Salt is Worth More than Gold

Slovakia

Once there was a king with three daughters. He protected them like the eyes in his head. When he got older and weaker, and his hair began to turn gray, he thought about which of his daughters would become Queen. This decision was very hard because he loved them all.

Finally, there was a time when he had to decide. He called his daughters, and he said, "My daughters, I am old, as you can see. I don't know if I will live much longer. So, I would like to know which one of my daughters loves me the most. Tell me, my oldest daughter, how do you like me?"

She said, "Oh, my father, I love you more than gold," and she kissed his hand.

Her father said, "Alright. And you, my second daughter, how do you like me."

And she said, "Oh, my dear father, I love you as much as the flowers I put in my hair," and she put her hands around his neck.

"Alright. And what about you, my youngest little Marushka. How do you love me?"

She said, "I love you, my Daddy, like I love salt." And she looked tenderly at him.

And her sisters shouted, "Eh, you are worthless, when you love your father only as much as salt!"

And she replied, "Yes, I love him like salt."

The father was also angry and he said that a child shouldn't love her father only as much as salt because everyone has salt and just puts it between their fingers. "Go away from me!" he shouted, "and come back when salt is worth more than gold. Then you may become the Queen."

Marushka was so sad she couldn't say anything to her father. She was used to listening to all her father's orders, so she left the castle.

She went the forests and valleys, and finally she came into a dark forest. Suddenly an old woman appeared. "Marushka, Marushka, tell me where you are going and why are you crying?" the old woman said.

"Oh, old woman. There is no reason to tell you about it, when there is nothing that can be done about it."

"Oh, my poor little girl, just tell me. Perhaps I can help you."

And so Marushka told this old woman about all her problems, but the woman knew everything because she was a clever woman who knew about magic and the future.

So the woman asked Marushka to live in her house as a servant. Marushka agrred to do this, and they went to the woman's cottage. So the woman feed Marushka, and gave some water. "And now", said the woman, "Let's go to work." She wanted to know if Marushka knew how to make thread and how to sew. She also wanted Marushka to tend the sheep and milk them.

Marushka said that she hadn't ever done these things before, but she would try to learn how. The old woman said that she would show her how, and she also said that, perhaps Marushka would need these skills in the future. After she learned how, Marushka became very good at these things.

At home in the castle her sister were having a very good time. They were always very affectionate with their father, and brushed his hair and put their arms around him many times every day. They loved him so much, as he gave them new clothes, gold, flowers and other nice gifts.

The father found out that the oldest daughter loved him less than gold, and discovered that the second daughter loved him as long as she always had fresh, beautiful flowers. But when the flowers became old and wilted, and when he didn't give the eldest any gold for along time, the daughters wouldn't act so tender and loving as when they had what they wanted.

But it was too late for him to say he was sorry to his youngest daughter because no one knew where she lived or what she was doing anymore.

One day there was a big festival, and the second daughter was choosing her husband at the festival. So, it was a very special day, but suddenly a cook came and he said, "King, we don't have any salt because all the salt has melted and has become like water and is feeding the plants under my kitchen."

The king became very angry and he said, "Are you crazy!? Order some new salt." But the cook told him that this happened to salt in all the homes all over the country. So the king told him to make dishes that don't need salt. So the cook made some cakes, sweet biscuits, and pudding.

The kingdom ate this food for many weeks and for all the festivals, and all the visitors and guests would leave soon after the food was served. They had enough gold, but they didn't have salt.

The king was sad and he was looking for his daughter Marushka, but Marushka hadn't been found. The people became very ill because of their lack of salt. Cows and sheep couldn't be milked because the people were to ill and tired to do their work. So finally the king found out that salt was very important, and that Marushka was right.

Back in the forest, Marushka was content. She didn't know about the situation in the kingdom. However, the old woman knew about it, because she knew how to use magic. One day she told Marushka, "My girl, it is now time for you to return home."

And Marushka said, "Oh, my good woman, how can I go home when my father is unhappy with me?" and she started to cry.

"Don't cry, my little girl, everything will be alright. In the kingdom salt has become worth more than gold, so you can go home to your father." And the woman added, "You have done your work very well, so you can choose something that you want from me."

Marushka said, "Thank you, good woman, I only want a little gift. Just one lump of salt in my hand will be enough." The good woman was surprised because she thought Marushka would wish for more than salt.

So the good woman gave Marushka a twig and said, "Whip the earth with the twig and the earth will open. In this opening will be your wedding present." In addition to the twig she also gave her a small bag of salt. So Marushka took these things, but she was very sad because she had to leave. So the old woman told her, "Stay the way you are forever. Don't worry about me, I'll be alright." As the woman told Marushka this she disappeared.

Marushka returned to the castle, but no one knew who she was because she had a bonnet around her head. The guard didn't want to let her into the castle, but she insisted. "Please, just let me in. I have something for the king that is worth more than gold. I have medicine that will cure everything." she said. So the guard brought her to the king and she begged them to give her some bread. They told her that they had bread, but no salt. "What we don't have, we will have." said Marushka. She took the small bag and she salted the bread.

"Salt!!" shouted the king. "Eh, good woman, it's a gift worthy of a king. How can I return such a gift? Tell me what you want."

"I don't want anything, Daddy, just for you to love me." she said and she took off her bonnet.

The king was so happy to see her. He asked her to forgive him. They hugged each other and the news spread through the kingdom that the youngest daughter had returned. Marushka's sisters were also happy; not because of seeing her, but because now they had salt.

Everyone got salt from Marushka, but the king was afraid that they would all run out of salt soon. But Marushka said, "It'll be enough, Daddy." The small bag seemed to have no bottom. Everyone became healthy and Marushka became Queen. Then she remembered that she still had the twig from the good woman, so she took it and went through the valleys and hills in order to whip the earth. After whipping the earth, it opened very wide, wide enough for her to go inside. Inside there was a big room made of ice. There were small trolls with little gas lamps waiting for her.

"Welcome to our kingdom, we have been expecting you. Our Queen ordered us to show you around because everything you see is yours.", the trolls said. Marushka was shocked because of all of the beautiful gold treasures and the many flowers, especially the red-ice roses, which she had never seen before. She picked some of these roses, and discovered they had no smell.

"What is this?" she asked, "I have never seen it before."

"All of this you see is salt." replied the trolls.

"Is it really salt, it looks like ice? So, there is salt growing here," she said. Marushka thought it would be a shame to take from the beauty that was there.

The trolls guessed that Marushka was thinking this, so they said, "Just take as much as you like, Marushka. There is no end to the salt we have." Marushka thanked them for everything and left the beautiful room of salt. The earth remained open where she had whipped it and Marushka returned home and told her father about the beauty of the salt room.

But, she hadn't forgotten about the good woman, so Marushka and her father went on a trip with horses and a carriage to visit this old woman and to bring her to the castle because they wanted the woman to live in the kingdom with them forever. Marushka knew the way to the woman's cottage, but when they arrived there they couldn't find her. And then Marushka realized who the old woman was. She was the Queen of Salt, the queen of the trolls in the beautiful salt room. So there was no reason to look for her in her cottage, because Marushka knew the woman had gone back to her kingdom to be the Queen. So Marushka and her father returned home.

When they arrived, everyone was sad because the small bag had finally run out of salt, but Marushka knew where there was plenty more. There was never a time when the kingdom lived without salt again.

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Source: Tale told by Mike Snyder, Trebisov. I Learn / Global Art.
http://www.nsc.ru/folk/slovakia/saltisworthmorethangold.htm