Our Advent Riddle: Who Knows This Magical Land?
This is a fairy tale told on an island – but do you know which? (Illustration: Andreas Lechner)
3 December 2012
Not that we want you to think that we at The Latest at Goethe are telling tales, but, well, we are – four times – at least during this Advent. And if you can tell us from whence the respective story originated, you will be receiving post from that very country. It begins, as it should, with a star.
Once upon a time, when the fragrance of anise, cloves and warm red wine filled the air, a fragrance that comes but once a year at that time when the days are short and cold, all in the land retreat into their warm cottages to sip at cups of hot tea and to nibble on their Christstollen or gingerbread. And when the nights outside become dark and nasty, the people sit around the fireplace and tell tales. The Christmas story for one, but also other Yule prose and poetry. For instance, how well we remember Loriot’s contemplative verse, in which, as the little deer rested its head and the bunny shut its eyes, the woodsman’s wife set out to slay her spouse and – carefully dividing him up in six little packages – gave him to Santa’s helper Knecht Ruprecht to carry on his journeys. It warms the heart.
Others, in turn, look forward to the mostly televisionary presentation of the story of the Little Lord or recollect the good old fairy tales.
This year, we – inspired by the Grimms’s anniversary – will do the same, yet for once not in the homeland of the two brothers, but outside in the wide world. For almost every country has its own rich treasure of special tales. We will present four of these fairy stories to you over the coming weeks. Each of them comes from a land where the Goethe-Institut is represented. Our colleagues there picked them out for you with love – especially low-calorie nuts for the Advent weeks. Everyone who cracks one of the nuts will be sent post from the country that they guessed correctly, written personally by a language learner at the Goethe-Institut. The German students would also be happy to receive a response: whosoever wishes can thank the sender by email.
And here is our first fairy tale for you:
Beauty with the Gold Star
Once upon a time there was a handsome young man. His greatest desire was to find the Beauty with the Gold Star. However, it was told that she was held captive in a castle by an evil enchantment.
One day, the young man gathered all of his courage together, packed his sword and rode off on his horse to search for her. He searched for weeks and weeks in vain, until one evening he lost his way in the woods. All of a sudden, he heard delightful music and saw bright lights approaching. Seven fairies appeared and danced before his eyes. They asked him how he had come there and warned him against many dangers that awaited him. Yet, when they saw that he would not be dissuaded from his plan, each of the fairies gave him a nut that he should use when he was in danger. Then, they disappeared.
The young man rode on and met an old man, who was stirring a kettle over the fire with a long stick. The rider asked him what he was doing and the old man replied, “I have been stirring this kettle for 3,000 years now and I will never be allowed to stop. This is my condemnation.”
“What are you stirring then, old man?” asked the rider.
“I am stirring the vices of humanity. So that the virtues, which are also in the pot, do not disappear. I stir to keep the balance.”
The young man was determined to help the old man. He took over the stirring so that the man could sleep. When he carried on his journey the next day, the old man gave him a hair from his white beard to help him in his search for the Beauty with the Gold Star. He also told him that he must cross seven rivers, seven mountains and seven forests full of peril.
The rider continued his search. The rivers, mountains and forests were truly perilous. Yet, the young man overcame them all by cracking three of the nuts given to him by the fairies. And miraculously, each of the obstacles disappeared before his eyes. The young man rode on and on until a castle appeared before him shining like a diamond. The closer he came to the castle, the more skeletons he saw laying at his feet. He shuddered in fear.
Shortly before reaching the castle, a dragon blocked his path and they began to battle. The young man tried to lop off its head, but suddenly the dragon transformed into a crocodile and tried to devour both the rider and his horse. At the last moment, the young man was able to crack another nut and the crocodile turned into an old man, and he cut off his head. He put his head in his sack and rode on towards the castle.
The beauty stood at the window of the castle. On her forehead was a golden star that shone so brightly that the young man stood still as if blinded. He had never before seen such beauty. She, as well, was overcome by the sight of him. She opened the gate for him, but suddenly a monster appeared that wanted to eat him. Again, the young man grasped his sword, yet his strength was at an end. He quickly cracked one of the remaining nuts and the beast transformed into an old woman. The young man cut her head off, too, and packed it in his sack.
His beloved called out to him that he would have to slay a serpent with seven poisonous tongues to finally break the enchantment. She tied a rope to his belt and let him down into a dark dungeon. The dungeon was full of smoke and a horrible stench. She asked the young man to throw the cut-off heads onto the floor to make the stench and smoke disappear. He did as he was bidden, but then the room appeared to grow bigger and bigger and everything blurred before his eyes. Full of desperation, he cracked the sixth nut. Shortly thereafter, he saw a gleam of light emerging from a room. There he found the serpent that had tried to kill him with its seven poisonous tongues. The young man cracked the seventh nut and the serpent turned stiff. He cut off all of its tongues and the serpent fell dead to the ground. He then pulled on the rope on his belt and the Beauty with the Gold Star pulled him back up.
However, when she caught sight of him, she turned her back on him and ran into her chamber. For two months, the rider begged her to allow him to enter. Finally, he took the hair from the beard of the old man at the fire and flung it at the Beauty with the Gold Star. Finally, the evil enchantment was lifted. They embraced, gathered up the treasures from the castle and returned to the young man’s village. There, they married and lived happily ever after.
Once upon a time there was a handsome young man. His greatest desire was to find the Beauty with the Gold Star. However, it was told that she was held captive in a castle by an evil enchantment.
One day, the young man gathered all of his courage together, packed his sword and rode off on his horse to search for her. He searched for weeks and weeks in vain, until one evening he lost his way in the woods. All of a sudden, he heard delightful music and saw bright lights approaching. Seven fairies appeared and danced before his eyes. They asked him how he had come there and warned him against many dangers that awaited him. Yet, when they saw that he would not be dissuaded from his plan, each of the fairies gave him a nut that he should use when he was in danger. Then, they disappeared.
The young man rode on and met an old man, who was stirring a kettle over the fire with a long stick. The rider asked him what he was doing and the old man replied, “I have been stirring this kettle for 3,000 years now and I will never be allowed to stop. This is my condemnation.”
“What are you stirring then, old man?” asked the rider.
“I am stirring the vices of humanity. So that the virtues, which are also in the pot, do not disappear. I stir to keep the balance.”
The young man was determined to help the old man. He took over the stirring so that the man could sleep. When he carried on his journey the next day, the old man gave him a hair from his white beard to help him in his search for the Beauty with the Gold Star. He also told him that he must cross seven rivers, seven mountains and seven forests full of peril.
The rider continued his search. The rivers, mountains and forests were truly perilous. Yet, the young man overcame them all by cracking three of the nuts given to him by the fairies. And miraculously, each of the obstacles disappeared before his eyes. The young man rode on and on until a castle appeared before him shining like a diamond. The closer he came to the castle, the more skeletons he saw laying at his feet. He shuddered in fear.
Shortly before reaching the castle, a dragon blocked his path and they began to battle. The young man tried to lop off its head, but suddenly the dragon transformed into a crocodile and tried to devour both the rider and his horse. At the last moment, the young man was able to crack another nut and the crocodile turned into an old man, and he cut off his head. He put his head in his sack and rode on towards the castle.
The beauty stood at the window of the castle. On her forehead was a golden star that shone so brightly that the young man stood still as if blinded. He had never before seen such beauty. She, as well, was overcome by the sight of him. She opened the gate for him, but suddenly a monster appeared that wanted to eat him. Again, the young man grasped his sword, yet his strength was at an end. He quickly cracked one of the remaining nuts and the beast transformed into an old woman. The young man cut her head off, too, and packed it in his sack.
His beloved called out to him that he would have to slay a serpent with seven poisonous tongues to finally break the enchantment. She tied a rope to his belt and let him down into a dark dungeon. The dungeon was full of smoke and a horrible stench. She asked the young man to throw the cut-off heads onto the floor to make the stench and smoke disappear. He did as he was bidden, but then the room appeared to grow bigger and bigger and everything blurred before his eyes. Full of desperation, he cracked the sixth nut. Shortly thereafter, he saw a gleam of light emerging from a room. There he found the serpent that had tried to kill him with its seven poisonous tongues. The young man cracked the seventh nut and the serpent turned stiff. He cut off all of its tongues and the serpent fell dead to the ground. He then pulled on the rope on his belt and the Beauty with the Gold Star pulled him back up.
However, when she caught sight of him, she turned her back on him and ran into her chamber. For two months, the rider begged her to allow him to enter. Finally, he took the hair from the beard of the old man at the fire and flung it at the Beauty with the Gold Star. Finally, the evil enchantment was lifted. They embraced, gathered up the treasures from the castle and returned to the young man’s village. There, they married and lived happily ever after.
Next Monday, we will reveal the answer. Until then, you have time to send us your guess – but please only one per country. And because it’s you, we’ll give you a little hint: Of all the four tales we will present to you, this one is closest to Germany geographically. The region it comes from is a beautiful island; crocodiles do not live there, but there is one who breathes fire, although it is not a dragon.
So, tell us: Where must the young man cross over seven rivers?
This riddle is already ended. The correct answer was: Italy. Of course, we also count “Sicily” as correct, for this is where the fairy tale originated. Unlike many folk tales passed down orally, the story of the Beauty with the Gold Star even has a documented author: the writer Giuseppe Pitrè (1841-1916). The tale was retold to us by Patrizia Barba.
To find the next fairy tale from our Advent Riddle, click here.
-db-
