“The Boy and the Earthly Beauty: An Albanian Folktale of Magic, Desire, and Redemption”

“Explore the captivating story of a young man’s quest to win the heart of the elusive Earthly Beauty in this timeless Albanian fairytale filled with mystery and enchantment.”

The Boy and the Earthly Beauty

Once upon a time, there lived a wealthy man who had a wife and a son. Before his death, the father gave his son a critical piece of advice: never visit the village where the Earthly Beauty resided. As the boy grew older, he was content, unaware of where this mysterious Earthly Beauty lived. But curiosity soon overwhelmed him, and despite his parents’ warnings, he became determined to seek out the village and see her for himself.

One day, the boy filled a large sack with gold coins and set off in search of the Earthly Beauty’s village. Along the way, he stopped at an old woman’s house. She immediately recognized his intentions and warned him that many young men had wasted their fortunes just to catch a glimpse of the Earthly Beauty’s finger or hand. Instead of discouraging him, this only increased the boy’s desire to see her. He pleaded with the old woman to show him the way to her palace.

When he arrived, the boy offered his gold coins to the servants, who relayed the message to the Earthly Beauty. She instructed them to allow him to glimpse her finger and then to take his money and send him away. The boy left, both dazzled by the brief encounter and eager for more. He returned to the old woman’s house, filled with excitement, and told her everything. Encouraged by her, he decided to return home to gather more money for another visit.

Upon returning home, his mother, saddened by how her son had squandered his wealth, tried in vain to persuade him to stay. But the boy was undeterred. He took even more money than before and set out again. This time, at the Earthly Beauty’s palace, he was shown her hand, but again, the servants took his money and threw him out. After repeatedly spending all his fortune without getting any closer to the Earthly Beauty, the boy found himself impoverished.

Refusing to give up, he returned home once more. Searching his father’s bedroom, he discovered a magical cap that made him invisible. Elated, he believed this would finally allow him to win over the Earthly Beauty. He put on the cap and sneaked into her palace, unnoticed by her servants. That night, he watched her in awe, invisible, and at dawn, spoke to her. Though she could hear his voice, she couldn’t see him. Trusting her love, the boy revealed the secret of his invisibility cap. She quickly snatched it from him, called her servants, and had him thrown out.

Devastated by her betrayal, the boy returned home once more. Unable to think of anything but the Earthly Beauty, he searched his father’s belongings again and found a dusty jug. Polishing it, a band of warriors suddenly appeared, ready to serve him. He realized he now had the power to win over the Earthly Beauty and set out once again, hopeful this time.

Stopping at the old woman’s house, he sent her to deliver a message to the Earthly Beauty, requesting her to receive him. But the maiden, full of pride, rejected the request. On the boy’s urging, the old woman returned to the palace, but this time, she was beaten and thrown out by the servants.

Realizing diplomacy had failed, the boy decided to take matters into his own hands. He rubbed the jug, summoning his warriors, and sent them to display their strength outside the Earthly Beauty’s palace. Seeing the soldiers, the maiden became frightened and quickly ordered that the boy be welcomed with full honors.

Once inside, the boy planned his next move. He told the Earthly Beauty, “For all the suffering you’ve caused me, I could send you to Tinglimaimun,” a distant land. But she charmed him, convincing him to forgive her. Believing she now loved him, the boy foolishly revealed the jug’s power. As soon as he turned away, the maiden took the jug, summoned the warriors, and ordered them to send the boy to Tinglimaimun.

Banished to this faraway land, the boy wandered in search of food. He found red grapes and began to eat, but to his horror, for every grape he ate, a horn grew from his face. Distressed, he continued searching and eventually found white grapes. Each white grape he ate made a horn fall off. Realizing the potential of this strange power, the boy filled two baskets: one with red grapes and one with white.

After returning home on a passing ship, the boy headed straight for the Earthly Beauty’s palace, planning his revenge. The maiden, attracted to the rare grapes, eagerly ate the red ones, causing horns to sprout from her face. She was horrified and called for doctors, threatening them with execution if they failed to heal her.

The boy disguised himself as a doctor and offered to cure the maiden. After treating her maid with the white grapes, he was summoned to the Earthly Beauty. She confessed her deeds, including how she had stolen the jug, cap, and money from him. The boy gave her the white grapes, which cured her, but then summoned the warriors, declaring, “Now, I have you in my power.”The Earthly Beauty had no choice but to marry him, and together with her palace and treasures, they returned to his village. His mother, overjoyed to see her son, welcomed them with open arms, and they lived happily ever after.

This retelling of “The Boy and the Earthly Beauty” is one of Albania’s timeless folktales, rich with themes of magic, betrayal, and redemption. This captivating story reflects the power of desire and the consequences of unwise choices, a tale that will resonate with audiences seeking classic Albanian folklore and moral lessons embedded in mythical storytelling.

@Fusionistachic