The Water Spirit (Su Anasy) Fairy Tale

On a hot summer day a boy went to the river for a swim. As he came near the bank, he saw a woman sitting on a rock and combing her long hair. It was Su Anasy, the River Mother.

When she noticed the boy, she took fright and dived into the water. But her golden comb was left lying on the rock, shining in the sun.

The boy grabbed the comb and ran home. "Nobody saw me," he thought. But behind him a voice cried, "Stop! Give me back my comb!"

At midnight someone knocked at the window. "Give me my comb!" said the voice. The boy hid under his blanket, shaking with fear. His mother woke up and asked what was wrong.

The boy told her everything. His mother threw the golden comb out of the window. "Let a thing stay with the one it belongs to," she said. The River Mother picked up her comb and went away without a word.

That night the boy understood that taking things without asking is a shameful thing to do. From then on, he never touched what belonged to others.