Atondido Stories
“What has brought you here, Plavachek?” she asked.
“The king, godmother. He says I can’t be his son-in-law for
nothing. I have to give a dowry. So he has sent me to old Grand-
father Knowitall to get three of his golden hairs.”
The old woman smiled and said: “Do you know who Grand-
father Knowitall is? Why, he’s the bright Sun who goes every-
where and sees everything. I am his mother. In the morning he’s
a little lad, at noon he’s a grown man, and in the evening an old
grandfather. I will get you three of the golden hairs from his
golden head, for I must not be a godmother for nothing! But, my
lad, you mustn’t remain where you are. My son is kind, but if he
comes home hungry he might want to roast you and eat you for
his supper. There’s an empty tub over there and I’ll just cover
you with it.”
Plavachek begged his godmother to get from Grandfather
Knowitall the answers for the three questions he had promised
to ask.
“I will,” said the old woman, “and do you listen carefully to
what he says.”
Suddenly there was the rushing sound of a mighty wind out-
side and the Sun, an old grandfather with a golden head, flew in
by the western window. He sniffed the air suspiciously.
“Phew! Phew!” he cried. “I smell human flesh! Have you any
one here, mother?”
“Star of the day, whom could I have here without your see-
ing him? The truth is you’ve been flying all day long over God’s
world and your nose is filled with the smell of human flesh.
That’s why you still smell it when you come home in the even-
ing.”
The old man said nothing more and sat down to his supper.
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