Vihor`s rescue
Where it happened: in the Vihorlat mountains near the village Poruba pod Vihorlatom
The forests around the Vihorlat mountains are sprawling and gorgeous. High in the mountains is a land we call Zemplin, where numerous hiking trails are to be found. One of these leads up to the peak Vihorlat, the highest point in the surrounding area. At one time it was said that there lived Vihor – the mysterious and mighty god of these mountains. Supposedly he himself created the beautiful lake Morské oko, a true gem of untouched nature. Some of the hiking trails lead up to the rock formation Sninský Kameň, setting for one of the most beautiful vistas of Slovakia. Legend has it that the rock formation did not come to be at the mountaintop by chance. It was thrust there by a horrible demon during battle with the god Vihor. Why were they doing battle? Read on…
How hedgehog Jarko defeated the terrible Lamponoš
Just a few kilometers south of the Ukrainian town of Uzhhorod, directly on the main road leading to Hungary, sits the lovely village of Homok. It is enough to walk a bit, and one notices that this village is not like every other one. The soil is sandy. Sand at one time played an exceptionally important role here. They extracted it and sold it. Supposedly, to manage all the hard work they ate porridge. Not the everyday type, but a kind that really gave strength. They still cook it today. It may still be tasted for example in the restaurant Panska Vtiha. What kind of porridge is it?Well, read on…
„Woof, woof! Woof, woof!“ someone – something barked and it sounded dangerous. Hedgehog Jarko heard it even before his eyes were opened. Until then he had been sleeping sweetly and having a nice dream. He was awoken however by dog across from him in the grass, barking as if life and death were in the balance.
„Why are you barking? What have I done? You don`t even know who I am and you are baring your teeth! Meanwhile we could be friends!“ the hedgehog shouted, then curled into a ball and the dog went silent.
The two brothers
Brothers Lykk and Hans were sad. Very sad. Their mother died back when they still saw the world through the eyes of children, and now that they have become young men, they are to bury their father. An evil disease broke him before he could realize his cherished dream. While alive, his wish was to be able to save a lot of money. He would buy a house in town and have many friends. Well he never caught or sold enough fish to be able to move with his sons to Bergen. He just had a small house near the sea and on the islet of Sandflesa and a tiny fishing shack where he used to fish. He died at the cusp of autumn and winter. Lykk and Hans decided they would go to the island Sandflesa, take the fishing nets from the shack and bring them home for the winter. And they did what they set out to do. They sat into their boat, rowed for a long while, listened to to the waves splashing around them, until they stood on the island near the shack.
„I am very tired. There`s no way I`m rowing back! We can sleep here and head for home tomorrow,“ Hans decided.