GRANDFATHER’S EYES
by Parker Fillmore · from Czechoslovak Fairy Tales
Adapted Version
Once, a boy named Yanechek lived. He had no mother or father. He met an Old Man. The Old Man was blind. He could not see. Bad witches made him blind. Yanechek helped him. He became a goatherd.
The Old Man told Yanechek one thing. "Do not go to the hill. Witches live there. They are bad. They hurt me." Yanechek said, "I will not."
Yanechek was brave. He wanted good grass for goats. He thought, 'Go to hill.' He took strong sticks. He hid them in his hat. He went to the hill.
A pretty lady came. She was the First Witch. She gave Yanechek a red apple. "Eat this apple," she said. Yanechek knew it was a bad apple. He said, "No, thank you."
Another lady came. She was the Second Witch. She held a red rose. "Smell this rose," she said. Yanechek knew it was a tricky rose. He said, "No, thank you."
A third lady came. She was the Third Witch. She had a gold comb. "I will comb your hair," she said. Yanechek took off his hat. He took out a strong stick. He tapped her hand. She could not move.
The other two witches ran to her. Yanechek had two more sticks. He tapped their hands too. They could not move. Yanechek stopped them. They were all stuck.
Yanechek went to the Old Man. He led him to the hill. The three witches were there. Yanechek firmly said, 'Give sight back.'
The First Witch led them to a cave. It was a cave of lost things. She picked out two shiny stones. "These are his eyes," she said. The Old Man could not see. Yanechek knew they were wrong. He took the witch. She vanished into the water.
Then the Second Witch tried. She found another wrong shiny stone. The Old Man still could not see. Yanechek was not happy. He took the witch. She also vanished into the water.
Now the Third Witch tried. She found a third wrong shiny stone. The Old Man still could not see. The witch begged Yanechek. "Please let me try again," she said.
The Third Witch looked carefully. She found a special light. This light was for the Old Man. She gave it to him.
The Old Man could see again! He was very happy. Yanechek was happy too. They lived well together. The Third Witch never came back. Yanechek was smart and good.
Original Story
GRANDFATHER’S EYES
THE STORY OF THREE WICKED YEZINKAS
131]
GRANDFATHER’S EYES
ONCE upon a time there was a poor boy whom everybody called Yanechek. His father and mother were dead and he was forced to start out alone in the world to make a living. For a long time he could find nothing to do. He wandered on and on and at last he came to a little house that stood by itself near the edge of the woods. An old man sat on the doorstep and Yanechek could see that he was blind, for there were empty holes where his eyes used to be.
Some goats that were penned in a shed near the house began bleating and the old man said:
“You poor things, you want to go to pasture, don’t you? But I can’t see to drive you and I have no one else to send.”
“Send me, grandfather,” Yanechek said. “Take me as your goatherd and let me work for you.”
“Who are you?” the old man asked.
132] Yanechek told him who he was and the old man agreed to take him.
“And now,” he said, “drive the goats to pasture. But one thing, Yanechek: don’t take them to the hill over there in the woods or the Yezinkas may get you! That’s where they caught me!”
Now Yanechek knew that the Yezinkas were wicked witches who lived in a cave in the woods and went about in the guise of beautiful young women. If they met you they would greet you modestly and say something like “God bless you!” to make you think they were good and kind and then, once they had you in their power, they would put you to sleep and gouge out your eyes! Oh, yes, Yanechek knew about the Yezinkas.
“Never fear, grandfather, the Yezinkas won’t get me!”
The first day and the second day Yanechek kept the goats near home. But the third day he said to himself: “I think I’ll try the hill in the woods. There’s better grass there and I’m not afraid of the Yezinkas.”
Before he started out he cut three long slender switches from a blackberry bramble, wound them into small coils, and hid them in the crown of his hat. 133] Then he drove the goats through the woods where they nibbled at leaves and branches, beside a deep river where they paused to drink, and up the grassy slopes of the hill.
There the goats scattered this way and that and Yanechek sat down on a stone in the shade. He was hardly seated when he looked up and there before him, dressed all in white, stood the most beautiful maiden in the world. Her skin was red as roses and white as milk, her eyes were black as sloe berries, and her hair, dark as the raven’s wing, fell about her shoulders in long waving tresses. She smiled and offered Yanechek a big red apple.
“God bless you, shepherd boy,” she said. “Here’s something for you that grew in my own garden.”
But Yanechek knew that she must be a Yezinka and that, if he ate the apple, he would fall asleep and then she would gouge out his eyes. So he said, politely: “No, thank you, beautiful maiden. My master has a tree in his garden with apples that are bigger than yours and I have eaten as many as I want.”
When the maiden saw that Yanechek was not to be coaxed, she disappeared.
Presently a second maiden came, more beautiful, 134] if possible, than the first. In her hand she carried a lovely red rose.
“God bless you, shepherd boy,” she said. “Isn’t this a lovely rose? I picked it myself from the hedge. How fragrant it is! Will you smell it?”
She offered him the rose but Yanechek refused it.
“No, thank you, beautiful maiden. My master’s garden is full of roses much sweeter than yours and I smell roses all the time.”
At that the second maiden shrugged her shoulders and disappeared.
Presently a third one came, the youngest and most beautiful of them all. In her hand she carried a golden comb.
“God bless you, shepherd boy.”
“Good day to you, beautiful maiden.”
She smiled at Yanechek and said: “Truly you are a handsome lad, but you would be handsomer still if your hair were nicely combed. Come, let me comb it for you.”
Yanechek said nothing but he took off his hat without letting the maiden see what was hidden in its crown. She came up close to him and then, just as she was about to comb his hair, he whipped out one of the long blackberry switches and struck her over 135] the hands. She screamed and tried to escape but she could not because it is the fate of a Yezinka not to be able to move if ever a human being strikes her over the hands with a switch of bramble.
So Yanechek took her two hands and bound them together with the long thorny switch while she wept and struggled.
“Help, sisters! Help!” she cried.
At that the two other Yezinkas came running and when they saw what had happened they, too, began to weep and to beg Yanechek to unbind their sister’s hands and let her go.
But Yanechek only laughed and said: “No. You unbind them.”
“But, Yanechek, how can we? Our hands are soft and the thorns will prick us.”
However, when they saw that Yanechek was not to be moved, they went to their sister and tried to help her. Whereupon Yanechek whipped out the other two blackberry switches and struck them also on their soft pretty hands, first one and then the other. After that they, too, could not move and it was easy enough to bind them and make them prisoners.
“Now I’ve got the three of you, you wicked Yezinkas!” Yanechek said. “It was you who gouged 136] out my poor old master’s eyes, you know it was! And you shall not escape until you do as I ask.”
He left them there and ran home to his master to whom he said: “Come, grandfather, for I have found a means of restoring your eyes!”
He took the old man by the hand and led him through the woods, along the bank of the river, and up the grassy hillside where the three Yezinkas were still struggling and weeping.
Then he said to the first of them: “Tell me now where my master’s eyes are. If you don’t tell me, I’ll throw you into the river.”
The first Yezinka pretended she didn’t know. So Yanechek lifted her up and started down the hill toward the river.
That frightened the maiden and she cried out: “Don’t throw me into the river, Yanechek, and I’ll find you your master’s eyes, I promise you I will!”
So Yanechek put her down and she led him to a cave in the hillside where she and her wicked sisters had piled up a great heap of eyes—all kinds of eyes they were: big eyes, little eyes, black eyes, red eyes, blue eyes, green eyes—every kind of eye in the world that you can think of.
She went to the heap and picked out two eyes 137] which she said were the right ones. But when the poor old man tried to look through them, he cried out in fright:
“I see nothing but dark treetops with sleeping birds and flying bats! These are not my eyes! They are owls’ eyes! Take them out! Take them out!”
When Yanechek saw how the first Yezinka had deceived him, without another word he picked her up, threw her into the river, and that was the end of her.
Then he said to the second sister: “Now you tell me where my master’s eyes are.”
At first she, too, pretended she didn’t know, but when Yanechek threatened to throw her likewise into the river, she was glad enough to lead him back to the cave and pick out two eyes that she said were the right ones.
But when the poor old man tried to look through them, again he cried out in fright: “I see nothing but tangled underbrush and snapping teeth and hot red tongues! These are not my eyes! They are wolves’ eyes! Take them out! Take them out!”
When Yanechek saw how the second Yezinka had deceived him, without another word he picked her up, and threw her also into the river, and that was the end of her.
138] Then Yanechek said to the third sister: “Now you tell me where my master’s eyes are.”
At first she, too, pretended she didn’t know, but when Yanechek threatened to throw her likewise into the river, she was glad enough to lead him to the cave and pick out two eyes that she said were the right ones.
But when the poor old man tried to look through them, again he cried out in fright: “I see nothing but swirling waters and flashing fins! These are not my eyes! They are fishes’ eyes! Take them out! Take them out!”
When Yanechek saw how the third Yezinka had deceived him, without another word he was ready to serve her as he had served her sisters. But she begged him not to drown her and she said:
“Let me try again, Yanechek, and I’ll find you the right eyes, I promise you I will!”
So Yanechek let her try again and from the very bottom of the heap she picked out two more eyes that she swore were the right ones.
When the old man looked through them, he clapped his hands and said: “These are my own eyes, praise God! Now I can see as well as ever!”
After that the old man and Yanechek lived on 139] happily together. Yanechek pastured the goats and the old man made cheeses at home and they ate them together. And you may be sure that the third Yezinka never showed herself again on that hill!
Story DNA
Moral
Evil deeds will eventually be punished, and cleverness can overcome wickedness.
Plot Summary
Yanechek, a brave orphan, becomes a goatherd for a blind old man whose eyes were stolen by wicked Yezinkas. Defying warnings, Yanechek ventures to the Yezinkas' hill, where he cleverly resists their magical deceptions and captures all three witches using blackberry switches. He brings the old man to them, demanding his eyes back. After the first two Yezinkas attempt to deceive them with incorrect eyes and are thrown into a river as punishment, the third Yezinka, on her second try, successfully restores the old man's sight. Yanechek and the old man live happily ever after, free from the Yezinkas.
Themes
Emotional Arc
suffering to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Parker Fillmore was known for collecting and retelling Slavic fairy tales, so the names and creatures are likely drawn from that tradition.
Plot Beats (13)
- Yanechek, an orphan, becomes a goatherd for a blind old man who lost his eyes to Yezinkas.
- The old man warns Yanechek not to take the goats to the Yezinkas' hill.
- Yanechek, confident and prepared with blackberry switches, decides to go to the forbidden hill for better grass.
- The first Yezinka, disguised as a beautiful maiden, offers Yanechek a poisoned apple, which he politely refuses.
- The second Yezinka offers Yanechek a poisoned rose to smell, which he also refuses.
- The third Yezinka offers to comb Yanechek's hair; he allows her close, then uses a blackberry switch to strike and immobilize her.
- The other two Yezinkas arrive, and Yanechek captures them both using the remaining blackberry switches.
- Yanechek brings the blind old man to the captured Yezinkas and demands his eyes back.
- The first Yezinka leads them to a cave of eyes and picks out owl eyes, which Yanechek discovers are wrong, and throws her into the river.
- The second Yezinka picks out wolf eyes, which are also wrong, and Yanechek throws her into the river.
- The third Yezinka first picks out fish eyes, which are wrong, but begs for another chance.
- The third Yezinka, on her second attempt, finds the old man's true eyes.
- The old man regains his sight, and Yanechek and the old man live happily ever after, with the third Yezinka gone for good.
Characters
Yanechek ★ protagonist
A young, likely slender boy, given his need to make a living alone and his agility in handling the Yezinkas. His appearance is not explicitly detailed, but he is described as a 'handsome lad' by the third Yezinka.
Attire: Simple, practical peasant clothing suitable for a goatherd. Likely homespun linen or wool tunic, trousers, and sturdy shoes. He wears a hat, which is significant.
Wants: To make a living and survive, then later, to help his master regain his sight and punish the wicked Yezinkas.
Flaw: Perhaps a slight overconfidence in his own abilities, as he initially disregards the old man's warning about the Yezinkas.
Transforms from a wandering, vulnerable orphan into a clever hero who restores his master's sight and brings justice to the Yezinkas, securing a stable and happy life.
Resourceful, brave, clever, polite, and determined. He is not easily fooled and shows a strong sense of justice.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young Czech peasant boy, around 10 years old, standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a slender build, fair skin, and a round, earnest face with bright, intelligent brown eyes. His short, light brown hair is slightly tousled. He wears a simple, light grey linen tunic, dark brown breeches, and worn leather boots. A small, round, dark felt hat is perched on his head. He holds a shepherd's crook in one hand. He has a determined yet kind expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Old Man ◆ supporting
An old, blind man with empty eye sockets. Likely frail due to his age and disability, but capable of managing his goats before his blindness. His skin would be wrinkled from age and exposure.
Attire: Simple, worn peasant clothes, likely made of coarse wool or linen, reflecting his poverty and isolated life. Perhaps a homespun tunic and trousers, possibly a rough cloak.
Wants: To care for his goats despite his blindness, and later, to regain his eyesight.
Flaw: His blindness makes him utterly dependent and vulnerable to the Yezinkas.
Begins as a helpless, blind old man and is restored to full sight and happiness by Yanechek, allowing him to resume his life and work.
Vulnerable, trusting, and grateful. He is cautious, warning Yanechek about the Yezinkas, but also hopeful when Yanechek promises to restore his sight.
Image Prompt & Upload
An elderly Czech peasant man, with a hunched posture, standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. He has a deeply wrinkled face, with empty, hollow eye sockets. His long, unkempt white hair and beard frame his face. He wears a faded, patched brown linen tunic, loose grey trousers, and worn leather sandals. He leans heavily on a simple wooden walking stick. His expression is one of weary resignation, but with a hint of hope. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The First Yezinka ⚔ antagonist
Appears as a beautiful young maiden, with skin 'red as roses and white as milk'. She is alluring and deceptive.
Attire: Dressed 'all in white', suggesting purity and innocence to deceive her victims. The fabric would be fine and flowing, like silk or soft linen, to enhance her ethereal beauty.
Wants: To lure and harm humans, specifically to gouge out their eyes, as is the nature of Yezinkas.
Flaw: Vulnerable to being struck by a blackberry switch, which renders her immobile. She is also easily frightened by threats of physical harm.
Remains wicked and deceptive, even when captured, attempting to trick Yanechek with the wrong eyes. She is ultimately punished by being thrown into the river.
Deceptive, cruel, cunning, and ultimately cowardly when confronted. She attempts to trick Yanechek with a poisoned apple.
Image Prompt & Upload
A beautiful young Slavic woman, around 20 years old, standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has fair skin with rosy cheeks, a delicate face, and striking black, almond-shaped eyes. Her long, wavy, jet-black hair cascades over her shoulders. She wears a flowing, floor-length white linen dress with wide sleeves and a simple neckline. She holds a large, ripe red apple in her outstretched hand. Her expression is a sweet, disarming smile. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Second Yezinka ⚔ antagonist
Described as 'more beautiful, if possible, than the first'. Her appearance is similar to her sisters, emphasizing deceptive beauty.
Attire: Not explicitly described, but implied to be similarly alluring and deceptive. Given her sister's white attire, she might wear something equally pure-looking or perhaps a soft, natural color to appear harmless.
Wants: To lure and harm humans, specifically to gouge out their eyes.
Flaw: Vulnerable to the blackberry switch, rendering her immobile. She is also easily frightened by threats of physical harm.
Remains wicked and deceptive, attempting to trick Yanechek with the wrong eyes even after being captured. She is ultimately punished by being thrown into the river.
Deceptive, cunning, and cowardly. She attempts to trick Yanechek with a rose and later with the wrong eyes.
Image Prompt & Upload
A beautiful young Slavic woman, around 20 years old, standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has fair skin, a graceful face, and captivating dark eyes. Her long, dark, wavy hair is styled elegantly. She wears a flowing, floor-length pale green linen dress with delicate embroidery at the cuffs. She holds a vibrant red rose to her nose, as if smelling its fragrance. Her expression is a charming and inviting smile. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Third Yezinka ⚔ antagonist
Described as 'the youngest and most beautiful of them all'. Her beauty is her primary tool for deception.
Attire: Not explicitly described, but implied to be as alluring as her sisters. She might wear something that highlights her youth and beauty, perhaps a soft, pastel color or a simple, elegant gown.
Wants: Initially, to lure and harm humans. Later, to save herself from Yanechek's wrath.
Flaw: Vulnerable to the blackberry switch, rendering her immobile. Her fear of being drowned ultimately forces her to reveal the truth.
Begins as a deceptive witch, but through fear and coercion, she is forced to reveal the true location of the old man's eyes, ultimately saving herself from the fate of her sisters and presumably ceasing her wicked ways.
Deceptive, cunning, and initially stubborn, but ultimately more pragmatic and fearful than her sisters, leading her to cooperate to save herself.
Image Prompt & Upload
A beautiful young Slavic woman, around 18 years old, standing upright, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has fair, flawless skin, a delicate oval face, and large, expressive dark eyes. Her long, luxurious dark hair is styled in soft waves. She wears a flowing, floor-length pale blue silk gown with intricate silver embroidery along the neckline. She holds a small, ornate golden comb in her hand. Her expression is a charming, innocent smile. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Old Man's Cottage
A small, solitary house situated near the edge of the woods, with a shed nearby where goats are penned. The old man sits on the doorstep.
Mood: Humble, solitary, initially melancholic due to the old man's blindness, later becomes a safe haven.
Yanechek finds the blind old man, offers to be his goatherd, and receives the warning about the Yezinkas.
Image Prompt & Upload
A small, weathered wooden cottage, typical of a Central European peasant dwelling, with a simple thatched roof and a sturdy wooden door. A blind old man sits on a rough-hewn stone doorstep. Nearby, a small, open-sided wooden shed with a few goats peering out. The cottage is nestled at the very edge of a dense, dark forest, with a faint path leading away. Soft, diffused daylight illuminates the scene. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
The Hill in the Woods
A grassy hillside within a dense forest, accessible by a path that winds through trees and beside a deep river. It is described as having 'better grass' for the goats.
Mood: Initially idyllic and peaceful, quickly turns eerie and dangerous due to the Yezinkas' presence, then tense during the confrontation.
Yanechek encounters and defeats the three Yezinkas here, binding them with bramble switches. He later brings the old man here to demand his eyes back.
Image Prompt & Upload
A sun-dappled, grassy hillside rising gently within a dense, ancient Central European forest. Tall, mature oak and beech trees cast shifting shadows, with patches of bright sunlight illuminating the vibrant green grass. A narrow, winding dirt path is visible, leading towards a deep, clear river that flows at the base of the hill. Wild blackberry brambles with long, thorny canes grow along the forest edge. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Yezinka's Cave
A hidden cave within the hillside, where the Yezinkas store a vast pile of gouged-out eyes of all kinds.
Mood: Macabre, unsettling, grotesque, filled with the evidence of the Yezinkas' wickedness.
The Yezinkas lead Yanechek and the old man to this cave to retrieve the stolen eyes, leading to the discovery of the wrong eyes and the Yezinkas' punishment.
Image Prompt & Upload
A dark, damp cave interior, carved naturally into a rocky hillside. The air is cool and still, with only a faint, diffused light filtering in from a narrow opening, barely illuminating the rough, uneven rock walls. In the center of the cave, a horrifying, glistening mound of countless disembodied eyes of all sizes and colors is piled high on the damp earth. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.