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.