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.