The Legend of the Duck Fountain

Miško, Franz, and Lacika, three friends from Pressburg were herding ducks by the Danube. If the ducks stayed near the shore, diving for worms and tadpoles, the boys were having a great time. They roasted corn and laughed at the way the hot kernels popped out. One day, however, the ducks swam towards the middle of the river. The little shepherds called after them in vain, desperately slapping the water with their sticks. Perhaps the naughty ducks would have swum all the way to Moson or even to Pest, if a young man in a green coat hadn't suddenly appeared before them. His hair fell to his shoulders, shimmering with river weed and seashells. He strummed the strings of his guitar and the frightened birds immediately returned to the shore. The young man walked toward the shepherds; even his pants were green, overgrown with river weed.

"A Danube water goblin!" Miško cried out. "He came out of the water completely dry!" added Franz. "Let's run, or he'll drown us!" Lacika trembled.

"Why would he drown us when he just saved our ducks?" argued Miško. Indeed, the water goblin gave them a friendly smile and asked their names. "My name is Zelenák and I can do this" — he wiggled his ears to the rhythm of his green water guitar. The boys became friends with the water goblin Zelenák and, from that day on, he helped them keep watch over the mischievous ducks. He roasted corn with the shepherds and taught them those long Danube songs.

Like all young boys, the three friends were very curious. "Uncle Zelenák, what's at the bottom of the Danube? Is there really a secret tunnel that leads all the way to Austria?" The water goblin thought for a moment. "There's nothing that interesting down there. Just gravel and shells and dancing fish. There's also a fierce zander fish with a halberd."

"Wow, and what's that fierce creature doing down there?"

"He is guarding. As for what he's guarding, I can't tell you that. It's a secret."

"Uncle water goblin, we'd really love to see the black zander fish with the halberd! We'll never see anything like that on land!"

The water goblin wanted to please his little friends, but he knew he would be breaking a strict rule. Yet, he thought, if he did it just once, surely no harm would come of it...

He walked with them to the river, whispered the secret password, and the water parted. However, Miško accidentally overheard the password. They arrived at a dark cave where the black zander was already scowling at them, holding his halberd.

"Don't take another step! You wretch, don't you know humans aren't allowed in here? Don't you know what is hidden in this cave?"

"Of course I know," the water goblin replied, clearly offended. "The Danube golden treasure. But these are just children and they were very eager to see you. They do not know the password; they cannot come here on their own."

"That is your only stroke of luck; otherwise, I would have shredded you into river mulch. You know what humans are capable of for gold! Now, get back to the shore, quickly!"

Ashamed, the water goblin led the boys to the shore and, from that day on, he was never seen again. The boys were afraid that he had been punished. Perhaps the water goblin Zelenák was being ground to powder in the Danube Queen's kitchen right now! They wanted to visit the guardian again and assure him that they hadn't told anyone about the secret, nor would they ever tell anyone. One evening, as they were chasing their naughty ducks among the rocks, the password suddenly came to Miško's mind. He was so happy to remember it! But the moment he spoke the password aloud; the boys and the ducks turned to stone. One stood on a rock with a duck in his arms; another was reaching towards him and the third lay on the ground, laughing as he stretched his hand out for a duck. And the waves of the Danube splashed and sparkled around them – a greeting from their friend, the water goblin.

The famous Duck Fountain adorns a small park on Šafárikovo Square in Bratislava, right where the Old Bridge ends. It is said that the shepherds and their ducks come to life again when the Danube water goblin plays his guitar in front of the fountain...

Adaptation of the legend by Juraj Šebesta based on the book: ĎURÍČKOVÁ, Mária. The Danube Queen: Bratislava Myths, Legends and Historical Tales. Bratislava: Mladé letá, 1976.

Galéria prác

Hlavní mediálni partneri

Partneri

Mediálni partneri