Storybook by TOPGAMES-Poland

STORYBOOK

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views of the author only, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Table of contents Stories from the Czech Republic ........................................................ 3 Stories from Italy .............................................................................. 14 Stories from Poland .......................................................................... 19 Stories from Romania ...................................................................... 29 Stories from Turkey ......................................................................... 37

STORIES FROM THE CZECH REPUBLIC

An interview with my grandfather by Aleš Rašťák I have chosen my grandpa because I have a really good relationship with him. We often talk about his life and we compare our school bummers. He is very funny as you will see in the interview. What´s your name? My name is Miroslav Nevrla. When were you born? I was born on 14 November 1952. Did you grow up in a village or in a city? I grew up in a small village. Do you have any siblings? Yes, I have 6 siblings. Two sisters and four brothers. What did your parents do? My dad worked in a factory. It was called Agrostroj. My mom worked on a farm and then she had to take care of us. Did you have to work when you were young? There is always something to do in a village. So I had to work all the time. I was used to working hard and it was not so awful. How did you perceive that time? It was nearly the same as it is today but without the technology. I remember that we did not have television. What about school? In our village there was a primary school. It was a great time … Do you remember any funny stories? Yes. When I was in grade 5, I had an argument with my teacher. After that, when she was in the greenhouse, I stole a door handle and escaped. Ha, it was funny. When did you get married? 4

I got married on 6 April 1974. Do you have any children? Yes, I have two girls. Your mom and your aunt. What do you do? I am a ‘’young‘‘working pensioner. I am an electrician. Why did you choose this job? I wanted to do something with electrical circuits all my life. I love my work. If I were born again, I would do the same job. Big thanks, my grandfather! I am happy I have got you, I am glad you are my grandfather!

My grandmother´s life by Ivana Boráková I would like to introduce you my beloved grandmother to you. Her name is Marie Bursová. She was born on 25 December 1943 in Zlín in South Moravia. She lives in Nový Malín and is already retired. We don´t see each other very often, but I love her. She is my only grandmother.

She started school in 1948, she was only five! She didn´t have a lot of free time, she had to help her parents. My grand grandmother was a dressmaker and my grand grandfather was a mechanic. Her family had a big farm. They had four horses, twenty cows, rabbits, chickens, geese, pigs, and many other animals. They had a servant and a groom, too, because there was a lot of work on the farm. When she was fourteen, she started to work in a factory. The factory produced cloths. But she lost weight because of hard the work in the factory and she was fired. Then she worked in a wood where she planted trees.

She got married at the age of eighteen years and she had her first kid - my aunt. Three years later she gave birth to my mum. She was twenty-one when my mother was born. And four years later when she was twenty-five, my uncle was born. When my uncle started school, she began to work. She worked in the factory where washing machines and dishwashers were produced.

At that time people didnÂ´t have telephones, cars and things like that. I think that life of my grandparents was better than it is now, because people were friendlier, they helped each other, they spent more time outdoors, with their families and friends and they were happy even without computers, telephones and tablets. But today we have more possibilities to travel abroad and we can learn more about foreign countries and customs of their inhabitants.

My great grandmother Ludmila by Kristýna Dohnalová My great-grandmother Ludmila was born in 1933. She lived with her parents, older brother Libor and younger brother Jan in Unicov. Her family was very poor. When she was five years old, and German troops were in Unicov, she had to leave, because her family was Czech. They did not have enough money for everybody to go. So she left with her mother and younger brother for Olomouc. Her father and older brother, who was fourteen years old at that time, stayed. It wasn´t easy for Ludmila´s mum. She had to feed herself and then two children and was constantly worried about her husband and son. Are they still alive? What has happened to them? Thus she worried for six years. When the Russian ´Red´Army liberated Unicov, Ludmila with her mother and brother went to look for their family. They found only Libor. Her father died. He was ill because of the war. It was not easy for Libor either. In six years he had seen many evil things. None of Ludmila´s family wanted to live in that town. They moved to a small village Hradecna, where they started to live again as a family. In those days a lot of tragedies happened in many families. I hope that there won´t be another war in the future.

My grandmothers´s life by Gábina Húževková

I'd like to tell you the story of my grandmother. Her name is Marie and she is 61 years old, so she was born in 1954. She grew up in a small village in a big house with her parents, one brother and three sisters. She was the fourth child in the family. Her father and mother both worked on a collective farm, they took care of animals. They had a lot of farm animals at home, too, one or two pigs, ducks, hens, rabbits. The children had to help them, too, they worked in the garden, in the field and naturally at home with cooking, cleaning etc. Because of the 5 children they were quite poor. For example, girls couldn't wear their own clothes; they had to inherit clothes from their older sisters. That´s probably why my grandma likes buying clothes so much.

My grandmother when she was 15

The education at school was also a little bit different. Children didn't have any technical aids 9

such as the Internet, mobile phones and others, they had only books. They read more. In their free time they spent nearly every day outdoors playing sports or other games, they were more active than children nowadays. Unfortunately some children couldn't choose their dream school at that time because of the political opinions of their parents. It was the case of my grandma, too. She couldn't go to university after grammar school. But she was satisfied with her job; she worked her whole life in the post office. At the end, shortly before the retirement, the working conditions changed, the work became more stressful and the employees were persuaded to work more and harder. My grandma got married at the age of 21 years. At that time it was a typical age for marriage. She had a baby at a young age, my mum, and after one year the second daughter, my aunt. They lived 6 years with her parents and then they built a house in the same village. Her siblings moved to other towns, but she stayed and helped her parents. So she didn't have as much time to spend with her children as she would have wished. Life was more about the work than it is now. That's why my grandparents enjoy spending time with their grandchildren so much, they finally have time! They My great grandmother (on a chair), my grand mum, my mum and my aunt and me (2004)

give us their experience, knowledge and mainly their love. That's why I love them, too. I prefer today's life to the life before. We have more possibilities, more time to do what we want, and more money.

On the other hand we have too much time and we sometimes waste it with playing computer games, gossiping, watching TV or YouTube. We are also not used to working so much as before and it could be a problem in our professional life. 10

My grandmother´s life by Magda Kohlová

My grandmother is seventy-eight years old. She was born in 1937. Her name is Marie and she is very kind. She is a believer. When someone is ill, she prays he would recover from his illness. She lives in a house near our house in Nova Dedina. But when she was younger, everything was different… In her childhood my grandma lived in Olsany near Prostejov. It was a little village. But they lived there only until the end of World War II. When they lived in the village, they had a small farm with animals, a garden with trees and a smaller field, too. When Marie came home from school, she had to take care of animals first and after that she could do her homework for school. Sometimes there was so much work on the farm that she had to do her homework by candlelight. My grandma did not have to go for bread far because one of her neighbours was a baker. But they had to order lentils from Slovakia, because it was difficult to buy them here, they were very rare. When my grandma was young, people had hand sewn clothing. And the clothes were often passed on from generation to generation. My grandma has one sister. Her name is Jirina and she is older than Marie. She lives in Unicov. Marie had another sister. But she doesn´t talk about her. My mum said that her name was Tereza and when she was working on a farm, the owner of the farm struck her. She died as a consequence of it. She was only eighteen years old. When my grandma was eighteen, she went with her friend to a funfair. They took the bus there. As they were going along the road up the hill, something failed in the bus and the bus 11

went backwards. Everyone went into panic. Fortunately there was a big car behind the bus and it pushed the bus over the hill. The bus started, but after a while it began to burn, and passengers had to jump out of the windows. In the end everything turned out well. I love my grandma. She always tries to help me, when I have got problems. I think, it would be better to live without computers and technology. The people had more time for other people. Today, a lot of people communicate only on the Internet.

STORIES FROM ITALY

Colapesce

Colapesce was the son of a fisherman. He lived in Messina, a beautiful city in the east of Sicily. His real name was Nicola but everyone called him “Colapesce” or “Nick the Fish” : Cola is the short for Nicola, plus Pesce that is fish, because he loved the sea and he spent his days swimming and diving. He used to dive from his father’s fishing boat and he always came back with fantastic tales of the things he had seen underwater. His mother didn’t like Colapesce ’s strange habits and she used to tell him: “Sooner or later you will change into a fish!” the story tells that, she was a witch, and she transformed Cola into a fish. Colapesce used to go to the square of the city and he told to the people about the wonderful treasures he saw under the sea. People said that Colapesce was able to speak with the ocean nymphs, to swim with them reaching the unexplored treasures of the deep sea. Colapesce was also very popular among the fishermen, in fact he could advise them when the weather was bad because of an incoming storm or when it was good to go out into the sea. One day Frederick II king of Sicily, heard about Colapesce and his strange adventures. Frederick II wanted to challenge Colapesce. So the King threw a cup overboard. Colapesce dived into the water and brought it back. Then he dropped his crown overboard and Colapesce collected it too. Finally King Frederick II threw a ring overboard. Colapesce dived after it but this time he didn’t that come back. In that occasion Colapesce made an unbelievable discovery. Sicily rested on three columns and the fire of volcano Etna burnt one of them, so he decided to remain under water, holding up the broken column so the island would not collapse. Even today he rules the island.

Giufà’s mother and the door "Giufà, pull the door after you!" Giufà’s mother asks him to join her to the church and she recommends him to shut well the door of their house. But she tells him in dialect “pull the door when you go out” and of course, Giufà who tooks everything literally, did pull the door--right off its hinges--and he carried it on his back to the church! You can imagine the face of his mother when she saw him!!

Petru Fudduni and the Wise Man of Tripi The Wise Man of Tripi: “A sealed box was sent to me, an O and a C were written on it; inside it there’s a precious stone, with no equal in the world; and on the lower part we can find something else, that makes fruit and that says to man: take me! Please, Petru Fudduni, you are a renowned poet, solve this puzzle for me!” Petru Fudduni: “The sealed box is the sky, the sun and the moon are respectively O and C; God is the precious stone, with no equal in the world; the Earth is that lower part, that makes fruit and says to man: take me! Wise man of Tripi, don’t be confused! didn’t I solve your puzzle?... Your philosophical question?”

The Baroness of Carini Palermo cries, Siracusa cries, in Carini there’s mourning in every house. A handsome knight walks around and around again the castle, a young man with kind blood, he has got the love of his young age, the love that bounds him to a young lady. The young lady suffers because of her unhappy marriage. " Where are you taking me, sweet love, where ?” “I see men on horseback arriving, there is my father, he is coming to kill me. My dear father, what do you want to do?” “My dear daughter, I’m going to kill you.” The young lady fell dawn by the first hit, she died by the following one. One wound to her side the last to her heart. Poor baroness of Carini.

Zisa’s devils In the years 1164-1165 King Guglielmo il Malo (The bad one) built the Zisa. This building is delightfull. It was a lavish, built with square stones of white marble and of porphyry and with mosaics in the inner part of a royal garden, full of fruit trees. The name of the building derives from the Arab “aziz”, splendid and a legend is bound to this palace, the legend of the devils. For the feast of the Annunciation of the Lord on the 25th of March, people who lived in Palermo would go to the Church of the Annunciation near the Castle of the Zisa and after the church celebration they would pass to the counting of the devils, which are not actually devils but mythological figures of various sizes and dimensions painted on the vault of the entrance arch of the fountain room. The figures never balanced, one counted thirteen, another swore they were fifteen, still another even reached the number of twenty. A legend says in the Zisa, there is a great hidden treasure protected by the devils who don't want it to be discovered. The legend also says that who stares too long to the devils, notices that they move their tail, contort their features, they move around changing places so that whoever tries to count them never succeeds in doing that, and this means that it’s impossible to count the coins of the hidden treasure and that it can't be found because is guarded by them. There is a popular saying in Sicily when the numbers do not add up: “The counts seem to be like the devils of the Zisa’s palace.”

STORIES FROM POLAND

The Legend of The Three Brothers by Karolina Chodakowska Junior High School Long, long time ago, there was a king who had three sons Lech, Czech and Rus. When the king died, his sons took his kingdom over. It wasn’t large enough for three of them, so they decided to start searching for other lands. Lech was the oldest and became the leader of this group but his brothers were very jealous and they quarreled with Lech. They also argued with each other who the best leader would be. The brothers finally decided to travel together and find a new, bigger and safer place to live. After a few months of travelling, Lech, Czech and Rus saw huge, green and mountainous meadows. There was a giant oak at the top of it and a big, white eagle was flying above this tree. The brothers were fascinated with this place. Lech climbed on the tree and looked around. He could see everything very clearly from that place. In the northern part he saw water. In the eastern he noticed an endless plain and fertile ground. In the southern part there were hills where some sheep and cattle could graze. There was also a dark forest on the western part of a new land. While Lech was admiring all these things, he noticed that there was an eagle’s nest between the branches of the oak and he thought that this was a good sign. When he went down, he told his brothers what he saw but Czech wanted to go to the south and Rus wanted to go to the east. Finally, the three brothers decided to separate. Lech stayed in the place which delighted him a lot while he was on the top of the tree. He found some people and they started to build his new kingdom. He named this town Gniezno which means ‘a nest’ in the Slavic language. After some time, this area was bigger and bigger and became the first capital of Poland.

The legend of the Warsaw Mermaid by Julia Soszka Junior High School A long time ago on the bank of the Vistula River there was a fishing village. The fishermen knew a legend of the Mermaid who lived in the river but nobody had ever seen her. One day three fishermen decided to catch this Mermaid and gave her to the Prince. It was promised to them that if they did this, they would get some gold as a reward. When the night came the fishermen were standing on the bank of the river. They were holding a fishing net in their hands. The Mermaid came out for a while and she started to sing. The fishermen were enchanted and they couldn’t move. One of them ordered to plug their ears with some wax. Then they throw their fishing net on the beautiful creature and pulled her on the bank of the river. They went with her to the fishing village. The Mermaid asked the youngest fisherman to release her. Then she started to sing and the enchanted man carried her on the bank of the river and they sailed away. When the rest of the fishermen realised that these two ran away, they decided to find them but it was too dark. The Mermaid and the youngest fisherman were in a boat in the middle of the Vistula River when they noticed their followers. Then the Mermaid said: - I wanted to accompany you and warn you of danger. But you caught me as a fish to get some gold, so I’m leaving you now and I will return with a shield and a sword but only when you will be in danger and you won’t be able to protect yourselves I’ll come back. After these words she left them but she never came back. On the place where a fishing village was situated, there is a big city now. It’s called Warsaw. On the bank of the Vistula River a monument of the Warsaw Mermaid stands. With a shield and a sword she defends her city. But she hasn’t returned yet so it means it’s not the time to fulfil her promise.

The legend of the Trumpeter of Cracow by Natalia Jaruga Junior High School One of the most famous legends connected with Cracow is the one titled: ‘The legend of the Trumpeter of Cracow’. In Cracow there is the Mariacki Church of Saint Mary. In the past it was the most important building in this town. Its tower was an observation point. In a little room at the top of this tower there was a guard, the Trumpeter, who had to watch over the city protecting it from danger. If he saw that something bad is about to happen he would take his trumpet and alert the people. The brutal Tartars invaded the land in the 13th century. They were very aggressive and they not only burnt farms but also plundered and killed people. One night when the Trumpeter was on his watch most of the people were in a church. Suddenly, he saw a group of Tartars who were getting closer and closer to the city. He knew that they are ready to attack, so he blew a loud and clear warning on his instrument. The people who were in the church heard it and were ready to fight with their opponents. He was blowing his trumpet constantly but the Tartans were shooting arrows towards him. The Trumpeter was scared but he kept alerting the people as long as one of the arrows struck his throat. The Trumpeter was very brave and he saved not only the city but also the innocent people. He died to protect the land and became a hero. Since that time, to commemorate his braveness every hour a trumpeter, who is in the tower of the Mariacki Church of Saint Mary, plays a melody called “Hejnał”. It is repeated four times – in all four directions of the world: north, south, east and west. At noon all of the people from Poland can hear it listening to the radio channel called “Polskie Radio”.

Wars and Sawa by Zuzanna Trojak Long time ago in a small village by the Vistula River a fisherman called Wars lived. In that times Poland was a big forest and people used to live in small villages. Wars was young but very diligent. He built a boat and he preferred to go fishing alone. He liked to sail through the river in the evenings because it was a peaceful and quiet place. One day he heard an amazing voice and he saw a beautiful mermaid, too. He fell in love with her and he observed her every night. One night he came too close and the mermaid saw him. Wars told her that he loved her and he immediately discovered that she was in love with him, too. The mermaid shared her secret with him. She told him that if she fell in love with a human she would lose her tail. Wars asked her to marry him and they both went to his place. The mermaidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name was Sawa. And her dream came true. She became a human. Their land grew bigger and bigger, and people named it Warsaw.

Jurata by Wiktoria Barańska Once upon a time in the depths of the Baltic Sea there was a palace made of amber. The queen of the Baltic Sea, Jurata, lived there. The sea creatures were her subjects. She cared about them and didn’t want anybody to be hurt. She was a good, honest and fair queen. One day one of the flounders came to her to tell that there was a young fisherman who used to throw a net to catch fishes*. Jurata got angry and the sea started to foam. All of the sea animals hid because they were very scared. The queen was walking around her chambers, trying to find the way how the young fisherman should be punished. Finally, she shouted: “That’s enough! Let’s stop it! I won’t let anybody to kill fishes. The killer will be punished right here, right now!” She asked her mermaids to come and they started to work on a secret her plan. Jurata told them that they must use their beauty and voices to charm the young fisherman. Shortly after, they started their mission. They took amber boats and started to sing. Their voices were so beautiful and loud that the young fisherman, who was about to throw his nets, heard them. When he raised his head something amazing happened. Jurata couldn’t took her eyes from his beautiful face. They fell in love with each other. Every night they used to meet on the seashore. Unfortunately their happiness didn’t last long. The ruler of the thunders called Perkun was very jealous. He couldn’t forgive Jurata that she fell in love with a human. So one night he threw his thunders towards the queen’s palace. The walls collapsed and Jurata had gone forever. But Perkun was still very angry and he punished the young fisherman, too. He drowned him and the man still suffers being chained to the rock which is at the bottom of the sea. Whenever there is a heavy storm on the Baltic Sea, the wind carries the fisherman’s moans and the waves throw tiny pieces of Jurata’s amber castle on the seashore.

*) The plural of fish is usually fish, but fishes has a few uses. In biology, for instance, fishes is used to refer to multiple species of fish. For example, if you say you saw four fish when scuba

STORIES FROM ROMANIA

The legend of the woodpecker by Vilceanu Calina It is said a long time ago, in ancient times, when in our country’s land there were more woods and when wild hordes came over the Romanians and took their fortunes, lived a beautiful young lady with belief in God. Her palace was on the foothills of Mestecăniș’ woods, in the mountains, for protection. It is said that this young lady belonged to Dragoș, the philanderer of Moldova’s woods. Someday, when Dragoș was hunting, the thieves came to loot her palace. When the thieves wanted to catch her also, she prayed to God: -God, protect me, God! So God, in order to save her from the thieves turned her into a bird and she flew in the back of the woods. Once she saw herself safe, she started looking for Dragoș, to let him know about the thieves. But God Himself showed to Dragoș that night and told him the big misfortune. Then he prayed: -God, make me, God, a tall oak, so that on my branches to often sit and rest my lady! … God, listening to his prayer, turned him into an old and glorious oak. The young lady, who was a bird, found out that her husband was a tree and started looking for him in every wood. She got close to all the trees, pecked her beak in their bark, calling for Dragoș and then listened to see if she can hear Dragoș’s voice calling her back. But he didn’t answer back so she flew further to the next tree and did the same. Since then, even to our times, the lady turned into a bird keeps wandering the woods, pecking all the trees, looking for Dragoș. It is said that when she finally meets him, she will turn back into a lady and him into a man and they will get together to help clean the country of thieves. That bird, which is said to be the young lady, is the bird called woodpecker.

Cuckoo’s story by Firicel Andra You all think that Cuckoo’s name is Cuckoo, but you are wrong. Cuckoo’s name is Stefan. This is how the story tells it. Once upon a time there were two brothers: the older one was named Stefan and the younger one Cuckoo. Because Cuckoo was a little boy, his mother entrusted him to his older brother, to take care of him. Stefan took care of him for a while, but, eventually, he got tired of this task. He wanted to be free, unbound to his little brother, in order to play with the other children. But what to do? How to get rid of him? One day he took Cuckoo into the woods and he left him there. Poor Cucko, he wandered, I don’t know what happened to him, but they never found him. Being held responsible, Stefan eventually confessed what he did to his brother. His mother, very upset, cursed him: “May God punish you! You are responsible for your brother’s death! Bird you will become and you will not have peace until you find your brother! You will fly from branch to branch, from forest to forest, calling your brother! And if you will not find him all of your kind will do the same!” As his mother said this curse, Stefan changed at once into a bird and he flew towards the forest. Since then he flies from branch to branch, from forest to forest calling his brother: “cucu-cucu”.

Why doesn’t the bear have a tail? by Negomireanu Cristina It is said a long time ago that the bear had a big and fluffy tail like the one the fox has. But all the other animals mocked him. The cunning fox kept thinking how to make the bear lose its tail. The sly tailed wanted only her to have a beautiful tail. In a winter’s day, as the bear was walking upset for not having found anything to eat, he saw the goody fox eating fish. That fish left the bear mouth-watering and only thought about eating some fish. But the fox, guessing his thoughts, finished all the remaining fish in a mouthful and as she was licking its whiskers she said: - Good luck, fellow bear! I was just thinking of inviting you over at lunch, but the fish was at an end. I want to take you to a place and teach you how to catch big and beautiful fish. The bear mumbled some thanking words and followed the fox that went on the way to the lake. Arriving there, the fox said: - Hey bear, sit here on the shore and dip your tail in the lake. The fish will think there is some food and will grab on your tail. When you fill your tail getting heavy, quickly pull it out. But keep it longer and you’ll catch the bigger fish. After the fox went away, the bear did as he was taught. He sat there for an hour, two, but he couldn’t stand the cold and the hunger anymore. He tried taking his tail out, but he couldn’t. The lake froze and the ice grabbed his tail like some pliers. The bear, thinking he caught a lot of fish, pulled quickly with all of his strength and … he had no tail anymore. Since then the fox is laughing at the bear even worse, for she knows she has the most beautiful tail.

The North Wind’s Story by Jujan Daria A long time ago, the North Wind went for a walk, but, of God, it was very crazy, it did a lot of bad things. First of all, it entered in a small garden and it started to shake all the beautiful roses, to wither the flowers, to tear the lilies with sweet scent. It rolled down the apples and the plums; it broke the branches loaded with leaves and fruits. It made even more bad things on the field. Here, it tore down the wheat, crushed the wheat ears and knocked down the haystacks. But the worst thing was that it disrooted a few old trees. Then, it scattered a flock of sheep. In a few hours, the North Wind ruined everything in its way. People lamented all the bad things the North Wind made on earth in one single day. The Winds’ King called the North Wind and asked him to respond immediately if it is true the rumour heard in the world about its mad actions. The North Wind couldn’t say no to these accusations because its temper spilled the beans. But it tried to defend himself: “I didn’t want to harm anyone…I just wanted to play with the flowers, with the fields and with the sheep. It is their fault because they don’t know how to joke!” “This isn’t a joke, my child!” said the Winds’ King. “You are not forgiven if you harm others. In order to learn your lesson, I will not let you out during summer. You’ll get out of prison only in the winter. Then you can play as you wish with the ice and snow because you cannot harm them”. Since then the North Wind blows only during the winter, on the frozen ground beaten by the blizzard and braised under snow drifts. 33

The story of the snowdrop by Teporu Andrea Once there was a king and a queen who had a very handsome boy and they cherished him like the apple of their eye because they had no other children. But, busy with his own problems, the boy wasn't aware of his parents' love. The time passed and the prince grew up so his parents wanted to marry him. But he didn't like the bride chosen by them because he heard that there is a daughter of a king much more beautiful and much richer and he told his parents that he goes there and ask her to marry him. -But how can it be possible? What, are you crazy? How can you leave us? You know you are our only child. -No, no way, said the prince, if you don't let me go, I will never marry. How could I not have a woman to my taste? Finally, after a great scrap, his parents let him go. But before he left his father had told him: -Bite on that: in the girl's kingdom, when you want to drink water, put a sign at the well to recognize it to your return and not to drink again because the king is very cunning and he enchants the waters from where the suitor drank when he arrived. And, if he doesn't mark the well, when he drinks again, the man turns into a flower, a weed or an animal. The boy listened to his father advice and set out. It was winter and the masses of snow were thawing. When he walked into the king's land and drank water from a well he put a sign to recognize it, but when he came to a well he had no sign to put and he thought he would bear in mind it. He arrived there, the king received him in the proper way for a king son, gave him his daughter and sent him back. As soon as the prince left the kingdom, he died with thirsty, but he saw the well, saw the sign and didn't drink. Coming to the above mentioned well he drank some water because it seems that the wizard muddled his brain and he thought he was in another kingdom. But, miracle- he turned into a white flower with some little leaves, but the king's daughter, counselled by her father, 34

came back home waiting other suitors for diddle them too. The wizard warned his father not to wait him anymore because he turned him into a snowdrop and look for him next year to find him under the snow when the spring dawns. From then on, every spring, a little shy flower springs up from under the snow and smiles the sun.

STORIES FROM TURKEY

The Story of Bugach Khan, Son of Dirse Khan Book of Dede Korkut Anonymous

One day, Bayindir Khan, son of Kam Gan, arose and ordered that his large Damascus tent be erected. His brown parasol rose high up in the sky. Thousands of silk carpets were spread all around. It was customary for Bayindir Khan, khan of khans, to invite all the Oghuz princes to a feast once a year. As usual, he gave a feast this year too, and had many stallions, young male camels and rams slaughtered for the occasion. He had three tents set up at three different places: one was white, one was red and the third was black. He ordered that whoever was without children be accommodated in the black tent, with a black felt rug spread under him, and that he be served the stew of the black sheep. He said: "Let him eat if he wants to eat; if he does not, let him go." He then said: "Put the man with a son in the white tent, and the man with a daughter in the red tent. The man without any children is cursed by Allah, and we curse him, too. Let this be clear to all." The Oghuz princes began to gather one by one. It happened that a prince among them, by the name of Dirse Khan, had neither a son nor a daughter. He spoke to his men as follows. Let us see, my khan, what he said: "When the cooling breeze of morning blows And the bearded gray lark sings his song, And the long-bearded Persian chants the ezan; 37

When the Bedouin horses nicker on seeing their master; At the time of the twilight, When the beautiful-brested mountains are touched by the Sun â&#x20AC;&#x201D; At such a time, the warriors and gallant princes prepare for action." At the break of dawn, Dirse Khan, accompanied by forty warriors, set out for the feast of Bayindir Khan. Bayindir Khan's warriors welcomed Dirse Khan and asked him to go into the black tent, the floor of which was covered with a black felt rug. They placed the stew of black sheep before him and said: "My khan, this is the order of Bayindir Khan." Dirse Khan asked: "What fault has Bayindir Khan found in me? Is it because of my sword or my table? He has men of lower status accommodated in the white and red tents. What is my fault that I am being put in a black tent?" They said: "My khan, today Bayindir Khan's order is as follows: 'Whoever is without a son or a daughter is cursed by Allah; we curse him, too'." Standing up, Dirse Khan said to his men: "Rise and let us be off, my young men. The fault is either in me or in my lady." Dirse Khan returned home, called his lady and said to her: "Will you come here, my love, the crown of my home? Walking along so tall, like a cypress tree, With long black hair that falls to her feet, With brows like a tightened bow; With a mouth too small for two almonds; Her red cheeks like the apples of autumn. My melon, my lady, my love! Do you know what happened to me?" "Bayindir Khan had three tents put up: one white, one red and one black. He had guests with sons put in the white tent; those with daughters in the red tent; and those with neither in the black tent with black felt carpet spread on its floor. He ordered that the stewed meat of the black sheep be served them, saying: 'If they eat, let them eat; if they do not, let them go away. Since Almighty Allah cursed them, we curse them, too'. When I reached there, they met me and led me to the black tent, laid black felt carpet under me, and served me the stewed meat of the black sheep, saying: 'The man without a son or a daughter is cursed by Allah; therefore, he is cursed by us, too. Let this be so known to you'. My wife, which of us is sterile, you or I? Why does Almighty Allah not give us a healthy son?" 38

Dirse Khan then continued in song: O child of a khan, shall I now get up And grasp you by the throat, And crush you beneath my hard boots? Shall I draw my sword of black steel And remove your head from your body, And show you how sweet life can be? Shall I spill your red blood on the ground? O child of a khan, tell the reason to me, Or I shall inflict something dreadful on you." The wife of Dirse Khan replied: "Oh, Dirse Khan, be not cruel to me. Be not angry and speak so harshly to me. But come now and have your red tent set up. Have some stallions, some rams and some male camels slaughtered. Invite then the princes of Inner and Outer Oghuz. Feed all the hungry, give clothes to the naked and pay off the debts of the poor. Heap up meat like a hill; Make a lakeful of kumis; and give a magnificent feast. Then speak your wish. Maybe Allah will give us a healthy son, An answer to prayers of a worthy man." Following his lady's advice, Dirse Khan gave a large feast and then made his wish. He had stallions, young male camels and rams slaughtered. He invited all the princes of the Inner and the Outer Oghuz to this feast. He fed the hungry, dressed the naked and paid off the debts of the debtor; he had meat heaped up like a hill, and a lakeful of kumis made. The princes raised their hands to the heavens and prayed. Consequently, the wish of Dirse Khan was fulfilled, and his lady became pregnant. In due time, she bore a male child. She had her child brought up in the care of nurses. As the horse is quick of foot, so the minstrel is quick of tongue. As vertebrated and ribbed creatures grow fast, in the same way the son of Dirse Khan was soon fifteen years old. One day, Dirse Khan and his son went to the camp of Bayindir Khan. Bayindir Khan had a bull and a young male camel. The bull could powder harsh stones like flour with the impact of his horns. The bull and the camel were set to fight one another twice a year, once in summer 39

and once in autumn. Bayindir Khan and the strong Oghuz princes used to enjoy themselves watching these fights. This bull was let out of the palace one summer day. Three men on each side were holding it with iron chains. The bull was released in the middle of a playing field, where the son of Dirse Khan was playing at knuckle bones with three other boys from the camp. When the bull was released, the boys were told to run away. The other three boys ran away, but the son of Dirse Khan stood where he was. The bull ran toward the boy with the intent to kill him. The boy dealt the bull a terrific blow on the forehead, making it stagger backward. The bull charged a second time, and the boy this time hit the bull again hard on the forehead. Then he pushed the bull to the edge of the playing field, with his fist pressing on its forehead. There they struggled to and fro. The bull stood pressing its forelegs against the ground, while the boy kept his fist on its forehead. It was impossible to say which was the winner. The boy thought to himself: "The pole holds the tent straight. Why am I supporting this bull?". Saying so, he pulled away his fist and ran to one side, while the bull, unable to stand on its feet, crashed on the ground head downward. Then the boy cut the throat of the bull with his knife. The Oghuz princes gathered around the boy and said: "Well done, boy! Let Dede Korkut come and name him, then take him to his father and request a principality and a throne for him." When they called for Dede Korkut, he came. He took the young man to his father and said to him: "O Dirse Khan! Give this young man a principality now. Give him a throne for the sake of his virtue. Give him also a tall Bedouin horse He can ride-such a capable man. Give him ten thousand sheep To make shish kebab for himself; he has virtue. Give him next a red camel from out of your herd. Let it carry his goods; he has virtue. Give a large lavish tent with a golden pole To provide him with shade. Give a suit to this man and a coat that has birds on its shoulders. Let him wear both of these; he has skill." 40

"This young man fought and killed a bull on the playing field of Bayindir Khan", continued Dede Korkut. "Therefore, let your son's name be Bugach. I give him his name, and may Allah give him his years of life." Upon this, Dirse Khan gave his son a principality and a throne. After the son had sat upon his throne for a while, he began to despise the forty young warriors of his father. As a result of this, they bore him a grudge and plotted among themselves: "Let us turn his father against him, so that he may put the son to death, and thus our esteem with the khan may continue and grow." Twenty of these warriors went to Dirse Khan and said to him: "Do you know what has happened, Dirse Khan? Your son — may he never prosper — has become a very badtempered man. Taking his forty warriors, he attacked the mighty Oghuz people. When he saw a pretty girl, he kidnapped her. He insulted old men with white beards and squeezed the breasts of white-haired old women. The news of these evil deeds of your son will reach the ears of Bayindir Khan — through the clear waters of streams and over Ala Mountain lying back there — and people will be saying 'How could the son of Dirse Khan do such terrible things?'". The warriors then continued: "You would rather die than live. Bayindir Khan will call you to his presence and will give you a serious punishment. Such a son is not worthy of you. It is better not to have such a son. Why do you not put him to death?" "Bring him over here. I shall kill him", said Dirse Khan. While he was speaking in this manner, the other twenty treacherous young men came and gave Dirse Khan the following unfounded information: "Your son went hunting in the beautiful mountains, where he killed wild animals and birds without your permission. He brought the game to his mother. He drank strong red wine and had a good time in her company, and there made up his mind to kill his father. Your son has become an evil person. The news of these deeds will reach Bayindir Khan, Khan of Khans, over Ala Mountain and people will begin to say 'How could Dirse Khan's son do such terrible things?' They will call you before Bayindir Khan and punish you there. Such a son is not worthy of you. Why do you not kill him?" "Bring him over here. I shall kill him. I do not want a son like him", said Dirse Khan. His warriors said: "How can we bring your son here? He will not listen to us. Get up; take your warriors with you, call on your son and ask him to go hunting with you. Then kill him

with an arrow during the hunt. If you cannot kill him in this way, you will never be able to kill him." At the break of dawn, Dirse Khan arose and set out for the hunt, taking his son and forty warriors with him. They hunted wild animals and birds for a while. Then some of the treacherous warriors approached Dirse Khan's son and said to him: "Your father said: 'I want my son to chase the deer and kill them in front of me; I also want to see how he rides, and how he uses his sword and shoots his arrow. This will make me happy and proud, and will give me confidence.'" Not knowing his father's real intention, Bugach chased the deer and drove them toward his father and killed them before him. While doing this, Bugach said to himself: "Let my father see me ride and be proud; let him see me shoot my arrow and have confidence; let him see how I use my sword and rejoice." The forty treacherous warriors then said to Dirse Khan: "Dirse Khan, do you see how he is driving the deer toward you? He means to shoot his arrow at you and kill you. Kill him before he kills you." After the young man had driven the deer past his father several times, Dirse Khan took out his strong bow strung with the tendon of a wolf. Standing in his stirrups, he pulled his bowstring hard and let his arrow go. He shot his son between the shoulder blades. When the arrow pierced his chest, red blood poured out, filling his shirt. He clasped his horse's neck and slipped to the earth. Dirse Khan wanted to fall upon the body of his son, but his men did not allow him to do so. He then turned the head of his horse in the opposite direction and rode to his camp. Dirse Khan's lady had decided to celebrate her son's first hunt by giving a feast to the mighty Oghuz princes, and for this purpose she had had stallions, young male camels and rams killed. She now arose and, taking with her the forty narrow-waisted girls of her household, went to welcome Dirse Khan. Lifting her head, she looked first at Dirse Khan, then gazed around, but nowhere could she see her dear son. She was shocked, and her heart began to beat fast. Her black eyes were filled with blood and tears. Let us hear what she said to her husband. "Come to me here, The crown of my head, the throne of my house, My khan father's son-in-law, My lady mother's favorite, You, who were given me by my parents, 42

You, whom I saw when I opened my eyes, The one whom I loved at first sight. O Dirse Khan, you arose from your place; You mounted the back of your stallion strong And hunted the mountains with beautiful breasts. You rode off as two, but return now alone. Where is my son whom I found in the dark of the night? My searching eye — may it be confounded — twitches badly, Dirse Khan. My child-nursing breast — may it go quite dry — is sore. My white skin is swollen, though bitten by no yellow snake. My one son is lost! My poor heart is burning! Water I poured into beds of dry rivers. Alms I have given to black-suited dervishes. The hungry I saw I have fed. I had meat heaped up like a hill; I had lakefuls of kumis fermented, And I managed, with great travail, to bear a son. Tell me, Dirse Khan, what befell my only son! Say if you let our son fall down Ala Mountain out there. Say if you let our son be carried down the fast-flowing river. Say if you let our son be eaten by lions and tigers. Say if you let black-dressed infidels, they of a savage faith, capture our son. Let me go to my father, the khan, and take money and soldiers, To strike at the infidels, they with the savage religion. Let me never return from the search for my son Before I am wounded, fall off my strong horse, Wiping away my red blood with my sleeve, And sprawl on the road with broken limbs. Tell me, O Dirse Khan, what befell my only son. Let my luckless head be a sacrifice for you this day." So speaking, she wept and gave voice to her sorrow. But Dirse Khan did not answer her.

Meanwhile, those forty treacherous men came along. They said to her: "Your son is safe and well. He has been hunting. He will be back today or tomorrow. Do not worry about him. He cannot speak now, because he is a bit drunk." Dirse Khan's lady turned back, but she could not rest. With her forty slim girls, she mounted and rode in search of her son. She climbed Kazilik Mountain, from which snow and ice never melt all the year round. She drove her horse up steep hills. When she looked down, she saw that crows were descending on a river and flying in and out of it. She spurred her horse and rode in that direction. This was the place where the young man had collapsed. When the crows had seen blood, they wanted to come down upon him, but his two dogs kept the crows from his body. When the young man had fallen there, the gray-horsed Hizir had appeared to him and, stroking his wounds three times, had said: "Do not be afraid of these wounds. You will not die of them. Mountain Mowers mixed with your mother's milk will be balm to them." Having said this, he disappeared. Then the young man's mother came upon him. Seeing her son lying there covered with blood, she addressed him with the following song. Let us see, my khan, what she said. "Your slit black eyes now taken by sleep â&#x20AC;&#x201D; let them open. Your strong healthy bones have been broken, Your soul all but flown from your frame. If your body retains any life, let me know. Let my poor luckless head be a sacrifice to you. Kazilik Mountain, your waters still flow; Let them, I pray, cease their flowing. Kazilik Mountain, your grasses still grow; Let them, I pray, cease their growing. Kazilik Mountain, your deer still run fast; Let them cease running and turn into stone. How can I know, my son, if it was lion Or tiger? How can I know, my son? How did this accident happen to you? If your life is still in your body, my son, let me know. Let my poor luckless head be a sacrifice to you. Speak a few words to me now." 44

As she said these things, her words entered his mind. He lifted hi head, opened his eyes and looked at his mother's face. He spoke to her. Let us see, my khan, what he said. "Come closer, my mother, Whose milk I once drank, White-haired, beloved and honorable mother. Curse not the running streams; Kazilik Mountain has done no wrong. Curse not its growing grass; Kazilik Mountain has no sins. Curse not its swift-running deer; Kazilik Mountain has no fault. Curse not the lions and tigers; Kazilik Mountain has no guilt. The evil and guilt all belong to my father." The young man then went on: "Do not cry, Mother. Do not worry. This wound will not kill me. The gray-horsed Hizir came to me and stroked my wound three times, saying, You will not die of this wound. Mountain flowers mixed with your mother's milk will be your balm'." When he said this, the forty slim girls went to gather mountain flowers. The young man's mother squeezed her breasts once, but no milk came out. She squeezed them once more, but still no milk came out. The third time she struck herself and squeezed her breasts even harder, and finally some milk stained with blood appeared. Mixing the milk with the mountain flowers, they applied this balm to the young man's wound. Then they put him on a horse and took him to his camp. There he was delivered into the care of a physician and concealed from the sight of Dirse Khan. As the horse is quick of foot, so the poet is quick of tongue. My khan, the young man's wounds were healed in forty days and he recovered completely. He was once again able to ride and wear his sword, to hunt and shoot birds. Dirse Khan knew nothing of all this. He thought that his son was dead. But his forty treacherous men soon heard of this and discussed among themselves what they should do. They said: "If Dirse Khan sees his son, he will kill us all. Let us catch Dirse Khan, tie his white hands at his back, put a rope around his white neck, and take him to the land of the infidels." They did as they had decided. 45

They tied his white hands behind him, and they put a rope around his white neck. Then they beat him until blood oozed from his white flesh. Dirse Khan was made to walk while they accompanied him on horseback. They led him to the land of the bloody infidels. While Dirse Khan was thus a captive, the Oghuz beys knew nothing of his plight. Dirse Khan's lady, however, learned of this. She went to her son and spoke to him. Let us see, my khan, what she said. "Do you know what has happened, my son? Not only the steep rocks but the very earth should have shaken, for although there were no enemies in our lands, your father was attacked. Those forty treacherous companions of his captured him, tied his white hands behind him, put a rope around his neck and forced him to walk while they rode on horseback. They took him toward infidel territory. Come, now, my son. Take your forty warriors with you and save your father from those forty faithless men. Go now and spare your father, even if he did not spare you." The young man followed his mother's advice. He arose, strapped on his big steel sword, took his tight bow in one hand, and held his golden spear under his other arm. Then, as his strong horse was held, he mounted and, accompanied by his forty young men, went in pursuit of his father. The treacherous retainers of Dirse Khan had stopped along the way and were drinking strong red wine. As Bugach Khan rode along, the forty treacherous men saw him approaching. They said: "Let us go and capture that young man and take both him and Dirse Khan to the infidels." Dirse Khan said: "Oh, my forty companions, there is no doubt about the oneness of Allah. Untie my hands, give me a lute, and I shall persuade that young man to go back. Let me loose or kill me." They untied his hands and gave him his lute. Dirse Khan did not know that the young man was his own son. He went to him and sang. "If tall stallions have gone, let me count them my loss. Tell me if any of yours were among them, young man, So that I may restore them without any fight. Turn back! If a full thousand sheep have gone from the fold, let me count them my loss. Tell me if any of yours were among them, So that I may restore them without any fight. Turn back! If red camels have gone from the herd, let me count them my loss. Tell me if any of yours are among them, So that I may restore them without any fight. Turn back! 46

If some golden-topped tents have gone, let me count them my loss. Tell me if any of yours are among them, So that I may restore them without any fight. Turn back! If brides with brown eyes and white faces have gone, let me count them my loss. And if your betrothed was among them, tell me, So that I may restore her without any fight. Turn back! If white-bearded elders have gone, let me count them my loss. If your white-bearded father was with them, tell me, So that I may restore him without any fight. Turn back! If you came after me, I have killed my own son. Young man, it is not any sin that is yours. Turn back!" The young man replied to the song of his father. Let us see, my khan, what he said. "Tall stallions may count as your loss, But one of the lost ones is mine; I shall not give him up to the forty base men. From the herds the red camels may count as your loss, But some of those camels are mine; I shall not give them up to the forty base men. Thousands of sheep may be counted your loss, But among them are some that are mine; I shall not give them up to the forty base men. The brides with brown eyes and white faces may count as your loss, But among them is my betrothed; I shall not give her up to the forty base men. If the golden-topped tents may be counted your loss, Mine too is among them; I shall not give it up to the forty base men. If white-bearded elders are counted your loss, My foolish old father is also among them; I shall not give him up to the forty base men." He waved a handkerchief to his own forty young men, and they came and gathered around him. With their aid, he fought with the enemy. Some of these he killed and some he captured. When he had saved his father in this manner, he returned home. 47

Dirse Khan thus discovered that his son was alive. Bayindir Khan, khan of khans, gave the young man a principality and a throne. Dede Korkut sang songs on the occasion and composed this legend of the Oghuz. Following this, he sang: "Even they passed away from this world. They stayed for a while and then moved along, Just as the caravan does. Even they were removed by death While this mortal world remained behind, The world where men come and go, The world which is rounded off by death." Then he said: "When black Death comes, may Allah keep you safe. May He let you rule in good health. May Almighty Allah whom I praise be your friend and keeper." This I pray, my khan. May your tall, stately mountains never fall. May your big shade tree never be cut down, and may your clear running waters never run dry. May your wings never be broken. May your gray horse never slip while running. May your big steel sword never be notched and may your spear never be broken in battle. May your white-haired mother's and white-bearded father's place be paradise. May Allah keep your household fire burning. May our merciful Allah never abandon you to the guile of the treacherous.

Deli Dumrul Book of Dede Korkut Anonymous There was once a great warrior called Dede Korkut. He and his men swept across the earth conquering lands far and wide, and as his power and wealth grew, so did his pride. He began to believe that he was invincible, and perhaps even immortal. After one particularly great victory in battle, he held a feast in his palace for seven days and seven nights on end. On the seventh night he called for the music and dancing to cease, and he made the following speech: “Men. We have conquered all before us. There is no force on earth that can hold us back. We are the greatest army that has ever lived and fought. I challenge all creation to stand and fight us, and still we shall prevail, so long as I, Dede Korkut, am your leader.” When the leader had finished speaking, there was cheering and uproar throughout the palace and the celebrations continued among great merriment and rejoicing. However, God was also listening to the proud speech of Dede Korkut. He was displeased at his arrogance and boasting, so God ordered Az’rail, his Angel of Death, to visit Dede Korkut and take his soul. Az’rail flew into the palace and stood on the table in front of where Dede Korkut was feasting. The leader looked up at the intruder and said, “Dark warrior, who are you to stand before me so insolently?” Az’rail replied, “I am not one to answer questions from the likes of you, for I am here to punish your arrogance and boasting.” Dede Korkut was far from used to hearing such defiance and rude words directed at him. He was filled with rage and jumped up on to the table meaning to cut off the head of the dark stranger. But before he could do so, Az’rail changed into the form of a bird and flew out of the window. Dede Korkut rushed to the stables and ordered his horse to be saddled immediately. Soon he was charging out of the palace in pursuit of the angel. First he saw him in the moonlight standing on the highest tower of the palace, then he too saw him take off with a wingspan far 49

greater than any bird he had seen before. He charged after him, firing arrows and hurling javelins into the sky, but none came near the dark bird. He pursued him out of the city and into the forest. Deeper and deeper into the forest he went, following the terrible screeches and cries of the bird, when suddenly the angel appeared before him. “At last you’re mine,” said Dede Korkut, meaning to run him through with his lance. “No, you are mine,” said the figure before him. “For I am Az’rail, the Angel of Death, and I have come for your soul. You boasted that you were immortal and invincible. Now the moment of your death has come, oh arrogant one.” At these words, Dede Korkut threw himself on the ground before the angel and said, “Now that I look death in the face, I understand the arrogance of my life. But I beseech you, kind angel, spare me. Give back to me the remaining years of my youth and strength, and I swear that through my words and my deeds I will prove that I have learned my lesson.” To which the Angel replied, “I do not decide such things. I am but a messenger from the Almighty.” Dede Korkut cried out, “Then get out of my way and stop wasting my time!” And he fell on the ground and began to pray to God. “Forgive my boasting, oh Lord of All Creation, and give me another chance”. God heard his words and was pleased, and he ordered the angel to spare Dede Korkut his life, on condition that he could find another who was ready of his own free will to give up his own life for that of Dede Korkut’s. Dede Korkut rode back to the palace a changed man. He felt sure that all he had to do was to ask his father to take his place in death, for he was an old man, and had never refused his son anything. But when he came before his father and gave him his request, his father replied, “My son. I have struggled all my life so that I can enjoy my old age. I am sorry, but I am not ready to die in your place.” Dede Korkut was surprised and disappointed, but he thought that surely his mother would not refuse him anything. But when he asked her she said, “Oh my son! I have already given my 50

life to you many times, when I gave birth to you, when I fed you with my own milk, when I took care of you. Now the rest of my life belongs at your father’s side, as company for his old age.” The young warrior was left disappointed and distraught. He returned to his chamber and prepared to die. When his young and beautiful wife saw him, she asked what troubled him and he said, “Beloved, the Angel of Death is about to take my life unless I can find someone willing to die in my place. Yet it seems that even my parents, who previously have never refused me anything are not willing to do this for me – so I have no escape. I must bid you farewell for I am about to die.” When she heard these words his wife replied, “Look no further. Why did you not ask me? I love you so much that I will gladly give what even your own father and mother have refused. Take my life so that yours can be spared.” When the warrior heard those words of true and unblenching love, tears came to his eyes. He fell on his knees and prayed to God again saying, “Great Lord. Forgive me. Take my life and spare that of my wife, for she has faced death more calmly and bravely than I.”

God was again pleased to hear those words, and he decided to spare both Dede Korkut and his wife, and they lived a long and blessed life and there was peace and prosperity throughout his lands. God wrote on the palms of the Angel of Death, in letters of light, “In the name of God, most merciful and beneficent,” and he ordered the angel that whenever he must take the soul of one of the faithful, he must show to him those letters so that his soul might come out of his body and return to its maker. 51

Keloğlan which means "bald boy" in English is a well known Turkish folk tale character. He stands for an Anatolian boy who has big dreams but he is honured, helpful and romantic. He is fatherless and lives with his old mother. He is a sympathetic, stupid, naive peasant boy but he always wins at the end and succeeds by ruses or cunning. There are lots of children stories about keloglan in Turkey. Keloglan makes intellegent jokes and makes children laugh. Keloglan lives with his mother in a small hut in the forest.They are so poor and keloglan always wants to be rich and noble one day. But his mother does not like that kind of ideas and tells him to do his work and that he should not dream.

Keloğlan (Bald Boy) and the Magic Seal One day, Bald Boy was walking back from the marketplace after selling his crops to the people of the neighbouring village. He had made three gold coins that day and was very pleased with himself because now his mother would be able to buy food and clothing to last through the long winter. Suddenly Bald Boy came across a group of men who were teasing a cat with a long stick. The cat looked very scared and was unable to escape. Bald Boy walked up to the men and said in a kindly voice: ‘Please stop teasing that poor cat. If you stop, I will give you a gold coin.’ The men agreed to put down the stick and Bald Boy handed over a shiny gold coin. The cat was very grateful to the boy and walked by his side. He promised that if ever he was able to repay the boy’s kindness, he would surely jump at the chance. Bald Boy could not imagine

how a cat might help him in his life, but he agreed that the cat could join him, and so the two friends continued on their journey back to the boy’s home in the neighbouring village. The boy and the cat walked for a few miles until they came across an old man and an old woman who were beating a dog because it had been barking too loudly. Bald Boy approached the old couple and said in a kindly voice: ‘Please stop beating that poor dog. If you stop, I will give you a gold coin.’ The old couple stopped beating the dog and took the gold coin from the boy. The dog was very grateful to the boy for saving him from the old couple, and he asked to join the boy and promised that he would always be faithful and help whenever he could. The young boy could not imagine how a dog might help him in his life, but he agreed that the dog could join him, and so the three friends continued on their journey home. Not long after this, Bald Boy and his new companions stumbled upon two woodcutters in the forest who were trying to kill a snake with their sharp axe. Bald Boy walked up to the angry woodcutters and said in a kindly voice: ‘Please do not kill that snake with your axe. If you leave the snake in peace, I will give you a gold coin.’ The woodcutters thought about Bald Boy’s proposition for a moment and then agreed to put down the axe. The boy handed over his last gold coin without thinking because he was happy to have saved the snake from certain death. The snake was very grateful and slithered up to whisper in the boy’s ear. ‘Thank you, Son of Adam, for saving my life. I am the son of the Snake Emperor and you must come home with me so that my father might thank you in person for your kindness.’ Even though Bald Boy had no more gold coins to buy food, he was happy to have saved his three friends and agreed to go and see the Snake Emperor before returning home to his mother. When they arrived in the forest, the Snake Emperor was very grateful to Bald Boy for saving his son’s life. ‘I will give you anything that you ask of me,’ said the Snake Emperor to the boy. It was then that the young snake whispered in the boy’s ear once more. ‘Ask my father for his magic seal which he keeps under his tongue. With this seal all of your wishes will come true. All you have to do is ask and it will be given.’ And so the boy asked the Snake Emperor for his magic seal, and the Snake Emperor replied: ‘You ask me for my most precious possession, but you saved my son’s life and I will grant you what you ask.’ 53

The Snake Emperor relinquished his magic seal and Bald Boy stuffed the seal into his pocket and returned home with his faithful cat and faithful dog by his side. When Bald Boy’s mother learned that her son had given away all of their gold coins she was very angry, but the boy promised that he would make up for this loss by marrying the Emperor’s daughter and making a new life for his mother. ‘And how will you do that, my son? This cat and this dog will not help you do such a thing.’ It was then that Bald Boy told his mother all about the magic seal that would grant his every wish. The very next day, Bald Boy set off with his faithful cat and dog to the palace to ask for the hand of the Emperor’s daughter. ‘I cannot allow my daughter to marry such a poor boy,’ said the Emperor when Bald Boy asked to marry the beautiful princess. ‘If you wish to marry my daughter you must first build a palace next to mine so that I know she will be well looked after. But I know that you will not build such a palace with the help of a cat and a dog.’ That night, Bald Boy held the seal under his tongue and wished that he had a palace of his own. Suddenly there was a blinding light in the night sky. And when the light faded, there at the edge of the forest stood a magnificent palace gleaming beneath the light of the full moon! The most magnificent palace the boy had ever seen. And it was his! When the Emperor saw that the young boy had indeed built a beautiful palace, he agreed to the marriage at once. And so it was that Bald Boy and the Princess were wed that very same day. The mother moved in with her son and daughter and lived like a queen in her new home. And the cat and the dog were also very happy in their new life. The months passed and Bald Boy wished for nothing else as he was so happy with his new wife whom he loved very much. And so he placed the magic seal in a room all of its own and never told the Princess of its magical powers. But one day, when Bald Boy was out at the marketplace, a crafty old bead seller knocked on the door of the palace and enticed the beautiful Princess to buy some of his beads. ‘They are very fine beads, my Princess, and you would do well to buy them from me.’ ‘But I have no coins with which to buy them,’ the Princess replied. The crafty old bead seller said that he would be willing to trade his wares for something within the palace. ‘I hear that you have a dusty old seal which you keep in a room in the palace; surely that is no use to you. I will take the seal in exchange for all of my beads.’ 54

Because she did not know any better, the Princess handed over the magic seal to the crafty old bead seller who quickly disappeared across the lake towards his home in the dark forest somewhere on the other side. As soon as the seal was gone, the palace disappeared into thin air and the Princess and the mother were left standing in the cold. When the Emperor saw that the palace had disappeared, he reclaimed his daughter and promised that she would not be with her new husband if he could not look after her. When Bald Boy returned home that day he was very sad to find his mother alone, his palace vanished, and his beautiful wife returned to her father. He did not know how to find the magic seal and was sure that his new life was over forever. The cat stepped up to the boy and said to him: ‘I can find the seal but I cannot swim across the lake.’ Then the dog stepped forward and said to the cat: ‘I can swim across the lake with you on my back and together we will find the magic seal.’

And so the faithful cat and the faithful dog set off on their journey to recapture the magic seal from the crafty bead seller. When they reached the river, the cat climbed up onto the dog’s back and the dog swam across to the opposite bank. Once they were across, the cat began sniffing at the air and followed the scent of the bead seller through the forest with the dog close behind. It did not take long to find the cottage where the bead seller lived, and they could see through the window that the old man was fast asleep in his chair before the fire. ‘I will catch us a mouse,’ said the cat, ‘while you find us some peppercorns to grind up with your strong paws.’ And so the cat caught a little mouse and told it to sneak into the cottage and take the seal from under the tongue of the crafty bead seller. The dog sprinkled the ground peppercorns onto the mouse’s tail and the little mouse scurried into the cottage and climbed up the bead seller’s leg as he slept soundly by the fire. 55

When the mouse wiggled his tail, the peppercorn dust went straight up the old manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nose and caused him to sneeze. It was then that the magic seal flew out into the air and the mouse caught it in his tiny paws! The little mouse ran from the cottage and returned the magic seal to the cat and the dog who quickly made their way back through the forest towards the river. Once again the cat climbed up onto the dogâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s back and the brave dog swam across the great river. And so the faithful cat and the faithful dog returned the seal to their master and the palace reappeared in a blinding flash of light. Upon seeing the palace returned, the Emperor agreed that his daughter might once more live with Bald Boy. After all, the Emperor could tell that his daughter was very much in love. Bald Boy decided to throw a huge party to celebrate the return of his beautiful wife. The whole village was invited and so began a feast that lasted for forty days and forty nights. The mother and the Emperor agreed that there was indeed much that a cat and a dog could do if they were faithful to their master. Bald Boy smiled because he had learned that friends always help each other when they can, and there is magic in such friendship. Perhaps even more so than in the magic seal.

FUR COAT

We, the people in Turkey are all familiar with the jokes and stories of Nasreddin Hodja. Since our childhood, we have been hearing these jokes all along. These funny stories are part of our culture. The whole thing dates back to the man, Nasreddin Hodja who has lived in central Turkey, in the small town called Akşehir. The jokes were part of his daily life and they became accepted and welcomed by the public since his time. He was married and he had a donkey called “Karakaçan” which was seen in many of his jokes. He was a man with great humor, he was very clever and had an answer to almost all the problems and the dilemmas of his time. Even today, about 600 years after he has lived and passed away, we still laugh and think about his tricks, common sense, ridicule, anecdotes, wit, leg pulling, practicality and ingeniousness. Every person and every institution of the Turkish society has received a criticism or remark from his philosophical mind. He did not spare his satire for the state, religion, culture or habits. All of the human psychology and social weaknesses received their part of laugh from him. He has seen the human element in each aspect of the everyday life and has used his wit to make everybody aware of the other side of 57

the reality. That is why his jokes are still alive today. He has lived in 13th century, he still lives among us with his jokes. According to the historical documents we have, we are not very sure of his exact birth date or exactly how he has lived. According to some stories, he was in life when Tamerlane invaded Anatolia in 15th century. Some says he lived before or after Tamerlane. Some findings indicate that he has died between 1284-1285. On the wall of his tomb in AkĹ&#x;ehir, the date of his death is inscribed as 1383. There is a town called Sivrihisar near the city of Eskisehir in Anatolia where he was born. The tomb of his sister Fatima is there who has died in 1327, 43 years after his death. According to a book called "Saltukname" which dates back to 1480, he was born in Sivrihisar and the people from this town have been well known for their ridicule and uniqueness. Another handwritten book from Biblioteque National in Paris also mentions the mentality of the people living in Sivrihisar. We can say that he was born in Sivrihisar of Eskisehir and has died in AkĹ&#x;ehir in 1284, near the city of Konya. Nasr-ed-Din means "Victory of Faith", Hodja means the "Master" or "Teacher". He has received this honorable title later in his life. His father was a religious leader called imam. He was schooled in the Hanafiya school near Konya where he learned the Islamic religious essentials and legal teachings. After this education, he became "Imam" which is the leader of the public prayers in the mosque. He also qualified to become "Kadi" which is the person who distributes the religious law. He was a man of humor and was very clever. There are many anecdotes and remarks describing his humor. He was also a well accepted public figure. Not all of his stories was humorous. Since his time, other stories and jokes were also thought to be said by him. Actually, we can consider that his jokes and stories were started to be created by his time by himself and by the people of Anatolia and this process has continued over the centuries. Today these jokes belong to Turkish people. His stories reflect not only his life as a native of Anatolia but also his time and the life of the Turkish people living at that time in Anatolia. Here, It is one of the jokes of Nasreddin Hoca.

FUR COAT One day the Hodja was invited to a feast in an important and wealthy family's home. When he arrived, neither the hosts, nor the other guests paid any attention to him. They made him sit at one corner of the table, they didn't ask his opinion on any of the discussed matters, and worst of all, they forgot to pass him the food trays. Nasreddin Hodja felt left out. Nobody was 58

showing any due respect or offering him food. The servants were passing him by and forgetting to fill his goblet. A half hour later, the Hodja had enough of being ignored and he quietly slipped out of the house. He went back to his home and changed his clothes. He wore the best and the newest garments he owned. Then, he borrowed a very nice coat with real fur trims from one of his better-off neighbours. With this new attire, he headed back to the house where the banquet was being held. This time around, everyone noticed the Hodja. The hosts and the servants welcomed him and the other guests treated him with respect. They gave him the best spot at the table and offered him food and drinks. Nasreddin Hodja was very pleased with this new reception. He started to eat with relish and participate in the conversation. However, the guests and the hosts soon noticed that, he dunked the sleeve of his coat into the bowl and said, "Eat, my coat, eat!" When the host and the guests asked the Hodja to explain his strange behavior, Hodja explained "When I arrived here wearing my other clothes," explained the Hodja, "no one offered me anything to eat or drink. But when I returned wearing this fine coat, I was immediately offered the best of everything, so I can only assume that it was the coat and not myself who was invited to your feast."

Shahmaran (The King of Snakes) Thousands of years ago, there were wise snakes living in the underground. Their names are maran (in Kurdish) and they are extraordinarily intelligent and caring. They live in peace. The queen of the marans is called Shahmaran (sometimes spelled Shamaran or Shameran). She is all-knowing, beautiful, and leads with grace. According to this version of the legend, a young wood-seller named Cemshab is the first human to see the marans. As the story goes, he is exploring a cave with full of honey with friends; but they abandon him in order to take more honey. Alone, Cemshab sees an unusually light-filled hole in the back of the cave. He pulls away the rocks and finds deep within the cave is a magnificent garden. He crawl in, and is surrounded with light, flowers, and snakes. One of the snakes is colored milky-white, Shahmaran, she is the most beautiful. He gains her trust, staying to live for many years in the underground garden. One day after many years, he decides he would like to see his family again. So Shahmaran helps him leave, provided that he promise not to tell anyone about their underground home. He keeps his word for long time. But one day Sultan of land get sick. The Vizier says that only cure is eating meat of Shahmaran, to acquire her youth and wisdom. Word gets out that Cemshab knows where to find her. He resists, but then shows them the way. Betrayed, the wise Shahmaran says to Cehmab: "make me boil in an earthenware dish. Let the sultan eat my meat and make vizier drink my boiled water." When that happens, the 60

Vizier dies, and the Sultan keep living. Meanwhile, Cemshab become vizier. According to this version of the legend, the snakes don't yet know that their leader, the all-knowing, wise, and beautiful Shahmaran, has been murdered. When the day comes that they find out, all the snakes will occupy Tarsus, an ancient city close to the contemporary Turkish port city, Mersin.

This publication was made within Erasmus+ Programme Action 2 Strategic Partnerships project 2015-2018 number: 2015-1-CZ01-KA219-013746 and is titled „The world we live in” by the partners from: The Chech Republic - Základní škola Uničov, okres Olomouc Italy - ICS Mons.Gagliano via Caduti di Nassiriya 4, Altavilla Milicia Poland – Zespół Szkół w Gałkowie Dużym, Gałków Duży Romania – Scoala Gimnaziala Nr.1 Urdarisat.Urdari Turkey – Inonu Ortaokulu Okan Merzeci Bulvari Kurdali Mah., Toroslar-Mersin