Jirtdan Fairy Tale

Long ago, in a village at the foot of the mountains, there lived a little boy named Jirtdan. He was so tiny that people jokingly called him Little Bird. But although he was small, he was braver and cleverer than all the other children in the village.

One autumn seven village children decided to go into the mountains to gather firewood. Jirtdan wanted to go too. "You are too small. You'll get lost on the way," the children laughed. Jirtdan did not take offence. He secretly followed them, hiding behind one rock after another.

The children played in the forest and gathered wood, and they did not notice that the sun was setting. When they wanted to go home, they could not find the path. It grew dark, and somewhere a wolf howled. The children were frightened and began to cry.

Then Jirtdan stepped out of the bushes. "Don't cry! I'll find the way," he said. He climbed the tallest tree and looked around. Far away, at the foot of a mountain, a light was twinkling. So the children followed Jirtdan towards the light.

When they got there, they found a big stone house. The door was opened by a huge woman, an old giantess. She smiled kindly at the children. "Oh, you poor things, are you lost? Come in, get warm and have something to eat." The children were glad and went inside. Only Jirtdan watched everything carefully.

The giantess gave the children soup and put them to bed on a big felt mattress. The tired children fell asleep at once. But Jirtdan only closed his eyes and pretended to sleep. He heard the giantess mutter to herself, "Tomorrow morning I will lock them all in a cage and make them serve me for years. They will clean my house and herd my sheep."

At midnight the giantess asked, "Who is still awake?" "It's me, Jirtdan, Granny. Every evening my mother brings me fresh water from the spring. I can't sleep without it," said the boy. "Very well, I'll fetch some," said the giantess, and she took a waterskin and went to the spring.

But Jirtdan had already poked a hole in the bottom of the waterskin with a knife. The giantess filled the waterskin at the spring, and the water ran out through the hole. She filled it again and again and spent a very long time at it.

Meanwhile, Jirtdan woke the children. "Quick! Not a sound!" he whispered, and he led them out of the house. In the dark they ran to a big river. Jirtdan found a shallow place and led the children across on the stones, one by one, to the other bank.

At dawn the giantess came back with the empty waterskin and saw that the children were gone. In a rage she ran after them, following their tracks. When she reached the river, she saw the children on the other side. But she was afraid of drowning in the deep water and could not cross.

"Jirtdan! How did you get across? Tell me too!" shouted the giantess. Jirtdan laughed. "Granny, tie a big stone round your neck and jump into the water. You'll be across in no time." The giantess thought for a moment and then said, "You can't fool me, you little trickster!" And she stomped back into the mountains in a rage.

The children returned to the village safe and sound. Their parents hugged them and wept with joy. The children told them everything and thanked Jirtdan. From then on, no one in the village ever teased Jirtdan for being small. And people there say: "What matters in a hero is not his height, but his heart and his mind."