Au fost odat\u0103, \u00eentr-o margine de sat, un om, pe nume Stan, \u015fi muierea lui. Ea era trist\u0103 mereu \u015fi degeaba \u00eencerca so\u0163ul ei s\u0103 afle de ce, c\u0103 ea nu voia s\u0103-i spun\u0103, c\u0103ci, zicea ea, avea s\u0103 fie \u015fi el trist dac\u0103 afl\u0103.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Dar Stan nu se l\u0103s\u0103 \u015fi p\u00een\u0103 la urm\u0103 ea \u00eei spuse c\u0103 e suparat\u0103 c\u0103 nu au copii \u015fi, \u00eentr-adev\u0103r, omul se \u00eentrist\u0103 \u015fi el. \u00centr-o bun\u0103 zi, sosir\u0103 la ei \u00een cas\u0103 Domnul Iisus Cristos \u015fi Sf\u00e2ntul Petru.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I-au primit bine, i-au hr\u0103nit \u015fi le-au spus vorbe bune, iar c\u00e2nd s\u0103 plece, Cristos l-a \u00eentrebat pe Stan ce \u00ee\u015fi dore\u015fte, pentru c\u0103 el are s\u0103-i \u00eendeplineasc\u0103 trei dorin\u0163e. De trei ori l-a \u00eentrebat, de trei ori a spus c\u0103 vrea copii, de trei ori i-a dat copii, a\u015fa c\u0103 Stan a r\u0103mas cu o sut\u0103 de copii.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00cen c\u00e2teva zile copiii au \u00eenceput s\u0103 strige de foame, iar cei doi p\u0103rin\u0163i hot\u0103r\u00e2r\u0103 ca tat\u0103l s\u0103 plece \u00een lume, s\u0103 caute un dar de la Dumnezeu, hran\u0103 pentru copii. A umblat c\u00e2t a umblat Stan, dar nu a g\u0103sit ce \u00eei trebuia. A ajuns p\u00e2n\u0103 la marginea lumii, unde se amestec\u0103 ce este cu ce nu este, \u015fi acolo a dat peste o st\u00e2n\u0103 cu \u015fapte p\u0103curari. Acolo afl\u0103 c\u0103 un zmeu vine \u00een fiecare noapte \u015fi le ia c\u00e2te trei oi, dar \u015fi laptele de la \u015faptezeci \u015fi \u015fapte de oi, pe care \u00eel ducea zmeoaicei b\u0103tr\u00e2ne, s\u0103 se scalde \u00een el ca s\u0103 \u00eentinereasc\u0103. Atunci Stan \u00eentreb\u0103 ce i-ar da ei dac\u0103 i-ar sc\u0103pa de zmeu, iar ciobanii \u00eei spuser\u0103 c\u0103 \u00eei dau a treia parte din oi.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Pe la miezul nop\u0163ii auzi Stan un zgomot grozav, apoi \u00eel z\u0103ri pe zmeu apropiindu-se de st\u00e2n\u0103. \u00cei strig\u0103 s\u0103 stea \u015fi \u00eei spuse c\u0103 el e Stan Bolovan, care ziua m\u0103n\u00e2nc\u0103 st\u00e2nci, iar noaptea pa\u015fte copaci. Zmeul spuse c\u0103 nu se va atinge de turm\u0103 dac\u0103 se va \u00eentrece cu el, iar Stan scoase din traist\u0103 o bucat\u0103 de ca\u015f spun\u00e2nd c\u0103 e o piatr\u0103, \u00eei zise zmeului s\u0103 ia \u015fi el o piatr\u0103 de pe malul r\u00e2ului \u015fi s\u0103 scoat\u0103 zer din ea. Zmeul str\u00e2nse piatra \u00een pumn de o f\u0103cu praf, dar zer nu curse din ea. Atunci Stan str\u00e2nse \u015fi el ca\u015ful, zerul \u00eencepu s\u0103 curg\u0103, iar zmeul \u00eencepu a se uita pe unde s\u0103 fug\u0103 ca s\u0103 scape de un a\u015fa voinic.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0G\u00e2ndindu-se el c\u0103 nu va putea s\u0103 scape, \u00eei zise lui Stan s\u0103 vin\u0103 acas\u0103 la el, c\u0103 mam\u0103-sa are nevoie de o slug\u0103 pentru un an. Afl\u00e2nd Stan c\u0103 anul e de trei zile, iar simbria de \u015fapte saci de galbeni pe zi, se \u00eenvoi \u015fi plec\u0103 cu zmeul. Ajunser\u0103 nu departe de cas\u0103, iar Stan o z\u0103ri pe mama zmeului, b\u0103tr\u00e2n\u0103 \u015fi groaznic\u0103 la vedere. Zmeul \u00eel l\u0103s\u0103 s\u0103 a\u015ftepte afar\u0103 \u015fi se duse s\u0103-i spun\u0103 maic\u0103-si c\u0103 l-a adus pe omul \u0103la, care m\u0103n\u00e2nc\u0103 bolovani \u015fi stoarce zer din piatr\u0103, pentru ca ea s\u0103 \u00eel scape de el.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A doua zi zmeoaica le zise s\u0103 dea semn \u00een lumea zmeilor cu buzduganul cel ferecat de \u015fapte ori. Zmeul trebuia s\u0103-l arunce cale de trei po\u015fte, apoi Stan, tot cale de trei po\u015fte, apoi iar zmeul \u015fi tot a\u015fa. C\u00e2nd \u00eei veni r\u00e2ndul lui Stan, acesta privi \u00eengrijorat la el, socotind c\u0103 el \u015fi cei o sut\u0103 de copii ai s\u0103i nu ar izbuti nici s\u0103 \u00eel ridice de la p\u0103m\u00e2nt. Atunci \u00eei spuse zmeului c\u0103 e p\u0103cat de buzdugan, fiindc\u0103 el \u00eel va arunca a\u015fa de tare c\u0103 va r\u0103m\u00e2ne pe lun\u0103. Atunci zmeul zise c\u0103 \u00eel arunc\u0103 el, Stan se f\u0103cu a nu vrea \u015fi nu se l\u0103s\u0103 p\u00e2n\u0103 c\u00e2nd zmeul nu \u00eei f\u0103g\u0103dui s\u0103 \u00eei dea \u015fapte saci de galbeni ca s\u0103 \u00eel lase pe el s\u0103 arunce buzduganul. Se duser\u0103 acas\u0103, iar zmeoaica se cam \u00eengrijor\u0103 \u015fi ea c\u00e2nd afl\u0103 c\u0103 vrusese s\u0103 arunce buzduganul tocmai \u00een lun\u0103.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Diminea\u0163\u0103 \u00eei trimise la f\u00e2nt\u00e2n\u0103, s\u0103 umple fiecare cu ap\u0103 c\u00e2te dou\u0103sprezece burdufuri, f\u0103cute fiecare din pielea unui bivol, \u015fi s\u0103 aduc\u0103 apa acas\u0103. Zmeul umplu c\u00e2t ai clipi burdufurile, dar Stan abia t\u00e2r\u00e2se p\u00e2n\u0103 la f\u00e2nt\u00e2n\u0103 burdufurile goale. Scoase el o custur\u0103 de la br\u00e2u \u015fi \u00eencepu s\u0103 zg\u00e2rie p\u0103m\u00e2ntul de jur \u00eemprejurul f\u00e2nt\u00e2nii. C\u00e2nd \u00eel \u00eentreb\u0103 zmeul ce face, spuse c\u0103 are de g\u00e2nd s\u0103 aduc\u0103 f\u00e2nt\u00e2na acas\u0103, ce s\u0103 se mai \u00eencurce cu pieile de bivol. Zmeul r\u0103mase cu gura c\u0103scat\u0103 \u015fi, ca s\u0103 stea pe loc f\u00e2nt\u00e2na r\u0103mas\u0103 de la mo\u015fu-s\u0103u, zise c\u0103 \u00eei duce el \u015fi burdufurile lui. Stan se f\u0103cu a nu vrea \u015fi nu se \u00eenvoi dec\u00e2t dup\u0103 ce zmeul \u00eei f\u0103g\u0103dui al\u0163i saci de galbeni.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00cen ultima zi a anului de munc\u0103, zmeoaica \u00eei trimise la p\u0103dure, dup\u0103 lemne. P\u00e2n\u0103 ai num\u0103ra la trei, zmeul scoase din r\u0103d\u0103cin\u0103 o sumedenie de copaci \u015fi \u00eei a\u015fez\u0103 la un loc. Stan \u00eencepu el s\u0103 priveasc\u0103 la copaci, apoi s\u0103-i lege unul de altul, zic\u00e2ndu-i zmeului c\u0103 el nu st\u0103 s\u0103 ia copacii unul c\u00e2te unul, ci duce toat\u0103 p\u0103durea acas\u0103. Atunci zmeul \u00eei spuse c\u0103 duce el \u015fi lemnele lui Stan, numai s\u0103 lase p\u0103durea la locul ei. Stan nu se \u00eenvoi p\u00e2n\u0103 c\u00e2nd zmeul nu-i f\u0103g\u0103dui c\u0103 va primi simbria de \u015fapte ori c\u00e2te \u015fapte saci cu galbeni.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Acas\u0103, zmeoaica nu prea se \u00eendura s\u0103 \u00eei da at\u00e2\u0163ia bani \u015fi \u00eei zise zmeului s\u0103 \u00eel omoare pe Stan la noapte, s\u0103-i dea cu buzduganul \u00een frunte c\u00e2nd va dormi. Numai c\u0103 Stan auzise \u015fi puse \u00een pat \u00een locul lui troaca porcilor, iar el se culc\u0103 sub pat. Zmeul veni \u015fi sf\u0103r\u00e2m\u0103 troaca cu buzduganul, apoi plec\u0103 mul\u0163umit c\u0103 a sc\u0103pat de Stan. Diminea\u0163\u0103 \u015fi el \u015fi zmeoaica r\u0103maser\u0103 \u00eencremeni\u0163i c\u00e2nd \u00eel v\u0103zur\u0103 pe Stan viu \u015fi frumos ca un m\u0103r. \u00cel \u00eentrebar\u0103 cum a dormit \u015fi el spuse c\u0103 a dormit bine, dar l-a pi\u015fcat un purice de frunte.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Speria\u0163i de a\u015fa voinic, \u00eei d\u0103dur\u0103 banii, numai s\u0103 plece, dar el, \u00eengrozit c\u0103 nu va putea c\u0103ra at\u00e2\u0163ia saci cu galbeni, se f\u0103cu c\u0103 vrea s\u0103-i mai slujeasc\u0103 un an. Atunci zmeul \u00eei mai d\u0103du \u00eenc\u0103 de \u015fapte ori c\u00e2te \u015fapte saci cu galbeni \u015fi-i spuse c\u0103 \u00eei duce el toat\u0103 comoara asta acas\u0103. Stan se \u00eenvoi bucuros \u015fi plecar\u0103, dar, c\u00e2nd se apropiar\u0103 de casa lui, \u00eencepu s\u0103 se team\u0103 c\u0103 zmeul, \u015ftiind unde st\u0103, va veni s\u0103 \u00ee\u015fi ia banii \u00eenapoi. \u00cel sc\u0103par\u0103 de grij\u0103 copiii lui, care, de cum z\u0103rir\u0103 zmeul, n\u0103v\u0103lir\u0103 fl\u0103m\u00e2nzi, cu c\u00e2te un cu\u0163it \u015fi o furculi\u0163\u0103 \u00een m\u00e2ini, strig\u00e2nd c\u0103 ar m\u00e2nca to\u0163i carne de zmeu. Zmeul arunc\u0103 sacii \u015fi fugi \u00eensp\u0103im\u00e2ntat \u015fi de atunci nu a mai cutezat s\u0103 se arate \u00een lume.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Iar Stan, tocmai c\u00e2nd num\u0103ra galbenii cu nevasta \u015fi copiii, se trezi c\u0103 vin \u015fi ciobanii cu oile pe care le promiseser\u0103 dac\u0103 \u00eei scap\u0103 de zmeu, c\u0103 de, c\u00e2nd d\u0103, Dumnezeu d\u0103 cu am\u00e2ndou\u0103 m\u00e2inile!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Au fost odat\u0103, \u00eentr-o margine de sat, un om, pe nume Stan, \u015fi muierea lui. Ea era trist\u0103 mereu \u015fi degeaba \u00eencerca so\u0163ul ei s\u0103 afle de ce, c\u0103 ea … <\/p>\n