The souls of the drowned ones (Typical Belgian story)
At the edge of the Belgium city Ostend, straight behind the dunes, there was a fisherman who lived there. He was happy because the sea provided him with everything he needed for himself and his family. Even though he didn't cared a lot about money, he earned from time to time some silver pieces.
Maybe he would have grown old in peace, but faith wanted something else. Andreas would go through a remarkable history, one that he would remember until his last day.
At the beginning of the fishing season, Andreas sailed the sea in vain, and in vain he also sought his luck near the shore, but his nets remained empty and not a single fish became entangled. It seemed like he was chased by the accident.
But the bad luck kept following him! After a few months, his wife and four children died suddenly ...
The poor man did not know where he was looking for his despair. He walked aimlessly, and spoke to anyone. He would prefer to sit alone in the dunes alone and headed for the waves.
On the eve of Andreasday, at the time of dusk he sat again at his favorite spot on the edge of the sea. He could not turn his gaze away from the surf, which with her foam heads repeatedly landed the country.
There he saw in the distance small, bluish flames. They dangled and jumped around, and the fisherman rubbed his eyes. But it was not a face fraud! The flames still danced on the water level. Suddenly, he remembered the words of his neighbors, who had often spoken about bluish flames. They claimed that there was a treasure in the sea at the place where they were.
What does all the happiness of the world mean, and live abundantly, if my lovely wife and children are no longer with me, thought the fisherman. Let someone else be lucky but try ...
Suddenly he was shocked by a loud voice, who said to him, "Do not be so thankless."
In a hurry Andreas turned around. To him was a pale long man who was dressed out of trouble and wearing high boots. A black hat with wide edge covered his face for the most part. His eyes burned like glowing coal, and Andreas seemed as if they were going through the marrow and leg.
"Do not fear," said the tall man. "I am a spirit, and because we are both Andreas, your fate has raised my pity, so I came to help you."
"I do not mind anything. I can walk well and do not need anything," replied the fisherman as he quickly hit a cross.
The long one laughed, "I tell you that you do not have to be afraid of me, because I'm not a bad spirit. Look, here's a wanderer ring. Put it on your finger at midnight and walk straight into the sea until The place where the blue flames burn. Whatever may happen and what you encounter on the way, do not distract yourself, but look for pots that are placed with the bottom upwards. The middle will turn you up and you Take what's under it. It's yours! But think about it, do not let yourself go wrong and hurry back to the shore! "
For the fisherman to realize what he had just heard, the long appearance suddenly disappeared as if the earth had swallowed him up. Only the beautiful ring reminded of his presence. However, the fisherman did not trust the strange ring.And when he broke the midnight hour in Ostend, he slept like a rose and had put the strange event out of his mind for a long time.
But it did not take long, or it was getting worse with Andreas. He got sick and lay in bed for many days and weeks. And when he finally was healthy again, his house burned down and nothing left him like a heap of ashes.
When a full year had elapsed, when he entered the darkness he went to the sea, hoping that everything would repeat what had happened just a year ago.
This time the fisherman obeyed. Although the sea was stormy, he put the magic ring on his finger and entered the water immediately after the bells had hit the midnight hour.But he did not get wet because the sea opened for him, and so he came with dry feet at a green meadow, where a beautiful house stood.On the way he met several boys and girls, whom he still knew from his childhood. They kindly applauded him. Suddenly he became aware that they were drowned long ago and no longer belonged to the living.That's why Andreas sought the three pots that the spirit had spoken about. But at the moment he discovered them near the meadow, the door of the beautiful house opened and on the threshold was his wife with the children.Pleased to meet him, but the fisherman just recalled the warning words of the mind in time, and instead of closing his wife in his arms, he turned around quickly and walked to the pots.When he had lifted the middle pot, he saw a leather pouch. He did not hesitate and walked, with his pouch over his shoulder, quickly to the shore.It was really high time. The boys and girls and his wife walked him handswarming and crying afterwards. Their angry voices were flooded by the stormy sea, and the waves are already creeping around his feet to capture him forever.Andreas ran out of breath, but he stumbled and it seemed as though the water would catch him. But it ran well. Hardly he had reached the dunes, or he spent a long time resting on the place where he always sat so much.Here he opened the leather pouch and curiously viewed the contents. But at the same time he closed his eyes when he saw the glittering glitter of gold and precious stones.Since then, the happiness was laughing again on the fisherman. He bought a large house in Ostend, married a nice and beautiful woman and pleased her happily, and everything he undertook succeeded him.Andreas forgot his benefactor, the long mind, not.Every year he went to the dunes on andreasday' eve and hoped to thank his benefactor at least once.But neither the spirit nor the blue flames once again showed themselves.
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