Once upon a time there was a poor man who had as many children as a rosta goose, and one more. The poor man was sad and worried about what to do with all those children. He told them enough to go to the service, but each was more timid than the last, and all gaped at his father. Well, it wasn't quite like that.
The youngest was a clever lad, he could not watch his brothers standing around all day, he would go away, he told his father, and not stop until he found a good place. But the poor man did not mind, let him go: there would be one less bread-winner in the house.
The youngest lad went, he went, he went through hills and valleys, and at evening he came to a village. There he learned that there was a strong rich man in the village, who had as many sheep as there were stars in the sky, and was looking for a shepherd to tend his flock. He went straight to the great shepherd and told him what he could do.
- 'You've come just in time,' said the farmer, 'because I've lost my shepherd. I will hire you, and if you will keep my sheep for a year, you will not regret it.
They agreed that if none of the flock failed, he would give them a golden-haired lamb, and they could live on it for two days.
- Here's my hand, not a pig's foot! - said the lad, and they shook hands in Hungarian.
The shepherd gave him a beautiful solo flute, and the lad drove the flock out into the meadow.
Let it be said, the sheep-keeper had three days in the year, but no bachelor had ever yet been able to serve the year, for he had to be on his feet day and night, and if he only closed his eyes, he lost enough sheep from the flock to last a poor man a lifetime.
Well, this lad hasn't fallen asleep. When he was a little sleepy, he took up his flute, and blew and blew, and, Lord, my Creator, as many sheep as there were, all danced. The golden-haired lamb was not left behind, for he danced before him, but so beautifully, so well, that it was a wonder.
When the year was over, he drove the flock home, took his flute to the gate, blew and blew, and the sheep went dancing into the yard. There stood the farmer in the middle of the yard, counting his sheep, but his eyes were sparkling when he saw that not one of the flock was at fault.
- 'Well, lad,' said he, 'I am old, I have eaten my fill, but I have never had such a servant. I have promised thee, and I will give thee the golden-haired lamb, and thou shalt have good luck.
Hey, the lad was happy, his joy was out of place. He bade his master a proper farewell, and went home with the golden-haired lamb. They walked, they walked, they walked slowly, and by evening they came to a village. There the lad asked for lodging with a good farmer, who said:
- God's quarters, come in, my brother.
He went into the house, but he took the golden-haired lamb with him. But they watched and admired the lamb! The maid in particular watched and admired him for a long time, she could not close her eyes all night, all she could think of was the golden-haired lamb. She thought so long that she got out of bed and went to the lamb.* He thought that while the lad was asleep he would take the lamb out and hide it somewhere. She thought well, for as soon as she laid her hand on it, it stuck to the lamb's hair. There, indeed, both his hands were. Meanwhile the dawn was breaking, and the lad was awake. He saw the maiden clinging to the lamb's back, and he wondered what he should do. He would go on with the lamb, and let the girl come with him.
So he did, and as soon as they reached the street, he took out his flute and blew and blew. The lamb danced, and the girl on her lamb's back, and the street was dusty with her. A woman saw this, who had just put bread in the oven, and ran out with her baking-slate, and struck the girl, and scolded her fiercely:
- Here, here, you fool of the world! Have you no shame for a girl?! Here, here!
For it was not long before he scolded and beat her, for suddenly the shovel was stuck to the girl's back, the woman to the shovel's handle, and the lad just kept on blowing, blowing his solo flute. The lamb danced on the lamb's back, the girl on the lamb's back, the woman on the shovel's handle, and so they went down the street.
As they were coming to the front of the church, the priest was coming out, followed by the crowds. The people laughed, but the priest, greatly offended at the desecration of the feast day, ran up and struck the woman with his staff. But he struck him only once, the stick stuck to the woman's back, the priest to the end of the stick, and the priest danced after the others.
The old women beat their palms together and started shouting and wailing:
- Oh, dear, they'll take our golden-mouthed priest away, don't let them, men and women!
Well, then all the people of the village, they take hold of the priest to pull him back, but as soon as they put their hands on him, they all got stuck. And the bachelor blew on, blew on his flute, and the lamb danced, and on the lamb's back the girl, and on the girl's back the baking-scoop, and on the baking-scoop's end the baking-woman, and on the baking-woman's back the stick, and on the stick's end the priest, and after the priest the whole village.
So they arrived in a city. It happened to be the city of the king. There the lad entered a manger, put his flute in a bag, and let the lamb rest awhile, and the whole village with lambs.
He asks the skater:
- What kind of city is this?
Says the skater:
- This is the city of the king.
Word gets around, and the skater tells him that the king is very sad because he has a beautiful daughter who has never laughed. He has proclaimed in his kingdom that he will give his daughter to whoever can make her laugh, but so far they have tried in vain, and the king's wife is as sad as the three days of rain.
"Well," thought the lad, "I'll try my luck and see if I can make him laugh."
He went to the king's court, the lamb by his side, the whole village after him, but he did not make them dance in the street. He announces himself to the king, and says he will try to make the princess laugh.
- 'Very well, my son,' said the king, 'try, but if you don't make him laugh, I'll have your head on a spike.
- "One life, one death, I'll try," said the lad, "but let the princess stand on the porch.
Then he went down to the courtyard, and the king and his daughter stood on the porch, waiting to see what the poor lad could do.
After all, you've just shown what you can do. He just took his flute and blew it, blew it, blew it, and - gone, foolish mind, all that you had is gone! - The lamb danced, the girl on the lamb's back, the baker's shovel on the girl's back, the baker's wife on the shovel's handle, the baker's wife on the baker's back, the priest at the end of the stick, and the whole village after the priest.
Well, the world has never seen such dancing, laughed the king, but then his daughter! Her tears were shed, and the palace rang with laughter. And the lamb leaped even higher, and all at once the girl was taken off her back, the spade off her back, the baker's wife off her spade, the stick off her back, the priest off his stick, the whole village off his priest, and so they danced in unison.
And now the king was begging them to stop dancing, because he was dying, and his daughter was dying from all the laughter. Well, if so, the lad put away his flute, and suddenly the dancing was over.
- 'Hear, shepherd boy,' said the king, 'you have made my daughter laugh, so I will give her to you, and with her half my kingdom.
The priest was kept there, and he married the young people. The village remained in the courtyard, and even the gypsy became a lord. The king, who had become a shepherd boy, suddenly sent six-horse carriages for his father and his brothers. All these became great lords.
They are still alive today, if they are not dead.
(Elek Benedek: Hungarian tale- and mythology Volume 1)
