ESL Blogs

A winter fairy tale 

Once upon a time, at a cold winter night, someone knocked on the door of an old wooden house near the forest.

In the house lived an old couple with their dog and a speaking parrot. They both were hard of hearing, so they did not notice that someone was knocking. Only the parrot heard it and immediately started to raise its voice like an alarm bell.

Why is someone ringing the doorbell so vehemently? the man muttered while getting up. Now he heard the knocking on the door and opened, but there was nobody outside. Such a bad joke! He cursed.

But then he noticed a small bundle on the ground, covered by a blanket. Although nearly deaf, the man heard crying.

He took that bundle into the warm house, and his wife, already awake, opened the blanket. There was a newborn little girl.

She must have been born a few minutes earlier because she was wearing no clothes other than something like a handkerchief instead of a diaper. The mother of the baby should not be far away, thought der man, took a lantern and went in search of her.

He had not to go far to see her. She was a very young sobbing girl, covering her eyes with her hands.

The man took her hand and led her into the house. 

The old couple asked the young girl: Why put you the baby in front of our door? She could freeze to death! The girl cried louder and said: I was close to her until I heard you open the door. I wanted to be sure someone would take her.

But why do you want to give away your baby?

I am not married, and my parents told me to go away and called me a bad girl. I had a boyfriend who left me when I told him about my pregnancy. My parents wanted me to go to a doctor for an abortion, but I refused. So they forced me to leave their house forever. I went to the forest, and I found a hut not far from here. It was alright for me during the summer. I gathered berries, mushrooms, and sometimes I stole some bread if a farmers wife had put it on the table outside her kitchen for cooling. I know it was wrong to steal, but I was so hungry and had to care for my unborn baby.

The old couple, touched by the sad story, wanted the girl to stay. The old lady warmed up the soup that remained from their last dinner for the young mother. After the meal was over, the old lady wanted the young girl to sleep in the house. She also gave her some clothes from her grandchildren for the baby.

The grandchildren had moved with their parents to another country. The parents had found jobs there, and when they had a little money left, they always sent it to the old couple. Unfortunately, they never earned enough money to return.

None of them had seen each other for many years, and the only wish of the old couple was to see them before passing away.

The young girl stayed, and the old couple shared everything with her. Some months passed. The old couple slept together in one bed. It was not comfortable, but they did not complain.

One day, in the morning, when the old couple woke up, there was a smell of freshly baked bread in the air. The young girl set the table, and the old couple looked at her with wide-open eyes. They hardly believed what they were seeing.

The girl wore a beautiful dress, and the baby was not a baby anymore but a seven-year child.

The table was full of delicious food, as there were bread, butter, jam, eggs and cheese, fresh fruits, and more too much for three adults and a kid. 

When the couple came up to the table, they saw there eight plates, eight cups, and eight sets of cutlery. They were wondering what had happened, but before they could ask the pretty girl, someone knocked on the door, and they also heard loud voices coming from outside. Come in, please, the door is open, said the pretty girl.

The door opened, and two adults and two children came in.

Suddenly, the old lady stared as if she had seen the ghosts. But then she opened her arms and embraced all of them at once. She laughed and cried at the same time.

Her husband was speechless and did not understand what was going on; he was unable to see well because he had forgotten to put on his glasses. But then he recognized his son and his family. His eyes became wet, and some tears ran over his cheeks.

Later, when all of them sat down the table, the old couple was blissfully happy, and they asked their son how he had been able to afford the plane tickets.

He told his parents that one day he had gotten a letter with a lottery ticket. The sender told him to watch the next drawing on the coming weekend on TV. That had been one month before. First, he thought someone had played an evil trick on him, but then he got curious to see what would happen.

To his surprise, it was not a trick. He got five hundred thousand dollars.

He took the money, purchased the air tickets for himself and his family, and they flew home.

After their arrival, they stayed at a hotel in the city, near the village of his parents. He bought a large house for the family and his parents as well as a small workshop where he could work. As to the rest of the money, he wanted to save it, just in case.

While the son was telling his story, nobody noticed that both girls left the house. They left a piece of paper with a note.

You saved our lives. Although you are poor, you shared everything you had with us.

You both have compassionate hearts. That will be honoured and rewarded now.

We are fairies and have tested you. You have passed the test.

Here is our reward. Your son will be with you and care for you as long as you live.

We know, he saved the rest of the money of the lottery.

This remaining amount of money will never decrease.

We left because our mission is over.

We wanted to find proof that humanness exists on earth.

We found it with you. That gives us hope.

The old couple lived happily with their son and his family. They never more lacked in anything.

                                                      ----------The End----------------