Bedtime Audio Stories - Peasant, Cat, Dog And Dwarfs

 Peasant, Cat, Dog, And Dwarfs

Many many years ago, in a small hamlet, there lived a peasant widow and her son. When the little boy had grown into a fine lad, one day he said to his mother, "Give me one of the pouches of gold coins that Father had left for me and I will go out into the world and seek my fortune." The good woman, handing out to her son one of the three pouches, said, "My son, be prudent in the use of your wealth." She then blessed him and wished him good luck. As Ivan the young man wended his way through the forest, he met a shepherd with a dog. "Would you mind selling your dog to me?" he asked pleasantly. "But what are you going to offer him?" inquired the shepherd. "A bag of one hundred shining gold pieces," replied Ivan, dangling the pouch to and fro. The man's eyes widened. He at once seized the bag, let go of the dog's lead, and took to his heels, lest his simple customer should change his mind. "What have you brought, my foolish son!" exclaimed his mother, rather shocked. "A shaggy mongrel for one hundred gold pieces?" Another day, Ivan set out with the second pouch and this time returned home accompanied by a white Siamese cat with a long fluffy tail. "You know best how to make use of your money, in spite of my caution!" sighed his mother sadly. 

A month rolled by. One fine morning, with the last bag of gold pieces, Ivan along with Tommy the mongrel and Jimmy the Siamese cat rambled deep into the woods. The dog and the cat seemed to lead him in a certain direction. He quietly followed them. Soon they met a hawker, who was resting awhile under a tree on his way to the village, to sell his wares. "Good morning, young lad," he said. "You have nice little pets. Would you like to buy this tiny trinket from me?" "How much do I pay for it?" asked Ivan. "Just five pieces of silver," the hawker was going to say. But Ivan came out with his own proposal. "I can give you a bag of one hundred gold pieces!" The hawker handed over his tiny ware without the least delay and then snatching the pouch hurried away, lest his foolish client should change his mind. Ivan fondled the plain rusted ring in his hand and then managed to slip it through one of his fingers. Lo and behold! There stood before the astonished eyes of the peasant lad and his mates, two hundred little dwarfs, dressed in green, with feathered hats and equipped with tiny bows and arrows. "Command us, Master. We are at your service," they said in one voice. "My mother is very disappointed and unhappy. Fill her with joy and let her face glow with smiles," ordered Ivan.

"Your will shall be done to the last word, Master," they replied in unison and vanished in the twinkle of an eye. When Ivan and his companions reached home, they were surprised to find instead of their crumbling hut, a handsome house with a lovely garden in front of it. Out of its door ran his happy mother, bubbling with joy and with a broad smile almost stretched from one ear to the other. "Son! Son!" she exclaimed. "I was munching dry bread sitting on our threshold, when all of a sudden I found myself in a great dining hall, eating not bread, but delicious cakes." "Ah! It is Tommy and Jimmy who have brought us good fortune," said Ivan. Some months merrily passed and one day Ivan thought to himself that it was high time that he took a wife. "The princess of our kingdom is very beautiful, I mean to marry her," he said to his mother. "What?" retorted the old woman rather stunned. "Are you out of your wits? A king's daughter to marry a peasant's son! You have nothing to offer her. Not even the tiniest jewel!" Ivan went to a secluded place followed by his two pets. 

He took out the ring from his pocket and slipped it through his finger. In no time there appeared before them the two hundred wee little men who said together, "At your service, Master." "Bring me a carriage drawn by seven swiftest horses and load it with presents and gifts of the rarest kind," ordered Ivan. Mother and son got into the carriage that stood ready by the door and headed towards the palace. The guards, much impressed by the magnificent sight, at once admitted them to the king's presence. Placing the gifts before the king, Ivan said, with a bow, "Your Majesty, though born a peasant I possess the wealth equal to any prince. I seek your consent to marry your beautiful daughter." The king keenly eyed the jewels, rubies and precious stones spread before him and burst into laughter, "My daughter has all these and much more," said he. "Of course," continued the king, "if you could offer us the sight of a crystal palace, surrounded by trees laden with golden apples before the cock crows at dawn, we may then consider your daring proposal. Mind you, if you take up the challenge and fail, you will be put forever into the darkest dungeon." 

No doubt, the king had been amazed at the boy's wealth and audacity and wished to test him further. Tears rolled down the old woman's wrinkled cheeks as they journeyed homewards. "Don't you be anxious, dear mother. Everything will be all right," consoled her son. At night when the stars began to shine in the sky, Ivan and his two mates proceeded to the edge of the forest. He slipped the ring through his finger and gave his orders to the two hundred wee little dwarfs. On the morrow, when the king woke up from his sleep, he saw standing before his castle a crystal palace surrounded by trees of golden apples. He had no choice, but to give his daughter's hand to the peasant lad. The wedding was held amidst gay festivities. They all lived happily. Alas, not for long! One day, an old wizard met the princess and told her to ask her husband the secret behind his marvelous achievements. "Before he goes to sleep tonight," he added in a whispering tone, "mix a spoonful of this powder to his drink. Once he consumes it he shall utter nothing but the truth for one whole day." Princess Timora did exactly as the wizard had bid her to do, for many a time in her childhood he had entertained her with his magical tricks and she liked him.

She learned the secret behind the crystal palace and garden of golden apple trees and informed the wizard. "Ah! Ha!" chuckled the toothless old man, "A mere rusted trinket is leading this poor peasant to the throne!" Well, the king had already announced that since he has no son, Ivan will succeed him. At nightfall, when the palace lay in deep slumber and all was quiet, except the rhythmic sound of the crickets, the envious wizard changed himself into a bumblebee. He whizzed past the half-open window and entered the chamber of Ivan and Timora who were fast asleep. Stealthily he crept into Ivan's pocket, got hold of the ring in his mouth, and flew off into the woods. Morning found Ivan and Timora sleeping in the barren field. The crystal palace and the garden of golden apples had clean disappeared. The king turned red in anger and thundered at his son-in-law, "You cheat, you have deceived me through a mere illusion. I grant you only three days' time to restore the palace and the garden. If you fail, your head shall be chopped off." "Our master is in grave danger," said Jimmy the Siamese cat. "It must surely be the wicked wizard who has stolen the magic ring." "We must recover it as soon as possible. Otherwise, the king will kill our loving master," joined Tommy the mongrel. Soon it grew dark. The world was still when a little mouse crept out of a hole. Jimmy was about to pounce on it when it said, "Spare me, Brother Cat. I can help you to retrieve the magic ring. I know where the wizard has hidden it, for I often frequent his place."

So the dog, the cat, and the mouse hurried to the wizard's house, a large trunk of a dead tree. The grandfather clock struck midnight and the old man was blissfully snoring. The sharp teeth of the mouse gnawed into his ancient chest and discovered the ring. It was nearing dawn. At daybreak, Ivan would be killed if he failed to accomplish the task set before him. The dog and the cat ran almost faster than the wind to their imprisoned master. The mouse sat on Tommy's back as he was rather slow to keep up with them. Through the small window of Ivan's room, the ring was dropped into his lap. That was when he was already preparing himself to bid goodbye to the world. He at once slipped it through his finger. "At your service," said the two hundred little dwarfs. "Rebuild the crystal palace and the garden of golden apples," ordered Ivan. In the morning there was much rejoicing in the realm. When the king came to know what had happened, he threw the wicked wizard into the deepest, darkest dungeon. Soon Ivan the peasant and Princess Timora were crowned the king and the queen of the land. And the greatest of the enemies, the dog, the cat, and the mouse, became the best friends and lived in the kingdom as respected royal subjects.

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