Marishka’s Salt
Marishka’s Salt is a story from the Czech Republic. Once upon a time there was a very
rich country in the east. Its inhabitants were very diligent, rich and everybody was happy. But in
this country the one sad fact was that the king was already too old to rule the country. One day
he called his three daughters to him and said “From the day you were born, I loved you as much
as any father can love his children. Now, I want you to tell me…I want to know how much you
love me. My daughters answer me this question: What do I mean to you?“
The king wanted to give his country to the daughter that loved him the most. “Oh, my
dear father,” the eldest daughter said, “I consider you more precious than all the silver and gold
in the world.” “Father, I love you more than all the jewelry in the world. I can’t think of anything
more precious than you,” said the second daughter. The king was very pleased by these answers
and turned to the third daughter. “Tell me, Marishka, what do you think?” The king was
expecting some sweet and beautiful words from Marishka because he loved her more than
anyone else. “Oh my dearest father, your Majesty, I love you more than all the salt in the world.”
“What? Salt?” the king exclaimed. “Salt? The salt we eat?” the two sisters asked looking at each
other perplexed. “Salt is never used up no matter how often you use it. How do you dare say that,
Marishka?” asked the second daughter. “Everybody in this country could have as many times as
they needed. They’d never run out of salt.” The king was very angry and he was deeply hurt.
“How can you compare me with salt, you ungrateful girl?” “But my father, we cannot live
without any salt!” Marishka cried out. “Be quiet!” the king commanded, “You are not my
daughter anymore! Get out and be gone! Never pass before me again!”
Poor Marishka was all alone now. She wandered and wandered without a destination.
Where could she go? While going through a forest, she came upon a house and noticing that
smoke was coming out of its chimneys, she said to herself “Oh, it seems like somebody is
home!” She approached the house and when she knocked, an old woman opened the door.
“Welcome! You are the princess who said that salt was the most precious thing,” the old woman
said to Marishka. “How did you know that?” Marishka asked in surprise. “I know everything! I
know that you have no place to go, right? You can live here with me and work hard and you’ll
never loose your honesty and beauty. You’ll be happy forever. I will take care of you, you’ll see.
Yes, you will!” said the old woman.
From that time on, Marishka was at the strange old lady’s house. She worked hard and
she tried to be happy. At the castle, the most precious things to the sisters were beautiful clothes
and golden jewelry. They didn’t care about their loving father and they didn’t realize how sick he
was. “It’s not fair,” the king thought to himself “neither of my daughters is fit to be the queen.
Neither.”
The old lady knew of the king’s troubles. “The time has come,” she said to herself and
waived her wooden staff. Suddenly all the salt in the country disappeared and not only in that
country but in the neighboring countries as well. Because all the salt went missing, food became
tasteless. At dinner the middle daughter lost her patience with the servant, “I told you I don’t like
sweet food anymore! Where is the salt I asked you for? Didn’t you bring it?” “Oh yes, milady.”
“I’ll give you all the gold and diamonds I have but just get me a fistful of salt,” the second
daughter begged. “Salt is salt! Not anymore special than the things I have!” the eldest daughter
exclaimed. “Oh, it used to be that way, but now salt is more valuable than anything on earth, I
am telling you!” the servant explained. From the lack of salt, people and animals began to lose
their strength. There was no salt to be found anywhere. The king was very saddened. “Oh,
Marishka! I was such a fool! Forgive me, Marishka. Forgive me.” But Marishka was happy, she
didn’t know about what was happening. “Marishka, it’s time for you to return to the castle,” the
old lady told her one day. “But I was kicked out of the castle. How can I return?” she asked.
“Everybody needs you there. You know that, don’t you?” “Yes, I understand. I’ll do as you
wish,” Marishka said. “I am ordering you! You can take this branch since you worked so hard. If
you need me, you’ll touch the willow tree on the hill behind the castle. Waaay upon the hill, as
far as you can go! Do you understand, Marishka?
When Marishka returned to the castle, all she could see were dying people everywhere.
“What happened?” she asked people on the street. “Salt, salt, please salt!” “Why salt? Where is
my dear father?” “Father, father! Where are you, my dear sweet father? Father, father!” The king
was very ill. Nobody knew. “Oh my sweet dear father? What happened? Oh, I know. I need to
get some salt!” Marishka remembered the old lady. She had said that anytime Marishka needed
her. she should call for her help. So, Marishka ran as fast as she could to the willow tree.
Marishka knew that the old woman would give her salt. Once she reached the willow, she
touched it with the branch the old lady had given her and cried out to her “Please help me!”
Suddenly everything turned black around her and she felt falling into a deep abyss. She woke up
in front of the cave. When Marishka entered, she saw a beautiful garden with flowers,
mushrooms and all kinds of plants and crystals. “What is this place?” she wondered. “Everything
is made of salt! A rose made of salt,” said she picking the flower. “Marishka!” the old lady called
her name and as Marishka approached, the old woman turned into a beautiful fairy in front of her
eyes. “Welcome to the country of salt!” the fairy exclaimed. “The country of salt?” Marishka
asked. “Flowers, grass, whatever we have here is all made of salt,” the fairy said. “Take this salt
and from now on you are the queen of this country.” “Me, the queen?” “You are the person to be
the queen of this country, I just know that!” said the fairy and then she disappeared. Marishka
couldn’t believe her ears or her eyes.
She returned to the castle and went straight to her father’s bedside. “Father, father, it is
me, Marishka!” “Marishka, Marishka! Is it really you?” the king asked. “Yes father, it’s me. I
missed you so much.” “Please forgive me, Marishka! We cannot live without salt. You were the
only one who realized, the only one. This foolish father of yours didn’t understand until now.”
“Father you don’t need to be worried about salt anymore, I have some right here.” “What, salt?”
“This is a flower from the country of salt which I have inherited. You will never have to worry
about having salt anymore. There’s plenty for everyone in the whole land.” “Is it true,
Marishka?”
Happiness returned once again to the country and their store houses were filled with salt
and everybody learned that salt was important, not only important but salt is indeed very very
precious.
Slavic Story Time Russian, East European and Eurasian Center ‐ University of Illinois
Šla Nanynka do zelí
Children's Song
(English)
Nancy Went to the Cabbage Field
Children's Song
(Czech)
Šla Nanynka do zelí,
do zelí, do zelí,
natrhala lupení, lupeníčka.
Přišel za ní Pepíček,
rozšlapal* jí košíček.
Ty, ty, ty, ty, ty, ty,
ty to budeš platiti.
Nancy went to the cabbage field,
Cabbage field, cabbage field,
She picked leaves, little leaves.
Joe came up to her
And trampled her little basket.
You, you, you, you, you, you,
You will pay for it.
Já to platit nebudu, nebudu, nebudu,
radši se dám na vojnu, na vojničku,
na vojnu se nedávej,
truc rodičům nedělej,
udělám, udělám,
na vojnu se přece dám.
I'm not going to pay for it, I, I,
I would rather go to the army.
Don't go to the army,
Don't be stubborn**
I will do it, I will do it,
I will go to the army. Play the song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5b61Y6XysiA).