The Talking Sparrow
A war veteran had won in many battles for his lord, and, at last it came into his head that, he wanted to lead a normal life. So, he went to the Emperor, and said, ‘My lord, I had served your Majesty for many years, and I had never asked for a reward, but, now I wish I could have an ordinary life.’ The Emperor, who was very kind to his followers, not only approved the soldier wishes, but, also gave him a piece of small land.
The soldier built a cottage beside the land, and started to plant maize. He had a quite good and happy living. But, as he grew older, he felt lonely and desperately wanted to have a companion---as he was old, he did not wish to have a wife, but a least a child to be lived with.
One day, as he was working on the farm, an old lady met him, and asked him, ‘Dear good man, I’m hungry, can you please spare me a corn to eat?’ ‘Sure,’ the soldier said, and he gave the corn to the old lady, ‘you can have some more if you want to.’ ‘Enough, my dear,’ the old lady said, ‘as you was so kind to me, I shall grant you a wish, what do you wish for?’
‘I hope to have a son’ said the soldier. ‘Very well,’ the old lady said, ‘your wish shall be fulfilled.’ What had the old lady foretold soon came to pass, the soldier now had a son, which was healthy and very filial to him.
Twenty years had passed, the son grew up; he was strong and brave like his father when he was young. Meanwhile, there was a rumour being talked about: in the far away land, inside the big thick wood, lived a wizard who was to believe, practicing a certain kind of black magic that need to make used of maiden‘s blood. The young ladies were so frightened; moreover, as parents—who feared that, they will lose their child.
Now it came that, the wizard was about to finish the last stage of his practice, he need blood from a maiden that was different than anyone else of the previous. So, he went out to search for his victim, and, at last he spotted the Emperor’s daughter, who was having sightseeing with her two maidens that time.
‘Ah,’the wizard smile, ‘what a lovely child she is! I think her blood, will be the best suited for my magic!’ Hence, the wizard turned into a whirlwind, and carried away the princess with him. When the maidens explained what had happened just now, the Emperor was in great fear, for he had heard how the rumour was. He then proclaimed to the world that; whoever could save her, should have her as a wife, and should be the Emperor after his death.
Then, a duke’s son came to take the risk. He and his men entered the wood, but before they could reach the wizard’s whereabouts, they were all cursed to become a sparrow, and the wizard soon came out and caught them. After him came several others, but they all ended in the same manners.
The Emperor was so grief, till he at last fell out of sick, and hardly could he wake up. The Empress took control of the country temporarily. She sent out her troops, as many as she had, to arrest the wizard, unfortunately, the same thing happened to her troops. The Empress was worried, for the men she had sent out, all disappeared miserably; thus, no ones else in the castle were willing to go out again. The Empress felt nothing can be done, but to leave the matter to the decision of the God.
Meanwhile, the soldier’s son was eager to have a trial, but, his father told him , ‘Don’t go, my child, for I feel that something bad might happen to you, and will separate you from me!’ But the son was very pressing, and at last however, the soldier said, ‘Then, takes my sword with you.’
The young hero soon came to the wood, where the wizard was. And, like the others, he was cursed and changed into a sparrow. The wizard then appeared, and tried to capture him, but he managed to escape. However, he could not fly out further from that land, for the wizard had put a spell on the land, so that whoever came into the wood will be trapped.
Time passed on; the soldier’s son did not come back, and no tidings of him were to be heard. But, the old man still kept on waiting for his son‘s return. Every day he sat outside the house hoping to see that his son was homed; and every night he dreamed that his son was backed on the bed.
And at last, he decided to set out to find his son .After a miles he had traveled, the old lady who he had met several years ago, stood before him. However this time, the old lady did not ask for any food, but to ask what had made him looked so sorrowful. The soldier explained to her, and the old lady pitied him very much. ‘Don’t worry,’ the old lady said, ‘you will soon meet your child back!’ ‘Really?’ said the old soldier, ‘I will meet my son back?’
The old lady nodded her head, and said, ‘whatever meets you first, on your journey to seek your son, will be your son.’ So, our great father went forth, and as he was near to the wood that everyone feared of, it was the talking-sparrow he met, and no doubt that the sparrow was his son. The soldier ran to his son, but was rebounded by an invisible shield that separated him and his son. ‘Father,’ cried the sparrow, ‘please be careful by not hurting yourself.’ The old soldier tried to slay the invisible shield with his sword, but no matter how hard he tried, the shield just would not break.
‘Father,’ said the sparrow, ‘please stop slaying, for it was no used at all.’ ‘No,’ the old soldier swung his sword again, said ‘No matter what it takes, I will bring you home with me!’ All of a sudden, the old lady came to help; she broke the spell of the invisible shield, and turned the son back into human form.
Then, she casted a powerful spell on the young man; that none any other spell could harm him. The young man held his sword; ran into the wood; and came to the wizard’s hideout.
As the wizard was trying to draw blood from the princess, he suddenly felt a cool on his chest; and later saw the blood was bleeding out from his chest. And the next moment, he was on the ground, without even knowing who killed him.
And, like the Emperor had said: the young man married with the princess; and was the heir to the country.
Signed off by,
Tan
