Romanian Fairy Tales
The Happy Granny
Once upon a time, among other elderly women, there was one who was very, very cheerful. And even though she had quite little to be happy about, she knew that life is a journey one takes either with a smile or a frown on their face. She chose the former.
— Hello, Priscilla, my dear! How is your morning? — I'm always on the go, always on the go trying to keep the house running. — Now, now, dear, you never stop. Tell me if I can help you. — Oh, aren't you the best!
Granny's Life
Yes, the happy old woman earned her living by running errands for her neighbors. In return, she would receive a meal or a bowl of soup, or sometimes a penny or two. She lived well.
And she had no reason to complain. You might wonder what's so interesting about her life or her story, right? Well, this is where it gets interesting.
Preparations for Winter
— Ah! Winter is coming. I must gather wood to keep warm.
One day, the old woman set off into the forest with bouncy steps and a song on her lips. La la la la la la la la.
Discovering the Pot
Suddenly, she came to a hollow where she saw a large brown pot.
— Look, look at my luck! Now, who could have left it here? Where is its owner?
The old woman waited, looked around, expecting the owner to appear, but nothing.
— Perhaps it was thrown away. Well, one man's trash is another man's treasure. This pot will be just right for me to put a flower in my window.
The Pot of Gold
— Look, look at my luck! Could it have treasure? What luck! I'm rich! Very rich! I'm rich, very rich, rich, rich, rich, very rich!
The old woman tried to lift the pot, but it was too heavy for her. She thought some more and had no choice but to carry it on her back like a sack.
Future Plans
— Ah! The neighbors will never know! I will secretly leave each of them a piece of gold so they can be happy too. I will buy a grand house and just sit by the fire. I will drink a cup of tea. I will do nothing. Oh, it will be wonderful to sit by the fire on a chair and enjoy my tea. I've always wanted that. I'm rich!
Transformation into Silver
Then, she grew quite tired from carrying such a weight, and stopping to rest a little, she looked at her treasure. And, behold, the gold was no longer in the pot. It was just a piece of silver.
— What? Oh, silly me! And here I thought it was a pot of gold. I must have been dreaming. But it's still luck! Silver doesn't cause trouble. It's easier to keep and doesn't attract attention. Perhaps my house wouldn't be as grand, but I can still sit on my chair by the fireplace and have my tea.
Transformation into Iron
She set off again, planning what she would do and feeling just as rich, when she grew tired once more. She stopped to rest and glanced to see if her treasure was safe. She saw nothing but a large piece of metal.
— What? Oh, silly me! And here I thought it was silver. I must have been dreaming. But it's still luck! I can sell the iron and get money.
Transformation into Stone
— I wouldn't have to hide anything anymore and I'd go about my business. I won't buy a house anymore. But I'll be able to build a fireplace and buy a chair. Ah! To sit by the fireplace and have my tea. Oh, what a life!
And so she set off again, dreaming of what she would do with her money, until she grew tired once more. This time, it wasn't a piece of iron, but a large stone.
The Lucky Stone
— Look, look at my luck! I'm lucky! The luckiest, I'd say. All the gold, silver, and money would have given me headaches. But this is perfect! I wanted a stone to hold my gate open. It's solved. What luck!
So she hurried to see how the stone would hold her gate open, crossed the hill, arriving at her cottage. And turning back, she unwrapped the scarf from the stone, finding to her surprise that the stone had grown larger.
The Cotton Beast
— Oh! My luck! It's perfect! I can sit on this and have my tea. I don't need a chair. It will be just fine. Oh, finally, I have something to sit on and have my tea!
And as she bent down to touch it, the stone transformed into a large ball of cotton. And then, from it, four white legs emerged and two ears and a face, a face like a beast's with canine teeth over its lips. Its eyes were red and its eyebrows arched. It was the cotton beast.
An Adorable Beast
— Oh! Look, look at my luck! Oh, aren't you adorable? I've always wanted a pet. — Huh? What? — Come, little boy! — What kind of person are you? I tried to tempt you with gold, then with silver, then I changed it into a piece of iron, then into a stone, and you were happy every time. Now, when I show you my scary face, you call me adorable? — Well, of course! You are adorable! — I can't stay here. Bye!
The Final Reward
And saying that, the cotton monster transformed into a butterfly and flew away. The old woman watched it leave, then, shrugging, she returned to her house. And entering the house, to her surprise, she saw the piece of stone on the floor.
— What?
The stone transformed into a beautiful wooden chair.
— Oh! My! It's perfect! I'd better make myself some tea.
Granny's Joy
— Oh, my goodness! The piece of iron! I'll sell it tomorrow.
— Hmm, look, look at my luck!
Oh, how happy the old woman was, rejoicing, she turned around and, to her surprise, saw the pot of gold.
— The pot of gold! The pot of silver! The piece of iron! The chair! Look, look at my luck!
The Moral of the Story
The old woman was delighted as always. And you've realized, she didn't become greedy, but secretly shared her wealth with her neighbors. And everyone was happy, especially the old woman, who taught us that we shouldn't have grand expectations, but rather turn disappointments into opportunities and perceive things from a different perspective. That way, you will never be sad.
