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the magic potion

Queen of the Dark Ashes, Serpentelle *, had her eyes set on Paisland for years.   She had been defeated several times by the powerful soldiers of Queens Zaamiel and Lixores, who had been trained by the great warrior, Meezro and inspired by wisdom guidance of Solon.

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Being determined to take over this precious land,  Serpentelle took hiding in a murky cave in a far away land for two years and strengthened her witch power to be able to finally combat these little creatures.

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One morning she scattered her most powerful spell across Paisland.   The next day, Queens Zaamiel and Lixores soldiers fell ill.  They were mysteriously tired and lethargic by daylight and restless and agitated as soon as the sun disappeared in the western horizons.

The two queens desperately turned to Solon for advice.  He suggested to make special elixirs to give them energy during the day and relax them at night.

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He recommended to seek help from the Mayan’s Queen and the Persian King.    Mayans land was well known for having the best of the white chia seeds and blue agave.   Persian rose and valerian root were famous for their remedial properties, when it came to uplifting the mood in the morning and relaxing the body and mind at night.

They called on Saba and Touran to set out to Mayan and Persian lands and use their ant and bee soldiers to harvest all the ingredients so that they can make the magic potions.

Saba and Touran set out on their adventurous journey.    In the Mayan land they watched the ants while they harvested the chia seeds, singing in harmony with the glorious chirping of the birds.   The magical seeds were glowing in their hands as they passed the bouncy seeds on to the next soldier, whose face lit up with a big smile and glittering eyes full of joy.

The soldier bees on the other side of the field drew the nectars out of the blue agave plants, storing them in each of the tiny little chestnut shells.   They became part of this magical orchestra by joining in the singing and swaying their little bodies in tune with the music.

Saba and Touran were mesmerized looking at all these exciting events and couldn’t help but to dance in tune with the magical music.

In the Persian land Saba and Touran eagerly watched the soldier bees and ants while they sang and harvested the rose petals and orange blossoms.   The petal extracts were lit with a magical glow while they were poured into the golden walnut shells.

The two friends, accompanied by Mayan and Persian delegations, then set out to take the magical ingredients back to Paisland and rescue Queen Zaamiel and Lixores soldiers.Touran on the snail_2Dec17Back in Paisland, in a special ceremony, organised by Solon, the ingredients were mixed to make the magical potion and given to the soliders.     As soon as they drank the elixir of life, they all became healthy, strong and happy and the dark spell of Queen Serpentelle vanished and she became the dark ash and disappeared into the air…..   

Queen Zaamiel and Lixores had a majestic appearance and a speech to enlighten everyone on importance of being strong, united and kind to each other to make sure no dark spell is ever casted over the precious Paisland again.

* Serpentelle comes from Serpent (snake)

 

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story of Donkute

Once upon a time there was an old merchant who was living in a little village with his only son and a donkey.   His donkey had just given birth to her foal.  

There was something strange about this little donkey.  One of his ears was much smaller than the other one, almost the same size as a little mouse’s ear.   Also his front teeth were much larger than usual.   He looked unusual, but somehow cute.  The merchant wanted to sell the foal, but his son loved the little donkey and wanted to look after him.    

So the merchant decided to keep the little donkey.   The son called him Donkute and used to take him everywhere he went, even when he wanted to play with his friends.   He was such an obedient pet and was kind to the little boy and his friends.    Everyone used to laugh at the little donkey because of his ear and teeth.   Of course he didn’t know the reason for their laughter and thought they were just being friendly.

The son tried so hard to keep Donkute away from any lake or spring, so that he wouldn’t see his own reflection in the water and feel sad.

One day the son was playing with his friends, while the little donkey was  standing by an old cedar tree.    A wicked wolf was passing by when he suddenly  saw the donkey.

He quietly walked close to Donkute and said “Good morning my dear friend.  Why are you standing here all alone?”

“I’m watching my friend play a game with the kids.” said the donkey. 

“I have a better idea.   Chasing after big butterflies is so much fun.  It keeps you amused for hours!” said the wolf.  “They guide us to so many nice places with lots of fresh juicy fruits to eat.”

“Good idea.  I’m also a bit bored and hungry.” said Donkute.

So the wicked wolf started running after the colourful butterflies.  Donkute followed him without even thinking that his master might be looking for him and get worried. 

Finally they reached a bright blue lake, which was surrounded by lots of fruit trees and flowers.    While the Donkute was so busy eating the juicy apples he suddenly saw his own reflection in the water.   He turned his head from left to right and right to left, trying to see both ears.   He was quite puzzled and didn’t know the reason why his ears look different from one another.   His huge front teeth looked so weird that made him open and close his mouth a few times to see if that would make a difference.    

Donkute suddenly realised why everyone laughed when they saw him.    While  he was busy trying to find answers, the wicked wolf was thinking of how  best he can eat the little donkey.    He slowly approached Donkute from behind and got very close to him.   The donkey suddenly saw the wolf’s reflection in the water and realised the wolf’s intentions.   As Donkute started running away to safety, he saw his owner running towards the lake, followed by all his friends.   They had all come to his rescue.    

The vicious wolf started running away as soon as he saw them coming.   The boy ran towards his little pet and put his arms around him.   Other children also gathered around Donkute and gave him lots of cuddles. 

Donkute wasn’t sad anymore,  when he saw how much everyone loved him.  He then realised that it doesn’t matter how you look on the outside, it’s the inside that counts and makes everyone love and respect you. 

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the thief and the magic box

Once upon a time there was a vicious thief who used to make a living by stealing from other people.   He would then sell the stolen goods  in the bazaar or trade them with quite a few grains of rice or wheat.   

One day he was quite hungry and couldn’t get hold of anything to steal.   He was making different plans in his little brain, thinking them over and wiping them off, until he settled for one.

“I know…” He thought to himself  “The old cobbler’s grand- son always carries a little box in and out of the shop.  He must have some money in there.  I’m going to follow him today and see if I can get it off him.”

So he sat under the shade of the old cedar tree in front of old cobbler’s shop.  A few hours passed.  The grand-son was nowhere to be seen. 

He was getting impatient and as he stood up to go, suddenly the little boy stepped out of the shop.   As usual he had the box in his hand and started to stroll towards the bushes, whistling happily. 

The vicious thief was so pleased to see this.  He let the boy pass him and, shortly afterwards, started to follow his footsteps, keeping quite a distance so that the boy wouldn’t see him.

The little boy finally sat under a tree and looked around carefully to make sure nobody was nearby.  He then took out a bright blue colour cloth out of his pocket and laid it on the ground.  Then he gently put the box on the cloth in front of him. 

The thief was watching from behind a tree to see what happens next.  The boy slowly opened the box, while his lips were curling up with delight. 


Suddenly a piece of brown leather flipped out of the box, followed by a needle and a piece of string.   With a blink of an eye, a pair of shoes was made to fit the boy’s little feet.  The thief was watching with widened eyes, while all kinds of colourful material flipped in the empty space and made clothes to fit the boy.   Finally, the most precious stones were embedded onto a belt and wrapped around his waist!

This was a magic treasure box that could earn the thief lots and lots of gold coins for the rest of his life!  He imagined himself sitting in his glorious palace, being served fresh food and drinks all day long by his many servants. 

He suddenly jumped out from behind the tree, grabbed the box and started running as far as he possibly could.  The little boy watched him calmly as the thief  disappeared. 

The Thief

As the thief reached deep in the heart of the bush, he put the box down in  front of him and gently opened it, as his eyes were sparkling with greed. 

As he expected a piece of brown leather flipped out of the box, a pair  of nice shoes was made to his size.  Then  the outfits and finally the precious belt with all the jewels he could ever  wish for.  Once everything was ready,  they began flying towards him and dressed him like a king.   As he  stood up to admire his outfit, he felt needles piercing his feet!   He  tried to take off the shoes, but it was as if they were stuck.  He suddenly started to feel the needles all over his body!   

The vicious thief was jumping up and down with agony and ran towards  where he had left the little boy.


Amazingly enough, the boy was still sitting calmly under the same tree.  It seemed he was waiting to be entertained by watching the thief being punished for what he had done. 

As soon as the thief put the box down on the blue cloth, he was somehow stripped off the precious clothes.  With a loud  sigh of relief he started running as fast as the fastest winds and finally disappeared. 

No one ever saw the vicious thief again as he had moved to another village to start a  more respectable life.  May be he had finally realized  that he would be punished for taking things that did not belong and were not  meant for him. 

old lamp and kings crown

Once upon a time in a faraway land there lived a King who was known for his cruelty.   He used to make people build huge castles for him, dig the gardens and plant fruit trees all day long.   They never got rewarded for their hard work and also had to pay tax by giving away their precious belongings.

Among these items there was an old oil lamp, which the King liked very much.  There was something magical about this lamp but he didn’t know what!   Every night the servants used to light the lamp and put it in the dark corridors leading to a huge treasure room.

Each night the King used to put on his precious crown and stroll towards the treasure room to inspect what had been collected that day.   Along the way he used to stop in front of the lamp and look at it with admiration.

One of these nights the crown suddenly started talking to the lamp.   He said: “Oh dear lamp, I so envy you.  Everyone pays so much attention to you because you are a symbol of light and love.   I’m only a useless ornament who sits there all day long trying to look pretty.  What should I do to become as loveable as you are?”

“Dear friend, you are so precious and good-looking.  Everyone wants to be like you.  What makes you feel so unhappy and depressed?” said the lamp sympathetically.

“Every single day I feel ashamed to be the centre of attention, accompanying such a cruel king.  I can’t help feeling guilty for how he treats his people.   After all I’m the closest thing to him.  He doesn’t go anywhere and doesn’t do anything without me being present.  This is the reason that I feel so unhappy and bitter.”

“Being the closest to the King makes you that much more powerful, my dear friend.  You can influence this situation, if  of course you take my advice and use some wit along the way.”  said the lamp.

“I will be grateful if you could help me.  I’ll do anything to make a difference” said the crown anxiously.

“Every morning as soon as you are placed on the King’s head, start thinking of all the good things he can do that day.   Don’t let anything distract you and influence your thoughts.  He will not notice why he is behaving differently.  Give it some time and he will finally become the kind King you desire.” said the old lamp.

So the crown started doing what the old lamp asked him to do.    He persisted and persisted on his mission, because he wanted to make a difference.   Gradually the King started to behave differently and became kind and passionate towards his people.  He didn’t know the reason why he had changed so much.  All he knew was that everyone started to like and respect him as a great ruler.

He  finally realised that he enjoyed getting his people’s love and respect much more than having all the treasures in the world.

the magic shoes

Once upon a time, in a remote village, there lived a young boy with his mother.   He worked at a bakery which was quite far from home, where he had to walk to for miles every day.   At the end of each day he would be given the leftover of the bread that hadn’t been sold.  

The boy’s shoes were so old and worn-out that they hardly protected his feet from the cold.   One day after cleaning the shop he was getting ready to go home, when he suddenly saw a pair of pure leather shoes in the storage behind the shop.   He asked his master if he could have them since they seemed to fit him.    

The master refused to give the shoes and told him not to tell anyone about it.  So the boy finished cleaning the shop and the old brick oven and set off to walk home.   It took him quite a while to reach home as it was very cold and wet.     By the time he reached home his feet were quite sore and cold and he couldn’t feel them anymore.

After a simple dinner he went to bed to rest his tired feet and legs.    Half way through the night he woke up with a noise, right at the entrance of their little cottage.    He jumped out of bed and looked through the window.   Outside it was pitch black and he couldn’t see anyone or anything.     As he was going back to bed he heard another noise.    He thought someone was knocking at the door.  He slowly went back towards the window and peeked out cautiously.   He noticed a squeaky noise at the door.   As he looked more closely he saw the pair of shoes that he had seen in his master’s shop. 

He excitedly opened the door and took the shoes from outside.   He thought his master had taken pity on him and brought the shoes to make him happy.  

That night he slept like a rock, feeling so pleased that he didn’t need to worry about the cold feet any more. 

The next day he set off for work with great energy, happily whistling while walking in his new shoes.    As he reached to the shop, he saw his master waiting for him at the entrance.    He looked quite angry and disappointed.    

The boy had no clue why his master was angry.  He walked closer to say hello.

“Good morning Sire.”  Said the boy. 

“How dare you to even come close to my shop.” Shouted the master   “you are nothing but a thief”! 

“Beg your pardon Sire, I don’t understand”

“You don’t understand?  How could you say that to my face?” said master with a louder voice.

As he was getting louder and louder everyone was gathering around the shop.   Thinking that the boy has stolen something they took him to the king’s palace, where the thieves and criminals were always taken to be taken to the high courts.

The prince was practicing his horse riding, when he saw the people bringing the young boy through the gates. 

“What is happening?” said the prince. 

“This boy is a thief and has stolen something from his master.”  One of the men said.

“What has he stolen?”  asked the prince.

“He has stolen the shoes from his master’s shop”.

“I did not steal them.  They were left outside my house.”  The boy shouted.

“Outside your door aye?” laughed the men at once. 

The prince was staring at the shoes, while asking the men to take the boy inside the palace.

“Please leave him at the gates and leave.  I will take him to the court rooms” said the prince.

When everyone had left the Prince took the young boy inside the palace. 

“Tell me the truth, where did you get these shoes from”?  asked the prince.

So the young boy told the whole story and how he got the shoes. 

“These were my shoes that I had left by the river when we had gone hunting last year.”  Said the Prince.     “I had been looking for them since then.   They are quite precious as they belonged to my great grand-father”. 

So the young boy and the prince became very good friends.  The king was overjoyed to learn about this twist of fate as he had always wished for another son.   The young boy became master of the king’s kitchen and him and his mother never went hungry again.

the old farmer’s son

Once upon a time there lived an old farmer who had two sons.   The older son loved to sit in the shade under the trees, day after day, watch the birds and the farm animals, while his younger brother helped on their piece of land. 

Every time the farmer asked his older son to help out he would bring an excuse and refused to help.

The younger son was always at his father’s side and gave him a hand whenever he could. 

One day the old farmer decided to retire and pass his farm on to his sons.  In his heart he was not happy to give anything to his older son, because he had never offered a helping hand.  The younger son asked his father to let each of them take charge of half the farm and cultivate the land to produce their own food.


He was hoping this might help the older brother become more responsible, as he had no choice but to work, if he wanted food on his plate. 

So each son took charge of their own land, built little cottages and went to live on their own.  The first few months everything went well for the older son, as the plants on the land was still full of crop and fruits. 

As the months went by, the trees started to get drier and drier.  The plants looked really unhappy. 

On the other side of the fence, the plants looked green, fresh and happy.  There was so much fruit on the trees and so much milk from the cows that the younger son would sell them in the market and get lots of money. 

One of these days, the older brother woke up to the biggest surprise of his life.  His piece of land seemed to have gone upside down!   The roots of the trees were on the surface and the branches were hidden under the soil!   It was as if he was living under the ground with nothing to eat or drink.     He could no longer hear the birds singing. 

He was getting hungrier and hungrier by the day and he decided to ask his younger brother to give him some food.  He went over the fence and knocked at the door.  The old father opened the door and welcomed him in. 

The aroma of the freshly baked bread and the stew was swirling in the cottage.
He could no longer stand it and asked for food.  The younger son put the food on the table and invited his father and brother to eat. 

The older son was so pleased to be able to eat fresh food after such a long time. 

He served a big portion on his plate.  His hands were shaking while he was digging the hot fresh bread into the stew.  His father and brother were watching him with widened eyes as he raised his hand to put the bread in his mouth. 

As soon as he had a mouthful of the food, he shouted with agony.  It was as if the food had turned into hard rock and he nearly chipped his tooth!   He started running towards the door and spat the mouthful out on the ground, outside the cottage.   

He then ran to his own land and, from then on, worked hard to bring the plants back to life again.   He learned that to harvest the food of life he has to cultivate and feed his plants.

wings in the ring

Once upon a time there lived a king who was famous for his wisdom, justice and fairness.  His people loved him for the peace and safety he had brought to them. 

Strangely enough, he also knew every secret of the universe and had the power to solve any problem.

The rulers of other countries wished to be like him and looked upon him for advice in every matter.

This king had no treasures, except a ring.  It was quite a precious ring, jewelled with the biggest sapphire in the whole wide world which was surrounded by sparkling diamonds.    

He was very fond of this ring, to the extent that he would not even remove it at night while sleeping. 

There was also  something strange about the ring that no one, except his strongest chevalier, knew about. 

The chevalier’s job was not only to lead the army against the invaders and enemies, but also to protect the ring. 

Each night before the king went to bed the chevalier made sure that all the servants had left and that no one was around.  Then he would lock all the gates to the courtyards of the palace and the heavy wooden doors to the corridors leading to the king’s sleep chambers. 

The king would then carefully lift the huge sapphire stone. As soon as the stone was lifted a gentle melody would echo across the palace.  Suddenly a bright silver star would pop out, surrounded by thousands and thousands of glittering particles. 

The king would then listen carefully to the star telling him of the important events that had happened across the globe that day. 

He would then ask for advice on anything that would help him rule his land and keep the people happy and wealthy. 

One of these nights he had the strangest dreams that he had forgotten all the knowledge and wisdom he had gathered throughout the years. 

In the morning he woke up with an unusual feeling of fatigue.   As he was yawning he realised that something wasn’t quite right!

He looked at his hand and suddenly, to his scariest horror, he realised that the ring was gone. 

With a panicky voice he called the chevalier, who was guarding outside his chambers.  The chevalier ran inside, finding out what had happened, frantically started to search for the ring.  It was nowhere to be seen. 

This was by far the darkest day of the king’s life.  He sent the messengers across the land, announcing to everyone what had happened and asking them to search for the ring. 

The chevalier could not bear the sight of their beloved king’s sadness.  He was determined to find out what had happened to the ring and bring it back.  He got permission from the king and set off to his long and adventurous journey. 

Days and days went by as he desperately searched many different countries, finding no sign of the ring. 

One of these days he was taking a rest under the shade of a tree.  As he snoozed away, he dreamed of a little cicada, crying out for help.  “Please forgive me oh sire as I did wrong”.  This voice echoed in the chevalier’s head a few times, begging for forgiveness.  Just before he woke up he heard the voice say “I can help solve the mystery”. 

As the chevalier opened his eyes, he heard a cicada whizzing around him.  He  immediately knew that he had to follow it and discover the truth behind his dream.

The cicada was guiding him somewhere, but he didn’t quite know where.  After a day, they reached the iron gates of a city. Every corner of this land was dressed in black.  The chevalier was looking around, astonished and puzzled as to why people looked so miserable and unhappy. 

He suddenly saw a richly jewelled carriage passing through the alley ways.  People started to run away and into their homes at the sight of this carriage.  As he looked around, he realised that the cicada had also disappeared. 

The carriage came close to the chevalier and suddenly stopped in front of him. 

“I was waiting for you to come” said a voice from inside the carriage.  As two guards
opened the door, a king, with lots of glamorous clothes and his precious crown,
stepped out.   The chevalier suddenly saw the ring on the king’s finger.

“I am now much wiser and more powerful than your ruler, thanks to the silly little cicada who got the ring for me” he said “Before long I shall rule the whole world and everyone will have to obey me”. 

As soon as the chevalier heard this, he pulled his sword and attacked the guards and their king.  People also rushed out of their homes to help him.  They managed to capture the king and the guards. 

The chevalier took the ring back to his beloved king, who put it to some good use and made everyone happy again.   

The cicada who had been a slave to the vicious king was now free.  He realised that not everyone can make the best of their power and possessions, as they can abuse them and hurt others.   

the unhappy tree

It was late Spring.  The blossoms on the pomegranate tree were turning into sweet, juicy fruits.

That week, there was lots of rainfall.  The pomegranate tree was fed up with rain. 

“I’m so tired of rain.  It’s been pouring down non-stop for two days.  Can you please go away” said the tree to the clouds.

The clouds felt so sad.  They decided to take their backpacks and go away to faraway lands.

The sun came out.  She scattered her bright and warm rays everywhere.  The birds
started singing again.  The Pomegranate tree was very happy.   The fruits were now growing faster and becoming bigger. 

“Ah… that’s better.  It’s a bit warmer and drier now.” Said the pomegranate tree with a sigh of relief.  

She and her friends were quite happy and warm.  A few days went by.  It was  starting to get quite hot and dry.     There was no breeze to keep them cool.  Other plants were getting thirsty.

“Look what you did now.  We’re hot and thirsty” they said.

“Stop complaining.  What’s wrong with you?   There’s lots of water underground for all of us.” The pomegranate tree said to the plants.

Another few days went by.  The Pomegranate tree felt really hot and thirsty.   “I’m so tired of the sunlight.  It’s been getting hotter and hotter every day.  I’m getting very thirsty now.  Can you please go away” she said to the sun.

The sun felt so sad.  She decided to take her backpacks and go away to faraway lands.

The moon, which hadn’t been seen for a few days, started to show his face.   He
scattered his light over the fields.

“Ah, that’s better.  It’s a bit cooler now.” Said the pomegranate tree.

 The nights passed by and the plants were feeling better. 

The pomegranate tree started complaining again “I can’t sleep when there’s so much
light.  I haven’t slept for a few nights now.  Could you please go away and let me rest?” 

The moon felt so sad.  He decided to take his backpacks and go away to faraway lands.

Suddenly everywhere got quite dark.   It was pitch black and nobody could see anything.

“Ah, that’s better.  Let’s have a good night’s sleep.” Said the pomegranate tree.

A few nights passed by.   It was getting quite cold.  All the other plants turned around and said to the pomegranate tree:  “Look what you‘ve done now.  Everywhere is so dark, we can’t see anything.  We are cold and thirsty.”

“I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to cause any problems.” She said.  “I’m not feeling
well either.  The pomegranates are not growing anymore and are getting dry.   I wish we could have the moonlight, some rain and sunshine again.” 

As soon as she said these words, suddenly the moon felt happy and came back,
followed by sun the next day and some rain the day after. 

The pomegranate tree and all the other plants were happy now.  The birds started singing again. The pomegranates started growing again and became quite juicy and sweet.    The flowers were blooming.  Everything was back to normal again. 

The pomegranate tree realised that she has to be grateful and appreciate what she’s got.  She now knows that everything in nature happens for a reason and being grateful brings happiness in life.  

the greedy merchant and the magic bowl

Once upon a time in a faraway land there lived a farmer who had a lot of hens and roosters.     Every day he used to take lots of freshly laid eggs to the market and sell them for quite a good price.  These eggs were quite special because, without exception, they each had three yolks, which were quite a rich golden colour. 

Everyone was puzzled as to how the hens lay so many eggs and the fact that they all had three yolks and such a rich colour.   One of the merchants at the market was quite jealous and was determined to find out the secret of these eggs. 

One night he quietly sneaked into the farmer’s land and went towards the hen house.   Everywhere was pitch-black and he could hardly see anything.   From far away he suddenly saw a beam of light shining through the wooden walls of the hen-house.    He started walking faster and faster until he finally reached his destination.

He quietly went closer and peeked through the cracks to find out where the light was coming from.   He saw the farmer wearing a golden cape and singing in a language that the merchant couldn’t understand!    He put his eyes closer to the cracks and
looked more carefully to find out what was happening. 

He suddenly saw a golden bowl on the ground full of glittering water from which all the hens were drinking.    It was as if they were dancing to the tune of the farmer’s song. 

When the song finished, the farmer took the bowl out and walked towards his house. 

The whole hen-house turned dark and the merchant realised that the light was coming from the golden bowl.    Greed and envy took over him and he was determined to get his hands on the magic bowl.    

He waited in the dark outside the farmer’s house, until the lights were all out and he was sure the farmer is sleep.

He slowly crept into the little courtyard leading to the  entrance of the house.     He saw the bowl sitting close to the little pond.    His eyes sparkled with joy and
happiness at the sight of the precious object.    He got closer and closer.  As he put his hand on the bowl, his fingers got stuck as if someone was holding them tight. 

He tried to pull himself free, but couldn’t move.   His hand and arm was getting heavier and heavier.  He pulled himself away again, but couldn’t move.   This is when he realised his body is turning into gold.   His greedy eyes were shining even more to see the gold.   In fact he was so thrilled that he didn’t realise what trouble he had gotten himself into!   Almost half his body had turned into the heavy metal, when he suddenly realised what was happening.    He shouted for help and was quite
scared.    At this time the farmer who had heard the cries of the greedy merchant ran out of his house.     He quickly wore his cape and started singing the same song that he had sang to the hens.   Luckily for the merchant the song worked and the gold started to melt gradually.     

As soon as his arm and hand were freed, he started running as fast as the wind.  He was never seen close to the farmer’s house or in the village again.