THE WOMAN WHO GOT A KISS EVEN FROM A BEGGAR (AN ARMENIAN FOLKTALE)

THE WOMAN WHO GOT A KISS EVEN FROM A BEGGAR (AN ARMENIAN FOLKTALE)

Once there lived a pope. It once happened that he had to conduct a mass at down, so he woke up early and went to the church.

On this day his wife had to bake bread. So she went to the furnace, and started baking the bread. Due to the heat of the furnace her face became red, so red that it looked like a red apple.

At that moment a beggar passed by their house and he smelled the great smell of fresh bread and so he said to himself: “ I go in and ask for a piece of fresh bread”

He opened the door, stepped in and stood besides the furnace. But when he saw the red face of the woman, he forgot about the bread and just started to stare at the pope’s wife face. When she saw the beggar, then as is the tradition in villages she took a fresh loaf of bread and wanted to give it to the beggar. But the beggar refused it.

- Well, then what do you want uncle?- asked the pope’s wife.

- I don’t want anything else. Just I want one thing from you: please allow me to kiss your cheeks for God’s sake and then I will go away.

The pope’s wife on listening the God’s name could not refuse his request, she looked around and seeing that no one was around, without saying a word, leaped towards the beggar. He lovingly and enjoying kissed her both cheeks and fled away.

After the mass, the pope went home and seeing the wife who was busy with baking bread, he said:

- Wife, I want to ask you one thing, please tell the truth!

- Just ask, why will I not answer!

- Have you not committed a sin today?

The pope’s wife wanted to refuse, but when he saw that the pope insisted then she narrated him everything in order, what happened with her.

- Today- the woman started to say- a beggar visited us. I wanted to give him bread but he did not accept it. “What do you want then?” I asked him. “I beg for God’s sake, please let me kiss your cheeks”. In the name of God I let him kiss my cheeks and then he went away. Well, this is all, my dear husband: now I don’t know myself if I have committed a sin or done what the God wanted. You please judge and do whatever you want with me.

- Well, my wife, if you like the God so much- answered the pope-, let me see, if for God’s sake you are ready to jump into the furnace or not?

On hearing these words the pope’s wife kept the baking shovel aside, made a cross and jumped into the fiery furnace.

But on the God’s orders the furnace got filled with water immediately, the pope’s wife changed into a beautiful fish and happily swam in it.

Translated from Hungarian by me