THE SORCERERS STONE OR THE SNAKE QUEEN

MANY YEARS AGO IN THE POLISH CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS, THERE
LIVED A POOR MAN NAMED BACA. HE LIVED IN A HOUSE MADE
OUT OF CLAY AND HAD A SMALL FLOCK OF SHEEP AND TWO BEST
FRIENDS WHO WERE A CAT AND A DOG.
HE WAS RENTING A SMALL VALLEY FROM A LANDLORD. EVERY
YEAR THE POOR MAN HAD TO PAY FOR IT AND IT WAS VERY
HARD TO DO.
ONE TIME, BACA WAS WALKING THROUGH A FOREST AND HE
HEARD A QUIET VOICE. "MAN, SAVE ME." HE LOOKED BACKWARD
AND HE SAW A SNAKE IN A BURNING BUSH. BACA WAS AFRAID
OF IT, SO HE ONLY HANDLED IT BY USING HIS CANE. THE
SNAKE WAS SAFE AND STARTED TO TALK TO HIM IN A HUMAN
VOICE. "THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SAVING MY LIFE." "WOULD
YOU WAIT FOR ME A LITTLE?"
AFTER A TIME THE SNAKE CAME WITH A VALUABLE GEM. IT WAS
SO SHINY THAT BACA HAD TO COVER HIS EYES. THE STONE HAD
THE POWER OF FORTUNE TELLING. FROM THAT TIME, BACA'S
HOUSE WAS WITH EVERYTHING.
WHEN SPRING CAME THE SERVANTS OF THE LAND OWNER CAME TO
COLLECT PAYMENT AND SAW ALL THE WEALTH IN THE HOUSE AND
WERE VERY AMAZED. A STORM WAS COMING AND THEY DECIDED
TO STAY THE NIGHT. THEY SAW THE VALUABLE FORTUNE TELLING
GEM THAT LIGHTED THE WHOLE HOUSE. THEY WERE VERY
INTERESTED IN IT AND STARTED TO ASK BACA WHERE HE GOT IT
FROM. HE TOLD THEM THE TRUTH ABOUT THE STONE AND ITS
POWER. THE SERVANTS WENT BACK AND TOLD THE LANDLORD
ABOUT THE STONE.
THE LANDLORD DECIDED TO VISIT THE HOUSE AND SEE FOR
HIMSELF. WHEN HE ENTERED BACA'S HOUSE HE TOLD HIM THAT
THE STONE BELONGED TO HIM. BACA BEGGED HIM TO LEAVE
THE STONE, BUT THE LANDLORD TOOK THE STONE WITH HIM.
THROUGH ALL THE COMMOTION THE CAT AND DOG WERE
LISTENING. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE LANDLORD LEFT THEY
WENT AFTER HIM TO HIS CASTLE. THE LANDLORD HID THE
MAGIC STONE IN HIS WALLET AND WENT TO BED WITH IT.
WHEN THE LANDLORD FELL FAST ASLEEP THE CAT AND DOG
ENTERED HIS BEDROOM VERY QUIETLY AND TOOK THE WALLET
WITH THE STONE.
AFTER A LONG JOURNEY, THEY CAME TO BACA'S HOUSE.
THERE TOGETHER WITH BACA THEY DECIDED TO LEAVE THE
VALLEY OF THE LANDLORD. THEY WENT FAR AWAY, PAST THE
HILLS AND FORESTS AND MADE THEIR HOME FAR AWAY FROM
OTHER PEOPLE. THEY HAD ALL THE WEALTH THEY NEEDED AND
LIVED VERY HAPPILY EVERY AFTER.

Submitter comment: POLISH, HANDWRITTEN TEXT IS ATTACHED TO TYPEWRITTEN
ENGLISH TEXT.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HAMTRAMCK ; POLAND ; LEZAJSK

Date learned: 00-00-1955