The Kuźma family – Polish legends by @papi.mati

That's the 14th post from that series which in total will include 16 publications. If you want to read the previous legend published by me, check those links:

---

It's the legend, so obviously it's not the story I created, but it may vary a bit from the versions that other people know. I wrote it on my own, with my words, in a way it was said to me when I was a child and how I remembered it.

---

The legend about Kuźma family

More than several dozen years ago, the Kuźma family lived in Wierzbica. They lived very poorly and their only source of income was a smithy, where they made various tools that residents needed. The smithy was located in an old ruined hut near the house of the blacksmith Antoni.

One day everything was about to change. While the blacksmith and his son Michał were working in the forge, a horseman visited them. He was dressed all in black, his legs gleamed with silver spurs, and he wore a beautiful narrow-brimmed hat. He was sitting on a horse, a white shawl wrapped around his neck over his shoulder. The rider asked to shoe his horse and began talking to the blacksmith about the poverty that he and his family were experiencing. He knew a lot about him, which surprised Antoni and his son.

At the end of the conversation, the newcomer paid for the horseshoe. He gave the blacksmith a "stone" that glittered in the sun like the gold of great power. It was amber. The horseman ordered the blacksmith to protect it and left. Meeting him was so unusual that Antoni and Michał stood in front of the forge for a long time with their mouths open. Then they went to show the magic stone to the rest of the family. The stranger said that amber fulfills wishes as long as they weren't bad for other people, so the family wanted to check it immediately.

They wanted food and clothes. Everything they asked for came true. Two years after receiving the amber, the Kuźmas became well-known wealthy people throughout the area. They had beautiful clothes, they ate what they dreamed of, they rode a magnificent carriage drawn by two beautiful horses. They renovated their hut and their forge was one of the largest in Wierzbica.

One Sunday, when the family was leaving the church, the poor of the village began to ask the Kuźmas where they got their wealth and their clothes. They didn't say anything. Fearing jealousy of the inhabitants, they began to show less of their wealth and stopped meeting friends.

After some time, Ms. Kuźma got sick and died. There was great despair and grief at home, the family could not accept the death of a loved one. The blacksmith died a year later. Aniela, his daughter, couldn't deal with it. Her father left her the amber, which she had hidden from her brother so that he would not use it against other people. Her brother began to beat her, demanding that she tell where her father had hidden her precious stone.

One Sunday, Michał, brother of Aniela, couldn't bear it and ran out of the house to his beloved Kasia, who was with some guy at the time. When the young Kuzma saw him, he started a fight, because he loved Kasia very much and was jealous of her. However, after some shoving, he regained consciousness and returned home.

Michał was talking with his sister Aniela, while suddenly, two brothers of Kasia and the guy who was beaten by Michal before, entered the house. Aniela's amber fell from her apron and Michał wished the power of the stone would kill the guests. At that moment there was a great crack like the exploding of a giant grenade. Aniela's brother fell to the ground and paled. The monk who could help Michał arrived as soon as possible, but unfortunately, the man died.

Aniela, tearful, pulling a handkerchief from her apron, heard something crack in it. They were small chunks of amber that slowly fused to form a golden brown lump.

_source

---

Thank you for reading,
@papi.mati

Wierzbica location