The Story of Tartalo

the Basque Legendv

The Story of Tartalo

the Basque Legend

Once upon a time there was a strange creature in the mountains of the Basque Country. Its name was Tartalo. He was huge, strong and he had only one eye. He lived in a cave and he ate sheep but his favourite food was human beings. In his cave there were a lot of sheep.

the picture by: Czech pupils

One day two brothers went hunting, but a storm started and they decided to take refuge in the cave of Tartalo. The following day when they got up they saw Tartalo. It   was an enormous monster  and he was invincible.  Tartalo  ate one of the brothers and he let the other one  for the next day. He put a magic ring in the boy`s finger and said to himself “I will eat him tomorrow”. The second brother was still alive, but he was in danger. 

the picture by:

CATALAN pupils

The second brother was very brave and needed a plan to escape.  His plan was to put a stuck on Tartalo`s unique eye. So at night, when Tartalo went to sleep  in the cave the boy finally put the stuck in his eye. Tartalo could still  see but not very well. In the morning the boy put some fur of sheep on him. Tartalo was suspicious, so he touched all the sheep one by one he didn’t notice him.  In the end  the brother had left and he escaped from the cave pretending to be a sheep. But he had the magic  ring in his finger and the ring spoke and it said “ I’m here, I’m here” when Tartalo asked “where are you?”.

the picture by: Croatian pupils

So Tartalo  kept calling the ring “where are you?” and the ring was telling his location. That’s why the boy had to make it dissappear.In the end, he cut his finger with the ring and threw it down the lake. The giant kept calling “where are you?” and followed the ring in the lake. This is how Tartalo fell into the lake and drowned luckily.

    the picture by: Croatian pupils

QUESTIONS

1. How many eyes does Tartalo have ? 

2. Where does Tartalo live?

3. What does Tartalo eat? 

The Forefather Czech

the Czech legend

Long time ago there were two brothers. Their names were Czech and Lech. They lived with all Slavic tribes between the river Vistula and Dnipro. But they didn’t like it there because there were lots of aggressive tribes around them.

Basque picture

They decided to find a better place without wars. They both decided to leave the land with their tribes where they were living to find a better place to live. They started a big journey to find a new safe place for people without criminality and with beautiful nature, big fields and deep forests. 

Basque picture

He ran down the hill as fast as he could shouting: “Everyone, wakes up! This is the land we were searching for!” All the others said:” Yes, Czech you are right and we should name this country after you! We will call this country Czechia!” And this hill will be called Říp! 

The people started building houses from wood they took from forests, they started fishing in rivers  and they felt great. 

Croatia picture

Czech´s brother was jealous. Because the land was named after his brother and not after him. He was angry at him so he left. He walked to another country and until today nobody knows where he went and how far he walked but we know that no country is named after him.  

Question:

1. What were the names of the brothers?

2. What were the names of the rivers?

3. Why was the Czech's brother jealous?

The croatian lake fairy!!

Once upon a time, during the early dawn, a young man decided to go to the lake. There he saw a beautiful girl in the shade of pines. It was a fairy. During the fairy dance she did not notice the dawn approaching so she was left alone at the lake. 

Picture by Czech pupil

She knew that the dazzle of the sun undoes the fairy magic and that just one touch of the sun rays would turn her into its reflection. Abandoned and in fear, the fairy was hiding and didn't realise that the young man saw her.  However, he recognised the sorrow in her eyes and decided to help her.  Sheltering  her from the sun, the young man led her to a cave located by the lake.

The fairy remained there waiting for the  full moon – the time when moonlight would illuminate the lake and she would dance again and hence return to her world. But young man fell in love with her and decided to do everything to become a part of her world, even to do the fairy dance.

Picture by Basque pupil

One night, while the fairy was still sleeping, the young man noticed the moonlight shining upon the lake and the water stirring up. He ran to the lake hoping this night his dream of becoming a fairy would come true. Unfortunately, he tripped and fell into the lake. He disappeared into the depths of the lake.

Soon the dance and singing started and the sleepy fairy headed to the lake. She was happy to see her sisters fairies, but she waited impatiently for her lover. However, dark clouds covered the sky and the moonlight soon disappeared together with the fairy dance. The fairy was left alone again.

Picture by Czech pupil

Completely heart-broken, the fairy waited for her loved one, but nobody saw the young man anymore. While some believe the fairy stayed in the darkness of the Fairy cave, others think that she let the first sunrays to touch her.

Questions

1. She was in the shade of A) oak

                                                B) pine

                                                C) birch

2. How did the young man die?

3. How can a fairy die?

The end ! !

The Legend of Saint Jordi

the CatalAn legend

Once upon a time a dragon who lived in a cave next to a city was really hungry.

The picture by Croatia

First, it ate all the vegetables and fruit, then the people of the city gave him the cows, the

sheep, the goats, all the animals. 

The picture by Croatia

When the animals were gone, the king decided to put in a paper all the names of the people of the city and pick one to feed the dragon. Unfortunately, the princess was the chosen person, but the king said no and he offered the people all the gold for another chance to get out another paper, but they didn’t accept. The princess went to the lake to be eaten by the dragon, suddenly a knight appeared there and they fought until he killed the dragon. 

The picture by Czech

In the blood of the dragon grew a rose, and the prince gave it to the princess.

So the knight became Saint George and this is why on 23rd April, men offer a rose to

all their loved ones and women in exchange they give them a book.

The picture by Basque

QUESTIONS

1.Where did the dragon live?

2.Who was the chosen person?

3.What did the king offer for another chance?

Legend of Tartalo

QUESTIONS and answers: 

1. How many eyes does Tartalo have ? (one)

2. Where does Tartalo live? (in the  cave)

3. What does Tartalo eat? (sheeps)

Saint Jordi-Catalan legend

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1.Where does the dragon live?

He lives in a cave next to a city.

2.Who was the chosen person?

The chosen person was the princess.

3.What did the king offer for another chance?

He offered all the gold he had.

1. She was in the shade of A) oak

                                                B) pine

                                                C) birch

2. How did the young man die?

He drowned.

3. How can a fairy die?

 She can die in sunlight.

Lake Fairy

Questions and answers

The legend of Forefather Czech

questions and answers:

1. What were the names of the brothers?

Czech and Lech

2. What were the names of the rivers?

Vistula and Dnipro

3. Why was the Czech's brother jealous?

Because the land was named after his brother.