Children’s story

I am going to tell you a story that I often heard in my childhood. I remember it well as it’s funny and I always laughed listening to its ending.

Once upon a time Kraków was just a little village situated on the Vistula River. Its inhabitants were very unhappy because of a fierce, terrifying dragon which lived in a dark cave near the village. As long as it wasn’t hungry, it slept in its cave snoring loudly. But very often it woke up and roared noisily calling for food from the villagers. It ate only children and sometimes young animals, so twice a week those poor people had to sacrifice one of their young girls or boys and give them to the ravenous monster.

Many brave knights couldn’t kill the creature. But there was one smart boy,  a shoemaker’s son, who found the way to free the village. He took a young, tasty lamb, stuffed it with gunpowder and left in front of the cave. The always hungry dragon gobbled the lamb in one bite. Suddenly, the dragon felt that something was burning in its stomach. Great pain mixed with thirst made it run towards the river howling loudly and belching fire. After reaching the bank the dragon started to drink...

It drank, drank and drank...

Almost half of the river’s water had already disappeared in a gorge-like stomach when the villager’s heard a ‘Big boom’! It was the dragon which had burst after drinking too much.

That was the end. The long years of living under threat were over. All the people had a great party and lived happily ever after. The giant cave is still there nowadays. You can see it for yourself.