The Blacksmith And The Branches

Once upon a time, in a faraway village, there lived a poor blacksmith and his wife. More hardworking and selfless people you could never meet, for they gave anything they could to the poor and needy after working countless hours in the forge. They were not a wealthy family, and in fact continuously struggled to put food on the table. Yet they never complained, content with working the forge and continuing there simple life.

It might have gone on like this forever, were it not for a small, simple thing. An idea. One that sparked in the husband's head with the blazing light of molten metal. He hurriedly called to his wife, explaining his stroke of inspiration. "We can go to the mayor's house and search for scraps, my dear. Tonight is the Harvest Festival (as they called Thanksgiving in that land) and there will be extra food enough for the both of us."

Now the wife, of course, agreed. Who could blame them, given the situation they were in? And so they went, gathering the extra food cast out by the mayor's household. Along the way, they also gathered wood for a fire they planned on burning to keep them warm that night. It was much to their surprise, then, when one of the branches they picked up screeched, with a voice like splintering wood, "Please don't burn me, humans. I've just barely left my father tree, and I wish to see something of the world before I die." The husband and wife stared in shock at the branch, marveling at its speech. The wife recovered first. "Why shouldn't we burn you? You are a fine branch, and shall keep us warm for hours tonight." She moved to carry the stick with them. "No, please!" the stick cried. "I'll give you anything you want - I'll make a deal! If you don't burn me, I shall ask my cousins to help you with anything you wish." After a few minutes of discussing the matter, the couple came to the uneasy decision to trust the branch and agree to the deal. "Thank you, mortals. Whenever you have need of my cousins, simply call their names: Earl and Shmorkeblisk."

The couple went on for quite some time without calling for the cousins, at once both excited and afraid whenever the thought crossed their minds. It was many months before, after a lengthy discussion, they agreed to try. The husband called, "Earl and Shmorkeblisk!" and all at once, two gleaming cedar twigs sprang out of the ground, ready to help. Before long, the husband had them helping everywhere throughout the forge, and the wife had them helping her with cooking, cleaning, sewing, and anything else she could think of. No matter how many tasks they received, they always seemed to get them done in time for the next.

Earl and Shmorkeblisk, however, were not happy with their situation. "Why should we listen to these fat humans," they said, "when we do all the work and they do nothing? In fact," said Earl, "I think we should run away tomorrow night." Unfortunately, just that morning the husband had agreed to show the mayor his wonderful servants. The mayor promised the farmer gold and jewels for the twigs, and the husband's eyes had gleamed with greed. He and his wife were no longer the same hardworking, selfless people that they were before.

The next night, the husband and wife eagerly arrived on the mayor's doorstep, breathless with anticipation. No sooner had the mayor opened the door then they called, "Earl and Shmorkeblisk!" The cousins, of course, had already left. When nothing happened, they tried again. And again. And again. The mayor grew angry, enraged that these peasants had made a fool out of him. He commanded his guards to seize the pair, saying, "You two have lied to me, willingly and with no disguising it. As you know, the punishment for lying to a mayor is death." And so it was that the very next day, the husband and wife were hanged in the local square, and the forge and tiny house where they had lived remained dark forever.

The cousins Earl and Shmorkeblisk, on the other hand, lived happily every after.