The Spring of Eternal Friendship
Yvette Edina Tancsik(This story is the property and work of Yvette Edina Tancsik, who is tragically no longer with us. This story was translated with the help of Melinda Gemesi and Google Translate from the Hungarian original, which you can find here http://www.gyerekkonyvtar.bdmk.hu/editor_up/up/Orok_baratsag.pdf)
Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was a spring, called the Spring of Eternal Friendship. It was believed that those who drank from its water would be surrounded and loved by true friends throughout their lives.
Wanderers came from all over the world to drink from the legendary spring, which was on the top of a mountain, in the heart of the forest. One day news of this spring reached the ears of a thief, who had been spending his days in a nearby city.
“Why shouldn’t I try this, when I am so poor and do not have a true friend?” He thought to himself. Then he packed his few things in a bundle and headed for the high mountain. On reaching the edge of the city, however, the barking of a wild dog filled his ears. He turned in the direction of the noise, and saw a blacksmith, who was trying to calm his dog, which grabbed his owner by his clothes, trying to prevent him leaving.
“Everything will be okay, my dear Bodri! I'm leaving for a few days only! Now let me go when I say so!”
But the dog did not relent. The thief hesitated for a moment, then headed for the blacksmith's house.
"Is everything okay there, good fellow?"
The blacksmith looked at the thief, annoyed, as he was trying to persuade his dog to release his shirt-sleeve.
"It would be okay if this damned thing would let me leave for a couple of days. I wish to travel to the spring, not a mile farther.”
The thief's eyes widened.
“That’s exactly where I’m headed too! If this is the case, we could travel together and it would save us a lonely journey.”
The blacksmith glanced at the thief's torn rags, but he was not opposed to the idea. He managed to order his faithful dog back in the little yard, and packed his tools and food. They took the road to the forest, leaving the city behind. The thief would have been ashamed talking about how he earned his living, so made sure to be the one who asks questions instead:
“What are you hoping for from the spring? How come you don’t have any friends?”
The blacksmith sighed heavily. "My life is not as easy as you may think, good man. I work day and night to provide for my kids, and the pub – well, it’s the bad folks that go there, I do not belong to that crowd. That’s how I was left without friends.”
They walked in silence for a while. Slowly, they approached the forest, which was not far after all. Before they would have reached the edge of the forest, however, they saw a young man, who was sitting on the grass, crying bitterly.
“Tell us, good man, what pains you?”
“While I was fighting in the war, my beloved left me!
I loved her dearly! I am heartbroken. That's why I set off for the Spring of Eternal Friendship: for if I have no sweetheart, I should at least have friends!
"It is lucky we meet, young man," said the blacksmith, "for
we are headed for the same place. Join us, and let's drink together from the spring to become true friends.”
The soldier clambered up and the three of them walked on, as the last rays of the setting sun lit the road ahead. But it soon became apparent that the soldier had come from far away, and had reached the end of his food supplies a long time ago. He could barely carry his heavy sword, he was so famished. The other two, unfortunately, had barely enough to eat for the two of them. Luckily, the thief had an idea.
“Stay here, at the base of the tree. I'll find you something to eat.”
He turned round and ran into the woods, in the direction where some light filtered through the trees. He had been here before and knew that a group of thieves – wicked, vicious men who robbed the poor and destroyed their homes – lived in the woods in a little house. He sneaked in easily through an open window, and stuffed the snoring thieves’ food into his bundle. Like the wind, he fled from the house, and returned to the base of the tree.
The soldier did not ask anything, he was delighted with the abundance of bread and fruit. He did not have to thank the thief – his grateful eyes said enough to his companion. Soon, they were able to continue their journey through the dense trees on the ever-incling slope – they sensed they were not far from their goal. When they least expected, however, they reached a river, where there was no bridge to cross over.
“What are we to do? If we do not cross the river, we will never get to the spring!“ the blacksmith yelled with desperation.
The soldier, without a word, went to a nearby tree, and using his heavy sword, started felling it. Soon it became clear what he was up to: making a bridge to cross over. It was not more than ten minutes before he had managed to make such big logs, which the three could lift up and use to cross the fast-running water. Clinging to each other, they grabbed the shore on the other side of the river and pulled each other onto the bank. Drenched and panting, they were out of the water. But their joy was short lived, for the soldier saw that his dear sword, that he fought with in so many battles, has almost bent under the strain. Tears welled up in his eyes and wearily he sank to the ground.
But the blacksmith knew what to do: he reached for his heavy tools and got to work. He turned the blade, rolled the broken sword between his strong hands, until there was nothing more than a little crack left on the blade. The solider did not know what to say.
"Don't mention it," the smith smiled. “Let's walk on, it'll be dawn soon. We can reach the spring by sunrise.”
They kept quiet on the uphill, as it became more and more difficult to climb. They were hungry and thirsty, the mountain was towering high above them, but they knew they were close to the summit. Finally, as the leaves around them were touched by the first rays of the sun, they saw the spring.
It was beautiful: its silver waters gurgling quietly on the hilltop. Together they bent forward close to the ground and looked at each other. Without a word, the three drank from the water. A moment passed. They stood up, and without any doubt they felt that immediately, they became heartfelt, best friends. They hugged each other with happy tears in their eyes. They could have never suspected, and they never found out, that the magic attributed to the spring was nothing more than legend.
