by Joe Hayes
He walked over to the wagon and tried to lift a wheel off the ground. It didn’t budge. He put the ring on his right hand and then blessed himself. “En el nombre del padre y del hijo y del espíritu santo.” Now he should be twice as strong. When he tried to lift the wheel it moved slightly from the ground.
The shepherd blessed himself again. Since he was already twice as strong as usual, he should now be four times as strong. He lifted the wheel clear to his waist. Again he blessed himself. He should have eight times his normal strength! The wagon tipped over when he lifted it with one hand, and hay scattered all over the ground!
The young man hurried to set the wagon upright and reload the hay before the owner noticed what he had done. He made the sign of the cross backwards to reduce his strength before it got him into trouble. He took off the ring and put it in his pocket, and then went on his way.
That night the shepherd slept under a tree beside the road. And in the night, the ring fell from his pocket. The next morning he woke up and stretched, and then traveled on toward the king’s palace, leaving the ring on the ground under the tree.
The boy had hardly left when a priest came traveling along on his donkey. He noticed the shady tree beside the road and stopped to rest under it for a while. When he was ready to leave, he saw something shiny on the ground. “Oh, a ring!” he said. “That must be worth something. I’ll just wear it until I get to the next town, and then sell it and give the money to the church.”
But before he resumed his journey, the priest knelt to say a prayer. He blessed himself, “En el nombre del padre y del hijo y del espíritu santo,” and then began to pray. He didn’t know that he was twice as strong.
When he finished his prayer, he blessed himself again. He was four times as strong. As he rose from his knees, he reached out and grabbed a branch to steady himself. He tore the branch from the tree. “Oh!” he said to himself. “That looked like a solid branch, but it must have been rotten.” He gave the branch a toss and it flew out of sight across the field.
The priest shrugged his shoulders and walked over to where his little burro was eating grass. “Well, little friend,” he said, “we’d better be on our way.” He patted the burro’s neck, and the poor animal was knocked to the ground. Its neck was almost broken.
The priest gasped, “Heaven help us! Is this place enchanted?” And he blessed himself again. Now he was eight times as strong! He took hold of the burro’s saddle and pulled to help it back to its feet. The little beast flew ten feet into the air.
“I’m getting out of here!” said the priest. And the sound of his voice blew all the leaves off the tree. The priest hurried on down the road, praying and blessing himself as he walked along.
In the meantime, the shepherd had reached a village. When he put his hand into his pocket for a coin to buy a bite to eat, he noticed that his ring was gone. He started back to find it. Soon he saw someone coming toward him, knocking down trees, pulling up fences and raising a great cloud of dust.
The priest saw the shepherd boy and tried to warn him. “DON’T COME NEAR ME.” His voice was like the bellow of a bull. “JUST THE SOUND OF MY VOICE MIGHT HURT YOU!”
The shepherd stopped and called out, “Father, did you find a ring?”
The priest tried to whisper his reply. It was a deafening: “YES!”
“Bless yourself backwards, Father,” the young man told him. “Your strength will return to normal.”
The priest began to make the sign of the cross backwards. Each time he did it, his voice grew softer, and his feet stirred up less dust when he moved. Finally he thought his strength was reduced to normal, and he said to the shepherd, “Here, take your ring back. I want no part of it.” He threw the ring to the boy.
But the priest was still twice as strong as normal, and the ring shot right past the boy. It landed in the tall grass beside the road about a hundred yards beyond him. “That’s all right, Father,” the shepherd said. “I’ll find the ring. Go on to the village. The people are waiting for you at the church.”
The priest went on, and the shepherd stayed to look for his ring. But he couldn’t find it. He walked up and down parting the grass. He crawled on his hands and knees. The ring was too well hidden. Finally the shepherd boy decided he would go into the village for something to eat and then return to search some more.
He had hardly left, when a little old woman came walking up the road, leaning on her cane. She was on her way to church, praying softly to herself as she walked along. She saw the ring in the grass beside the road and picked it up. She slipped it on her finger.
Before long she blessed herself, “En el nombre del padre y del hijo y del espíritu santo.” She reached up to take out the handkerchief she had stuffed into her sleeve, and tore the sleeve off her dress. “Oh, my goodness!” she said. “How did that happen?”
Soon she blessed herself again, and then again. She came upon two men who were trying to move a stubborn mule. One man was tugging on the reins in front of the mule and the other was pushing from behind, but the mule had its hooves dug in and wouldn’t move an inch.
“Shame on you, you stubborn old mule,” the old woman said to the animal. “Stop being so lazy.” And she nudged the mule with her cane. The mule flew past the man in front. It didn’t touch the ground until it was fifty feet beyond him. It hit the ground running and disappeared down the road.
The old woman went back to her praying. By the time she reached the church, she was so strong she pulled the door from its hinges. As she walked up the aisle, she knocked over benches and sent people rolling onto the floor.
The priest looked up from his book. Before he even saw the ring on her finger, he knew what had happened. “Señora,” he told her, “make the sign of the cross backwards.”
She obeyed him, and her strength grew less and less. When she had only the strength of a young woman left, he told her to stop. Then he sent someone to find the shepherd and tell him to come for his ring. The shepherd put the ring on his finger, and didn’t take it off until he arrived at the king’s palace.
When he got to the palace, he saw that the courtyard was full of strong men. They were wrestling and fighting with swords. Some of them had broken arms and broken legs from the wrestling matches. Some had big gashes from sword fights. Some young men were trying to throw big rocks over houses. Some could do it, but some couldn’t and the rocks would fall on the houses and break holes in the roofs. Finally one of them, a handsome prince in fine clothes, defeated all the others. The king declared that the strongest man had been found. “If there is anyone else who wishes to challenge the prince,” called out the king, “let him say so now.”
The shepherd raised his hand. “Your Majesty,” he said, “maybe I could be stronger than the prince.” Everyone turned to look at the ragged shepherd. He wasn’t especially tall. His shoulders weren’t very broad. His legs were long and thin.
The king frowned. “You can’t challenge a prince,” he said. “You don’t even own a decent suit of clothes.”
But the shepherd said, “Your Majesty, your proclamation said that anyone could enter the contest. I want to challenge the prince.”
So the king said that in one week the prince and the shepherd would compete to see who was stronger.
The king ordered his craftsmen to make four great pillars—one of wood, one of stone, one of iron and one of solid gold. He said that anyone who could lift a pillar of each material would surely be the strongest man in the world.
All week long the prince trained for the contest. He lifted big rocks over his head and wrestled with ten men at a time. The shepherd slept all day long in the hay in the king’s barn. When the week had passed, a crowd gathered to watch the prince and the young shepherd compete.
First the king led them to the pillar of wood. “Which of you can lift this?” he asked.
The prince huffed and puffed and stretched and twisted, and then wrapped his arms around the pillar. He lifted it from the ground. A cheer
went up from the crowd.
The shepherd blessed himself. And then he blessed himself again for good measure. He placed a hand on either side of the pillar and then threw it into the air. It rose until it was just a tiny speck in the sky. When it fell to earth, it shook the windows in the king’s palace.
The king was very surprised, and the prince began to look worried. Next they walked to the pillar of stone. For a long time the prince stretched and groaned and then wrapped his arms around the pillar. He lifted it a few feet from the ground, and then dropped it. Again the crowd cheered.
The shepherd blessed himself again. He threw the pillar over his shoulder. Into the air it sailed. When it hit the ground, a crack appeared in the wall of the king’s palace.
The king led the prince and the shepherd to the pillar of iron. The prince threw all his strength into the task. He lifted the pillar an inch or so from the ground.
The boy blessed himself. He launched the pillar into the air. When it landed, the ground shook like an earthquake and the palace cracked in two.
Finally, the king conducted them to the pillar of gold, but the prince had used up all his strength and couldn’t even try. The king said to the shepherd, “If you lift the pillar of gold you will be king after I die, and in the meantime, you can keep all this gold!”
But the shepherd was looking around him, and he said, “I don’t think I’ll even try. Just look at all the harm your foolish idea has done. I can see men with broken arms and broken legs. I see houses with their roofs broken open. Look at your palace: It’s broken in half. I’m beginning to worry. If I become the king, I might end up as foolish as you. I think I’d better go back home where I belong.”
The boy set out for home, and when he got there, he blessed himself backwards until his strength was just what it should be. Then he gave the ring back to the wise old woman.
And what happened at the palace? Well, the queen sat the king down and told him, “It doesn’t matter if that shepherd is stronger than the prince or not. It wouldn’t matter if he were only half as strong as the prince, because he’s shown that he’s twice as wise as the king. He’s the one who should be the next king.”
For once the king listened to his wife. And you can probably guess the rest of the story, so there’s no need to tell it.
EL ANILLO DE VIRTUD
Este cuento se trata del rey más rico y poderoso del mundo. Como era tan rico y tan poderoso, no tenía muchos problemas que lo preocuparan y siempre salía con ideas descabelladas.
Este rey rico y poderoso no tenía hijos, y un día la reina le dijo: —A pesar de ser el hombre más rico y poderoso del mundo, no vas a vivir para siempre. ¿Quién será rey cuando tú ya no vivas?
El rey decidió pensar en una buena manera de escoger al sucesor al trono.
—Ya sé qué voy a hacer —le dijo a su esposa—. Echo un bando. Diré que quiero encontrar al hombre más fuerte del país. Tendremos un concurso. Cualquier hombre podrá venir y competir. El que demuestre ser el más fuerte será el próximo rey.
—Pero, ¿si el más fuerte no agrada a la gente? —preguntó la reina—. ¿O si resulta cruel o de poca inteligencia?
Pero el rey agitó la mano y dijo: —¡El rey ha hablado! —Y el bando se difundió por todo el país. Hombres fuertes comenzaron a llegar de todas partes para poner a prueba sus músculos y hacer lucir sus habilidades.
En una zona remota del país un joven pastor oyó del pregón del rey. El muchacho ni era el más fuerte de su propio pueblito, pero se dijo: —Si yo resultara el más fuerte del reino y si fuera el próximo rey, ¡qué vida llevaría entonces!
Empezó a pensar en eso todo el día mientras cuidaba las ovejas, y soñaba con lo mismo cuando dormía junto al rebaño. Al fin, reveló a su madre lo que estaba pensando. Ella le dijo: —No seas tonto. ¿Por qué querrías perder tiempo con el rey y su concurso? Si tuviera el mínimo de juicio no tendría tal competencia.
Pero el muchacho insistía que quería probar suerte y al fin su madre le dio su bendición.
—Pero antes de que partas para el palacio del rey —le dijo—, ve a ver a nuestra vecina. Ya sabes que es hechicera. A lo mejor te puede ayudar de alguna manera.
Así que antes de irse para el palacio, el pastor visitó a la vecina. —Voy al palacio del rey para ver si puedo resultar el hombre más fuerte del país —le dijo—. ¿Tiene usted algo que me podría ayudar?
La vieja hechicera empezó a hurgar en un baúl grande. Desde el fondo sacó un anillito de oro y le dijo que se lo pusiera en la mano derecha. Dijo que cada vez que se persignara, haciendo la señal de la cruz, su fuerza se duplicaría. Si hacía la señal de la cruz al revés, su fuerza se reduciría a la mitad.
El pastor le dio las gracias a la vecina y se fue rumbo al palacio del rey. Al caminar, vio un carretón cargado de pasto junto a una casa al lado del camino. Pensó averiguar si la viejecilla le había dicho la verdad.
Fue al carretón e intentó levantar una rueda de la tierra. No la pudo mover. Puso el anillo en la mano derecha y se persignó: —En el nombre del padre y del hijo y del espíritu santo. —Debió tener fuerza doble. Cuando intentó levantar la rueda, salió un poco de la tierra.
Volvió a persignarse. Como su fuerza ya era el doble, ahora debió haberse multiplicado por cuatro. Levantó la rueda hasta la cintura. Otra vez, se persignó. Su fuerza debió ser ocho veces lo normal. El carretón se volcó cuando levantó la rueda con una mano y el pasto se desparramó en la tierra.
El joven se apresuró a poner el carretón sobre las ruedas y llenarlo de pasto antes de que el dueño se diera cuenta de lo que había hecho. Hizo la señal de la cruz al revés para bajar su fuerza antes de meterse en un lío. Se quitó el anillo, lo puso en su bolsillo y siguió su camino.
Aquella noche el pastor durmió bajo un árbol junto al camino. En la noche, el anillo se le cayó del bolsillo. En la mañana se despertó y se estiró y luego reanudó su viaje al palacio del rey, dejando el anillo tirado en la tierra bajo el árbol.
Apenas se había ido el muchacho cuando un cura llegó por el camino, montado en su burro. Vio el árbol sombreante junto al camino y se detuvo para descansar en la sombra. Cuando se disponía a irse, vio algo que brillaba en el suelo. —¡Ay, un anillo! —dijo—. Tiene que tener valor. Lo llevo en el dedo hasta llegar al pueblo y luego lo vendo y doy el dinero a la iglesia.
Pero antes de seguir su camino, el cura se hincó para rezar. Se persignó: —En el nombre del padre, y del hijo y del espíritu santo —y luego empezó a rezar. No se dio cuenta de que su fuerza ya era el doble.
Cuando terminó la oración, volvió a persignarse. Su fuerza ya era cuatro veces mayor de lo normal. Cuando se levantaba, alargó la mano para agarrarse de una rama del árbol y sostenerse. Arrancó la rama del árbol.
—¡Oh! — se dijo—, parecía una rama sólida pero debió estar podrida. —Tiró la rama ligeramente y voló sobre el campo hasta perderse de vista.
El padre se encogió de hombros y fue a donde pastaba su burrito: —Bueno, amiguito —dijo—, más vale que sigamos caminando. —Le dio unas palmaditas en la nuca y el pobre animal se cayó tumbado a la tierra. Por poco se le fractura el cuello.
El cura boqueó: —¡Que nos guarde Dios! ¿Está embrujado este lugar? —Y se persignó otra vez. Quedó ocho veces más fuerte. Agarró la silla del burro y tiró para ayudarlo a pararse. Aventó a la pobre bestia diez pies en el aire.
—Me voy de aquí —dijo el cura y la fuerza de su voz se llevó todas las hojas del árbol. El padre se fue a prisa, rezando y persignándose mientras caminaba.
Mientras tanto, el pastor llegó al pueblo. Cuando metió la mano en el bolsillo para sacar una moneda y comprar algo que comer, se dio cuenta de que faltaba el anillo. Se encaminó de regreso para buscarlo. A poco de caminar vio acercarse a alguien que levantaba una polvareda y arrancaba las cercas que lindaban el camino.
El cura vio al muchacho y trató de prevenirlo: —No te me acerques —Su voz salió como el bramido de un toro—. El mero sonido de mi voz te podrá hacer da�
�o.
El pastor se paró y gritó: —Padre, ¿acaso encontró un anillo?
El cura intentó susurrar su respuesta, pero salió ensordecedora: —SÍ.
—Haga la señal de la cruz al revés, padre —el joven le dijo—. Su fuerza volverá a lo normal.
El padre empezó a hacer la señal de la cruz al revés. Cada vez que lo hizo, se le suavizaba la voz, y sus pies levantaban menos polvo. Al fin, pensó que su fuerza era normal y le dijo al pastor: —Toma tu anillo. No lo quiero para nada. —Y tiró el anillo al muchacho.
Pero la fuerza del padre todavía era el doble de lo normal, y el anillo sobrevoló al muchacho. Fue a parar en el pasto al lado del camino cien metros más adelante
—Está bien, padre —dijo el pastor—. Yo puedo buscar el anillo. Siga al pueblo. La gente lo está esperando en la iglesia.
El cura se fue y el muchacho se puso a buscar el anillo. No lo pudo encontrar. Caminó de arriba para abajo. Gateó lentamente por el pasto. El anillo estaba bien escondido. Al fin, el pastor decidió ir al pueblo para comer algo y volver después para buscar más.
Apenas se fue, y una viejita llegó por el camino, apoyándose en un bastón. Iba a la iglesia y rezaba suavemente para sí mientras caminaba. Vio el anillo en el pasto junto al camino y lo tomó y se lo puso en el dedo.
Un poco después se persignó: —En el nombre del padre y del hijo y del espíritu santo. —Luego quiso sacar el pañuelo que tenía metido en la manga del vestido y rompió la manga—. ¡Válgame, Dios! —dijo—. ¿Cómo sucedió eso?
Pronto se persignó otra vez, y luego otra vez. Se encontró con dos hombres que querían arrear una mula terca. Un hombre tiraba de las riendas por delante y el otro empujaba la mula desde atrás, pero la mula tenía los cascos enterrados y no movía ni una pulgada.
—Debería darte vergüenza, mula terca —dijo la viejita al animal—. No seas tan perezosa. —Y la atizó con su bastón. La mula pasó disparada al hombre de adelante y no pisó tierra sino hasta cincuenta pies camino abajo. Aterrizó a la carrera y desapareció por el camino.