The Little Bird and the Rich Man - Part Two

 

The rich man was annoyed when he heard the bird’s laughter. “Why are you laughing?”

“You are supposed to be a smart man, but you are so foolish.” The bird’s voice sounded from the tree.

The rich man was stunned. “What do you mean?”

The bird answered. “If instead of giving me my freedom, you had kept me you would have been a very rich man because in my body I have a diamond the size of a hen's egg.” 

The man was shocked for a second and then he berated himself for letting the bird go. 

Then the man caught himself and turned his attention to the tree, trying to focus on the bird. He could not find it, but he tried to speak in a reasonable voice. “Nature around you will be harsh. But if you come to my cage I will always give you a warm place and give you enough time to fly around freely. And I will give you as much water and bread as you want. Come with me and you will be better off with me than being free.”

The bird laughed louder on hearing the words of the rich man. “You are foolish, because you have not learned anything from my words. I told you that you should not grieve over things that have already happened. But you are still grieving that you gave me my freedom. I told you that you should not wish for things that you cannot obtain. And yet you think that you can get me to voluntarily enter a prison.” The bird laughed again. “And how can you be so foolish to believe that my little body can carry a diamond the size of an egg?” 

The bird flew away from the tree. “You are the most foolish man ever.” 

The rich man realized his mistake and the wise bird flew away from there.

Audio Story in YouTube

Adapted from Polish Fairy Tales

The Little Bird and the Rich Man - Part One

 

Once a rich man was walking down a garden. He saw a little bird in a net. He decided to keep the bird for himself and removed the bird from the net and caught it tightly. He was stunned when the bird spoke in human language. “Please give me my freedom.”

The man was shocked as he stared at the talking bird. 

The bird continued. “I am too small for you. I cannot sing like other birds. And I do not have beautiful feathers either.  I am too small to provide you with nourishment. So please let me go and if you do so I will teach you three wise teachings."

The rich man decided to let the bird go but with a caveat. “Let me hear your words of wisdom and if it teaches me anything, I will give you your freedom.”

The little bird nodded. “First, do not grieve over things that have already happened. Second, do not wish for something that cannot be attained and third, do not believe in that which is not possible.” 

The rich man was shocked when he heard the words of the bird. “You have taught me something important today. And I will give you your freedom.”

As soon as the rich man let the bird go, the bird flew as far away from the merchant and settled on a nearby tree with thick branches, from where it could not be seen.

That was when the merchant heard wild laughter from the bird.

Audio Story in YouTube

Adapted from Polish Fairy Tales

The Pale Maiden

Once upon a time in a faraway land lived a cruel knight.

The knight had plenty of land under his control. There were many peasants who lived under the control of the knight. The peasants worked day-and-night but most of the yield was taken away by the knight.

One of the peasants living under the control of the knight had a beautiful daughter. The old knight wanted to marry the peasant's young daughter.

However the young daughter did not like the old knight because he was a very cruel man.

Angry with this the old knight oppressed the peasant and his family in every way he could.

Finally unable to take it anymore, the peasant and his family decided to leave the little cottage that they occupied and go somewhere else.

Even as they were packing they heard a grating sound near the stove. The family was shocked to find a pale, transparent-looking lady near the stove. This grating sound they had heard was because the lady was trying to detach herself from the stove.

"Who are you?" The peasant was shocked.

"I am your Poverty." The woman told the peasant. "Now that you're leaving this place you have to take me with you too."

The peasant stared at the woman for a few seconds but he said nothing immediately.

"If you are coming with me then you have to help me move my belongings."

Poverty agreed.

The peasant made sure that his family carried all the other things.

After that he led Poverty to his barn where there was a log of wood. He created a wedge in the log of wood and directed Poverty to lift the log. As Poverty was about to lift the log, the peasant closed the wedge on the pale lady’s fingers.

No matter how much Poverty wailed the peasant did not come back or free her. He left her in the cottage and went to a new village.

The old knight came to the empty cottage. There he saw the pale lady in the barn and freed her.

After that the lady never left the person who freed her. The old knight eventually became very poor after he ran all his riches.

The peasant in the new village worked very hard. Soon he became one of the richest men in the place.

Polish Folk Stories