00:00Hungarian Folk Tales
00:15The Hedgehog
00:18Once upon a time, there lived a merchant, a king, and a poor man.
00:31The merchant often went hunting in the forest, and one day he became so very lost that he wandered around for three whole days, unable to find his way home.
00:41He said, Oh, if only someone would show me the way out, I'd give him the hand of the most beautiful of my three daughters in marriage, and three sacks of gold.
00:51I'll show you the way out if you follow me.
00:54The merchant looked down at his feet and saw a snuffling hedgehog.
00:58Then the merchant was forced to promise the hedgehog his most beautiful daughter's hand and three sacks of gold if he will lead him out of the forest.
01:05Then the hedgehog set out, followed by the merchant, and they reached the edge of the forest in no time.
01:12The following day, the king also went hunting in the forest, and he also got lost, much like the merchant the day before.
01:19The king said, If only someone would show me the way out, I'd give him the hand of the most beautiful of my three daughters in marriage, along with three carts of gold.
01:29I'll show you the way out if you follow me.
01:31The king looked around to see where the voice was coming from, and then saw the hedgehog by his feet.
01:36He was so anxious to get out of the forest that he couldn't care less who it was, so he followed the hedgehog, and they soon reached the edge of the forest.
01:45The following day, the poor man also got lost in the forest.
01:49Oh dear, I have nothing to my name, but even if an ugly bee showed me the way out of this forest, I would willingly adopt it as my own dear child.
01:58I'll show you the way out if you follow me, a voice said.
02:03The voice, of course, came from the hedgehog, and it led the poor man to the edge of the forest in no time at all.
02:09Time passed, and the merchant, the king, and the poor man had almost forgotten about the little hedgehog.
02:24One night, after the poor man had gone to bed, someone knocked on his window.
02:28Father dear, please open the door for me.
02:33Who can that be, the poor man wondered, because he knew he had no children.
02:42Hello father, I've finally come home, the hedgehog said.
02:45Welcome son, I'm happy you're here, said the poor man.
02:48I am too, and would you please wait, my dear mother, to make my bed for me?
02:52Father dear, do you have two pennies? the hedgehog asked.
03:14Yes I do, my son, said the poor man.
03:16Well then, please go into town, and in the marketplace you'll find a very old lady selling a black cockerel.
03:25Buy it for me, said the hedgehog.
03:27Then go to the saddler, who has a worn out saddle, and buy that for me too.
03:33So the poor man went into town, bought the black cockerel, and the worn out saddle,
03:38and took them home where the hedgehog saddled the cockerel,
03:41climbed up onto its back, and rode away as fast as the wind.
03:46The hedgehog didn't stop until it reached the home of the merchant, where it said.
04:03Merchant sir, open the door and let me in.
04:06The merchant nearly fell over backwards when he saw the hedgehog, but he had to let it in.
04:10Then he called his three daughters and told them of the promise he had made to the prickly creature.
04:14The merchant's daughters cried and cried, but the hedgehog paid no attention and chose the most beautiful girl,
04:21and tried to comfort her with the following words.
04:26You are mine, and I am yours, till death do us part.
04:31But the pretty girl refused to repeat his words, and cried so much that she threw herself down on the ground.
04:39But protest as she might, the girl was forced to leave home with the hedgehog.
04:43Then the merchant harnessed the horses, put three sacks of money into another cart,
04:49and off they went with the hedgehog proudly riding its black cockerel alongside.
04:55Are you still crying? I am, and I will cry until my dying day.
04:59In that case, said the hedgehog, go back to your father.
05:02But the hedgehog kept the three sacks of gold and took them home to the poor man.
05:06Time passed until the day eventually came when the hedgehog saddled its black cockerel
05:15and rode off to visit the king of the land.
05:27The hedgehog told the king why it had come, hoping the king remembered his promise.
05:32I only wish I had forgotten, but I haven't, and I always keep my words, said the king.
05:37He called his three daughters and sadly told them what had happened to him in the forest,
05:41and now this prickly creature had come here to pick his most beautiful daughter for his wife.
05:46It may think I am the most beautiful, but I refuse to be a hedgehog's wife.
05:51I'd rather die than be a hedgehog's wife.
05:53I'll be only too happy to be its wife, because it was so kind to my dear father.
05:58The king was happy and sad at the same time.
06:04He was glad one of his daughters had turned out to be so kind-hearted,
06:08but was sad to lose his only kind-hearted daughter.
06:11The king loaded silver, gold and diamonds onto three carts,
06:15harnessed horses to the royal coach, and the princess climbed in.
06:19The hedgehog, however, did not go in the coach, but rode alongside on the black cockerel.
06:24They had been riding for many hours and were far away from the palace
06:27when the hedgehog looked into the coach and was surprised to see the princess happy and not crying.
06:33She said,
06:34Why do you insist on riding that black cockerel instead of sitting beside me here in the coach?
06:40Aren't you afraid of me? the hedgehog asked.
06:42Why should I, when I know you will do me no harm? she replied.
06:47Don't you find me ugly? asked the hedgehog.
06:49Of course not, the princess replied.
06:51Then a miracle happened.
06:53The hedgehog shook itself and immediately turned into a tall and handsome prince
06:58who beamed brighter than the sun.
07:00Then the cockerel shook itself and turned into a fabulous stallion.
07:05And a palace appeared with walls and windows made of sparkling diamonds.
07:11Then they sent for the king, they sent for the poor man, and they sent for everyone in the land
07:21to join them at their wonderful wedding feast.
07:23And they all lived happily ever after.
07:30THE END
07:37THE END
07:46ΒΆΒΆ
