THE GOLDEN GODMOTHER
by Parker Fillmore · from Czechoslovak Fairy Tales
Adapted Version
Once, there was a farmer named Lukas. He was very poor. Lukas lost all his money. He was not good with money. Now he had nothing. His wife had a baby girl. They were very, very poor. Lukas did not know what to do.
Lukas needed a baby helper for his baby. He asked a woman nearby. She said no. Lukas asked The Town Boss's Wife. She was rich. She also said no. Lukas was very sad. No one helped him.
Lukas did not know what to do. He held his baby. He walked to the chapel. He would ask the first person. This person would be the baby helper.
Lukas met an old woman. She stood at the road. "Will you be baby helper?" he asked. The old woman smiled. "Yes, I will," she said. She was kind.
They went to the chapel. The priest was there. The Golden Baby Helper gave him money. It was a gold coin. So the baby could be named. The baby's name was Mara. This was good.
The naming was done. The Golden Baby Helper gave Mara back to Lukas. She put a gold coin in Mara's clothes. "Mara will have a happy life," she said. The Golden Baby Helper touched the ground. A rose plant grew there. Then she was gone.
Lukas went home. He told his wife all. His wife held Mara. She felt a thing in the baby's clothes. It was not one coin. It was many gold coins.
They looked at the coins. The coins grew. They grew into many, many more. Soon, there was a big pile of gold.
Lukas was happy. "The baby helper was a kind helper," he said. "We must use this money well," his wife agreed. They would be smart.
Lukas took one coin. He went to the market. He bought food and things for the house. The Town Boss's Wife saw him. She thought he had only a few coins. She sent them food and help.
The Town Boss's Wife told everyone. "Lukas has some gold," she said. The news spread fast. People said Lukas had much, much more.
Lukas bought his old farm. He worked hard. He took care of it very well. He learned to be smart with money. He was a good farmer again.
Mara grew up. She was a kind girl. She was also beautiful. A prince met her. He loved her very much. Mara married the prince. She had a happy life. The Golden Baby Helper's words came true.
Original Story
THE GOLDEN GODMOTHER
THE STORY OF POOR LUKAS
207]
THE GOLDEN GODMOTHER
THERE was once a wealthy farmer named Lukas who was so careless in the management of his affairs that there came a time when all his property was gone and he had nothing left but one old tumble-down cottage. Then when it was too late he realized how foolish he had been.
He had always prayed for a child but during the years of his prosperity God had never heard him. Now when he was so poor that he had nothing to eat, his wife gave birth to a little daughter. He looked at the poor unwelcome little stranger and sighed, for he didn’t know how he was going to take care of it.
The first thing to be thought about was the christening. Lukas went to the wife of a laborer who lived nearby and asked her to be godmother. She refused because she didn’t see that it would do her any good to be godmother to a child of a man as poor as Lukas.
“You see, Lukas, what happens to a man who has 208] wasted his property,” his wife said. “While we were rich the burgomaster himself was our friend, but now even that poverty-stricken woman won’t raise a finger to help us.... See how the poor infant shivers, for I haven’t even any old rags in which to wrap it! And it has to lie on the bare straw! God have mercy on us, how poor we are!” So she wept over the baby, covering it with tears and kisses.
Suddenly a happy thought came to her. She wiped away her tears and said to her husband:
“I beg you, Lukas, go to our old neighbor, the burgomaster’s wife. She is wealthy. I’m sure she hasn’t forgotten that I was godmother to her child. Go and ask her if she will be godmother to mine.”
“I don’t think she will,” Lukas answered, “but I’ll ask her.”
With a heavy heart he went by the fields and the barns that had once been his own and entered the house of his old friend, the burgomaster.
“God bless you, neighbor,” he said to the burgomaster’s wife. “My wife sends her greeting and bids me tell you that God has given us a little daughter whom she wants you to hold at the christening.”
The burgomaster’s wife looked at him and laughed in his face.
209] “My dear Lukas, of course I should like to do this for you, but times are hard. Nowadays a person needs every penny and it would take a good deal to help such poor beggars as you. Why don’t you ask some one else? Why have you picked me out?”
“Because my wife was godmother to your child.”
“Oh, that’s it, is it? What you did for me at that time was a loan, was it? And now you want me to give you back as much as you gave me, eh? I’ll do no such thing! If I were as generous as you used to be, I’d soon go the way you have gone. No! I shall not walk one step toward that christening!”
Without answering her, Lukas turned and went home in tears.
“You see, dear wife,” he said when he got there, “it turned out as I knew it would. But don’t be discouraged, for God never entirely forsakes any one. Give me the child and I myself will carry it to the christening and the first person I meet I shall take for godmother.”
Weeping all the while, the wife wrapped the baby in a piece of old skirt and placed it in her husband’s arms.
On the way to the chapel, Lukas came to a crossroads where he met an old woman.
210] “Grandmother,” he said, “will you be godmother to my child?” And he explained to her how every one else had refused on account of his poverty and how in desperation he had decided to ask the first person he met. “And so, dear grandmother,” he concluded, “I am asking you.”
“Of course I’ll be godmother,” the old woman said. “Here, give me the dear wee thing!”
So Lukas gave her the child and together they went on to the chapel.
As they arrived the priest was just ready to leave. The sexton hurried up to him and whispered that a christening party was coming.
“Who is it?” he asked, impatiently.
“Oh, it’s only that good-for-nothing of a Lukas who is poorer than a church mouse.”
The godmother saw that the sexton was whispering something unfriendly, so she pulled out a shining ducat from her pocket, stepped up to the priest, and pressed it into his hand.
The priest blinked his eyes in amazement, looking first at the ducat and then at the shabby old woman who had given it. He stuffed the ducat into his pocket, whispered hurriedly to the sexton to bring him the font, and then christened the child of poor Lukas 211] with as much ceremony as the child of the richest townsman. The little girl received the name Marishka.
After the christening the priest accompanied the godmother to the door of the chapel and the sexton went even farther until he, too, received the reward for which he was hoping.
When Lukas and the old woman came to the crossroads where they had met, she handed him the child. Then she reached into her pocket, drew out another golden ducat which she stuck into a fold of the child’s clothes, and said: “From this ducat with which I endow my godchild, you will have enough to bring her up properly. She will always be a joy and a comfort to you, and when she grows up she will make a happy marriage. Now good-by.”
She drew a green wand from her bosom and touched the earth. Instantly a lovely rosebush appeared, covered with blooms. At the same moment the old woman vanished.
In bewilderment Lukas looked this way and that but she was gone. He was so surprised that he didn’t know what had happened. I really think he would be standing on that same spot to this day if little Marishka had not begun to cry and by this reminded him of home.
212] His wife, meantime, was anxiously awaiting him. She, poor soul, was suffering the pangs of hunger, thirst, and bodily pain. There wasn’t a mouthful of bread in the house, nor a cent of money.
As Lukas entered the room, he said: “Weep no more, dear wife. Here is your little Marishka. But before you kiss the child, take out the christening gift that you will find tucked away in her clothes. From it you will know what an excellent godmother she has.”
The wife reached into the clothes and pulled out not one ducat but a whole handful of ducats!
“Oh!” she gasped and in her surprise she dropped the ducats and they rolled about in the straw that littered the wretched floor.
“Husband! Husband! Who gave you so much money? Just look!”
“I have already looked and at first when I saw them I was more surprised than you are. Now let me tell you where they come from.”
So Lukas related to his wife all that had happened at the christening. In conclusion he said: “When I saw the old woman was really gone, I started home. On the way curiosity overcame me and I drew out the christening present and instead of one ducat I 213] found a handful. I can tell you I was surprised but instead of letting them drop on the ground I let them slip back into the baby’s clothes. I said to myself: ‘Let your wife also have the pleasure of pulling out those golden horses.’ And now, dear wife, leave off exclaiming. Give thanks to God for that which he has bestowed upon us and help me gather up the golden darlings, for we don’t want any one coming in and spying on us just now.”
As they began picking them up, they had a new surprise. Wherever there was one ducat, there they found ten! When they got them all together they made a fine big heap.
“Oh, dear, oh, dear!” said the woman as she gazed at the pile. “Who knows whether this money will be blessed to our use? Perhaps that old woman was an evil spirit who just wants to buy our souls!”
Lukas looked at his wife reprovingly. “How can you be so foolish? Do you suppose an evil spirit would have gone with me to church, allowed herself to be sprinkled with holy water, yes, and even herself make the sign of the cross! Never! I don’t say that she is just an ordinary human being, but I do say that she must be a good spirit whom God has sent to us to help us. I’m sure we can keep this money with 214] a clear conscience. The first question is where to hide it so that no one can find it. For the present I shall put it into the chest, but tomorrow night I shall bury it under the pear tree. And one thing, wife, I warn you: don’t say anything about it to any one. I shall take one ducat and go to the burgomaster’s wife and ask her to change it. Then I shall go buy some milk and eggs and bread and flour, and I’ll bring back a woman with me who will make us a fine supper. Tomorrow I’ll go to town and buy some clothes and feather beds. After that what else shall I buy? Can you guess?”
“The best thing to do would be to buy back our old property—the house, the fields, and the live stock, and then manage it more wisely than before.”
“You’re right, wife, that’s just what I’ll do. And I will manage prudently this time! I have learned my lesson, I can tell you, for poverty is a good teacher.”
When Lukas had hidden the money in the chest and turned the key, he took one ducat and went out to make his purchases. While he was gone his wife spent the time nursing the child and weaving happy dreams that now, she was sure, would come to pass.
After a short hour the door opened and Lukas and 215] a red-cheeked maid entered. The maid carried a great pail of foaming milk. Lukas followed her with a basket of eggs in one hand and on top of the eggs two big round brown cakes, and in the other hand a load of feather beds tied in a knot.
“God be with you!” said the maid, placing the milk pail on the bench. “My mistress, the burgomaster’s wife, greets you and sends you some milk for pudding. If there is anything else you need you are to let her know.” The maid curtsied and went away before the poor woman could express her thanks.
Lukas laughed and said: “You see, wife, what just one ducat did! If they knew how many more we had they would carry us about in their arms! The burgomaster’s wife has sent us all these things. She is lending us feather beds until tomorrow and she is going to send us an old woman to help us out. I told her our child had received a handful of ducats as a christening gift. If she comes here to see you, make up your mind what you’re going to say.”
Then Lukas built a fire. Presently the old woman came and soon good hot soup was ready. It was just plain milk soup, but I can tell you it tasted better to hungry Lukas and his wife than the rich food which the king himself ate that day from a golden platter.
216] The next day after breakfast Lukas set out for town. The burgomaster’s wife took advantage of his absence to visit his wife and find out what she could about the money.
“My dear neighbor,” she said, after she had made the necessary inquiries about health, “the blessing of God came into your house with that child.”
“Oh,” said the other, “if you mean the christening gift, it isn’t so very much. A handful of ducats soon roll away. However, may God repay that good woman, the godmother. At least we can now buy back our old farm and live like respectable people.”
On the way home the burgomaster’s wife stopped at the houses of her various friends and gave them a full account of Lukas’ wealth. Before noon every small boy in the village knew that at Lukas’ house they had a hogshead of ducats.
In the evening Lukas came back from town driving a cart that was piled high with furniture and clothing and feather beds and food. The next day he bought back his old farm with the cattle and the implements.
This marked the beginning of a new life for Lukas. He set to work with industry and put into practice all the lessons that poverty had taught him.
He and his wife lived happily. Their greatest joy 217] was Marishka, a little girl so charming and so pretty that every one loved her on sight.
“Dear neighbor,” all the old women used to say to the child’s mother, “that girl of yours will never grow up. She’s far too wise for her years!”
But Marishka did very well. She grew up into a beautiful young woman and one day a prince saw her, fell in love with her, and married her. So the old godmother’s prophecy that Marishka would make a happy marriage was fulfilled.
Story DNA
Moral
True generosity and humility are rewarded, while greed and pride lead to isolation.
Plot Summary
Lukas, a once-wealthy but careless farmer, loses everything and faces destitution as his wife gives birth to a daughter. Rejected by former friends when seeking a godmother, he encounters a mysterious old woman at a crossroads who agrees to christen his child, Marishka. This 'Golden Godmother' gives a single ducat as a gift, which miraculously multiplies into a vast fortune, allowing Lukas to reclaim his property and live prudently. Marishka grows up to be beautiful and eventually marries a prince, fulfilling the godmother's prophecy and illustrating the rewards of humility and unexpected kindness.
Themes
Emotional Arc
suffering to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Reflects a time when social standing was heavily tied to wealth and community support was conditional on prosperity.
Plot Beats (13)
- Lukas, a once-rich farmer, loses everything due to carelessness and becomes poor, just as his wife gives birth to a daughter.
- Lukas tries to find a godmother for his child, but both a poor laborer's wife and the wealthy burgomaster's wife refuse him due to his poverty.
- Desperate, Lukas decides to ask the first person he meets on the way to the chapel to be godmother.
- At a crossroads, Lukas meets an old woman who readily agrees to be godmother.
- At the chapel, the old woman pays the priest a shining ducat, ensuring a ceremonial christening for the baby, named Marishka.
- After the christening, the old woman gives Lukas the baby, places a golden ducat in her clothes, prophesies a happy future for Marishka, and then vanishes after touching the earth with a wand, creating a rosebush.
- Lukas returns home, and his wife discovers not one, but a handful of ducats in Marishka's clothes.
- As they gather the ducats, they discover each one has multiplied tenfold, creating a large heap of gold.
- Lukas reassures his wife that the godmother was a good spirit sent by God, and they decide to use the money wisely.
- Lukas uses one ducat to buy provisions, and the burgomaster's wife, thinking he only has a 'handful' of ducats, sends them food and help.
- The burgomaster's wife spreads the news of Lukas's 'handful' of ducats, which the villagers exaggerate to a 'hogshead'.
- Lukas buys back his old farm and manages it prudently, having learned from his past mistakes.
- Marishka grows up to be a beautiful and charming young woman, eventually marrying a prince, fulfilling the godmother's prophecy.
Characters
Lukas ★ protagonist
A man of average height and build, likely showing signs of hardship and worry on his face due to his recent poverty. His clothes would be worn and simple, reflecting his diminished status.
Attire: Shabby, patched peasant clothing, likely made of coarse linen or wool in muted, earthy tones. Perhaps a simple tunic, trousers, and worn leather boots.
Wants: To provide for his family, especially his newborn daughter, and to regain his lost prosperity and respectability.
Flaw: His initial carelessness and poor management of his wealth, leading to his downfall.
Transforms from a careless, impoverished, and despairing man into a prudent, industrious, and prosperous farmer who has learned the value of hard work and careful management.
Careless (initially), desperate, hopeful, grateful, prudent (after learning his lesson), loving (towards his family), somewhat naive (about the burgomaster's wife's intentions).
Image Prompt & Upload
An adult man of average height with a lean build, facing forward. He has a worried expression, with a slightly furrowed brow and tired eyes. His face is somewhat gaunt, with a short, unkempt brown beard. His brown hair is messy and falls across his forehead. He wears a patched, faded grey linen tunic, dark brown wool trousers, and worn leather boots. He holds a small, swaddled infant wrapped in a piece of old, light blue linen in his arms, cradling it gently. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Lukas's Wife ◆ supporting
A woman of average height and build, likely thin from hunger and hardship, with a pale complexion. Her clothing would be simple and worn.
Attire: Simple, worn peasant dress made of coarse linen or homespun wool, likely in muted colors like grey, brown, or faded blue. Perhaps a simple apron.
Wants: To ensure the well-being and survival of her newborn daughter and to escape their dire poverty.
Flaw: Her initial despair and fear, which can lead to doubt and superstition.
Moves from deep despair and suffering to hope and happiness as her family's fortunes are restored, learning to trust in divine providence.
Despairing (initially), loving (towards her child), anxious, practical, grateful, somewhat superstitious (fearing an evil spirit).
Image Prompt & Upload
An adult woman of average height and slender build, facing forward. She has a kind, gentle face with soft brown eyes and a slightly worried expression. Her fair skin is a bit pale. Her long, light brown hair is simply braided and coiled at the back of her head. She wears a faded, light blue linen dress with a simple neckline and long sleeves, and a plain cream-colored apron tied at her waist. Her hands are clasped gently in front of her. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Marishka ◆ supporting
As an infant, she shivers and is wrapped in rags. As a child, she is described as charming and pretty. As a young woman, she is beautiful.
Attire: Initially wrapped in an old skirt. Later, as her family's wealth grows, she would wear well-made, perhaps embroidered dresses suitable for a prosperous farmer's daughter. As a princess, she would wear royal gowns.
Wants: To live a happy life, as prophesied by her godmother.
Flaw: None explicitly stated, as she is largely a recipient of good fortune.
Her birth marks the turning point for her family's fortunes. She grows up to be a beloved and beautiful young woman who fulfills her godmother's prophecy by marrying a prince.
A source of joy and comfort to her parents, charming, pretty, wise for her years (as a child).
Image Prompt & Upload
A beautiful young woman standing gracefully, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has a serene and kind expression, with clear, bright eyes and soft, rosy cheeks. Her long, wavy light brown hair is styled elegantly, perhaps with a few strands framing her face. She wears a flowing, pale green silk gown with delicate embroidery around the neckline and cuffs, and a simple silver pendant around her neck. Her hands are clasped gently in front of her. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Golden Godmother ◆ supporting
Initially appears as a shabby old woman, but possesses an underlying magical aura. Her true form is likely radiant and benevolent.
Attire: Initially, shabby, worn peasant clothing, likely a dark, simple dress or cloak, to blend in. Her true form would likely involve shimmering, golden attire or an ethereal glow.
Wants: To help deserving individuals (Lukas and his family) who have been forsaken by others, and to fulfill a divine mission of blessing.
Flaw: None explicitly stated; she appears to be a powerful, benevolent force.
Appears to fulfill her purpose of blessing Marishka and her family, then vanishes, her mission complete.
Benevolent, generous, wise, observant, magical, discreet, fulfilling a divine purpose.
Image Prompt & Upload
An elderly woman with a kind, wise expression, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has a wrinkled but gentle face, with bright, knowing blue eyes. Her long, white hair is neatly braided and coiled at the back of her head. She wears a simple, dark grey wool cloak over a plain brown linen dress, with worn leather shoes. In her right hand, she holds a slender, smooth green wooden wand. A subtle, soft golden light emanates from her. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Burgomaster's Wife ⚔ antagonist
Likely well-fed and well-dressed, reflecting her wealth and status. She would carry herself with an air of superiority.
Attire: Expensive, fashionable clothing of the period, likely made of fine wool or silk in rich colors, perhaps with some embroidery or lace, indicative of her wealth and social standing.
Wants: To maintain and increase her own wealth and social standing, and to avoid any perceived loss or inconvenience.
Flaw: Her greed and superficiality, which prevent her from genuine kindness and make her easily swayed by the appearance of wealth.
Remains unchanged in her selfish nature, but her actions inadvertently help Lukas by spreading the news of his 'wealth', leading to further prosperity.
Selfish, condescending, greedy, hypocritical, gossipy, status-conscious.
Image Prompt & Upload
An adult woman of plump build and average height, facing forward. She has a haughty expression, with a slightly upturned nose and thin lips. Her dark brown eyes are narrow and judgmental. Her dark brown hair is elaborately styled in a period-appropriate updo, adorned with a small, decorative comb. She wears a rich, dark green velvet gown with a square neckline and puffed sleeves, trimmed with white lace. A string of pearls is around her neck. Her hands are clasped in front of her, holding a small, embroidered handkerchief. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Lukas's Tumble-down Cottage
An old, dilapidated cottage, once part of a wealthy farm, now barren and poor. The floor is littered with straw. It is a place of hunger and despair, but also where hope is rekindled.
Mood: Desolate, impoverished, but later filled with surprise and renewed hope
Lukas's wife gives birth; they realize their poverty; the golden ducats are discovered and multiply here; they make plans to regain their wealth.
Image Prompt & Upload
An interior view of a humble, rustic Central European peasant cottage, with rough-hewn timber walls and a low, smoke-stained ceiling. The packed earth floor is covered sparsely with dry straw. A small, smoldering fire glows in a simple stone hearth, casting flickering shadows. A worn wooden bench sits against one wall, and a small, crude wooden chest is visible in a corner. Cool, dim light filters in through a tiny, unglazed window. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Crossroads
A junction of paths or roads, likely unpaved, where Lukas meets the mysterious old woman. It is a place of chance encounter and magical transformation.
Mood: Ordinary, then suddenly magical and mysterious
Lukas meets the Golden Godmother; she gives him the baby back with a ducat; she reveals her magical nature by making a rosebush appear and vanishing.
Image Prompt & Upload
A dusty, unpaved crossroads in a Central European countryside, with faint tracks diverging into fields. Sparse, low-lying vegetation and wild grasses line the edges of the paths. The sky is bright and clear, indicating daytime. In the foreground, a vibrant, impossibly lush rosebush, covered in perfect blooms, has just sprung from the dry earth, contrasting sharply with the mundane surroundings. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Village Chapel
A modest village chapel, where christenings are performed. It is a place of religious ceremony, where the poor are often overlooked, but here, divine intervention changes the usual order.
Mood: Initially dismissive and impatient, then respectful due to the ducat
Marishka is christened with unexpected ceremony due to the godmother's ducat.
Image Prompt & Upload
The interior of a simple, whitewashed Central European village chapel, with a modest wooden altar and a stone font. Light streams in through small, arched windows, illuminating dust motes in the air. The walls are plain, perhaps adorned with a single, unadorned crucifix. The atmosphere is quiet and reverent, with a sense of age and tradition. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.