Atondido Stories
“Why won’t you let me sleep, mother?” he complained, and
started to sit up.
“Lie still, my boy, lie still. I didn’t intend to wake you, but a
heavy sleep fell upon me and I had another wonderful dream. I
dreamt of a boatman on the black sea. For twenty years he has
been ferrying that boat and no one has offered to relieve him.
When will he be relieved?”
“Ah, but that boatman is the son of a stupid mother! Why
doesn’t he thrust the oar into the hand of some one else and
jump ashore himself? Then the other man would have to be fer-
ryman in his place. But now let me be quiet. I must get up early
tomorrow morning and go and dry the tears which the king’s
daughter sheds every night for her husband, the charcoal-
burner’s son, whom the king has sent to get three of my golden
hairs.”
In the morning there was again the rushing sound of a
mighty wind outside and a beautiful golden child—no longer an
old man—awoke on his mother’s lap. It was the glorious Sun. He
bade his mother farewell and flew out by an eastern window.
The old woman turned over the tub and said to Plavachek:
“Here are the three golden hairs for you. You also have
Grandfather Knowitall’s answers to your three questions. Now
good-by. As you will need me no more, you will never see me
again.”
Plavachek thanked his godmother most gratefully and de-
parted.
When he reached the first city the king asked him what news he
brought.
“Good news!” Plavachek said. “Have the well cleaned out
and kill the frog that sits on its spring. If you do this the water
will flow again as it used to.”
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