Slavic Mythology - Tales Of Long Ago - No1

"Croatian Tales of Long Ago" is a compilation of eight stories in total.

NOTE: These stories are intended for children over the age of 12.
On this track, you will find the first Story. Story No. 1: How Quest Sought the Truth

"Croatian Tales of Long Ago" was written back in 1916 and is the work of the brilliant Croatian writer Ivana Brlic Mazuranic, who was nominated for the Nobel Prize twice.

Even though they were created more than a century ago, these stories are absolutely timeless, and they carry wise and profound, yet simple and clear messages for both children and adults.

The author evokes the mood of antiquity and the Slavic mythological world in her writings by using old words and expressions.
Regardless of your age or stage of life, you will find a message for yourself and an abundance of wisdom in this mysterious world of Slavic mythology.

Open your heart, close your eyes, and let yourself be enveloped by the magical cloud of Ivana's storytelling genius.

Transcript

Croatian Tales of Long Ago Writer Ivana Brlić Mažurenić How Quest Sought the Truth A very long time ago, On a clearing on an old mountain, Full of beech trees, There lived an old man named Viting and his three grandsons. The old man came to life alone with the boys, And he raised them from a young age. They had now grown up into young men, As tall as their grandfather's shoulders, And even taller. Their names were Blaster, Careful, And Quest. One morning in the spring, Old Viting got up early before dawn, Woke his three grandsons, And told them to go to the forest, Where they had gathered honey the year before, To see how the little bees had survived the winter, And if they were already coming out of their hibernation. Careful, Blaster, And Quest got up, Got ready, And went out. It was quite a long way to the place where the bees were. However, All three brothers knew the forest paths well, And that's why they entered the forest feeling safe and happy. But it was still dark and unpleasant there because the sun had not yet risen, And not even the birds or animals made a sound. And so the forest silence became frightening somehow for the brothers because before sunrise, The evil Rampagusto, The ruler of all the forest goblins, Enjoyed roaming through the forest, Jumping from the treetop to treetop. This is why the brothers began to question each other. What else is there in the world? But since none of them had ever left that forest, They didn't know what to tell one another about the world, So they become even more dejected. To raise their spirits a little, They began singing and calling on Allrosy to bring out the sun. Oh, Little Lord, Allrosy, Golden sun, The faraway world. Oh, Little Lord, Allrosy, Laura Luna, Laura Ley. And so they sang at the top of their voices as they moved through the forest. Then emerged, Arriving in one spot from where the other hill could be seen. When they were there, On the top of that hill, A bright light shone, The like of which they had never seen before, And it flattered like a golden banner. This wonder stunned the brothers, And then the light vanished from the hill and reappeared closer above a large rock, Then even closer above an old lime tree, And it finally shone like gold right in front of them. From it, A beautiful young man appeared in a shiny suit. And it was the golden mantle around him that was flattering like a golden banner. The brothers could not even look at the young man's face. Instead, They covered their eyes with their hands out of great fear. Why do you call me when you are afraid of me, You silly lads? Laughed the radiant young man, For this was Old Rosie. You call Old Rosie, You are scared of Old Rosie. You mention the faraway world, But you know nothing of the faraway world. But anyway, Let me show you that world, Both heaven and earth, And I will tell you what it has in store for you. He swung his golden mantle and scooped up bluster, Careful, And quest inside it. Old Rosie waved, His mantle flattered, And the brothers flattered. And then they whirled, They spinning and spinning around and around, And the whole world began to pass in front of them. First of all, They saw all the treasures and all the lands and all the goods and riches that were in the world at the time. And then they whirled, They spinning and spinning around and around, And saw all the armies and all the spears and all the javelins and all the military commanders and all the plunder that was in the world at the time. And then they whirled, Spinning and spinning even more, And suddenly they saw the stars, And all the little stars and the moon and the seven sisters and the wind and all the clouds. Seeing so many things, Bewildered the brothers, While the mantle continued to flatter, Rustle, And swish like a golden banner. At last, The golden mantle dropped, And blaster, Careful, And quest found themselves on the meadow again. The young golden man, Old Rosie, Stood in front of them as before and said, Now you silly lads have seen all there is to see in the world, So now listen to what is in store for you and what you must do to be happy. As soon as he said that, The brothers became even more afraid, But pricked up their ears and paid great attention so they would remember everything precisely. However, Old Rosie carried on at once and said, Here is what you have to do. Stay in the clearing and don't leave your grandfather until he leaves you, And don't go into the world, Not for a good or bad reason, Until you return your grandfather's love for you to him. After old Rosie said this, He swung his mantle and disappeared as if he had never been there, And a new day dawned in the forest. Rampo Gusto, The leader of the forest goblins, Had watched and heard everything. He creeped up like the mist from treetop to treetop on the brothers and hid himself in the branches of an old beech tree. Rampo Gusto had hated old man-witting for a long time. He hated him like bad people hate a righteous man. But he hated him mostly because the old man had lit a holy fire on the clearing, Which would never go out, And that holy smoke made Rampo Gusto cough terribly. This meant that Rampo Gusto did not like that the brothers had listened to the old Rosie and would stay with their grandfather and look after him. So he devised a way to harm-witting and make his grandsons rebel against him. And so, When Blaster Careful and Quest had recovered from all this amazement and got up to go home, Rampo Gusto slipped as fast as he could, Like a cloud with the wind, Down into the forest dell where there was a big purple willow. The purple willow was full of all kinds of goblins. Tiny, Ugly, Hunchbacked, Blotchy, Cross-eyed, All shapes and sizes, All playing in the purple willow. They were whistling, Squealing, Chirping, And clawing around, A crazy and brainless bunch. They were no good for anything, Nor could they harm anyone until someone took them in. Rampo Gusto, However, He planned all of this. That's why he chose three of them and ordered them to go there and jump on one of those brothers to see if they could harm old man-witting. While Rampo Gusto was choosing the goblins, Careful, Blaster, And Quest walked home. And they were so frightened that they forgot what they had seen while flying and what old Rosie had told them. They arrived at their cabin, Sat on a rock, And told their grandfather what had happened to them. So, What did you see flying around, And what did old Rosie say to you? Old man-witting asked Careful, His eldest grandson. Careful got into trouble because he couldn't not remember anything, Nor could he think of what old Rosie had said to him. But from under the rock on which they were sitting, A small goblin emerged, Quite small and ugly, With horns and gray like a mouse. The goblin tugged Careful from behind by his shirt and whispered to him, Say, That I saw great riches and hundred bees, A cabin made of pinely heavenwood and many expensive furs, And old Rosie told me that I shall be the richest of the brothers. Careful didn't even think about whether what the goblin was telling him was true, But he cheered up and then told his grandfather what the goblin had whispered to him. As soon as he said that, The goblin jumped into his bag, Hid in a corner of it, And stayed there. Old man-witting then asked Blaster, His second grandson, What he saw while flying and what old Rosie had said. Blaster also saw nothing and didn't remember anything. But from under the rock came another goblin, Quite small, Hideous, Ugly, With horns and ash gray like a little polecat. The goblin tugged Blaster's shirt from behind and whispered to him, Say, I saw many armed men and many slaves in chains, And old Rosie told me that I shall be the mightiest among the brothers. Just like Careful, Blaster didn't think anything, But was very happy and lied to his grandfather as the goblin had whispered to him. The goblin immediately jumped onto his neck, Crawled into his shirt, Hid inside it, And stayed there. Then the grandfather asked Quest, His youngest grandson, But he also remembered nothing, And again from under the rock came a third goblin, The youngest and ugliest, With pig horns and black like a mole. The goblin tugged Quest by his shirt and whispered, Say, I learned about all the sky and all the stars and all the clouds, And old Rosie told me that I shall be the wisest and understand what the winds and stars say. But Quest loved the truth, So he didn't want to listen to the goblin. Or lie to his grandfather. He kicked the goblin away and told his grandfather, I don't know, Grandfather, What I saw or what I heard. The goblin yelped, Bit Quest on the leg and crawled under the rock like a lizard. Quest immediately picked the most potent herb he could find and tied it to his leg so he would heal faster. When Quest kicked the goblin, The goblin first ran under the rock, Then sneaked into the grass and ran off to the grass into the forest and from the forest into the purple willow. The goblin stood before Rampagusto and, Shaking with fear, Said, Rampagusto, Cruel emperor, I wasn't able to jump onto the young man as you ordered me to do. Rampagusto became terribly angry, Because he knew these three brothers, And of them all, He was the most afraid of the Quest, Because he might remember the truth. And if he were to remember the truth, Then Rampagusto would really not be able to get rid of the old man Whitting or the Holy Fire. So the angry Rampagusto grabbed the goblin by one horn, Lifted him in the air and beat him hard with a birch branch. Go there, He then shouted, Go back to that young man and woe betide you if he remembers the truth. After these words, Rampagusto let go of the goblin and, Scared, He then crouched for three days in the purple willow and thought and planned how he would carry out such a difficult order. I will have the exact same trouble with Quest as Quest will have with me, Thought the goblin. He was, After all, A real clown and didn't like hard work. While he was crouching in the purple willow, The other two goblins, One in Careful's bag and the other close to Blaster's chest, Were already at work. From that day on, Careful and Blaster wandered the mountains and valleys and sometimes spent the night in the cabin, And all because of the goblins. The goblin huddled at the bottom of the Careful's bag, And that goblin loved wealth more than he loved his right horn. So he used his horn to poke Careful in the side every day and increasingly urged him on, Whining to him. Come on, Hurry up, Come on, We have to go and look, We have to go and find what we need, We must look for the bees to get the honey so we can make a tally stick a hundred rows long. The goblin said this because, In those days, How rich one would get was carved on a tally stick. The goblin close to Blaster's chest poked him with his horn. This goblin wanted to be the strongest of all and the master of the whole world. So he harassed and urged Blaster to go to the forest to look for young hornbeams and slender maple trees and to make heroic tool and weapons out of them. Come on, Hurry up, Come on, We must go and find a spear and a bow and an arrow fit for a hero so that both beasts and men tremble before us, Whined the goblin. Blaster and Careful listened to their goblins, And they wandered off to complete their tasks, As the goblins had told them. Meanwhile, From that day and for the next three days, Quest stayed with his grandfather and thought and pondered about what all Rosie had said to him, Because Quest wanted to tell his grandfather the truth, But he just couldn't remember it. This went on for one day, Two days, Three days. On the third day, Quest said to his grandfather. Goodbye, Grandfather, I am going to the mountain, And I will not return until I remember the truth, Even if it takes ten years. Whitting was a gray-haired old man, And he didn't care for much in the world, Only for his grandson Quest, Whom he loved and cherished like a withered leaf does the dew. So he went numb and said, What good is the truth to me, My son, When I, A gray-haired old man, Could die three times before you remember it? As he said this, He grieved more in his heart than with the words he spoke and taught. My cherished child is leaving me. But Quest replied, I am going, Grandfather, Because I think this is the right thing to do. Whitting was a wise old man and thought, Perhaps there is more wisdom in this child than in an old man's head. If the poor boy sins against me, He will have to repent because he is righteous and blessed. As Whitting taught this, He became even sadder, But said nothing more. He just kissed his grandson and let him go on his intended path. Nonetheless, Quest's heart ached for his grandfather, And he almost changed his mind, Almost deciding to stay with his grandfather when he stood on the doorstep. But then he forced himself away, For he had decided and went off to the mountain. While Quest was saying goodbye to his grandfather, The goblin from the purple willow also accepted his difficult task and went to the clearing to jump on Quest. So with his head bowed, Quest went to the mountain, And when he reached the first rocks, The goblin jumped out in front of him. Well, It is the same one, Thought Quest, Quite small, Ugly, Black like a mole with the big horns. So the goblin stood in Quest's way and would not let him pass. Quest got very angry with the little monster for bothering him, So he picked up a stone and threw it at the goblin, Hitting him right between the horns. I have killed him, Thought Quest. But when he looked again, The goblin was alive, And well, And still had two horns growing in the place where the stone had hit him. Well, Stones won't drive this one away, Said Quest to himself. Then he walked around the goblin and continued on his way. But the goblin jumped in front of him again, And now ran and jumped from the left and right, Running and jumping along the path in front of Quest like a rabbit. Soon they come to a spot that was like a small plain between the cliffs, Very rocky. On one side there was a well. I will stay here, Thought Quest. He immediately spread out his sheepskin coat under a wild apple tree and sat down to think about and remember in peace what old Rosie had really said to him. But when the goblin saw this scene, He sat right in front of Quest, Under a bush, And began spouting nonsense and annoying him. The goblin put lizards under Quest's legs, Threw birds onto his shirt, And forced grasshoppers up his sleeve. This is no good, Poor me, Thought Quest, After this had gone on for some time. I left my wise grandfather, My brothers, And my cabin home, So that I could remember the truth, In peace. And here I am now, Wasting my time with this horned, Good-for-nothing creature. But since Quest had come here with good intentions, He thought it was the best to stay here anyway. Quest and the goblin lived like this together on the little rocky plateau. And each day was like the first. The goblin would spoil and disturb Quest's work. And so a beautiful morning dawned, And Quest woke from his sleep and rejoiced. What a peaceful day, What a joy! Today I will surely remember the truth. But no, A handful of apples fell from the tree onto Quest, And his whole head rattled, And all his thoughts were swept away. And the little monster mocked him from the tree, Almost bursting with laughter. Maybe Quest would far better in the shade, Where he could think, And he thought more and more. There, There, Now it will all come to my mind, Now I will remember the truth. But in that moment the goblin aimed from far with a hallow elder twig a jet of cold water from the well over the Quest. And whatever he had come up with was immediately lost from his head. There were no antics or nonsense the goblin could not perform on the plateau. And it would have been better if Quest had not enjoyed watching these antics, Because as much as he thought about his task, His gaze wandered more to look at what that mad creature was up to. Quest eventually had enough of this, And his yearning to return to his grandfather tormented him more and more, And he saw that by being with this goblin he would never remember the truth. I must get rid of him, Quest decided. Well, One morning the goblin thought up a new time-wasting lark. He climbed to the top of the slope, Where there was a steep gully in the stone, And then straddled a smooth branch and slid down the gully like lightning. The goblin immediately started to enjoy the game like no other, And he wanted someone to join him. So he picked up a blade of grass and whistled into it over the cliffs and the forest, And from the bushes, Rocks, Purple willows and sages all the little goblins came running and scurrying, Just like the first one. He instructed them, And they each grabbed a smooth branch and then went up the slope. What a spectacle, As they sat on their branches and flew down the gully, And there were all kinds of them, And from every tribe of goblins, Red like robins, Green like lizards, Furry like lambs, Almost naked like frogs, Horned like snails, Drab like mice. So they flew down the gully on their smooth branches, Like a crazy army on wild horses. They flew down the slope, One after another, And did not stop until they were halfway down the plateau, Where a large rocky lay, All overgrown with moose. They stopped there on the moose, And trembled all over one another from the great momentum and their sheer antics. And so the wild, Giggling gang descended two or three times, While within quest one tot increasingly chased the other, And he would look and laugh at them, But again, He was gripped by misery because they were making such a racket around him, And who could think of the truth during all of this? Back and forth, Back and forth, And then quest decided. Well, That's enough laughing and joking, I have to get rid of these good for nothing, Because it's futile being here with them like this. Quest noticed that the smooth branches were coming down from the gully towards the well, And were it not for the moose covered stone there, The goblins would go headfirst into the well. So quest moved closer to that stone, And when the goblins came down the gully, Chuckling on their smooth branches, Quest quickly rolled that stone away, And the crazy army flew towards the well. To the well, And into the well, Headfirst one after another, One over another, Red like robins, Green like lizards, Furry like lambs, Almost naked like frogs, Horned like snails, Drab like mice, And the first among them was the one who had latched on to quest. He immediately threw that stone over the well, And the goblins were caught like flies in a pot. Quest cheered up, Knowing he had got rid of the goblins, So he went to sit down and remember the truth in peace. But now he began to regret what he had done, Because in the well, The goblins began to spin and rage like never before. The goblins drew little flames from their angry torment, Which began to jump out all the cracks in the well. Sparks jumped and flickered around the well, And quest's head began to spin. Quest closed his eyes so the sparkles wouldn't bother him. There was such a commotion in the well, Such noise, Shouting and banging, Whining and yelping, Knocking and wailing for help, That quest's ears were on the verge of bursting. So how could he think about anything? He put his fingers in his ears so he couldn't hear them. But then steam, Sulfur and soot began to reach him, Which the goblins in their death throes released into the cracks of the well. The soot and sulfur surrounded quest, And they began to choke and suffocate him. So quest realized this was no use. Well, Now I see that trapped goblins are hundred times worse than free ones, He said to himself. So I will let them out. If I can get rid of them like that, It will be easier for me again with their clowning around than with so much wailing. So he went there and removed the stone, And the frightened goblins jumped out in all directions like wild cats and ran away into the mountain, Never to return to the plateau. Only one remained, Black as a mole and with large horns, Because he was not allowed to leave quest for fear of Rampagusto. But he also calmed down a bit from that day on, And respected quest more than he had done at first. So the two of them reached an agreement. They got used to each other and began to live side by side. Almost a year passed, And quest was still nowhere near remembering the truth. What had old Rosie really told him? When the year had almost passed, The situation became unbearable for the goblin. How long will I stay here like this, He thought. And so, One evening, When quest was just about to fall asleep, The goblin came to him and said, And, How is it, My friend? You have been sitting here for almost a year. And what good is it to you? Maybe your grandfather, In the clearing, Has died in the meantime. Quest's heart etched as though pierced by a needle. But he said, Look, I decided not to live here until I remember the truth, Because the truth is more important than anything. He said this because he was righteous and blessed. However, Quest was deeply touched that the goblin had mentioned his grandfather, And he couldn't sleep but tossed and turned all night thinking about everything. How were things with his grandfather, With his dear old man? During this time, Old man Witting still lived in the clearing with his grandsons, Careful and bluster. But his life had taken a turn for the worse. His grandchildren no longer cared for the old man, Nor did they help him. They didn't even wish him good morning or good night, But just went about their business, Listening to the goblins, One in the bag and the other tucked into the shirt. Careful brought new wild bees from the forest every day, Cut and hewed beams, Erected and built a new cabin. Most of all, He carved out ten telly sticks, And every day he counted them over and over again. Bluster, Meanwhile, Went hunting and plundering, Bringing back furs and treasure, And one day he even brought two captured slaves to serve and wait upon the brothers all day long. All this was difficult and unpleasant for old man Witting, And it was difficult and more unpleasant for the grandsons to look at him. What use was the old man to them when he did not want to be served by the slaves and embarrassed his grandsons by chopping wood and fetching water from their well himself? And so it came to that whatever the old man did, Everything bothered his grandsons, Including him adding a log to a holy fire every day. Old man Witting clearly noticed where all of this was going and that his life would soon be in danger. He didn't regret anything from his life, Because what is life to him? But he was sorry he would die without seeing Quest, His blessed child, His true love. His joy in his old age. So one evening, And it was that very evening when Quest was so upset about his grandfather, Careful said to Bluster, Come on, Brother, Let's get rid of Grandad. You have the weapons. Wait for him at the well and kill him. Careful said this because he especially wanted the old cabin at any cost so that he could build an apiary for his bees on the spot. I can't, Brother, Replied Bluster, Whose heart had not been as hearted by blood and plundering as Careful's had by riches and tally sticks. But Careful did not give up, Because the goblin in his bag continued whispering and nagging him all the same. The goblin in Careful's bag saw that he would be the first to eliminate Witting from this world and gain great prize from Rampagusto for doing so. So Careful tried to pursue Bluster, But Bluster could not bring himself to kill his own grandfather. Instead, They finally agreed that they would set fire to the old cabin that evening. Let it burn down with the old man inside. When everything had calmed down in the clearing, They sent the slaves off to guard the traps that night in the forest. The brothers then sneaked up to Witting's cabin, Jammed the door shut from the outside with a heavy wedge so the old man could not escape from the flames. And set fire to all four corners. Then they went off, Far away into the mountain, So they wouldn't hear their grandfather's calls for help. They agreed to walk around the whole mountain, And it was very big. They would not return until the morning, When everything would be finished. Both their grandfather and the cabin would have burned. They left, And the fire slowly began to lick around the cabin's corners. However, It was made of old walnut wood, As hard as stone, And the flames just licked all around it, But did not take hold. And it was only late at night that the roof caught fire. Old man Witting woke up, Opened his eyes, And saw the roof right above him was on fire. He stood up and went to the door, But when he realized it was jammed shut with a heavy wedge, He immediately knew whose doing it was. ''Oh, My poor children, '' said the old man, ''you have taken out your hearts and put them on telly sticks. But look, Your telly sticks are still not full. Many numbers are missing from them. And yet, You have already emptied your hearts completely when you set fire to your grandfather and the cabin where you were born. '' That's what old man Witting thought about Careful and Blaston, And he didn't think about them anymore, Nor did he feel sorry for them. But went to sit down and calmly wait for death. So he sat down on the chest and thought about his long life. And despite all that happened in his life, Nothing seemed so difficult to him. The only thing was that in his dying hour, He did not have Quest, His beloved child, By his side, Which made him feel so sad. While he was thinking that, The entire roof caught fire like a torch. The beams burned and burned, And the rafters began to crack. They burned though, Cracked, And on both sides of the old man. The flaming rafters and roof beams collapsed into the hole. The flames surrounded Witting, The roof above him opened up, And dawn sprang across the sky ahead of the sun. Old man Witting got up, Raised his hands and eyes to the sky, And stood in that position, Waiting for the flames to take him and his old cabin from this world. Quest worried a great deal that night, And when dawn began to break, He went to the well to cool his hot cheeks. The sun was just above the sky when Quest approached the well. As he reached it, A light shone from the water. It shone and rose, And behold, A handsome young man in a green suit stood before Quest by the well. It was all rosy. Quest tingled with joy and said, Oh my lord, All rosy, How long I have waited for you. Tell me, Poor soul, What was it that you told me I have to do? I have been agonizing and torturing myself and wracking my brains for a year here, But I still cannot remember the truth. As he said that, All rosy shook his head and golden curls crossly. Oh, Young man, Young man, I told you to stay with your grandfather until you return his love for you to him, And not to leave him until he leaves you, Said all rosy. I thought you were the wisest of the brothers, But now you have become the most foolish. You agonized and tortured yourself, Wracking your brains for a year to remember the truth. And if you had listened to your heart when it told you on the cabin doorstep to stay and not to leave your grandfather, There you go, You poor thing, The truth without wisdom. All rosy told him this, Then once more he shook his head and golden curls crossly. Then wrapped himself in his golden mantle and disappeared. Ashamed and surprised, Quest was left alone by the well, While behind a rock that clown, That goblin, Laughed, Quite small, Ugly one, With big horns. The goblin was pleased with how all rosy had shamed Quest, Who had been so righteous. But when Quest recovered from his initial confusion, He cried out joyfully, I would better wash myself and fly back to my dear old grandfather. As he said this, He went to the well to wash. Quest leaned down to reach the water, But land too far, Slipped and fell into the well. He fell into the well and drowned. The goblin jumped out from the rock and leaped to the edge of the well. He looked to see with his own eyes if what had happened to him was true. Yes, Quest had drowned. There he was, Lying under the water, As white as wax. Ho-ho-ho, Ho-ho-ho! The goblin began squealing because he was a totally wild creature. Ho-ho-ho, I am off today, Oh brother! The goblin squealed so everything around the rocks rang around the plateau. And then he pushed that stone, Which rested on the edge of the well, And it rolled over and covered the well. Then the goblin threw Quest's sheepskin coat on top of the stone, Then sat on it and began playing and jumping on the coat. Ho-ho-ho, Ho-ho-ho! My work is done, The goblin shrieked. He played on the coat a little, Shrieking and squealing a little. And when he worn himself out, He looked around the plateau, And he felt a strange feeling from somewhere. The goblin had grown used to being with Quest, And he had never had such an easy life as with this righteous lad. In his company, He fooled around, No one nudged him, No one ordered him around. And now, If his thinking was correct, He would go back to the purple willow, To that mire, To that angry emperor, Rampagusto, And be among the five hundred other goblins, All furious creatures, Like himself. He had grown out of that. He began to think, To think a little. He felt dejected, A little dejected, But then a lot more. And suddenly, There he was, The wild and brainless creature that was cheering beforehand, Now began crying and wailing and rolling about on a sheepskin coat in angry misery. He wailed and howled, And it was nothing like when he had shrieked before. A goblin like any goblin, When he wails, He really wails. And he pulled all the hair from the sheepskin coat and rolled around on it, As he had lost his mind. Right then, Bluster and careful, Arrived on the plateau. They had wandered the whole mountain and were now returning to the house on the clearing, To see if their grandfather had, With any luck, Burnt with the cabin. And so, On their way back, They came to a plateau they had never visited before. Bluster and careful heard the wailing and saw Quest's sheepskin coat, And they immediately thought that he was in trouble somewhere. But they didn't really feel sorry for their brother, Because they couldn't feel sorry for anyone while carrying the two goblins with them. However, The goblins heard their companion howling so much and began to wriggle, And, When in trouble, Nowhere did there exist a more united people or more faithful companions than the goblins. In the purple willow they would argue and quarrel, But in times of trouble they would lay down their life for another. So, They wriggled, Became agitated, Pricked up their ears, And then one peered from the bag and the other from the shirt. And, As they peered out, They immediately noticed their brother was rolling with someone or something, Wailing and howling, And all that could be seen was hair flying up everywhere. Some terrible beast is tearing him apart. The terrified goblins shouted as they jumped out of the bag and shirt and hurried to their friend. When they got there, The goblins standing on the sheepskin coat continued shouting in an exaggerated tone. The boy is dead! The boy is dead! The goblins comforted their friend, And they thought there was a thorn in his heel or a mosquito in his ear because they had not lived with that wretched sled and they didn't know that he was wailing about something else. But the first one wailed just the same, And it was impossible to hear one's own voice or calm him down. The goblins were now at their wits' end. What would they do with him? They couldn't leave him here in this state. Finally, They decided to each grab a sleeve of the sheepskin coat and they dragged it with their friend on it and scuttled off into the forest, And from the forest to the purple willow and to Rampagusto. Blaster and Careful then found themselves without their goblins for the first time in a year. When the goblins jumped away from them, It seemed to the brothers as if they had been walking the world blind for the whole year and now suddenly regained their sight on the plateau. They looked at each other in confusion and they looked at each other because they immediately knew what sin they had committed against their grandfather. Oh, Brother! They cried to each other, We must go and save granddad and they flew off like falcons to the clearing. They arrived at the clearing, But the cabin had no roof and flames were rising in a column from the hall. Only the walls and door, Jammed shut with the heavy wedge, Were still standing. The brothers ran over, Knocked away the wedge, Rushed into the hall and carried the old man, Whose legs had just begun engulfed by the fire, Out of the flames. Blaster and Careful took their grandfather out, Laid him on the grass and stood next to him. But they did not say a word. After a while, The old man opened his eyes and when he saw them, He didn't say anything to them, But asked, Did you see Quest up there anywhere on the mountain? No, We did not, Granddad. The brothers replied, And didn't dare look him in the eyes. Quest is dead, He drowned in a well this morning. But granddad, Forgive us and we will serve and take care of you like the slaves do. When they said this, Old man Whitting straightened up and got to his feet. You, My children, I see you have already been forgiven because you remain alive, But the one who was the most righteous must repent for his guilt with his life. Come, Children, Take me there, So I may see where he died. Careful and Blaster listened repentantly, Took their grandfather by the hand and led him towards the plateau. After walking a short while, They realized they were on a path they had never taken before. They told their grandfather, But he said to keep going the same way. And so they came to a steep slope, And the path led up the slope all the way to the ridge. Our granddad is so weak, He will die on this slope, The brothers whispered. But old man Whitting just said, Let's go, Children, The way the path leads us. And so they began to climb the path, And the old man's face turned grayer and paler, And up on the ridge everything gently buzzed and hung and shined and glowed. When they reached the ridge, They were left speechless, Petrified with wonder and fear. In front of them, There were no mountains, No valleys, No hills, No plains, Nothing, But a white cloud stretching like a white sea. A white cloud and on it a little rosy cloud. On the rosy cloud lay a glass hill. On the glass hill stood golden palace, And leading up to the palace were white stairs. This was Allroses Golden Palace. From the palace a lovely splendor shone forth, Some from the rosy cloud, Some from the glass hill, And some from the pure gold, But most of all it shone from the windows of a hall. Because there Allroses guests sat together, And with golden glasses they toasted the health of the new person joining them. But Allrosy neither enjoys nor allows anyone into the palace who carries any guilt in their soul. This is why a noble, Exemplary group of people had gathered in the hall, And they were the source of the light shining from the windows. Grandfather Whitting stood on the ridge with his grandsons, Speechless as they watched this wonder. As they watched, They suddenly noticed someone sitting on the stairs to the palace. The person's hands covered his face, And he was crying. The old man looked, Then looked closer, And realized it was Quest. The old man's soul trembled. He stood upright and called out over the clouds, What's wrong, My child? I am here, Grandfather. A great light rose from the well and carried me here. I made it this far, But they won't let me into the palace because I sinned against you, Replied Quest. Tears poured down his grandfather's face. Both his hands and his heart reached out to embrace his beloved child, To comfort him, To help him, To rescue his cherished child. Careful and bluster, Look at their grandfather. But his face had completely changed. He had turned grey. He looked haggard, Not like a living man. Our old man will die from this terrible sight, They whispered to each other. But the old man pulled himself together and began walking away from them. Then he turned to them and said, Go, Children, Go back to the clearing, Since you have been forgiven. Go and live and enjoy the righteousness destined for you. And I will go to help the one to whom the best is given at the heaviest price. The grandfather's voice was quite weak, But he stood upright like a column before them. Bluster and Careful looked at each other and thought, What is their grandfather blabbering about? Saying that he will cross over the clouds when he can barely speak. But the old man had already walked away from them. He walked, Went off, And stepped onto a cloud as if it were a meadow. As he stepped, He moved forward. The old man moved away, His feet carrying him like a feather, And his rope fluttering in the wind like a cloud upon a cloud. And so he went up to the rosy cloud, And to the glass hill, And onto the white stairs. The old man rushed up the stairs to his grandson. Oh, What a joy when the grandfather embraced his grandson. He hugged him and embraced him as if he would never let him go. And Careful and Bluster listened to everything. Through the clouds, One can hear the old man and the child weeping with great joy. Then the old man took his grandson's hand and led him up the stairs to the palace gates. He led his grandson with his left hand and knocked on the gates with his right hand. And what a wonder, Immediately the gates opened wide. All the splendor of the palace was revealed. And the invited and noble guests greeted the old man weeping and his grandson Quest at the gates. They greeted them, Held out their hands, And led them into the palace. Careful and Bluster saw them as they passed by the windows. And as they sat them at the table. Near the head of the table was old man Whitting. Beside him was Quest. And there the golden young man, All rosy, Toasted the guests with a golden goblet. A great fear sized Bluster and Careful found themselves alone in front of this awesome sight. Let's go down to our clearing, Brother, Whispered Careful. And they turned around and descended. Disturbed by all those wonders, They arrived at the clearing. And they couldn't never find that path or reach on the mountain again. That's how it was and how it ended. Careful and Bluster lived on the clearing. They lived a long life as good young men and people. And they raised an honorable generation, Sons and grandchildren. All the good things were headed down from father to son. Even the holy fire and the log was brought to it every day so that it would never go out. And, Well, Rampagusto was right to be afraid of Quest. Because if Quest hadn't died searching for the truth, The goblins wouldn't have left Careful and Bluster. And there would no longer be that holy fire or those honorable people on the clearing. This is how it all ended, To the disgrace and shame of Rampagusto and his army. When the two goblins dragged Quest's sheepskin coat to Rampagusto with the third goblin on it, Who was still shouting wildly, Rampagusto became terribly angry because he realized that all the three young men had escaped their clutches. In great misery, He ordered the three goblins to have their horns cut off and let them walk like that, Ridiculed by others for the rest of their life. But the biggest shame remained for Rampagusto. Every day he would cough because of the holy smoke and he must never dare enter the forest, Least he met some good people. Nothing was left for Rampagusto except for Quest's old sheepskin coat. And so be it, Because Quest doesn't need a sheepskin coat in all roses' golden palace anyway. End of the story. Thank you for listening.