful man.

So the charcoal burner's son became the king's son-in-law as the Fates had decreed. 

It is believed that the king will never return because he is still ferrying people across the black sea.

Adapted from Bohemian folk tales

Floatling and Grandfather Allknow - Part Three

Floatling set out on his journey to find the three hairs of Grandfather Allknow. 

However Floatling did not know which direction to take. 

But with the Fates as his Godmother it was not very difficult. 

Soon Floatling was on the right path. 

He was traveling over the hills when he came across a black sea. On the sea was a boat and the boat had a ferryman. 

The ferryman looked curiously at Floatling. “Where are you going?” 

“I am going to find the three golden hairs of Grandfather AllKnow.”

The ferryman looked very happy. “I have been waiting for a messenger to go to Grandfather Allknow for twenty years now.” 

“Why?” Floating asked.

“I wanted to ask Grandfather Allknow about when my job would end. I have been ferrying people across this sea for twenty years now.” 

Floatling promised the ferryman that he would ask Grandfather Allknow the question. In return, the ferryman ferried Floatling across the black Sea.

On reaching the other side Floatling walked for some distance and he came across a great city. 

However the city looked old and sad. 

In front of the city Floatling met an old man who had a staff in his hands. But the old man could barely walk. 

“Who are you?” The old man studied Floatling. 

Floatling nodded at the old man. “I am going to see Grandfather Allknow to ask for three golden hairs.” 

The old man was overjoyed on hearing the words of Floatling. “I will take you to see our king. We have been waiting to see a man like you who can carry the message to Grandfather Allknow.” 

Floatling accompanied the old man and soon he saw the king of the great and old city. 

The king looked sad. “We had an Apple tree here in our city that bore apples. If anyone ate even one of the apples they would become young again. Even if they were on the brink of death they would become young again.” Floating looked surprised as the king continued, “However for the past twenty years the apple tree has not produced any fruit. Can you ask Grandfather Allknow whether there is a reason why the apple tree does not produce any fruits."

Floatling promised the king that he would ask Grandfather Allknow the question.

Floatling walked some more and this time he came to another city. However this city was only half ruined unlike the previous one. 

Far away from the city at the cemetery a son was burying his father. 

Floatling looked at the young man who wept after burying the old man. The young man then turned to Floatling. “Where are you going?” 

Floatling told the man his mission. 

The young man looked even sadder. “It is a pity that you did not come sooner. Our king has been waiting for someone like you for a long time. I have to take you to him.”

Floatling did not understand but he accompanied the man to see the king of this place. 

The king also looked sad and told Floatling his story. “We had a well in our city. If anyone drank from the well, even if he was at the point of death he would get well at once. However for the last twenty years the water in the well has ceased to flow. Can you ask Grandfather Allknow whether there is any way to help us?” 

Floatling promised the king that he would ask Grandfather Allknow the question.

Floatling walked some more and this time he reached a black forest. He walked on and on in the forest and there he was stunned to see a golden palace with a large green meadow in the middle of the dense forest. 

This was Grandfather Allknow’s palace. 

It glittered as if it was on fire. 

Floatling went into the palace but he found no one there. At last he found an old woman sitting and spinning in one corner. 

“Welcome Floatling,” she told him because she seemed to recognise him. “I am delighted to see you again.” 

Naturally this was one of the Fates who had blessed Floatling when he had been born.

Flaunting bowed to the lady and told her the reason he had come to this palace. 

The old woman smiled at Floatling. “Grandfather Allknow is my son. He is the bright sun. In the morning he is a little boy, at noon he becomes a grown man and in the evening he is an old grandfather. I will gladly help you get three golden hairs from his golden beard. It is not for nothing that I am your godmother. But you cannot remain here when my son comes back home. My son is definitely a good man but he becomes very hungry in the evening. If he sees you here at that time he may even eat you.” 

The old lady hid Floatling in an empty tub in one of the rooms of the palace. 

At that time Floatling told the old woman about the questions he had to ask Grandfather Allknow for the others. 

The old woman told promised Floatling that she would definitely ask Grandfather Allknow the questions and asked Floatling to pay attention when Grandfather Allknow answered.

 

Adapted from Bohemian folk tales

Floatling and Grandfather Allknow - Part Two

Floatling had to go through a great forest to reach the king's castle. 

However he lost his way. 

The forest began to grow dense and it was also getting dark in the evening.

There Floatling met an old woman in the forest. “Where are you going Floatling?” 

“I am going with a letter to the king's castle.” Floatling looked around worriedly. “I have lost my way. Can you tell me how to get to the right road, mother?” 

The old lady studied Floatling. “Night is not the right time to travel. You can go to the castle in the morning. I think you can rest here for the night.” 

Floatling looked suspiciously as the old woman nodded. “I am not a stranger. I am your godmother.” 

Finally the young Floatling agreed and he saw a pretty little house some distance away from the place where he had met the old woman. However the house looked like it had just been made to appear all of a sudden. 

But the young man did not think more about it and he slept there for the night.

At that time the old woman took the letter out of the pocket of the young man and rewrote the words in the letter. “This young man with whom I have sent this letter is to be married to our daughter before I return. This is destiny.” 

Floatling left the old woman's hut the next day and reached the castle with the directions from the old woman. 

When the Queen read the letter that Floatling had brought she was thrilled. 

She ordered arrangements to be made for the wedding immediately. 

The young princess and the Queen were both very happy with the king’s letter because Floatling was very handsome and strong. 

Both the royal ladies felt that the king had made the right choice on this one. 

A few days later when the king came home he was shocked to find that Floatling had become his son-in-law. 

He was angry at first but he saw that the Queen had his letter. The letter had his handwriting, his seal and writing and everything was proper. 

He did not know what to think when he called Floatling. “What had happened on the way to the castle?” 

Floatling told the king about how he had met his godmother on the way to the forest. When Floatling described the old woman the king realized that the old woman was the Fate who had given Floatling this particular destiny. 

However, though the king was resigned to what had happened he was determined to change it. “You cannot have my daughter for nothing. You must bring me three golden hairs of grandfather Allknow.”

Adapted from Bohemian folk tales

Floatling and Grandfather Allknow - Part One

There was once a king who enjoyed hunting wild animals. One day as the king was hunting he rode deep into the forests. There the king lost his way. By this time it was almost evening.

In front of him the king saw a tiny little cottage in the middle of the dense forest. 

The cottage belonged to a charcoal burner. 

The king knocked on the door. "I have lost my way. Can you lead me back to my home outside the forest? I will pay you well for it."

The charcoal burner was a poor man but right now he was worried. He shook his head on hearing the king. "My wife is going to have a child tonight. I need to be with her. Tomorrow morning after my child is born, I will take you outside the forest. Until then please lie down in my home."

The king realized that the charcoal burner would not leave his wife for the night and rested there in the charcoal burner's house.

However the king could not sleep well at night. The hard floor and the general poor conditions around kept the king awake. 

At night the king saw a bright light coming from the inner room of the charcoal burner's house. He peered inside and saw that the charcoal burner and his wife were both fast asleep. There was a little baby who was lying beside the charcoal burner's wife. 

The king had seen the bright light because there were three old women standing beside the little baby. 

The first old woman looked at the baby. “My gift to the boy is that he will face many dangers.” 

The second old woman looked at the child. “My gift to him is that he will overcome all these dangers and live a long life.

The third old woman studied the baby. “And I gave this boy, the baby daughter of the king outside, as his wife.” 

The three old women were the Fates and they had given their gifts to the boy. 

The king overheard all of this and he was stunned. He could not believe that this poor man's son could become his son-in-law. 

In the morning the king went to the charcoal burner. “Give me your baby. I will take care of it and I will give you so much money that you do not have to burn charcoal any more.” 

The charcoal burner was  delighted.

However the king could not carry the baby immediately and he promised to send for it after he had reached his kingdom. 

There in the kingdom the king was thrilled because a baby girl had been born to him the previous night. 

The king realized that things were coming to pass exactly as the three old women had asked and he turned to his servant. “Go to a cottage in the middle of the forest and you will find a charcoal burner. There give him this money and get his child. Take the child and drown it. If you do not drown the child,” the king finished in a thundering voice. “You will be killed!” 

However the servant could not bring himself to do this. 

He paid the money to the charcoal burner and took the baby. 

But he put the baby in a basket and when he came across a bridge in the forest the servant let the basket flow in the waters. 

The servant went back to the king and told the king that the deed had been done. 

The king thought that he had averted the words of the Fates.

The baby floated on the basket and it came down to a fisherman's cottage. 

The fisherman was in the bank of the waters mending his nets. There he saw a floating basket and brought it towards him. 

He found the baby in the basket and carried the baby to his wife. 

They decided to bring up the little baby as their own. 

As the baby was found floating in the river they named the child as “Floatling” or “Plaváczek”.

Time passed on and the young boy grew up as the fisherman's son. He grew up to be a very handsome man. 

It so happened that the same king rode the way onto the fisherman's cottage one day. 

The king went towards the fisherman's cottage and asked for some water.

The fisherman asked his son to bring some water for the king.

The king was stunned to see such a handsome looking boy in a fisherman's cottage. “Is he your son? 

The fisherman ambiguously shook his head. “He is and he isn't. Twenty years ago he floated as a little baby down the river in a basket. Since then we have brought him up.” The king realized at once that he had been fooled and this was the charcoal burner's son.

The king collected himself and looked sharply at the fisherman and his son. “I have to send a message back home but I do not have any messengers with me. Is it possible for your son to take the message for me? 

The fishermen happily agreed. 

The king wrote a letter. “The boy who is bringing this letter is a dangerous enemy. Kill him as soon as he brings the letter to you. Do it before I return.”

The king gave the letter to Floatling and asked Floatling to deliver the letter to his castle.

Adapted from Bohemian folk tales

Intelligence and Luck

This is a story of Intelligence and Luck.

The two entities were having a heated debate about who was more important in a person's life.

Then Luck saw a peasant working in a field. Luck pointed at the peasant and told Intelligence, "If you change the life of that boy then I will admit that you are superior."

So Intelligence entered the peasant whose name was Vanek.

Vanek then suddenly realised that he did not have to spend his whole time in the farms and instead he could work in the king's garden.

So the very next day he went and told his father that he wished to work In the king's garden and not here.

The father was not very happy with this but it was obvious that Vanek's mind was made up.

So the father decided that the farm and the cottage that a father owned would go to his other son. The father decided that Vanek would not get anything.

Vanej did not care. He went to the king's gardener that very evening. He joined as an apprentice under the king's gardener.

Vanek worked hard at the king's garden.

A wide variety of flowers bloomed there and the garden looked beautiful all through the year. Soon it so happened that the king frequently enjoyed walking in the gardens along with his daughter, and the daughter's little dog to admire the garden.



The king's daughter, the princess, was a beautiful woman. Unfortunately since her twelfth year the princess was unable to talk. The king tried everything to change this. But the princess did not utter a word.

Finally the king announced that anyone who would get the princess to talk would win her hand in marriage.

Many princes from the neighbouring kingdoms tried to get the princess to talk but were unable to do so.

After learning about this, Vanek decided to help the princess.



On coming to the princesses room Vanek saw the dog.

Instead of talking with the princess, Vanek conversed with the dog.

"I will tell you a story," Vanek told the dog. "It is a story of me, a sculptor and a tailor. It so happened that we were staying in a small abandoned hut for the night. Each one of us had to keep watch while the others slept in the night. The sculptor kept watch first. The sculptor had a log of wood and he created a statue of a damsel. The tailor woke up when it was his turn to keep watch. The tailor asked the sculptor about the statue. The sculptor said he sculpted the damsel to pass his time. After the sculptor slept, the tailor clothed the statue. I woke up and saw a clothed statue of the damsel and the tailor told me what he had done. During the time that I was awake I taught the statue to talk." Vanek smiled at the dog. "As soon as all the three of us woke up in the morning we fell in love with the talking damsel." Vanik grinned at the dog. "Now why don't you tell me to whom the damsel belongs to?"

"The damsel belongs to you, as you were the person who taught the damsel to speak." The reply came from the princess. "What use is your life and clothes when you cannot talk and express yourself?"

Everyone in the kingdom was thrilled.

********

But the king was worried now. According to the promise that he had made, he would have to marry the princess to Vanek.

The king offered riches to Vanek.

But Vanek now wanted to marry the princess and nothing else satisfied him.

The other courtiers also supported the king because Vanek was not a king or a prince.

Instead of rewarding the man who had made his daughter talk, the king wanted to kill Vanek.

The king sentenced Vanek to death.

*******

It was at this time that Luck took over.

It so happened that every single time the sentence to kill Vanek was to be carried out something thwarted it.

Besides, the princess also loved the man who had finally taught her to talk.

The king realised his folly.

And with the help of Luck Vanek married the princess and became the Prince of the land.

It is believed that since that day Intelligence stays well clear of Luck.

A folk story from Bohemia