The Christmas Tree Story

A long time ago, when there was no TV or any type of electronics people were spending evenings telling stories. The stories were passed from generation to generation and this is how this story was retold and passed on to us.

Ages ago, people worked hard from dawn till night from early spring to late autumn gathering resources for the whole winter. During the winter time, women wove warm clothes and men made sure that there was always enough wood in the stove to keep the fire blazing and the place warm.

 All people looked forward to Christmas. The Christmas time meant meeting with relatives and friends, going to the Church, taking part in Christmas carols.

There was a young couple, who was married not for a long time and didn’t have any kids. Peter enjoyed listening to the bible stories. One of them about Adam and Eve was of particular interest to him. The image of a paradise tree full of apples was constantly on his mind. It reminded him of spring time, when everything bloomed. He dreamed about having such a tree during the winter time.

One day, an idea came to his mind. He went to the nearest forest and a small coniferous fir tree caught his eye. Peter brought the small fir tree home and put it in front of a window. So the tree would still have some natural day light.

Peter’s wife liked the tree, but it was missing the fruits. So she brought fruits and nuts that were stored in the pantry. They attached strings to fruits and nuts and hang them on the tree. Peter made few ornaments from straw that were shining like gold. The tree looked beautiful.

All relatives and friends visiting Peter’s hub during the Christmas time loved the tree with its decorations. From now on Peter’s family had Christmas tree every year.

The relatives and friends followed Peter’s idea of a Christmas tree. This custom spread from house to house, from village to village, from country to country. Today almost every home has a Christmas tree.

Interesting People: Maria Sklodowska-Curie – the genius of science

Maria Sklodowksa was born in Warsaw in 1867 and received her first lessons in physics and chemistry from her father. Both parents were well-known teachers and encouraged education. Back then advanced study was not possible for women in Poland. So Maria moved to Paris, where she studied at Sorbonne. Here she also met her husband Pierre Curie. Together, they discovered polonium and radium. They received a Nobel Prize in Physics. She received the second Nobel Prize in Chemistry. She gave the beginning to the world’s first research for treatment of neoplasms and founded the Curie Institutes in Paris and Warsaw, which remain major medical research centers. She died from exposure to the radium that made her famous.

Santa Claus Story

December 6^th in Poland is a day, when Santa Claus brings presents to the kids. (FYI: Santa Claus in Poland is called St. Nicholas).

A long long time ago and far far away, there was a boy by the name of Nicholas. He had all the toys he wanted, plenty of clothes and food and loving parents. He wasn’t missing anything. But Nicholas was a very smart boy. He liked observing everything that was surrounding him including the people. He took a notice of many kids hardly having anything. It made him sad. He didn’t understand why he had so much and others so little. So he decided to take the matters into his own hands.

Every Sunday, he would take as much food as he could carry to the church and after the mass, he would give it away to the kids. Once a year, he would give away all the toys that he received during the last year.

When Nicholas grew up, he inherited a big fortune and decided to share it with others. His good deeds continued and one day he was named Saint Nicholas. His house became a workshop, where throughout the year he makes the toys for kids and on December 6^th gives them away.

Interesting Historical Facts: Chopin and his story

Frederic’s father was a violin player and his mother was a piano player. According to the legend, Frederick was born, while his father was playing violin. And as a young boy he cried, when his mother was playing piano. However, Frederic as a young boy was able to play piano music from just listening to what his mother played. Parents seeing boy’s talent hired a teacher. Very quickly Frederic surpassed his teacher. At the age of seven, he composed his first music. At the age of eight, he gave his first concert. At the age of twenty, he left Poland for France, his father’s native country. At the age of thirty nine, he died of tuberculosis in Paris. His sister brought his heart back to Poland. It rests at the Holy Cross Church in Warsaw. Frederic Chopin was one of the greatest pianists and masters of Romantic music of his time.

St Martin’s Croissants, Polish Legend

In Poland, November 11^th is an Independence Day. In Poznan November 11^th has a double meaning. The legend will explain.

A long time ago, in a city of Poznan, there was a baker named Joseph. He heard a story of St Martin, who saved a poor man by giving him his warm jacket. Joseph wanted to make a good deed and was thinking about the best way to help those, who were less fortunate. Then he had a dream in which St Martin came to him on a horse and left without any word. However, a horseshoe fell loose. Joseph looked at the horseshoe and at the same time an idea came to him. He decided to use his skills as a baker and make croissants in a shape of a horseshoe filled with poppy seeds, nuts and raisins. Joseph woke up from his dream, when it was still dark and started making the croissants through the morning. During the day he gave them all away to those who were hungry. His good deed became a tradition. In the following years, other bakers from Poznan joined Joseph in making croissants. The tradition started in 1891 and continues till today and always falls on November 11^th.

True story:

In 1891, local priest from St Martin’s parish appealed to its parishioners to take an example from St Martin and help the poor. One of Poznan’s bakers, Joseph Melzer, made croissants in a shape of half moon filled with poppy seeds, nuts and raisins. The croissants were given away to the poor after a mass. In the following years, other bakers from Poznan joined Joseph in making croissants. They were given to the poor and whoever could afford them would pay.

Interesting Historical Facts: Jan III Sobieski and his stories of potatoes and donuts

A long time ago, when the kings were ruling the lands, Europe was about to be invaded by Turks. Emperor Leopold I asked for help. King Jan III Sobieski of Poland rushed with his help. After a ferocious battle Europe won over Turks. And as a thank you, Leopold I from his gardens in Vienna gave the Polish King what was called back then ground apples (1683). It took Poles about 100 years to get to like the potatoes. But today they are part of almost every day meal.

Torun has been famous for gingerbread since the XIII century. One of the well-known bakers was Michael Remla. Jan III Sobieski took a liking of Michael’s delicacies and hired him as his personal baker. He even took him to the battle against the Turks. While he was battling the Turks, Michael was learning how to bake new delicacies and one of them were donuts. Donuts on the other hand, became instant sensation in Poland and today they are part of every year Fat Thursday.

Tradition of Andrzejki, Polish Tradition

A long time ago, in a small village by the Vistula River lived a girl named Jana. She had a lot of admirers, but none of them hold her interest. It was the time of a year, when days were getting shorter and nights longer. One night, while sitting by a cozy fireplace, Jana’s grandma told her about a Polish tradition of Andrzejki (derived from a name Andrew). “On the magical night of Andrew, the girls practiced different oracles that helped them to see their future husbands” said grandma. Jana was so fascinated by the story that she hardly could wait till November 29^th to test it herself.

So the Andrew’s night came and Jana invited her girlfriends to test the oracles once done by her mother and grandmother. “Let’s see who gets married first and we’ll use left shoes to find out” said Jana. Excited girls started lining left shoes one by one till they reached the threshold. Very quickly it turned out that it was Jana’s shoe and she would get married first.

After the first oracle, the girls got busy with peeling the apples without breaking the peelings. “Now we will throw the peelings behind us to see what letters we get” said Jana “It will be the first letter of a future husband’s first name.” The girls got so excited with guessing the names that Jana suggested another oracle with names “We need a bowl of water, a candle and a key.” (Back then the keys had big openings). “Now we will light a candle and pour the wax through the key’s opening into the water creating a letter.”

The last oracle involved straw pulling. Each girl got a bunch of straws and then counting started. According to this oracle if a girl had an even number, it meant marriage. An odd number meant spinsterhood. But according to this oracle all girls were supposed to get married, resulting in undeniable happiness.

Before the night has ended, Jana was wondering “Will the oracles come true. What the dreams will bring.” That night she dreamt of a tall man with dark hair. Since then, her thoughts were occupied by the image of the man of her dreams. A few months later a young carpenter settled in the village. They took the like of each other. And after the harvest a big wedding took place. Jana got married to the man of her dreams. Now, her girlfriends were waiting for the next Andrew’s day and a chance to see who would be the next to get married.

Andrew’s day is on November 30. However, the oracles happen a day before on November 29.

Magical Fern, Polish Folklore

A long time ago and far away in a land called Poland, there was a young boy named Jack, who lived with his grandparents in a small village. Jack was a very curious boy, who liked adventure. One night, his grandpa told him a story of a magical fern. “There is a fern deep in the woods that blossoms only on St. John’s day, which is the first day of summer. The longest day in the whole year” explained grandpa. “Whoever finds the fern, will have whatever he wishes for.” Jack’s grandparents didn’t have much. So the idea of finding the magical fern became Jack’s goal. He believed in a saying “If you put your mind into something, then you will have it.”

So the night of St. John came. All the youth from the village gathered around a huge bonfire to sing and dance. But Jack didn’t join them. He wandered into the woods in search of the magical fern. The forest seemed to be overgrown, the paths narrower and the noises of the animals louder. But he realized it’s all to scare him away and discourage him from finding the fern. He wandered and wandered and found a fern, but it wasn’t the magical fern. The night was ending and the first light was getting to Jack through the trees. He knew it was the time to get back home and wait for a year for another St. John’s night.

But it wasn’t easy to wait patiently. Jack thought to himself “The time seems to be standing still and the days seem to be getting longer.” Instead Jack made himself busy and useful around the house. The year went by much faster.

So the night of St. John came again. Jack wandered into the woods. The forest seemed to be friendlier than the last time, but the magical fern was nowhere to be found. Jack wandered and wandered till the first light came out and the roosters were crowing. Tears appeared in his eyes. It was the time to go back home and wait for another year.

Again, Jack got busy, which helped him to get through another year. And again, St John’s night came. Jack wandered through the woods, looked through each bush not to miss the fern. And then he saw a bright light coming from a plant. He looked carefully and said “That’s the magical fern.” He picked the fern, when he heard a voice “Now that you have found me, you can have anything you wish for. But remember it’s only for you. You cannot share it with anybody.” “That shouldn’t be hard” thought boy to himself. Holding the magical fern, Jack headed back home thinking what he would ask for “A big palace with servants, nice clothes, magnificent carriage with horses…” He hasn’t finished his thought, when he found himself at the edge of a forest facing a huge palace, dressed in the finest clothes and a carriage with six white horses awaiting him. He was taken to the palace, which interior was richly decorated and filled with servants. All faces were new to him, no family or friends. Suddenly, he felt some emptiness. But the tiredness was stronger. So he went to his bedroom, where he fell asleep in the nicest bed in a blink of an eye.

Next morning, feeling hungry, he followed the smell of bacon and eggs to the dining room. The table was full of food and cider. Jack ate and drank till he hardly could move. Then with a heavy belly, he went to the garden. The blooming trees were full of fruits and the blooming flowers were spreading the most amazing scent. “This is the most beautiful garden I’ve ever seen” thought Jack to himself “But none of this is familiar. I’m not recognizing my village.” Everything was unknown to him. But as soon as the servants were fulfilling his wishes, he forgot about his village and family.

The time went by and the thoughts were coming back to Jack “If only I could give a sack full of coins to my grandparents to help them out.” But he knew he couldn’t share his fortune or he would lose everything. So he got busy with making the palace even bigger, adding new plants to the garden, acquiring more expensive clothes and jewels. The satisfaction of obtaining goods was short lived; the thoughts of his village and family were coming back.

One day, he got into his coach and thought of getting to his village. In that instance, the horses galloped till they stopped in front of a small cottage. Jack recognized his grandparents’ place. The tears rolled down his cheeks. Then somebody unknown to him appeared from behind the cottage. “A fine gentleman, are you lost?” asked stranger. “No, I’m looking for the old couple, who lived in this cottage” replied Jack. “They died of hunger and cold” said stranger and left. Jack couldn’t bear the thought of not helping his grandparents and blamed himself for their death. He thought “If they’re gone, then I want to be gone, too.” Suddenly, the earth opened up and Jack disappeared with his fern. That’s why the magical fern can no longer be found. It is buried deep down in the earth.

 

Golden Duck, Polish Folktale

A long time ago, there was a young man named Jacob, who lived in Warsaw. He liked spending his time telling stories. But one day, he met an older man, who told him a story of a Golden Duck. “Under one of Warsaw’s castles, there is a small lake with crystal clear water and a Golden Duck shining in the middle of the lake. The duck is protecting all the treasures hidden by the lake” the older man paused and looked at Jacob “You just have to fulfill duck’s one task and all the treasures will be yours.” Jacob who didn’t have much was very eager to find the lake and try his luck. Without wasting any time, next day he ventured out looking for the lake. He searched the undergrounds of one castle, explored the secretive passages of another castle, and then in the dark spaces of the next castle, he saw glowing gold. All of a sudden Jacob heard “I’m here.” He looked around and spotted a Golden Duck in the middle of the lake, now approaching the shore. “All the gold you see can be yours” spoke the duck “you just have to prove to me that you can handle all this gold.” “All right, what is the challenge?” asked Jacob. “Take this bag with money laying at the shore and spend it only on yourself in one day.” “That shouldn’t be hard” thought Jacob. With the pouch full of ducats in his one hand and the candle in the other, he found his way out of the castle. Jacob knew he had to start spending the money right away. As soon as he reached the streets of Warsaw, he stopped by the tailor’s shop and ordered new clothing made of velvet with a flamboyant hat. His next stop was at a shoemaker, where he asked for an exquisite pair of shoes worth king’s feet. Then he treated himself to a delicious meal at the nicest tavern. “What else can I buy for myself” thought Jacob while enjoying his meal. “A white horse with a magnificent carriage” he answered himself. In a blink of an eye he was back in the streets and acquiring a white horse and a carriage. Then up on a carriage trotting through the cobbled streets. The day was ending and the sun was setting, when Jacob realized that it’s about the time to go back to the duck with an empty sack. But he still had one more coin. He was about to spend it on some good cake when a poor man reached out with his hand and begged “Kind young man, please give me some bread.” Jacob without any hesitation reached for the last coin and handing it said “You can get a nice meal for this.” Suddenly, Jacob’s horse and carriage disappeared. His velvet clothes turned into the old rags. And the voice of the Golden Duck spoke “You didn’t keep the promise. You didn’t spend all the money on yourself.” Jacob looked at the poor man, who smiled at him and said “You didn’t lose anything; you still have a good heart and a pair of hands that can achieve wonders.” Jacob took the advice to his heart, which he followed and got a job as a shoemaker. Making shoes was something he wanted to use his hands for. It was like creating magic. Jacob learned his trade very quickly and became so good that he was making shoes for the king and his court. His passion for his trade and his hard work brought him happiness and a very comfortable living. To commemorate this legend, a fountain with a Golden Duck stands at Ostrogski Castle in Warsaw.

The Yellow Clog, Polish Folklore

The Yellow Clog is a very condensed version based on a story by Antonina Domanska (1853-1917). It is a very popular story in Poland, which comes from Krakow. It mentions such big historic names as King Kasimir Jagiello (1427-1492), Jan Dlugosz (1415-1480) a well-known Polish chronicler and Wit Stwosz (1450-1533) a German sculptor best known for an altarpiece in St. Mary’s Basilica in Krakow.

In the city of Krakow, full of arts and vibrant atmosphere filled with young students, at the St. Mary’s Basilica, workmen were restoring an altar made ages before by a famous German sculptor Veit Stoss, when they found a yellow clog behind the altar.

Many years ago, or even longer, in a small village near Krakow, there was a boy named Vitek. As long as he could get a piece of wood, he could carve from dawn until night instead of watching grazing cows. The spanking didn’t help. The threats of taking every piece of wood didn’t help. But one day he was so absorbed with carving that a grazing cow escaped him and destroyed the priest’s crops. Vitek got so scared that he himself escaped to the woods and wandered for days. The woods were so big and so thick that he couldn’t find the way out. So he walked and walked and then out of the woods he saw a city in the distance.

The boy entered the city and saw the most fascinating thing he’s ever seen in his life. The town center was full of colorful glittering things being sold at tables. A man wearing the weirdest clothes was throwing balls in the air. Another guy wore a jacket with one red sleeve and one yellow. His pants’ one leg was in straps and the other in squares. His face was covered in white paint with a big round red nose. On top of that he was acting weird trying to make people laugh. The day was reaching the end, when Vitek accidently stumbled at one of those guys. He jumped as he got scared. The guy laughed, “You’re not afraid of a clown, are you? Where are you heading?” The boy stammered for a moment “I got lost in the woods. I have to get back home, which is near Krakow.” “You’re in luck. Our next stop is in Krakow. So you can come with us tomorrow morning.”

When they reached Krakow the next day, the city was very alive with people enjoying Sunday, a day free off of work. Vitek said his goodbyes and parted with the circus. He didn’t know which way to turn, so he just wandered through the narrow cobbled streets admiring the details of the facades of the buildings. His eyes were amazed with specifics of the columns standing gloriously by the windows and holding small and big decorative roofs. His eyes were up in the sky, not noticing a stone under his foot, which almost sent him to the ground.

A father from a convent was struggling to close a heavy and massive door of one of the most splendid churches, when he noticed Vitek almost falling to the ground. He wondered about the lonely boy dressed in tattered clothes and shabby shoes, “Where are your parents, young boy?” “I got lost in the woods and I need to get back home. Please, help me” begged boy. “What are the names of your parents and the village you come from?” “My father’s name is Tolek and mother’s Barbara and the village is Poreba” answered boy. “Oh, that’s not an easy task. All those names are very common including the village” thought father to himself “But we have to take care of the boy before we find his parents.”

He took the boy to father Jan Dlugosz, who was a well-known chronicler and diplomat. Jan took part in many diplomatic missions negotiating peace between countries. Once, the situation with the boy was explained to him, Jan tactfully announced, “I could always use some help in recording events. So we could teach the boy how to read and write.”

Vitek turned out to be a quick learner and a good help. Weeks went by and one day after a stormy and windy night a small tree fell down in the convent’s orchard. One of the fathers lamented about losing a tree that was bringing fruits. Vitek, without any wood available to him, has not carved for a long time and longed for this deeply. He saw an opportunity right away and offered, “Can I chop the tree and make some use of the wood?” “Oh, yes” the father answered with already a better mood, “We can use it in the winter to light the fire.” But that’s not what Vitek had in mind.

The boy was so busy during the day with all the chores and reading and writing lessons that he had only nights left to do some carving. His favorite statues were of people and animals were he painstakingly was trying to show the anatomy of each muscle. His attention to details was making the figures almost look alive.

One night Vitek was so absorbed with carving that he didn’t hear father Jan coming into his room. “I saw the light. It’s after midnight. What are you doing so late?” Troubled Vitek knew he couldn’t lie, so he showed the carvings he’d been hiding. Jan’s face brightened at the beautiful artwork, but at the same time he was trying to keep his face straight. He didn’t want the boy to think that it was ok to be doing this in secret, most of all during the night, when he was supposed to be getting his rest.

Father Jan knew just the right person to take Vitek to. Next morning, he took the boy to the church, where a master sculptor named Veit Stoss was carving an altarpiece. He was a master in showing human emotions in his woodwork. He carefully reviewed the boy’s sculptures and was amazed how far advanced the young boy’s skills were. It took many years of practice for many sculptors to achieve what he’s already achieved at such young age.

Veit Stoss looked at the boy and pointed at the altar. The altar was composed of three sections: one big in the middle with two smaller on the sides. This way you could cover the altar with the side parts as you were closing doors. Most of the holy figures were already done, but some still had to be carved. The boy’s eyes were wide opened as he has never seen such artwork and was magnified by the expressions of the figures. One of the silhouettes was falling to the knees and was held by another person. The expression on the face of the falling silhouette made Vitek believe that she was begging for help.

The master saw boy’s fascination and asked “Vitek, would you like to help me with finishing this altar?” The boy’s eyes opened even wider in surprise, he stammered “Of, of course, master.” Vitek could hardly contain his happiness.

Not long after that, King Kasimir Yagiello, who was residing in Krakow, which was the capital of Poland at the time, visited the church to see the progress. He was very impressed with almost finished altar and gave high praise to Veit Stoss. The master being a humble person could not take all the credit, as he turned around he saw the boy and introduced him to the King.

The King looked at the skinny boy dressed in what still looked like rags and asked him, “Young boy what would you like to receive for your hard work?” Vitek once saw a merchant from foreign land, who was wearing yellow clogs. Since then the boy was dreaming to have the same clogs. He knew exactly what he wished for and said “A pair of yellow clogs.” The king chuckled and repeated “A pair of yellow clogs” and added “You shall receive them.”

Right before the last touches of finishing the altarpiece, Vitek came across his old friend in the streets of Krakow. Vitek with his friend’s help found the way back to his village and his parents. There was so much joy and so many tears and all this right in time for the big ceremony.

The altar was ready and the day came to reveal it in a big ceremony. For that occasion Vitek put his yellow clogs on. But right before the King’s arrival, the master Stoss noticed that one of the figures was missing scrolls in the hand. Vitek climbed the altar to put in the missing piece. Unfortunately, while climbing, one of his yellow clogs slipped and fell behind the altar. It slipped somewhere between the tiny gaps. He was not able to retrieve it and was very sad about losing the yellow clog, but happy that he saved the situation.

The yellow clog was never found until the ages later during the restoration time. The workmen were so fascinated by the clog that it engaged them in search of the story.

 

Mouse Tower, Polish Folktale

The so called Mouse Tower was built in the 15^th century by the Lake Goplo in Poland and still stands there. You can try your luck and search for Popiel’s clothes and Ortrud’s jewelry there. The story will explain.

A long time ago, there was a ruler named Popiel, who lived by Lake Goplo in the land called Poland. When he died his only son also named Popiel was still young. So he ruled the lands with the help of his twelve uncles. The young Popiel was lazy and didn’t care about his people. He wanted everything for himself.

When Popiel grew up, he married a girl from neighboring lands. Ortrud was known for her beauty and greed. So she had one thing in common with Popiel, but it wasn’t the beauty, it was the greed. They lived in a wooden castle and it didn’t take long when Ortrud said “This castle will crumble down any moment. We need to build a new castle made of stone.” So a big castle was built with such tall tower that you could have seen it for miles away.

With all the money gone, Popiel ordered people “Bring me all the goods including animals, fish, grain and honey.” The uncles begged the ruler not to do this pleading “If there is nothing left, people will be hungry. If people are hungry, they won’t have strength to work.” But Popiel and Ortrud ignored all the pleading.

And that’s when Popiel’s nightly nightmares started. When he was deep in a sleep, he dreamed of an army of mice coming after him. One tiny mouse said to him “I’ll eat you.” Popiel woke up sweating. “It was only a dream” he said and went back to sleep.

Some time went by and situation was getting worse. The twelve uncles continued insisting “Popiel you need to stop oppressing the people. You are ruining your lands.” Gertrud didn’t like the uncles getting in the way and laughed at her husband “What kind of ruler are you that you’re allowing uncles to tell you what to do.” She added more seriously “I have a plan.” And so she did. She planned a large feast with variety of foods and lots of sweet honey.

Meanwhile Popiel’s nightmares continued. During his sleep the tiny mouse came back and said “I’ll eat you.” Popiel woke up. Now a little bit concerned, he had a hard time getting back to sleep.

The time came for the feast with music and dances. Popiel gave a speech “I’m sorry for all the past bad behavior. I promise to make changes, take good care of my people and rule peacefully.” The uncles toasted “To the new era.” Ortrud stood up and insisted on serving special honey. The uncles drank the honey to the last drop. It wasn’t long when the oldest uncle felt a pain and yelled “We’re being poisoned.” He felt to the ground and was dead. The other uncles followed one by one.

Popiel realized what his wife did, but it was too late. Suddenly, a silence filled the castle followed by screaming people. “What’s happening?” asked Popiel the running servant, who answered “A mass of mice is approaching the castle.” The servants were fleeing in all directions. Popiel suggested to Ortrud “We have to run to the tower. They won’t reach us there.” Oh, how wrong he was. Small mice had no trouble catching the ruler at the top of the tower. And one by one they sneaked through the door. After all the screams, the castle became very quiet.

As soon as a new day had risen, the people searched the castle and at the tower they found the clothing of Popiel and the jewels of Ortrud. The ruler and his wife had been eaten. The mice made room for a new ruler. Let’s hope a better one or the mice will be back.

Cobbler Dratva, Polish Folklore

Traveling the world and getting to know different cultures leaves a lasting impression, which I wish for everybody to experience. Hope you will enjoy this legend. 

A long time ago, there was a young poor cobbler dressed modestly with shabby shoes and a shabby bag. He wandered through the world from one place to another fixing people’s shoes. One day, the young cobbler named Dratva was passing through a peaceful forest, when he saw anxious ants over a destroyed ant-hill. The ants were working hard putting the small pieces of soil together. Dratva with his adroit hands fixed it quickly. Then the ant queen got on top of the ant-hill and said “Thank you, good hearted fellow. We will come with help, when you need it.” Dratva smiled and thought to himself “You won’t fix a heel in a shoe, so how can you help me.” And he continued his journey.

He was about to leave the forest behind him, when he saw a destroyed hive. The honey was dripping down the bark. The bees were distraught over loosing the honey. Dratva with his handy hands put together the hive in no time. The bee queen came out and said “Thank you good hearted fellow. We will come with help, when you need it.” Dratva smiled and thought to himself “You won’t fix a sole in a shoe, so how can you help me.” And he continued his journey.

So he left the forest behind him and got to an open meadow with many small lakes. The surrounding was beautiful and very serene. Dratva sat by the first lake he approached. So he could have a view of all the other lakes and enjoy the scenery. He took out the last piece of bread and suddenly he heard “Please give me some bread.” Out of nowhere hungry ducks showed up. Dratva shared the bread with them. Then the oldest drake swam to the shore and said “Thank you good hearted fellow. We will come with help, when you need it.” Dratva smiled and thought to himself “You won’t fix a strap in a shoe, so how can you help me.” And he continued his journey.

Dratva got to a town above which stood a big castle with a very tall tower and very impressive drawbridge. He stopped at the town’s market to get some bread. While getting some fresh bread, he asked the baker “Who lives at this castle?” “A witch. She locked a princess in the tower and will let her out only when a young fellow performs three riddles” answered baker. “Has anybody tried it” asked Dratva. “Oh yes, many did and all failed. Good luck young fellow” said baker.

Intrigued Dratva went straight to the castle and knocked on the door. The witch came out and as mean as she looked, when she opened her mouth she was even meaner. “What do you want?” she said. “I came to solve the riddles and free the princess” said Dratva. “Yeah, you and many more before you. What makes you think you can do it?” But she wasn’t really asking him, she turned around and said “Follow me.”

She took Dratva to one of the chambers and said “Here is a bucket of sand and poppy seed. You have till dawn to separate them.” She locked the door and left. Dratva very quickly understood how evil the witch was. The task was impossible to be done. He was about to fell asleep when he heard some noise. He strained his eyes and saw ants coming through a crack in the door. The ants got very busy and in no time the sand was separated from poppy seed. “Thank you” said Dratva and ants were gone.

In the morning, when the witch saw two separate piles, she almost pulled her hair out, she was so furious. “Now you need to go to the lakes and find a key to the tower, which is at the bottom of one of the lakes” said witch almost yelling, still in disbelief. Dratva sat at the same lake he met the ducks at thinking how he’s going to find the key. But then the ducks came to him. “You seem to be pondering about something” said the oldest drake. Dratva explained the task. With the help of fish, the key was found speedily and handed to the drake, who passed it to Dratva. “Thank you” said Dratva and was gone.

At the castle, he handed the key to the witch who was observing him suspiciously. Neverless, she took Dratva to the tower, where in a small dark chamber, there were nine girls all dressed the same with white veils covering their faces. “Only one of them is a princess” said witch. “Which one?” she asked. Dratva wondered, which one he should pick with a guess, because there was no way he could distinguish one from another. Then he heard a buzzing coming from the window. The bees flew to the last girl in the row and over her head created a golden aura. “This is the princess” said Dratva pointing to the last girl in the row. Happy princess removed her veil and said “You set me free from the witch.” At the same time, the witch turned into a large black bird and flew out through the window. She was never seen or heard from ever again. Dratva married princess and they lived long and happily.

Flisak and the Frogs, Polish Folklore

A long time ago, the city of Torun got invaded with frogs after the summer floods. The frogs were having a great time strolling the streets, inviting themselves to people’s houses and even trying to get into business with people at the town hall. Oh, that was too far and too much. “Where is the mayor? And what is he doing about this?” You could hear the same question in the streets. “Maybe we need to select a new mayor” added others. “We’re losing our businesses. The traders don’t want to come here to be dealing with frogs” shouted others.

The mayor announced a fight against the frogs. “And how are we going to fight with them” people whispered among themselves, some laughed. The situation was not changing. The frogs continued to be the masters of the moment. The mayor thought long and hard how to solve this problem and announced “To all young fellows, if you find a way to remove the frogs from the city you will receive a large amount of money and a hand in marriage of my daughter.” Oh, yes. There were many young fellows, who where in love with the beautiful girl and tried their luck. But at the end the frogs continued to rule the city.

However, there was one young fellow, whose heart was also beating for the young girl. He was called Flisak as other people, who worked with transporting goods on a river. But what made him special was playing the fiddle. He went to the town’s center and started playing his instrument. The melodies that came out of it enchanted not only the people, but also the frogs. The frogs flocked to the town’s center. Then the young Flisak walked slowly out of the city through the city gates to the nearest swamps. The frogs not wanting to miss a tune followed the music. And out of the city the frogs were trotting.

The Flisak was warmly welcomed back to the city. Maybe not so warmly by the mayor, who now had to keep his promise of marriage of his daughter to a poor Flisak. But the city paid the promised money to the young fellow, who wasn’t so poor any longer. A wedding followed soon after for seven days and seven nights. The mayor had a change of heart and got to like his son-in-law. The young couple lived happily in Torun for a long time. They made the mayor even happier, when they gave him fourteen grand children. They had seven daughters and seven sons.

Barburka - Miner’s Day and a Mouse Who Started It All, Polish Tradition

Barburka is celebrated in Poland on December 4th. It honors miners, who supply us with basic daily necessities. Poland's mines include: Salt in Wieliczka, silver and lead in Olkusz, coal in Silesia, dolomite in Kujawa, copper in Lublin and sulfur in Tarnobrzeg. Enjoy the below-told coal mine story.

It happened a long time ago deep in the underground. Carol just started working as a coal miner. He was given a cart and a pick-axe and was sent to the part of a shaft with the smallest concentration of coal. After working the whole morning, Carol gathered only a small bucket of coal. Discouraged, he took a break. He was about to take a bite of his sandwich when he heard “Please give me some bread.” Poor miner thought that after working only half a day at the mine, he was already hearing voices. He took the first bite and heard it again “Please give me some bread.” Startled, he asked “Is anybody here?” All of a sudden a small mouse appeared in front of him. The mouse stretched out a hand waiting for a piece of bread. Carol tossed some crumbs and laughed “Oh, for a second I thought I heard you talking.” The mouse crunched on the crumbs greedily and then stretched out her hand again. “Sorry, I don’t have any more bread, but I’ll get you more tomorrow” – said Carol. Then in a blink of an eye, the mouse changed into an elf. Carol had heard stories of elves living underground and protecting its treasures. They were known for bringing good and bad luck. But usually it was the bad luck and that’s why the miners tried avoiding any nooks where elves could be hiding. Carol never thought he would see one. The little elf was dressed as a coal miner in black clothes with a protective helmet on his head and a pick-axe in his hands ready to work. “You shared your sandwich with me, so I’ll help you dig for some coal” – said elf and got busy with the pick-axe. A pile of pure coal was stocking up with every blow. Carol collected the last load of coal into the cart and turned to the elf saying “Thank you.” But in that moment the elf turned into a mouse and rushed away. That day Carol brought the full cart of coal.

The next day Carol was again sent to the worst part of the shaft collecting only a small bucket of coal. At the lunch break when he was about to have the first bite of his sandwich he heard “Please give me some bread” and saw a mouse in front of him with a stretched hand. Carol chuckled and again threw some crumbs. The mouse ate them all and then changed into an elf. With the pick-axe in hands ready to work the elf said “I will make you an offer. I will be your partner from now on, but I want half of your profits, not the crumbs.” “Deal” – answered Carol without thinking much. Again the day with the elf turned very successful and Carol collected the whole cart of pure coal.

The work week had ended and Carol received a large amount of money. As agreed, he went to share it with the elf. “Here you are” – said elf “I’m glad to see you.” Carol situated himself comfortably and started putting coins into two piles - “One for you, one for me.” He got to the last coin and said “The extra coin is for you.” He smiled and added “You’re, worth it. I wouldn’t have done it without you.” The elf started jumping up and down and clapping his hands out of joy “I waited for this for such a long time.” Surprised Carol said “What do you mean.” “You didn’t keep the last coin and so many before you took it for themselves or worse took it all. You know what happened to them?” – asked elf. “No” – answered Carol. “They ended up at the bottom of a hole and perished forever” the mouse continued “And you will be rewarded for keeping your word. You will always be protected from accidents and you will always collect carts full of coal.” In a flash the elf changed into a mouse and was gone forever. When Carol got home, another surprise was waiting for him, elf’s pile of coins.

Every year Carol leaves some bread in the same spot where he met the mouse. And this is how celebration of Barburka has started.

 

Bartek and the Queen Bee, Polish Legend

Torun was once a major trade center in Poland thanks to its location by the river. Many ships passed through its port, bringing spices from different corners of the world. As Torunians developed a good taste for food, they also developed the best gingerbread, which is surrounded by many legends.

A long time ago, there were many respected bakers in Torun. They baked gingerbread according to their original recipes, which they kept secret; adding some spices and aromas, creating unique signature. By tasting gingerbread, you could tell from which bakery it was.

One of those bakers had a beautiful daughter, Katharina. There were many boys, who made advances towards her. But she laughed saying, “I still have time.”

The baker hired a young apprentice, named Bartek, to help him with his growing business. The boy was hard-working, always with a smile on his face and warmly welcomed everyone.

Katharina liked spending more and more time in the bakery, listening to Bartek’s humming as he was sifting flour through a strainer or mixing dough in a big bowl.

The boy noticed the girl and with interest listened to her stories of merchants visiting the bakery who travelled far bringing interesting stories.

During the night, he baked gingerbread in the shape of hearts and handed them to Katharina as soon as she came downstairs. “This is the sweetest heart I’ve ever tasted,” commented the girl eating the sweet on the spot before her father’s eyes would catch her.

The father didn’t approve of this. He wanted somebody rich for his daughter.

Bartek in his spare time liked going to the nearest meadow, where he could feel the sun on his face, listen to the bird’s chirping and pick up some flowers for Katharina.

One day while sitting by a small lake, he heard a weak voice, “Please, help me.” He looked around and didn’t see anybody. He looked again and noticed a drowning bee. He reached for a leaf from the tree just above him and rescued the poor creature. “Thank you,” said the bee with fluttering wings shaking off the water.

He was about to return to the city when a queen bee sat on his shoulder. “You helped my bee sister and I’d like to return the good deed,” she said. “I’ll tell you a secret of how to make a sweet gingerbread. When making dough, add some honey to it.” And she was gone in a blink of an eye.

Bartek wasn’t sure if it was a dream, that simple and that quick.

On his way back to the city, he saw people rushing in all directions. “What is it?” he asked a man getting the store windows sparkling. “Oh, young fellow, you haven’t heard. The King announced his visit tomorrow.”

Dashing to the bakery, he gathered all the ingredients. Remembering the queen bee’s advise, he looked for some honey. He prepared the dough and added the sweet honey mixing all the time with love. “One turn for Katharina, two, and three… all the turns turned out to be in the name of Katharina.”

This was the most memorable night for the young apprentice. Every bakery was busy preparing for the big day in the hope of getting permits to sell in another city. The whole town was beaming with lights, the sweet scent travelled into the narrowest streets, nobody was able to sleep.

The boy was so excited, moving his legs as dancing and singing. He got the dough ready swiftly. Gathering all possible forms and even creating some shapes by himself, he poured the dough into forms. With Katharina on his mind, he put two hearts touching each other.

The ready gingerbread from the oven was spread on the table. The table was filling with chickens, dogs, cats as on a farm; even a lady and a princess and many hearts as in a fairy tale. When he pulled the last piece, his heart sank. The two hearts, while growing got connected in such a way that it didn’t look like one heart or any familiar form. “Nobody will notice,” he thought.

The morning came and the bakers decorated the tables with the nicest table cloths displaying their baking talents. Citizens dressed in their finest garments bowing, when the King passed. He went from one table to another tasting all and not skipping any to judge fairly.

He stopped at Bartek’s table the longest. He tasted one piece. It melted so fast in his mouth that he had to take another one to make sure he evaluated it justly. “Are you the talented baker, who made these delights?” the King asked.

“Yes,” the boy answered politely with his hands crossed in the back and bowing his torso slightly.

“It’s not only mouth melting, but the forms are amazing,” suddenly he laughed. “What happened here,” he pointed to some uneven form.

“That’s… ahhh,” the boy stumbled not knowing what to say about the two hearts.

“Come on. What is it?” after the King’s encouragement, Bartek explained the shape and the taste and added, “While putting together two hearts, I was thinking about Katharina the whole time.”

The King chuckled and asked, “What would you like to receive in reward for your hard work?”

“I don’t want anything,” the boy’s face radiated and added, “I have one wish. I love Katharina with all my heart. I would like her to be my wife.”

The King looked at Katharina’s father. The baker didn’t feel he could say no to the King and agreed to the marriage. 

“For your good heart, I will reward you myself. From today, you will be baking for the palace and other cities.” The one, who expected it least, received the rights to bake beyond the walls of Torun.

Shortly, the union of Bartek and Katharina was arranged. There was so much joy and dancing.

With so many clients awaiting Bartek’s baking, he had no choice, but to open his own shop and

with so much work to do, he had to hire a new apprentice to help him.

The gingerbread was enjoyed in many towns spreading its fame far and beyond Bartek’s

imagination.

 

Gdansk's Lions, Polish Legend

Gdansk once was part of the Hanseatic League due to its location by the sea. The league was composed of merchants, who controlled the trade in their towns along the Northern coast of Europe. The profits from the trade allowed them to invest in their interests. They left a legacy of monumental and breath-taking architecture. Gdansk prospered as well attracting development of arts. Many artists came to leave their mark here. Among them were outstanding sculptors. The legend brings one of them.

Some centuries ago there lived Daniel, who was a local sculptor in Gdansk. He was considered one of the best. His carvings were jaw-dropping, almost looking alive. His favorite subjects were lions. Maybe, because he made them look so alive that it was almost surprising that they were not roaring.

One day, the mayor of the city decided to decorate the Town Hall at the Long Market with a new coat of arms. The market in Gdansk was called long and not square as in most towns, because it was built in a shape of rectangle and not square. The coat of arms representing Gdansk were two lions facing each other and protecting the crown. And who would be the best candidate for this, if not the beloved sculptor Daniel.

Those times were unsteady times for Poland. Other rulers wanted to take over Poland. Gdansk was a well situated and well developed port city. So it would have been a great addition to the lands of any country.

Daniel worked very hard and as fast as he could. The chisel and hammer made noises from dawn till dark. Many times, while shaping the lions, he thought and worried about Poland. He knew that the lions were protecting the Polish crown, but wasn’t sure if help would come just in time to save the country from the enemy. Sometimes, he was so immersed in his concerns not noticing peeking nosy neighbors.

There were always some who couldn’t resist waiting till the official ceremony. One would whisper, “Did you see the lions’ paws? The claws look as they’re about to scratch somebody.” “No,” murmured the other, “Did you see the lions’ long tails as they were about whipped somebody.” And the whispers and murmurs went on and on.

When the sculpture was finished, a big celebration was prepared to unveil the new coat of arms. The townspeople dressed nicely for this occasion and gathered at the Long Market awaiting anxiously the big moment.

The mayor pulled the veil and the first reaction was, “Ah” – how amazed people were. But the second reaction was, “Oh”- there was something wrong with the carving. “Did Daniel forget how the coat of arms looks like?” yelled one. “This is a mockery!” revolted another.

The truth was that the lions were not looking at each other as they were supposed to. They were looking in the direction of the Golden Gate. “This is a tragedy,” lamented an older woman. Daniel assured everyone that there was no mistake. He explained, “The lions’ heads are towards the Golden Gate, which leads to the Royal Road. They are awaiting the Polish rulers to come and protect our city.”

The townspeople turned their heads simultaneously at the Golden Gate. “Our Daniel never disappoints,” people nodded in approval.

The long awaited help didn’t come. Poland disappeared from the map for over hundred years. One day, when flowers were opening their petals to bloom in the spring and the waves of the Baltic Sea were splashing into the Polish shores, the lions opened their manes and roared. The Poland has come back and Gdansk returned to Poland for good.

 

Torun's Gingerbread, Polish Legend

Torun once was a major trade center thanks to its location by the River Vistula. Many ships passed through its port, bringing delicacies from different corners of the world. As Torunians developed a good taste for sweets, they also developed one of the best gingerbread, which is surrounded by many legends.

The city is also famous for being the birthplace of Nicolaus Kopernikus, the Father of Astronomy. He believed that the earth rotated around the sun and during his time it was believed that the sun rotated around the earth (vice versa). A famous polish saying is “he stopped the sun and moved the earth.” But this is not our story.

A long time ago, there were many respectable bakers making gingerbread in Torun, but one of them was the most popular. He was making the sweetest mouth melting gingerbread, giving it as many shapes as his imagination would allow him; such as rounds, hearts, stars, flowers. His most elaborate were in the shape of a carriage drawn by a horse, house, princess and other folks.

He had only one daughter named Katharina. She was a quiet girl, who liked spending her time creating new meals. As she made dinners upstairs at their place, her father baked gingerbread downstairs at the bakery. The savory aroma from the meal would travel downstairs and the sweet aroma from the gingerbread would travel upstairs, attracting each other.

It would even travel outside through the opened windows and doors, attracting neighbors and friends. Many of them were regular visitors as Katharina was very welcoming and always glad to hear flattery about her food.

The ideas for new meals were coming faster than she could make them. And she was making something new almost every day. Even if it was just a different spice to a meal she already tried. She was always striving for a better taste. So it was always good to have somebody else to help them eat with so much food around.

Katharina never really baked with her father, as none of them liked the other meddling into their creative cooking or baking. But she was very observant, and from time to time would help to clean some forms or sweep the floors, if the day was very busy at the bakery. So she knew a thing or two about baking.

One day the baker got very sick and said to his daughter “Katharina, you’ve seen me making the gingerbread, why don’t you make it on your own today. If you need any directions, I’ll be upstairs resting.”

She started the fire in the oven, got all the ingredients and proceeded with making the gingerbread. She prepared the dough, added some honey and was ready to place the dough into the forms, when she suddenly realized she forgot to pull them from the shelf.

She swiftly went to get them, but they were not there, “I can’t find them. Daddy must be feeling really sick if he misplaced them. This never happens.” She didn’t want to worry him. So she came up with an idea of taking a glass and pressing medallions out of dough. She put six of them next to each other and baked them.

In the oven, the bread was beautifully growing and turning into shiny brown color smelling deliciously. Katharina was very proud of herself. But as the bread was growing, the six medallions got connected creating one loaf of gingerbread.

She briskly opened the oven door and as she was pulling the bread from the hot oven, she saw the connected medallions and her cheerful smile turned into a worry. She gasped “I don’t know if anybody will want to buy gingerbread in such shape.”

She worried unnecessarily, because all gingerbread was sold out the same day. People loved the good hearted girl so much that they named the gingerbread in the shape of six medallions with her name Katharina.

 

Warsaw's Mermaid, Polish Legend

Warsaw, the capital of Poland, survived many wars and because of that is also known as phoenix city. Phoenix means a bird that never dies. After the last war, most of the city was in ruins. But it was rebuilt and now stands proudly. The Old Town vibrates with life and colorful buildings.  A statue of a mermaid, the city symbol, is positioned in the center. The upper part of her body is a woman and the lower part is a fish. She is armed with a sword raised in her right hand and a shield in her left hand ready to protect. And this is where our story begins.

A long time ago a prince from the Mazovia region was hunting in the forests. Mazovia is a flat region filled with many lakes and thick forests. It was easy to get lost in those woods and that’s what happened to the prince.

While trying to find his way back to the castle, he reached the banks of the Vistula River and saw the most beautiful girl emerging from the water.

He looked at her golden hair, the most amazing blue eyes and then, “What’s that!” he was startled. Her lower part of the body from waste down was a fish tale covered in silver flakes. She was holding a bow and an arrow in her hands. “Don’t be afraid,” she said.

She wasn’t aiming at the prince. She was aiming in the direction where the prince should go. She shot the arrow and said, “Follow my arrow and it will lead you home and for the night good people will give you shelter.” “Thank you,” the prince responded, but the mermaid was already gone in the deep and calm waters of the river.

The prince followed the arrow, which flew almost straight above the river. It flew with such speed that the horse had a hard time catching up with it. Suddenly, he arrived at a small opening where a fisherman’s hut stood.

While the fisherman was pulling the net from the river, he saw some stranger well-dressed on a horse. The fisherman and his wife, who didn’t have much, always welcomed those who needed to rest for the night. The man was flustered as he didn’t see his poor shelter fit for the horseman looking as a prince. The fisherman didn’t know that the stranger actually was the prince.

When the prince stepped into the hut, he saw two cooing babies in a small crib looking like two peeps in a nest. The older couple, who long awaited to have a baby, now were the happy parents of twins. “This is Wars and Sawa,” the wife introduced the babies.

The cottage was tiny with basic furniture composed of the stove and wooden table with three chairs. Two for the couple and one always ready for a guest. The fourth chair was used to hold a metal bowl for washing the dishes by the fire. There was a separate room with two beds.

After the couple welcomed the prince, the wife took some freshly caught fish to clean it and make it in the already burning fireplace. During which time, the fisherman entertained the prince with stories of their lives filled with tales of animals and the guests.

“The woods might be stretching far without a view of another cottage, but they are full of animals that keep us amused.” The fisherman said, “One day a deer comes and peeks through the window as looking for company. Another day a bear comes to the river and tries to catch a fish with his paws.”

The fisherman took a sip of cold water and continued, “The woods might be thick, but they always bring us somebody new. The travelers bring stories from different corners of the country, enriching our lives. Some come from the north describing the sea, stretching so far as reaching the sky. Others come from the south describing the mountains, stretching so high as reaching the sun.”

The prince was so diverted by the stories that he hasn’t noticed when the food was served on the table. As the smell of the food awakened his appetite, the wife joined them to eat dinner.  The prince was amazed how a simple life was filled with so many rich stories.

In the morning, when it was time to leave, the prince said, “You didn’t hesitate to take a stranger in and share the little food you had and for that you will be rewarded.”

As soon as the prince returned to the castle, he named the couple as the owners of the land where the hut stood and the surrounding lands.

The couple cultivated the land where ever it was possible, planting some crops and vegetables. As a result, the land produced plenty of food.

The peaceful setting by the river left many travelers in awe.  It wasn’t long before many of those travelers decided to settle next to the couple, which welcomed anybody, who wanted to stay there.

Soon, the land by the river was dotted with many cottages creating a village. The village continued prospering and growing, later becoming a city; a city that was named Warsaw after the twins Wars and Sawa.

What happened to the mermaid? The prince never saw the mermaid again. But she was still there, watching the village grow into a city.

As more and more nets were dropped into the river, one day, she got tangled in one of them. The local fishermen upon hearing her sing released her. As she was released, she declared, “From now on, I will protect you with my sword and shield.”

So the city’s crest was decorated with the beautiful mermaid. Today, she stands in the center of the Old Town ready to protect its citizens.