Once upon a time, there lived a rich nobleman Matúš Vranovský in Banská Bystrica. He was a very selfish and petty person. He lived in a beautiful manor under the hill called Urpín. Since he loved dancing, he organised balls in his favourite ballroom on the top of the hill. Rumours spread in Bystrica that the ballroom belonged to Vranovský family, but it did not. Matúš invited to his dances only rich and well-known people. Ordinary people could not even watch the balls, or stay around Urpín when they were held. Matúš was always self-centred and he cared only about himself and his reputation. He prided himself on his wealth and beauty. Nobody in the town could even think of him in a bad way otherwise, they were treated badly. Every week, Matúš prepared the dinner parties that lasted late into the night. The ballroom was beautifully decorated, the tables were overloaded with food. Ladies in their splendid ball gowns were accompanied by courteous gentlemen. The Urpín balls were legendary in Hungary and it was a big honour to be invited to them. One day in the middle of the ball, something very strange happened. A strong wind began to blow, thunders rumbled and the sky was illuminated by constant flashes of lightning. Everybody expected the worst. All of a sudden, an old woman was standing in a doorway. She was hunched, dressed in rags and leaned on a stick. When she got closer, Matúš could see her worn-out face. She stopped in front of him, took a deep breath and spoke in a whisper: ‘Laddie, would you give anything to eat to an old woman? I am so tired. I have been walking for a long time and I haven’t eaten for several days.’ Matúš arrogantly looked at her and said: ‘Get out of here, you old witch! I won’t give you anything, not even a stone!’ Then he turned his back on her and started laughing. The old woman spoke once again: ‘Don’t be mistaken, young man, real beauty is not what the eyes can behold. My body is weak and I am starving. Please! I am begging you for just a slice of bread.’ Matúš stopped, looked at her again and shouted: ‘I’ve already told you, I won’t give you anything! Get out of here! Right now!’ With his last word, the wind started to blow even harder. To everyone’s surprise, the old woman turned into a beautiful young woman. Stunning golden locks outlined her smooth face and her eyes as blue as the sky was hatefully set on Matúš. She knew already he had an empty heart and said: ‘You have chosen yourself. Your heart is made of stone, so you will turn into a stone, too.’ At that moment, she disappeared. Matúš began to laugh. Suddenly, everyone heard mysterious sounds. Matúš could feel his legs and arms stiffen. People in the ballroom watched in amazement as he was turning into a stone. No one would not dare to help him. When there was nothing left of him besides a big stone, guests started to rush away in all directions, however, they did not get too far. The old woman’s curse got them though, and they all changed into stones. Even today, people are gossiping about Matúš and his guests who turned into stones and will remain stones till the end of times. Do you want to know what happened to the ballroom? Who knows, its fame has never been restored, but there are still piles of stones in the place it once stood.
Story from the book What Is Whispered About the Copper City, Primary School Moskovská 2, Banská Bystrica. Author of the story: Agáta Barancová, Primary School Moskovská 2, Banská Bystrica.
