The Kozojedy Bell

Gregory was the local shepherd. Once at dark night the ghost appeared to him and advised him to go to Drevic to find a hidden treasury. In the morning Gregory said this story to his wife and they found it as a good joke. There used to be a castle, but now there is only the small church. But the next night the ghost came again and Gregory started to think about the situation the treasury is really hidden there. The third night the ghost came and commanded Gregory to go and dig there. The next day he took the cart with tools and went to Drevic to dig hidden gold out. There was only one condition said by the ghost – to buy from that money the new church bell for Kozojedy. After a moment of his digging he found a heap of gold. Then he went home, re-dressed as a beggar with nearly empty scrip to avoid the attack of the highwaymen, and left home for the market in a nearby town.

The ghost agreed with him and advised him to take a magic twig which helps him. If he touches the chosen bell, it says: “ Mr. Houda bought the bell!,” if not he should not buy it. In the town he went directly to the bell founder and still as a beggar asked him about the bell and its price. The bell founder teased him and answered. “Four hundred goldens!”. Gregery took out the twig and reached the bell. It said: “ Mr. Houda bought the bell!”. He took money out of his bag and paid for it. The bell founder needed any time to prepare the bell and Gregory had to return the later that day. He would like to replace it by another one, but Gregory used the twig for the last time to check his bell and immediately discovered the fiddle. The merchant excused himself and offer him to engrave his name on the bell. Since then they have a new bell in Kozojedy which clangs “Hou-da kou-pil” (Mr.Houda bought it).