Chapter 135 134. Leon Bruno

Once upon a time there was a fisherman who was very unlucky: for three years, he didn't even catch a small fish.In order to support his wife and four children, he sold everything in the family and now has to live on the charity of others.However, he still went fishing and rowed his boat to cast his net every day.But whenever he pulled the net, there wasn't even a crab or a clam, so he cursed for three generations. One day, he pulled up the empty net again and swore again.At this time, the devil came out of the sea and asked the fisherman, "Fisherman, why are you so angry?"

"Anyone who is as unlucky as I am will be angry! I fish in the sea, and I can't catch anything, not even a hanging rope!" "Listen, fisherman," said the devil, "let us make a contract, and you will catch fish every day from now on, and you will be rich." "What conditions?" asked the fisherman. "I want your son," replied the devil. The fisherman began to tremble, and asked again, "Which son?" "One that hasn't been born yet. He's going to be born soon, though." The fisherman thought that his wife had not had children for many years, and maybe she would never have children again.So he said briskly, "Okay, I promise."

"In that case," said the devil, "you will hand over your son to me when he is thirteen years old. From this day forward, you will catch many fish." "But what if my wife doesn't have a son?" "Don't worry, you can still catch a lot of fish. You don't owe me any favors." "I just want to make things clear." Then, he signed the contract. After signing the painting, the devil disappeared in the sea.The fisherman pulled his net full of bream, tuna, mullet, and squid.The second day was full again, and the third day was still full.From then on, the fisherman became rich slowly, and began to say: "The devil has been tricked by me!" But he was too happy, and his wife gave birth to a very beautiful son soon; The prettiest and strongest of the children.The fisherman named him Leon Bruno.

One day, when the fisherman was fishing in the sea, the devil appeared again. "Hello, fisherman." "What's your business?" "Don't forget what you promised me. Leon Bruno is mine." "Yes, but only when he is thirteen years old." "Well, see you in thirteen years." The devil disappeared. Leon Bruno grew up.His father saw that he was growing handsomer and stronger, and his heart felt like a stone was pressed, because the fateful day was approaching. At the end of thirteen years, the fisherman hoped that the devil would forget their contract; but one day, while he was rowing in the sea, the devil appeared. "Hello, fisherman."

"I am in trouble!" said the fisherman. "Yes, I know, the time has come. Tell me what I shall do." "Bring him to me tomorrow," said the devil. "Tomorrow," said the fisherman, crying. The next morning, the fisherman asked Leon Bruno to deliver his meal at noon, saying that it would be enough to deliver it to a deserted place on the beach; then, he would pick it up himself, so that he would not have to go home to eat, and he could go right away after the meal fishing.The child came to the beach, but his father was nowhere to be seen.In fact, in order not to see the devil taking his son away, the fisherman had already rowed to the

far away from the shore.Leon Bruno couldn't see his father, so he sat on the bank and waited.To pass the time, he picked up some small pieces of wood drifted by the sea, arranged them into small crosses, and placed them around him.As he posed, he hummed a song.He was holding a cross in his hand, and while he was humming, the devil came out of the sea, came up to him, and asked, "Little boy, what are you doing there?" "I'm waiting for Dad." "You must come with me," said the devil.However, he dared not go any further because the child was surrounded by crosses.

"Remove those crosses at once," ordered the devil. "I won't take it away!" Then the devil's eyes, mouth, and nostrils spewed fire.Leon Bruno was terrified and quickly removed the crosses around him, but he still held the cross tightly in his hand. "Throw away that cross in your hand, quick!" "I won't throw it!" The devil continued to breathe fire in front of the child, and he cried.At this moment, an eagle appeared in the sky.The eagle swooped down, grabbed Leon Bruno's shoulders with its two sharp claws, and flew into the sky with the child under the devil's nose.The devil saw the child being taken away by the eagle, and he was very angry.

The eagle took Leo Bruno to the top of a high mountain, and he transformed into a very beautiful fairy. "I am Fata Aquilina," she said, "and you will live with me and be my husband." Leon Bruno began to live the life of an aristocrat.Fairies serve him, teaching him various skills and using various weapons.However, after living on the mountain for several years, he became homesick and asked the fairy Fata Aquilina to allow him to go back and visit his parents. "Go, and bring home more presents for your old parents," said the Fairy, "but you must come back to me before the end of the year. Take this ruby ​​with you, and it will give you whatever you ask of it." Here you are. But you must be careful not to reveal to anyone that I am your wife."

In Leon Bruno's hometown, people saw a rich and rich knight entering the village, and hastened to make way for him, and saw him dismounting his horse at the gate of the old fisherman. 'What have you got to do with this poor family?' the people asked. But Leon Bruno did not answer them. His mother came out and answered the door.Leon Bruno didn't explain his identity, but just asked to stay overnight.The two poor old men seemed to be a richly dressed and distinguished gentleman, and they didn't know how to entertain him. "Since we lost our most precious youngest son, we have nothing to worry about in this world, and we don't care how the family goes down."

But Leon Bruno did not dislike this poor family.That night, he slept on the floor and felt quite comfortable. After the whole family fell asleep, Leon Bruno said to Ruby: "Dear Ruby, you turn this dilapidated hut into a luxurious palace, and you also want to turn the bed at home into the softest and most comfortable bed!" "In the blink of an eye, Ruby turned all the hopes of Leon Bruno into reality. Early in the morning, the old fisherman and his wife woke up and found that the bed they were sleeping on was very soft and their bodies were sinking straight down. "Where are we?" asked the old lady in surprise. "Honey, where are we?"

"Well, my wife, how do I know?" said the old fisherman. "I just know that the bed we sleep in has never been so comfortable!" After the old couple opened the window, they were stunned: the sun shone in, and the bedroom was very luxurious; the rags that had been placed on the chair the night before turned into clothes embroidered with gold and silver threads. "Where the hell are we?" "In your own house," replied the horseman, entering the room. "It's also in my house. I'm Leon Bruno, the son you thought you'd never see again." In this way, the old fisherman and his wife were reunited with their lost son.From then on, they lived a prosperous and happy life.Then one day, Leon Bruno told his parents that he had to leave the house.He left boxes of jewelry and gems at home, and said goodbye to his parents, promising to visit them every year. He rode towards Fata, Aquilina's castle.On the way, he came to a city where a tournament was being held.Whoever can win for three consecutive days can marry the king's daughter as Qi.Leon Bruno wore a magic ruby ​​ring on his finger, and wanted to show off, so he participated in the contest.On the first day, he defeated all his opponents and left the arena without leaving his name.The next day, he participated in the contest again, won and walked away.On the third day, the king placed more guards around the arena, and the victor was stopped and brought before the king. "Unknown knight," said the king, "you have fought and won the tournament. Why do you not give your name and identity?" "Forgive me, Your Majesty, I didn't dare to come in front of you two days ago." "Knight, you are a conqueror, and you should marry my daughter now." "Your Majesty, I cannot do this, what a pity!" "why?" "Your Majesty, your daughter is a peerless beauty, but I already have a wife who is a thousand times more beautiful than your daughter." Hearing this sentence, there was a commotion in the court.The princess blushed; the nobles chattered.The king's face became grim and solemn, and he said: "In order to prove that you are not talking nonsense, you must at least show us the face of your lady." "Yes, yes, yes," the nobles all chimed in, "We really want to appreciate her beauty." Leon Bruno begged Ruby for help, saying: "Ruby, my beloved Ruby, let the Fairy Fata Aquilina come here." Although the ruby ​​can satisfy all the wishes of Leon Bruno, it has no effect on the fairy Fata Aquilina, because it is the fairy who makes the ruby ​​magical; Show off your capital.In answer to Ruby's summons, Fata Aquilina sent one of her ugliest maids. But even the ugliest of Fata Aquilina's ladies-in-waiting was so graceful and radiant that the King and all the civil and military officials were dumbfounded. "Knight, your wife is indeed a peerless beauty!" Everyone said in unison. "But she is not my wife!" said Leon Bruno, "she is the ugliest of my wife's maids." "Then, send your wife quickly, what are you waiting for?" said the king. Leon Bruno said to Ruby again: "Ruby, I want Fata Aquilina here." This time, the fairy Fata Aquilina sent her most beautiful maid. "Ah, that is indeed a beauty!" said all. 'She must be your wife! " "No," replied Leon Bruno, "she is only my wife's best-looking maid." "Stop making trouble!" said the King. "I command you to bring your wife quickly!" Leon Bruno was about to speak to Ruby, when suddenly, like the sunrise in the east, the nymph Fata Aquilina appeared.All the dignitaries in the court were dizzy and dumbfounded.The king quickly bowed his head to pay tribute, and the princess was very angry Cry and leave in a hurry.The nymph Fata Aquilina came up to Leon Bruno and seemed to take his hand, but in fact she plucked the ruby ​​from it.The fairy said loudly: "You heartless man! You have lost me, and we will never see each other again! If you want to find me, you must wear seven pairs of iron shoes!" The fairy disappeared without a trace. The king pointed to Leon Bruno and said: "I finally understand now: you won the tournament not because of your ability, but because of that ruby. Come, beat him hard!" Ambruno was thrown on the ground, beaten so badly that he was bruised, his clothes turned into rags, and then thrown into the street without any attention, including his horse. He struggled to stand up, and walked towards the city gate dejectedly.On the way, he heard the tinkling of irons, and knew that there was a blacksmith's shop ahead.He went into the blacksmith's shop and said, "Master, make me seven pairs of iron shoes." "What's the use? You have to wear out seven pairs of iron shoes. Have you made a deal with God that you can live for hundreds of years? I have no problem, you can wear as many pairs as you want." "What does it matter to you that I wear these iron shoes? All I have to do is pay you, don't I? Stop talking and hit the shoes!" When the iron shoes were made, Leon Bruno paid for them, one pair was worn on the feet, three pairs were placed in the pocket of the traveling bag, and the other three pairs were placed in another pocket.He left the blacksmith shop and continued on his way.When it was dark, he walked into a forest and heard someone arguing: it turned out that the three thieves were arguing endlessly because of the uneven distribution of spoils. "Hey, buddy over there, come and be a notary for us. Tell us how to divide it, and we will listen to you." "What do you three want to share?" "There are three things in total: a wallet that pops out a hundred ducats every time you open it, a pair of boots that can move faster than the wind, and a cloak that makes you invisible." "If I were to be your notary, I'd have to try it first. Yes, the purse is very smart, and you can get money when you open it; the boots, well, they are quite comfortable to wear; the invisibility cloak, let me button this button Cut it off. Can you see me?" "visible." "Can you see it now?" "It's still visible." "What about now?" "Out of sight, out of sight now." "You will never see me again!" said Leon Bruno.Wearing an invisibility cloak, wearing magic boots that can run faster than the wind, and with endless money in his wallet, he crossed the valley and walked through the forest to find his wife. He saw a house in front of him, so he went on, and saw a small hut in a dark valley surrounded by thorns.He knocks on the door.An old lady's voice asked, "Who's knocking at the door?" "A poor Christian who wishes to lodge with you." The door of the little house was opened, and an old woman said, "Well, poor boy, why have you lost your way and gone to such a place to pick?" "Lady," said Leon Bruno, "I am looking for my wife, the nymph Fata Aquilina, and I will not stop when I find her." "My boys are coming home soon. What shall we do? They'll eat them alive." "What? What do your sons do?" "Don't you know? This is the home of the wind gods. My name is Volia, the mother of the wind gods. My sons will be back soon." Volia hid Leon Bruno in a large chest.At this time, a gust of wind whizzed from far to near, the trees were bent over, the branches were broken, and the roar of the wind shook the valley.The north wind walked in the front, it was cold all over, and the clothes were hanging Icicles; then came the Northwest, Northeast, and Southwest.When Southeast, the last son of Vorya, arrived home, everyone was seated at the table for supper.The southeast wind was always the last to come back, and the house became warm as soon as he got home. When the five wind gods returned home, they said to their mother, "The smell of human flesh is very strong! There is a person hiding in the house!" "Children, you are talking in your sleep! This is a place where wild goats come and go, how can people climb up?" But the wind gods still sniffed east and west, saying that it smelled like human flesh.At that moment, Waria brought the steaming polenta to the table, and they devoured it.When they were full, Waria said, "You thought you smelled human flesh just now, but it was because your stomachs were growling with hunger, didn't you?" "Now we are full," said Northwest Wind, "even if there is a man in front of us, we will not lift a finger from him." "Are you sure you won't hurt him?" "Sure. We won't touch a hair on him." "Well, if you swear in the name of St. John not to hurt him, I will let you see a living person." "Mother, what do you say? Is there really a man here? How can he come here? If you will show us, we will swear on St. John's name that we will never harm him." So Leon Bruno came out as a guest, and the breath of the wind gods almost knocked him down.He answered the questions raised by the wind gods, and told them about his life experience and encounters. When the wind gods heard that Leon Bruno was looking for the fairy Fata Aquilina, they all thought seriously and wanted to provide him with some information.They all said that they had never met this fairy when they traveled around the world.Only the southeast wind remained silent. "What about you, Southeast Wind," Volia asked, "do you know what's going on with her?" "Of course I understand," replied the southeast wind, "I'm not like my brothers, who are always asleep, and of course don't understand the situation. Fairy Fata Aquilina is lovesick. She often cries and says her Husband betrayed her; she was in agony and dying. I made a fuss about her palace, blew open her windows and doors, blew the house up, and blew the sheets up into the sky. So I sought Damn her happiness!" "Ah, Southeast, you are very interesting! Do me a favor!" said Leon Bruno. "You must show me the way to her palace. It is true that I am Fata Aquilina's husband, but I am not a wicked man. If she cannot be found, I will die of grief too." "I don't know how to help you," said Southeast Feng, "because the way to get there is quite complicated, and I can't explain it at once. Well, you go with me. However, I run very fast, No one can keep up with me. I have to carry you on my back, but how can I do it? I am a ball of anger, and you will definitely slide down." "Never mind," said Leon Bruno, "you just run, and I'll keep up with you." "Well, you don't know how fast I run! Well, if you want to try, we'll start at dawn tomorrow." The next morning, Leon Bruno packed his wallet, put on his boots, put on his invisibility cloak, and set off with Southeast Wind.Every few minutes, Southeast Wind looked back and called, "Leon Bruno, hello, Leon Bruno!" "Here, what's the matter?" Leon Bruno ran ahead, and the southeast wind couldn't catch up with him. "Here we are," said Southeast Wind at last. "This is the balcony of your sweetheart." The southeast wind blew a breath, and the window opened.Leon Bruno, who was wearing an invisibility cloak, quickly jumped into the bedroom from the window. The nymph Fata Aquilina was lying on the bed, and one of her maids asked, "How do you feel, madam? Are you better?" "Better? This hateful wind is blowing again, and am I going to be all right? I'm dying." "Would you like something to drink? Shall I serve you coffee, broth, or cocoa?" "No, nothing." But the maid insisted on talking, and finally persuaded her to drink some coffee.The maid brought a small cup of black coffee and placed it on the bedside table.At this time, the invisible Leon Bruno picked up the cup and drank it down.The maid thought the master had drunk the coffee, and brought another cup of cocoa; Leon Bruno drank the cocoa again.Then the maid brought another bowl of broth and a piece of pigeon meat. "Miss, since you drank coffee and cocoa, it means that your appetite has improved. Drink this bowl of broth, and then eat this piece of pigeon meat, and your body will be strong." "What coffee? What cocoa?" said the Fairy. "I haven't even touched it!" The maids winked at each other, as if to say: The master is confused. After the maids left, Leon Bruno took off his cloak and said, "My dear, do you still know me?" The Fairy threw her arms around his neck and forgave him.They both swore to love each other forever and never to be apart, saying that this was the end of their suffering.Then, they held a grand banquet in the palace, and invited the wind gods to dance around the palace to celebrate. (Basilicata region)