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Kolontos Palkó (Hungarian folk tale)

Author: I'll tell you

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(Colontos: distracted, absent-minded - ed.)

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There was once a lad. One day he took his little donkey and went through a big forest. As he went, he met an old woman.

He was picking up some dry twigs to take home. As soon as Palko arrived, the old woman asked him to help her, because the twig was heavy, to tie it on his back. Palko said:

- I'll help you, just stand here by the tree, old woman.

The old woman stood by the tree, and Palko tied her up with the twig. When the old woman was about to get up, she couldn't. She was very angry, she said:

- Stop, Palko, I curse you for this deed!

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Then the old woman turned into a black cat, came out from under the rope and said:

- I'll curse you if your donkey always says what you say.

Palko had a good laugh about it.

- After all, it's not much of a curse.

He wanted to move on, but the donkey would not start. He said to the donkey:

- Come on, girl!

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Then the donkey called it off:

- Come on, girl!

For a long time, they argued. Palko hit the chachi in vain, but the chachi would not start. But she was so angry that she kicked Palko in the side and he fell into a big puddle. He started shouting:

- Help, help!

That the donkey had heard, he started it too:

- Help, help!

As he was wailing there, the lumberjacks went by, took pity on him and pulled Palko out of the puddle. They ask who the other man was who shouted, "Help, help, help! Palko laughed and said:

- Abizony was my donkey.

The people were angry and said they would take Palko straight to the king to be judged.

They took him away, and the king pronounced the death sentence on Palko. Palko says he doesn't mind if he dies, just take his donkey to say goodbye to him. When they had brought the donkey, Palko knelt down before the king and began to say:

- Have mercy on my orphaned head, my king, for I am truly innocent.

The donkey, hearing what Palko said, knelt down and told him:

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- Have mercy on my orphaned head, my king, for I am truly innocent.

The king laughed at him and set Palko free, and kept him and his donkey there as court fools.

(Ágnes Kovács: Folk tales for kindergarten children)

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