Intro
That's the 8th post from that series which in total will include 16 publications. If you want to read the previous legend published by me, check those links:
- Why swans mate for life
- About the good devil who gave the pipe to Janek
- About the lake Leleskie and the evil governor
- About the brave Netta who saved the king
- About creating Warsaw
- About a little but brave ghost
- About the Witch from Lubuskie
It's the legend, so obviously it's not the story I created, but it may vary a bit from the versions that other people know. I wrote it on my own, with my words, in a way it was said to me when I was a child and how I remembered it.
The legend about Eustachy who became the baker
A long time ago there lived a nice young man named Eustachy. He did not know his parents because they died of a mysterious illness when the child was only a few days old. His mother's sister, Rozalia, raised him. She was an old woman without children and she decided to take the orphan under her roof only because of the fortune that her parents had left him. Eustachy did not know happiness in his aunt's house. She treated him mean from the very first day. She was very mean and constantly got mad at everything. She never rewarded him with a warm word for his exemplary behavior.
When Eustachy grew up, his aunt used him to do housework on the farm. She treated him like a tool, not giving him even a bit of family warmth. He, however, never rebelled, he was careful and obedient to Rozalia.
One day, Eustachy, curious about the world, decided to leave. The aunt didn't protest, and it even suited her. She still feared that the teenager would finally find out about the fortune left by his parents. So the young man, unstopped by anyone, set out on his way from town to town in search of work. Since he wasn't afraid of any jobs, he was making many things. One day he was grazing sheep, the next he was a woodcutter in the forest, then he was reaping the grain... Wherever he was, everyone liked him because he was honest, always smiling and he was working hard. However, over time, that life began to tire him and he thought about settling elsewhere. But where could the orphan find a space when he didn't have a penny in his pocket?
Someday the sun was exceptionally warm, so Eustachy, warmed by its rays. He had an exceptionally good mood and forgot about his misery. The place he came to was beautiful, full of flowers and tall, old trees. In the distance, just beyond the dense forest, he saw the blades of a large windmill. "It's definitely a mill, maybe I'll find a job there," he thought and decided to go in this direction. After a few steps, he stopped when he heard strange calls. It was a shepherd boy who was grazing his sheep in a nearby meadow, calling him.
Eustachy learned from him that the mill had been closed for years and that the villagers were not entering the forest at all. Strange things have happened in the forest since the miller's death. Whoever enters there never returns. "It's the perfect place for me," Said Eustachy. "I don't have a home of my own, so I'll be happy to live there, and I don't lack courage”. He said goodbye to the surprised boy, who was speechless by shock. Probably the spells stopped working because Eustachy arrived happily at the place. He loved the view of an old mill ready for work. The man almost immediately rolled up his sleeves, started the mill, and eventually opened a bakery next door. It was quite easy because he had learned many trades during his long journey.
A word about Eustachy spread quickly through the area. People were happy to come to him for flour and bread. Soon the young man had so much work to do that he hired a girl to help him. Her name was Katarzyna and she was exceptionally beautiful. After a while, the young people fell in love and decided to get married.
Soon more people began to arrive in the neighborhood of the good "baker." Some decided to settle here, find a job in Eustachy's company and work for a good income. At that time, he became stronger and had many children. His thick black hair was flecked with gray. One thing has not changed though. He always was smiling and always had a kind word for everyone. And the place that arose thanks to him was called Piekary (In Polish "Piekary" means "Bakery"). The conclusion of this story is that man does not need money for happiness, but love, friendship, helping others, and passion for what he does.
Thank you for reading,
@papi.mati