The Treasures from a Cave
Fairy tales in Romanian.
Friendship and Greed
Once upon a time, on a small island in the Pacific Ocean, lived two friends: Casper and Falke. They lived together and made their living from fishing. The world had never seen such good friends.
— Hey, Casper, the sun is almost up. Wake up! — Ugh! Why does the night pass so quickly? It should have at least four more hours. — I've been awake for four hours, my friend, and I've already caught all the day's catch. Now I'm going to the market. We'll get good money for this beautiful, fat trout. — Ugh! Does it matter if we get a few coins less? — I won't accept a single coin less. You see, today I will stumble upon a huge treasure. — No, not the treasure again! — Hold on! Yesterday I picked a fresh batch of juicy, good lettuce and carrots. You like salad, so I'll put some with corn stew for lunch and we'll leave together. I still need to get some nails and planks to fix the roof. — There's no better gardener, cook, or craftsman than you on this island. But you do what you want. Do it quickly! I want to get there before the other fishermen. Fresh fish in the morning sells best. People pay more money for it in the morning.
The Desire for More
Thus, the friends led a peaceful and prosperous life. Falke, the skilled and hardworking one, took care of fishing and selling, to make good money for both of them. And Casper was more relaxed and lazy, only cooking and taking care of the house, garden, and cows. You'd think they led a quiet and content life.
It's wonderful to wish for a better life and work for it. But there are no shortcuts to success. Greed knows no peace or satisfaction and can often lead you down dangerous paths.
— Look! So much! We now have enough money to buy a new cart and a horse. — Oh, great! — But what's with you? How can you be happy with just a cart and a horse? — But what else do you want? It will be much easier to take the goods to the market with a new cart and a strong horse. Our boat is sturdy. What else does a fisherman need? — How about a big carriage and an even bigger villa? How about traveling the world without worries and having enough gold that you can't count it? How about a room full of treasures? — No, not again, Falke. What do we need treasures for? We have enough money to buy what we want. We live on this wonderful island, and people envy us for our friendship and brotherhood. Why isn't that enough for you? — It's not nearly enough. I deserve more, Casper, and I won't be able to earn it just from fishing. — And what else could you do on this island? Discover some treasure? — That's it! That's exactly what will happen. How else can you get rich on an island? You said it very well, my friend, we will have great luck. By a great miracle, we will find treasures. Treasures so amazing we've never even dreamed of. Casper, I feel it! Finally, I feel something magical is about to happen to us.
Falke's Obsession
With each passing day, Falke became more and more obsessed with having luck, the miracle of finding treasure. He no longer cared about fishing, which he was fantastically good at. Instead, he explored all the caves on the small island, but found nothing. And he became more and more obsessed with the treasure.
— Oh! Where? Where could it be? — Hey, you're back! Where have you been? — Where is the treasure? I've explored all the caves on the island. Could it be hidden deep underground, high in the sky, underwater? Underwater! That's it! I've been looking in the wrong place. — What are you talking about, Falke? — I've been looking in the wrong places. Who would hide treasure in caves? Our treasure is underwater! Maybe in a wrecked ship swallowed by the sea hundreds of years ago. And all the gold and treasures are still there, somewhere at the bottom of the sea. I'm convinced! — No, not this treasure again, Falke! The sea stretches for hundreds of kilometers. Where will you find a ship? Forget about it, Falke! We have enough money to live a comfortable life. We have our friendship. We don't need anything else. — No, I won't give up! Not now that I know where the treasure is! I'll find it, Casper! I'll find it! — Falke, wait!
The Mysterious Encounter
Falke began searching for treasure day and night, staying away from home for days, sleeping in his boat, casting his net not for fish, but for gold. Since Falke stopped fishing and going to the market, they started running out of money.
Casper had to sell the horses and cows to make money. Then Casper started doing odd jobs, like selling vegetables, repairing things for people on the island, and managed to make enough money to maintain the house. But Falke didn't appreciate this, as he thought only of gold.
One day, while at sea, Falke saw a small boat approaching him. A small, strange man was on it. The boat had no rudder or sails. Falke wondered how it had gotten so far out to sea. The boat approached, and the man spoke.
— So you're looking for treasure? There was a ship, a huge one, that sailed these waters hundreds of years ago. The ship was full of treasures no one had ever seen. But a storm sank it into the sea, into an eternal silence and darkness. — That treasure is mine! Show me where the ship is! — Not so fast, Falke! A storm brought the ship, and a storm will bring it to you one day. It will appear for only one day. Bring someone with you to the Style Cave. There you will spend the night in the storm, staying on the ground. You will not move and you will not complain. You will face the storm, and then the treasure will reveal itself to you. — When will I do this? — Tomorrow evening there will be a huge storm. Get there at sunset.
The Storm and the Treasure
Falke rushed home to prepare for the next day. He excitedly told Casper everything, but of course, Casper was not happy.
— Falke, only money and riches earned by the sweat of your brow are what give you satisfaction. Any treasure that needs a storm to reveal it, any treasure that belongs to someone else, can only bring us harm. Forget this madness, Falke, come back! You are still the best fisherman and the best merchant on the island. — Are you asking me to give up right now, when the dream of our lives is about to happen? When we are so close to the treasure? No way! Are you coming with me or not? Otherwise, I'll go alone. — No, of course I'm coming. I will never leave you alone, but give up this dangerous and evil expedition. Listen to me, at least now. — Well, let's grab a fishing net and, oh yes, where's the cart? We'll need it to carry our treasure. — It's not our treasure, Falke.
Falke and Casper left and arrived at a rock near the cave. That night, a terrible storm began, and Falke, determined to find the treasure, stood in the rain and lightning.
Casper kept begging him to give up this madness, but Falke wouldn't listen at all. By morning, Falke was trembling with cold. The storm passed, and Falke saw a huge procession of strange people in a cloud of mist. When they reached Falke, he was scared, but brave enough to ask:
— Who are you and where is the treasure? — I am the captain of the sunken ship, and they are my passengers and crew. The treasure was on the ship that sank into the sea, into the cave. You have one day to take the treasures.
Then, the procession disappeared as quickly as it appeared. Casper, who was next to his friend, saw nothing. So, we don't know if it was real or just in Falke's imagination. But Falke got up and ran towards the cave.
— We only have one day to get the treasure. It's underwater, in the cave. — But the cave is too deep and dangerous. Falke, stop! — I'm going down. Hold the rope tight.
Falke climbed down the rock and reached the water below. He jumped into the water and after a while, with great difficulty, brought a chest to the surface. When he opened it, it was full of gold.
— Casper, I found it! I found it! — Now come back! You found it! — No way! I'm sure there's more! Think what other treasures are at the bottom! We have a whole day, Casper! Jump into the water again! — Falke, don't put your life in danger for a shortcut to success, brother! We will work hard and together we will fulfill our dreams!
The Lesson Learned
And that was the last time anything was heard about Falke. Casper went down into the cave to look for his friend for three days, but Falke was nowhere to be found. Casper was so devastated, for he had lost his greatest treasure, his friend, that he didn't even think about the chest of gold Falke said he had found.
But past efforts had taught Casper to rely on his own strength. He was no longer the lazy person he once was. By cultivating vegetables and his craft of repairing houses and furniture, he managed to earn well. After a few years, Casper married and lived happily with his family. But his heart ached for his friend Falke. Not just because he was gone, but because he had given up the wonderful treasures of friendship and craftsmanship because of his greed.
What we've learned in this life is that you must be happy as you are. Cherish what you have now. Love, family, friendships are the true treasures. Of course, you can dream of a life full of riches, but earn them with your own talents and hard work. The world is vast enough to fulfill all dreams, but it's not big enough for one person's greed.
