The people loved King Matthias for a reason: there was no other king like him among the Hungarians. As soon as he heard that here or there his poor countrymen were being severely oppressed, he had no peace in Buda Castle - he dressed up in disguise and went from scene to scene to see the reality.
Among others, it is reported that the judge in Cluj is also oppressing the poor people. After all, King Matthias didn't need any more. He will see it for himself, and woe betide that judge if he finds the many dense complaints to be true. Besides, he had longed for Cluj-Napoca. (His birthplace is still standing: go and see it if you are in Cluj.)
But not to confuse my words, King Matthias went to Cluj in peasant clothes, and there he sat down in front of the slaughterhouse, opposite the judge's house. For he sat before the slaughterhouse at the right time. A great crowd of people carried the wood to the judge's courtyard, and a lot of men cut the wood in the courtyard. And the peasants were beside them, and with their sticks they urged the poor people, "Carry it, cut it, peasant!
All at once, a maiden catches a glimpse of King Matthias.
- "No, you, no," the maiden growled, "why are you stealing God's blessed day?! Get up, stop hanging your long nose, you vile peasant!
And to make his words more effective, he drew his stick across the back of the "long-nosed" peasant. Mátyás stood up, scratched his back, but did not move.
- Get going!
- Okay, okay, but what does kend pay?
- This, né! - cried the maiden, and put an even better one on Matthias' back.
With nothing to do, Matthias set off before the maiden.
- Into the judge's court, cut the wood, long nose!
The referee was kneeling on the porch. Matthias called to him:
- Are you the judge?
- Well, what's it to you?
- That's none of my business, but I'd like to know what you pay for felling trees?
- "Well, well, well, he's taken it, the peasant," cursed the judge, "I'll pay you in a minute! "Pull on him!" he ordered the maiden.
Well, he didn't need to be ordered, he pulled on it a third time, so that Mátyás's jacket was covered in dust.
Very well... Matthias said no more, cut the wood and carried it to the judge's cellar, but in the meantime, when no one saw him, he wrote his name in three columns with chalk. In the evening he rolled on quietly, but the next day he came again to Cluj-Napoca, this time not in his coat, but in royal dress, and instead of sitting down before the butcher's chair, he went up to his palace. At once he summoned the judge and the whole council, all in public. To the judge was his first word:
- What's the news in town, Your Honour?
- Nothing remarkable, sire. We live in silence and peace, for which we bless your majesty's name in our sleep and in our waking.
- Like this? What about the poor people of the land? Are they not oppressed by the magistrates?
- No one will oppress you, sire. Never have the people of the earth had such good things.
- Very well, Your Honour. But I'd like to walk through the city, see it all, see it all. Follow me, you serpents.
King Matthias went out, followed by the judge and all the council. They went from street to street, and suddenly they stopped in front of the judge's court.
- Oh, you have a big tree, your honour!
- "God has helped me," said the judge humbly.
- Didn't anybody else help but God? Who brought all this wood here?
- The people, sire.
- And what did you pay them?
- "They did it for free, out of love," said the judge.
- Well, I thought I heard differently... "Hey, lads," the king turned to his servants, "throw up the tape!
The lads set to work busily, and tore up the cauldron, while Matthias watched intently to see when his three trees would be ready. And they were put away.
- Look here, Your Honour. Can you read?
- "I know, sire," the judge, whose feet were already on fire, gasped.
- Read what is written in these three columns?
- Mátyás... Mátyás... Mátyás... - the judge stammered.
- Verily, if Matthias, let him know that I wrote it there. I was the long-nosed peasant, who was cut three times by the hajdú, because I refused to carry the wood without payment!
- Oh, sire! Mercy on my orphaned head!
The judge fell to his knees, the maiden also fell to her knees. Said Matthias to the maiden:
- You get up! You are a servant, you have done as your master commanded. But you, my lord, I will punish you like an example. Thou deservest the gallows, but I'll have thy head, thou oppressor of the poor people!
The people, hearing this, cried out with enthusiasm:
- Long live King Matthias! This is the truth!
...But with the death of Matthias the truth died... Even today people say: 'King Matthias died, there goes the truth...'
(Elek Benedek: Hungarian tale- and mythology Volume 3)
