In the southwest of Ireland there is one small lake, which the surrounding residents called magical because no matter how many people drowned in it, the bodies of the drowned were never found. There was a terrible rumor about it among the people: others claimed that on a dark night the gloomy color of its waters changed into fiery; others who themselves saw how airy light shadows glided across its surface in the twilight...
On the shores of this mysterious lake there once lived a young farmer, Roderick Keating, who was planning to marry one of the most beautiful girls in his area.
Returning from Limric, where he had gone to buy wedding rings, he had to meet two of his friends on the shore of the lake, and in the midst of conversation he began to show them his purchase. They examined the rings, weighed them in their palms, praised their decoration, and while Roderick was about to transfer the rings from the hands of his friends to his side pocket, one of them suddenly slipped out of his hands, rolled along the steep bank to the water and fell into the lake. Roderick looked after him, sadly spread his arms and lowered his head: he didn’t feel sorry for the ring, even though it cost half a guinea, but he was afraid that the omen was very bad.
His friends began to make fun of him, thinking by this to dispel him somewhat; but he did not listen to them, but only begged them to get that ring from the bottom of the lake, for which he promised to generously reward the one who got it. But they never dared to sink to the bottom of the terrible lake, about which, even in childhood, they had heard all sorts of stories from their nannies with such content that even now it still sent a chill down their spines.
“Well, if you don’t want to go down for the ring when I offer you such a glorious reward, I have only one thing left to do, go back to Limrik and buy another ring!”
“Wait, wait,” said one poor man named Puddin, approaching him at that moment. He was known to everyone in the area for his quiet and meek disposition, his helpfulness and strange habits, because he spent all his time moving from one place to another and could never sit anywhere for more than two days. - Wait, Roderick Keating! If you promise me the same reward as them, then I undertake to get you a ring, even if it falls to the bottom of the deepest pool in the whole lake!
Keating accepted his proposal with delight, and Puddin, without another word, quickly undressed and threw himself into the water. It is difficult to say how long and how deep he dived; but as soon as he sank and sank, he suddenly found himself on dry land. As soon as he recovered from his amazement, he began to look around in all directions and saw the same sky, the same light, the same greenery around him as on earth. In front of him, a most magnificent garden stretched across a vast space, with shady alleys, winding paths, clear streams, and wide, emerald-green lawns. In the very middle of the garden stood a large, richly decorated palace, to which many slender and beautiful stairs led from everywhere.
Puddin entered the garden and walked towards the house along the alley. On the side paths he saw young villagers raking fragrant hay into stacks and rolling out paths, calmly humming a song to themselves. And what was his surprise when among them he recognized several of his old acquaintances who had drowned in the lake in recent years! This frightened him so much that he barely dragged himself home and, trembling all over, began to climb the stairs.
He enters the door and sees that in the middle of the magnificent hall, sitting on a high chair, is a fat, very fat water fairy with kindly bulbous eyes and swollen lips, from under which two rows of large and long teeth peeked out.
- Hello, Puddin! Why did you come to us? - the fat fairy roared in a deep bass voice.
“Yes, I came here for Roderick Keating’s ring, is it possible for me to get it?” – said Puddin, gathering his courage.
- That's what? Well, so be it, here it is,” said the fairy, giving the ring to Puddin.
- Thank you! Tell me, kind and sweet fairy, how can I get out of here and get back to earth?
- To the ground? So, that means you didn’t come here to marry me?! – the fairy shouted angrily, jumping heavily from the chair and running up to Puddin. - If so, I will be able to force you...
“Just wait,” he said in response to her, trying to express as much indifference as possible in his voice and wanting to correct his excessive haste, “listen to me first.” Of course, I will marry you very willingly, but you must admit, I can’t keep someone else’s ring and, moreover, make everyone worry about me. Well, I'll take off the ring, come back and marry you.
- Perhaps you're right. Go this way to the gate and come back quickly.
Puddin didn’t even listen to her last words, he ran to the gate, opened it and suddenly found himself in the water again. He began to rise up, hastily spreading his arms and legs - and how amazed the young people who were waiting for him were when, after a long stay under water, he emerged at the opposite end of the lake!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru