A Magical Story of Love, Betrayal, and Transformation from Albanian Folklore
Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a brother and sister wandered the roads, having lost both their mother and father. With no home to return to, they set off into the world. The sun blazed hot above them, and the boy, parched with thirst, longed for a drink of water.
They reached a pond where a herd of cows was grazing. The boy turned to his sister and said:
— Oh, sister, I’m so thirsty!
— Do not drink from here, brother, or you will turn into a cow, she warned.
They continued walking until they came across a river where horses were drinking. The boy, unable to bear his thirst any longer, said:
— Oh, sister, let me drink from this river!
— Do not drink from here, brother, or you will turn into a colt, she cautioned.
Sighing deeply, the boy obeyed his sister, and they continued their journey. But the scorching sun showed no mercy, and his thirst grew unbearable.
After some time, they reached a beautiful lake where a herd of goats grazed nearby.
— I cannot go on, sister. My thirst is unbearable. I must drink from this lake, he pleaded.
— Do not drink, brother, or you will turn into a goat!
But the boy could no longer resist. The moment he drank, he transformed into a little goat. The sister fell to the ground and wept, her tears soaking the earth beneath her. But seeing that her brother, now a goat, still looked at her with the same loving eyes, she tied a silk belt around his neck and took him with her.
The King’s Garden and the Hidden Truth
One day, as they wandered, the little goat broke free and ran into the king’s garden. The sister followed closely behind. The palace servants saw them and rushed to inform the king.
— A strange little goat has entered the royal garden, and behind it follows a girl of such beauty that words cannot describe her!
Intrigued, the king ordered his men to find out who she was. When the servants asked, she explained:
— Our parents passed away, leaving us orphans. My brother and I traveled the world and stopped by a lake where a herd of goats was grazing. My brother drank from the water and was turned into a little goat.
The servants relayed her story to the king, who was captivated by the girl’s kindness and beauty. He called for her and said:
— Marry me. I will dress you in gold and silver, and I promise never to part you from your brother.
The girl agreed, and though the king did not hold a grand wedding, he wasted no time in making her his queen. They lived happily, surrounded by love and joy.
One day, while the king was away hunting, an evil witch came to the queen, filling her ears with sweet words and false promises. Deceived, the queen followed her to the shore of a deep blue sea. There, the witch tied a heavy stone around her neck and cast her into the water.
Taking the queen’s form through dark magic, the witch returned to the palace wearing her clothes. No one noticed the change, not even the king when he returned from his hunt. But something in the kingdom had shifted. The flowers in the royal garden began to wither, the trees dried up, and the grass turned yellow. Only the little goat knew the truth. Unlike before, he no longer played or ate; instead, he wandered restlessly near the sea, crying day and night.
The witch, seeing this, grew furious. When the king went hunting again, she threatened the goat:
— As soon as the king returns, I will have you slaughtered!
When the king came back, she pleaded and begged until he reluctantly agreed. He was puzzled, for he knew how much the queen had once cherished the goat. Why would she now wish him dead?
The witch ordered the preparation of a great fire, a cauldron of boiling water, and sharp knives for the sacrifice. The little goat, sensing the danger, ran to the sea and cried out:
“ Oh, my beautiful sister,
Come out of the water, hear my plea.
Flames are crackling,
The cauldrons are boiling,
The knives are sharpened,
And they will take my life away!“
From the depths of the sea, the sister’s voice answered:
“There’s nothing I can do, my dear brother,
A heavy stone keeps me bound below.
Seaweed entangles my feet,
A serpent has devoured my heart!”
The goat returned once, twice, and the king, watching from afar, became suspicious.
— Something is hidden there, he thought.
He followed the goat to the shore and listened as the same exchange repeated. Realizing what had happened, the king leaped into the water and pulled his beloved queen from the depths. He asked her what had occurred, and with tears in her eyes, she told him everything.
The goat, overwhelmed with joy, began to leap and dance. Then, with a final, powerful jump, he spun three times in the air—and transformed back into the boy he once was!
The three of them returned to the palace, and the king ordered that the wicked witch be burned in the very fire she had prepared for the goat. Once reduced to ashes, the wind scattered her remains, ensuring that her name would be forgotten forever.
From that day on, peace returned to the kingdom. The king and his queen, reunited with her brother, lived happily ever after, proving that love, loyalty, and truth always triumph over evil.
