The Poor Shoemaker
The Poor Shoemaker and the Magician
Once upon a time, in the town of Arazar, there lived a poor shoemaker named Bram. Bram walked all day to earn as much as he could, to support his family and have a decent meal. But he always ended up with very little.
One day, as Bram was mending some old shoes, a man approached him. He was a tall and mysterious man, wearing a hat and a coat.
— Good day, my friend. I would like you to polish my shoes. I have no money, but I am in a hurry to get somewhere very important.
The shoemaker hesitated, for he hadn't earned anything that day yet, but then he agreed to help the man.
— Of course, sir! I will help you. Please, sit down and place your foot on the stand.
The man sat down, and Bram polished his shoes to perfection, making them shine like water under the dark night sky.
— Done, sir! — Very good, my friend! Rest assured, I will reward you for this good deed. I am a magician. I live at the edge of the forest. And I must meet a very important wizard from Senali. You have done me a great favor.
The magician snapped his fingers, and with a puff of smoke, a goat appeared before the shoemaker. Bram was surprised.
— This is a magic goat. All you have to do is say: "Goat, shake yourself, and bring forth riches!" And you will have a lot of gold coins.
Saying this, the magician disappeared.
— Wow! I must try this. Goat, shake yourself, and bring forth riches!
And the goat shook itself, making gold coins fall onto the floor. The shoemaker was amazed.
— Oh dear! The man was telling the truth. I will go home and tell my family.
Bram packed his tools and put the goat on his shoulders, and with great joy, he made his way home.
Aunt Ingrid's First Trick
As he walked, he passed by his Aunt Ingrid's house. She saw him walking with the goat on his shoulders and called out to him.
— Hey, Bram! Come and stay with your aunt!
He wondered if he should go and stay with her, because he wanted to rush home and tell his wife about the magic goat.
— Well, I'm thirsty and tired from walking with this goat on my shoulders. Perhaps I could have a cup of tea and then head home.
Bram went to his aunt's house and gave her the goat, and before entering the house, he said:
— Whatever you do, don't say the words: "Goat, shake yourself, and bring forth riches!"
Bram sat down and waited for his aunt to bring him some tea. And as he waited, Ingrid wondered what he meant when he told her not to say those words. She went into the kitchen where the goat was kept and walked up to it, saying the magic words.
— Goat, shake yourself, and bring forth riches!
And immediately, the goat stirred and gold coins fell to the ground.
— Aha! This will be very useful to me! I should find a way to trick him.
Ingrid mixed some herbs into his tea and gave it to Bram. This put him to sleep immediately. As soon as the shoemaker was asleep, Ingrid replaced the goat with one of her own.
The next morning, Bram took the goat on his shoulders and headed back home. When he arrived home, he held the bag of gold coins in front of his wife.
— Look, take these gold coins, so you can prepare a good meal for everyone today.
His wife was so happy that she didn't think to ask where he got the gold coins and went to the market.
After some time, he wished to use the magic words and get more gold coins from the goat. He recited the words the magician had told him, but the goat remained still as a stone.
— That's strange! Why isn't it working?
He repeated the magic words, but it was all in vain, as the goat didn't even move.
— I'll have to manage with the remaining gold coins, and once they're almost gone, I'll go find the magician again.
Aunt Ingrid's Second Trick
After a few days, as his wife started urging him to work, because the gold coins were almost gone, he set off to find the magician. He finally found the magician's house. He went in and spoke with him and told him that he needed to feed his family.
The magician was a compassionate man, and he placed his hand on the shoemaker's shoulder and said:
— Don't worry, my friend. Here is a magic cloth. Hold it in your arms and say: "Oh, magic cloth, spread yourself and show the feast!" And a table laden with the finest food and drink will appear before you.
Bram was exhilarated when he heard what the magician had said. He thanked him and set off for home.
As Bram was returning home from the forest, he reached the field where his aunt lived and decided to go and share a meal from the magic cloth.
— I was passing through the area, and because you were so kind to serve me tea last time, I thought it only fair to return the favor and bring you some food. — Oh, how wonderful! Come in!
And so, Bram went in and placed the magic cloth in his arms and said:
— Oh, magic cloth, spread yourself and show the feast!
And in a few moments, a beautiful table appeared before them, laden with the most delicious and tastiest food.
Aunt Ingrid was amazed, and despite his kind gesture, she decided to trick the shoemaker once again and mix herbs into his food. They sat and ate until their hunger was satisfied and enjoyed the feast to the fullest.
Soon, the shoemaker fell asleep again, and while he slept, his aunt replaced the magic cloth with a normal one, tricking him once again.
The next day, Bram returned home, placed the cloth in his hands, and said the magic spell. This time, the spell didn't work, and the shoemaker stood there like a scarecrow in the middle of the room. His wife looked at him, wondering if poverty had driven him mad, and walked away.
— It can't be! I'm sure my aunt is playing tricks on me.
The Magic Feather and the Reward
Bram left and went to the magician's house once more. He explained everything that had happened to the magician and begged him to help him once again. The magician, being a compassionate man, agreed to do so and told him:
— Do as I tell you and take this magic feather. On your way back, visit your aunt and tell her that this feather will grant any wishes that one's heart desires. And tell her to chant this spell: "Oh, magic feather, grant me a wish!" And immediately, the feather will begin to tickle her endlessly. — Oh, thank you, good sir! — And remember, you can only stop it by saying: "Magic feather, my wish has been granted!" And the tickling will stop.
Bram thanked the magician once more and set off for Aunt Ingrid's house. He went to his aunt's house in the field and told her about the magic feather. Immediately, the woman fell into the shoemaker's trap and said the spell.
— Oh, magic feather, grant me a wish!
The feather rose into the air and suddenly began to tickle the woman. Aunt Ingrid laughed and giggled until she couldn't anymore.
— Aha! Stop! Please, stop! I can't stand the tickling anymore! — I will stop it only on one condition. — Anything you want, I'll give you! Anything! — All right. Please, give me back what is mine and return my magic goat and magic cloth. — Fine! Fine! They're both in the kitchen!
And so, Bram ran into the kitchen and took the cloth and put the goat on his shoulders. He came out of the kitchen and said:
— Magic feather, my wish has been granted!
And the magic feather stopped, spun around him, making him disappear, and sent him back to his home. He arrived home and showed his wife the magic goat and the magic cloth. His wife was overjoyed and hugged him immediately.
And they celebrated with the rich feast and discussed ways to use the magic goat and cloth to their advantage. They used the gold coins to build their business as shoemakers and spent most of the gold coins to help the poor people in the town.
And as for Aunt Ingrid, well, the feather still appears in her house out of nowhere and makes her help the poor and needy whom she once tricked.
