The Shepherd Bichia

There once lived a great and powerful king. He had a daughter, a girl of such beauty that her like had never been seen under the sun. The king decided to give his daughter to whoever could tell him the three most incredible tall tales. Many wished to marry the beauty, but no one could satisfy the king. And the king would immediately behead the unsuccessful suitors and hang their heads on the towers of his castle.

In that kingdom lived a shepherd named Bichia. One evening, after driving his flock back to the village, Bichia said to his mother:

"Mother, the king is giving his daughter to whoever can tell him three tall tales. Let me go and try my luck. Maybe I'll win and bring the king's daughter home as your daughter-in-law."

"My son, what are you saying? Who would give the princess to you?"

"Why not? Am I not a man? Do I lack wit?"

"Leave it, son. They won't give her to you anyway."

"Why not?"

"You know, my son, how many fine men the king has beheaded because they couldn't please him. How could you come up with a tale that none of those noble and learned men could think of?"

"Whether I can or not, we'll see. Aren't those who will question me just people like me? Remember what father used to say: a man must try everything. So I want to test my fate—let's see who wins."

Bichia's mother tried to dissuade him for a long time, but he wouldn't listen. He set off to see the king, arrived at the palace, and stood by the doors. He looked at the dried human heads hanging on the towers, but his heart didn't waver.

The courtiers came out and asked:

"Who are you, and what do you want?"

"I am a peasant and a shepherd. I want to tell the king a tall tale."

The courtiers reported to the king, and on his orders, they invited Bichia into the palace, gave him a chair, and seated him.

The king came out, summoned the executioners, and said:

"Tell your tale."

"Last evening, I returned from the pasture to find that my mother had nothing for supper. I immediately left the house, jumped into our garden to pick a pumpkin I had long had my eye on. I went there and saw—no pumpkin. I followed the vine, and it stretched so far I couldn't see the end. I walked along it, and it reached all the way to the sea. I stepped onto the vine and walked across the sea to the other shore. There it was—my pumpkin! I picked it, turned around, and walked back across the vine to this side of the sea. I brought the pumpkin home, gave it to my mother, and she prepared supper. We ate well."

This tale pleased both the king and his courtiers.

"Good. Go home now, come back tomorrow, and tell the second tale."

Morning came. Bichia washed, put on his hat, and went to the palace. He was invited to see the king, where the king, all the courtiers, and the executioners had gathered. They gave the shepherd a chair, seated him, and told him to begin.

"Yesterday, my mother prepared supper," Bichia began, "but she had no salt for seasoning. I ran to Gumbry for salt. When I reached the salt rock, I realized I hadn't brought a pickaxe or a chisel. What was I to do? I started banging my head against the rock. I broke off a big chunk of salt, loaded it onto my back, and carried it home. We seasoned the food and had a delicious supper."

This tale also pleased them, and they told the shepherd:

"Go home now, and tell the third tale tomorrow."

Bichia was very pleased, but the king fell into thought—he didn't know what trick to use to send the cursed shepherd to his death. The king summoned all his advisors. Whether they talked much or little, they decided that no matter what the shepherd told them the next day, they would all shout in unison: "True, true!"

Everyone dispersed cheerfully, confident that nothing could save the shepherd from death the next day. But fate had other plans.

Morning came. Shepherd Bichia found a huge cauldron somewhere and, with the help of several friends, rolled it to the royal palace.

As soon as the courtiers saw the cauldron, they shouted at the shepherd:

"What is this? What have you brought?"

"This is what it is: two such cauldrons, filled with precious stones and pearls, were owed by the father of our king to my father."

"True, true!" shouted the courtiers. The king came out at the noise and berated his advisors:

"Are you trying to ruin me? When did my father owe his father so many treasures? And where would I get such wealth?"

"False, false!" the courtiers began to shout.

"If it's false, then give me the princess."

The king had to choose: either give the shepherd two cauldrons of treasures or give him his daughter. Since the kingdom wasn't very wealthy, they decided to give Bichia the beautiful princess. They were married, a wedding was held, and half the kingdom was given to him. The shepherd won and took his wife home to his mother, where they lived happily ever after.

There I left a plague,
Here I found a feast.
There I spilled ashes,
Here I found flour.

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The Shepherd Bichia

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