Verhovayak Lapja, 1947 (30. évfolyam, 1-24. szám)
1947 / Verhovay Journal
PAGE 12 Verhovay Journal CHILDREN’S CORNER 'THE SHEPHERD OF KING MATTHIAS — Hungarian Folk Tale — King Matthias, the just, had a shepherd whom he liked a great deal because he’d never tell a lie. Now, once the king of Bessarabia visited writh King Matthias and, at the dinner table, they came to talk about this honest shepherd of Matthias, the just, who praised him to the sky for his truthfulness and flatly asserted that there is no money in the world by which he could be tempted to lie. “Well”, said the Bessarabian king, “I don’t care what you say, but I don’t believe it.” “No? Let’s bet!” “Alright, what’s the wager?” “If you can make my shepherd lie, I’ll give you half of my country. But if you can’t, you give me half of yours.” “It’s a bet!” — said the Bessarabian and they shook hands. They kept on talking about this and that, but the Bessarabian king was restless and preoccupied. He couldn’t forget for a moment that he would only have to win the bet in order to gain half of King Matthias’ beautiful country. And he had no doubt he’d win but he had to think up a real good scheme to make sure that he could prove the shepherd a liar. Now the king of Bessarabia knew that Matthias, the just, owned a golden sheep which, too, was in the care of the shepherd. And so he thought he would go to the shepherd and promise him a great treasure for the golden sheep so that he wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation to sell it. And, then, when king Matthias would call him to account for the sheep, he just couldn’t help lying and thus, he, the king of Bessarabia, would win the bet. Next morning the king went out to the shepherd. He disguised himself as a traveller and greeted him: “Good morning, shepherd.” “Good morning, your majesty.” — replied the shepherd. “How did you guess I am a king?” — asked the surprised visitor. “You walk like a king.” — replied the shepherd. “Well, it’s alright if you know who I am. Do you know why I came?” “I’ll know, if you tell me.” — replied the shepherd. “I came to buy that golde*i sheep from you.” “I can’t sell the sheep”, replied the shepherd,” for it belongs to the king and what would he say if I were to sell his favorite sheep?” “Oh, come on”, smiled the king, “you don’t have to tell him that you sold it! Tell him that the wolves have grabbed his sheep.” “I coundn’t do that.” — replied the shepherd — “I never told a lie and I won’t start now.” “Come, come, you never have been rich either, but if you do me this little favor, I’ll make you the biggest lord in my country. I’ll give you hundred thousand gold pieces, the largest castle in seven lands, a golden carriage with six of the finest horses. How about it?” “Nothing doing.” — replied the shepherd — “But look here, King, if you are so anxious to get that sheep, why don’t you buy it from king Matthias? Surely, it would cost you less than you are offering me?” Of ocurse, that didn’t suit the Bessarabian king and so- he gave it up for the moment and went home to think up a new plan. Now this king had a daughter and as kings’ daughters go? she was exceedingly beautiful. Why, she was so beautiful that when she tool: a walk in the garden at night, the moon and the stars hid their faces in shame and still there was more light than at high noon of a clear summer day. Every man has a weakness, thought the Bessarabian king, and maybe the beauty of his daughter will achieve what couldn’t be done with money. So he called his daughter and told her all about his plan. Seeing that this was a matter of high politics, the daughter agreed to help her beloved father and so she dolled herself up real nicely and went out to see the shepherd. "Hello, poor shepherd!” — she called to him when they met and as she smiled at him her charming voice rang with the sweetness of thousand silver bells. “Hello, Princess” — replied the shepherd — “what are you doing out here at this time of the evening?” “I’ll tell you shepherd.” — said the princess and looked at him with her great, big beautiful eyes that made the poor shepherd’s heart turn over in his chest. “I’d like to buy your golden sheep.” “I can’t sell that sheep, for it J isn’t mine.” “But look, what I brought you!” — exclaimed the Princess and opened her large bag that was filled , with the most gorgeous stones, dia- [ monds, pearls and gold pieces. “All ■ this is yours and more will be com- 1 ing, if you only let me have that j sheep.” And again she looked at him, so softly, so yearningly, that the poor shepherd could hardly breath from | his great love for the beautiful princess. He sighed deeply and said: “Princess, there isn’t the gold in the world for which I’d sell the golden sheep of my king. But if you give me a kiss — I don’t care what happens to me, you can have the sheep . . .” The princess thought, but just for a few moments. It wasn’t hard to make up her mind. After all, half a country for a kiss, that wasn’t a bad bargain at all. And so she put | her arms around the shepherd and gave him a kiss . . . And then she walked home with the golden sheep. There was great rejoicing in the palace of the Bessarabian king as the princess arrived with the coveted golden sheep. Of course, the battle wasn’t won yet, for everything depended on the shepherd’s lie. But the king was sure that the shepherd couldn’t speak the truth. Next morning he got up early and went- to visit king Matthias, the just, for he had to be present when the shepherd was caught in a lie. In the meantime the poor shep- ! herd spent a restless night. Yes, he was sorely tempted to lie to his king about the sheep. But what should he say? Poor, honest soul, he couldn’t think of anything. And so morning came and he got up with a heavy heart and started out to the king to give him the bad tidings. But how, oh how? He stopped, and sticking his staff in the ground put his hat upon it and bowing before it as if he were facing the king, he rehearsed: “Your Majesty, I have bad news.” “Out with it, my honest friend.” “The golden sheep fell in the well ...” “Liar!” — thundered the king — “Why didn’t any other sheep fall in the well?” The poor shepherd shook his head, picked up his hat and staff and -went on. Then he stopped again, stuck his staff in the ground, put his hat on top of it and addressed his king: “Your Majesty, I have bad news.” “Speak up, honest shepherd.” “The wolves came last night and grabbed the golden shepp.” “You lie!” —- thundered the king — “why didn’t they grab the rest of the sheep.” The poor shepherd sighed. None of his lies would do any good. Thus he arrived at the King’s palace and there in the garden they sat: King Matthias, the just, the King of Bessarabia and his daughter. The shepherd stopped. And suddenly a happy thought came to him. He smiled and happily he advanced. “Good morning King Matthias, the Just, good morning, King of Bessarabia, good morning Princess!” — he said. “Good morning, honest shepherd!” — replied king Matthias — “what is news?” “Not much, your Majesty, except that I traded your golden sheep for a beautiful black sheep. But your Majesty, I assure you it was' an excellent bargain, for the black sheep is thousand times more beautiful than your golden sheep.” “You don’t say! And where is that black sheep?” “She is sitting right at your side, Majesty!” — said the shepherd and pointed at the blushing princess. And King Matthias, the just, jumped up and embraced his shepherd and said: “Thank God, you didn’t lie!” Then he turned to the Bessarabian king and said: “Well brother, you lost. Pay urn!” And the King of Bessarabia had to pay. Half of his country went to King Matthias who was so happy about nothaving lost half of his own country that he gave half of Bessarabia to his honest shepherd. And that gave the Bessarbian King an idea. He, too, gave a present to the shepherd. Yes, you guessed it. He gave him his beautiful daughter in marriage and thus, of course, the country of Bessarabia was not divided because the shepherd went there with his bride and became later the King of Bessarabia. Everybody was happy, but most of all the people of Bessarabia for, at last, they had an honest King. Play the game as hard as you may, but always within the rules, is a lesson that cannot be too often or too strongly emphasized in training youth. — Boy Ranger. NOTICE TO MEMBERS OF DETROIT BRANCH M. 62 Those members of Branch M.62 of the former Workingmen’s Sick Benefit Federation, who have joined Branch 36, Detroit, Mich., are notified herewith that our regular monthly meetings are held on the first Sunday of each month, beginning at 1 P.M., at 8005 West Jefferson Avenue, in the auditorium. Monthly dues will be accepted, also, during the following office hours: from Monday to Friday between 3 P.M., and 4:30 P.M., and on Saturday from 12 o’clock to 4:30 P.M. At this time, I wish to extend a cordial welcome to all the new members of Branch 36. STEPHEN LUKACS, Manager. September 10, 1947 WHIMSIES by . Martha Araway Winburne, Pa. Joe — What's de name ob dat dog yo’ had? Moe — Ah call him “Beneficence”. Joe — Dat’s a nice name, but wha’ fo’ yo’all call him dat ? Moe — Well, one day I say to him “Dog, yo’all is too lazy to even chase a coon. Why don’ yo’ jes’ go an’ jump in de lake”, and dat’s jes’ whar he been evah since. “Johny, give me the name of a river in the United States’, said the teacher to a rather outstanding pupil. “Mrs. Miller”, he said brightly. “Why, Johny, what on earth do you mean?” she inquired. “Well,” he said, “Mrs. Miller has waves in her hair, cataracts on her eyes, plenty of curves and bends, she’s big at the mouth, she gushes and she’s all wet. And besides that, every time something happens on our street, she goes rolling out to see.” The teacher, knowing that Dan- I nie was going under in his arith- J metic, wanted to help pull him above j failing so shq concentrated quite a lot on him during class recitation. One day she said, “Dannie, if your mother gave you ten dollars to go on an errand to the grocery store and you lost seven dollars on your way, what would you have left?” Dannie didn’t hesitate a minute. “I’d have left home,” he said. SMILES Mr.: “Why does a woman say she’s been shopping when she hasn’t bought a thing?” Mrs.: “Why does a man say he’s been fishing when he hasn't caught anything?” The sick bay was filled with men in pain. The air was filled with groaning. The doctor was filled with wit again. “Good moaning, men, good moaning!” The instructor said: “When we speak of the Seven Seas, let’s be specific.” “Okay, Prof,” replied the fresh frosh, “you be specific and I’ll be Atlantic.” Voice on telephone: “How are you this morning?” Answer: “All right.” Voice on telephone: “I guess I have the wrong number.” “So this woman shot her husband at close range with this pistol?” the coroner asked. “Yes.” “Are there powder marks on the man?”’ “Yes,” that’s why she shot him.” CORRECTION Due to a regrettable error we have inserted the name of Vendel Böröcz, instead of Joseph Hegedűs, in ' the list of alternate delegates elected by District 18, Branch 14, Cleveland, O. — The corrected list of the alternate delegates, in order of majority, follows: Jacob Torda, Frank Pinter. Joseph Hegedűs and Nicholas Juhasz. Signed: JOHN BALUNEK. Recording Secretary of District 18.
