‘Tell me a story, we will be friends’

Şcoala gimnazială „Matei Basarab” Târgovişte, Romania Page 1

- Romanian Legend -

Translated into English by pupils from class 6B:

Teodora Capanu, Beatrice Florentina Zapciroiu, Ana-Maria Alexandrina

Manea, Andreea Ariana Pădurariu, Florentin Cristian Dumitrache, Oana

Alexandra Ilinca, Mihaela Predoiu, Leonard Ionuţ Mareş, Ioan Vlăduţ Roşu

Drawings by: Teodora Capanu, class 6B

Book coordinator teacher: Izabela Sităruş

Project Coordinator Teacher: Elisabeta – Luise Mihălăchioiu

February 2013

‘Tell me a story, we will be friends’

Şcoala gimnazială „Matei Basarab” Târgovişte, Romania Page 2

Once upon a time when stories were born, there was a proud two-

towered fortress on a mountain top. There had been living for a long time an

emperor, his wife and their twin sons who were very much alike. Though they

physically resembled very much, the two had so very different natures that

they began quarrelling for nothing, fighting and struggling so hard that the

ground was shaking.

‘Tell me a story, we will be friends’

Şcoala gimnazială „Matei Basarab” Târgovişte, Romania Page 3

When the twins grew up, the emperor left the fortress with all his army to

go fighting but he never came back.

The empress sent riders all over the world to search for her husband but

these messengers could not find their master anywhere.

The emperor had died far away during a cruel battle but the empress did

not know that and she kept asking herself all the time: ‘What am I going to do

with my naughty sons?’

This troubled her all day long and she used to think: ‘They keep fighting

from dawn till dark and though we built each of them a tower to live in, they

still cannot get on well with each other. Mureș lives in the northern tower

whileOlt lives in the southern tower. They are grown-ups now, old enough to

get married. It’s a shame that they cannot get on with each other like

brothers.’

‘Tell me a story, we will be friends’

Şcoala gimnazială „Matei Basarab” Târgovişte, Romania Page 4

One day, Mureş, calmer and a little bit wiser, told Olt:

‘Brother Olt, our mother keeps crying after our father, the emperor of

this land. Let’s do something about this!’

‘I’m saying, brother Mureş, to give up our quarrels and the meanness

and to set off to find our father. Who knows what forest he may be lying

wounded in or what prison he may be lying enchained in while we have been

staying here quarrelling.’

‘Tell me a story, we will be friends’

Şcoala gimnazială „Matei Basarab” Târgovişte, Romania Page 5

And they went to their mother, the empress and they told her their

decision. Hearing them talking like this, she cried with grief, but also with joy.

She did the latter because her sons were brave and witty. She did the former

because her sons were to leave the parental home and go out into the world

and she was afraid of losing them.

She told them tenderly:

‘So be it, my sons. Go searching for the emperor, but be careful –you

must always keep together because if you want to succeed, you can do it only

being together.’

‘Tell me a story, we will be friends’

Şcoala gimnazială „Matei Basarab” Târgovişte, Romania Page 6

The two princes left the fortress but soon, they started quarrelling about

which way to take as they were different natured by birth.

‘Let’s go north!’ said Mureş.

‘Rather not! Let’s go south!’ said Olt.

After quarrelling for a long time, they finally decided:

‘I grew up in the northern tower, therefore I’m going north!’ said

Mureş.

‘I grew up in the southern tower, therefore I’m going south!’ replied

Olt.

‘Tell me a story, we will be friends’

Şcoala gimnazială „Matei Basarab” Târgovişte, Romania Page 7

They split and the slow Mureş headed north while the fast Olt headed

south.

After a whileMureş began to miss his brother:

‘Although we used to quarrel, we still care about each other as long as we

are brothers. Mother asked us to keep together. I’m going back to find my

brother!’

‘Tell me a story, we will be friends’

Şcoala gimnazială „Matei Basarab” Târgovişte, Romania Page 8

In a valley, Mureş turned south, but he could not find Olt. He got lost

and headed west. He crossed such beautiful fields that he forgot about his twin

brother.

‘Tell me a story, we will be friends’

Şcoala gimnazială „Matei Basarab” Târgovişte, Romania Page 9

In the fortress, the empress received news from her messengers:

‘Even from the gate, you Mighty Empress, Olt and Mureș began to

quarrel and then split, not taking your advice.’

Being very upset, the empress ran away to find and bring her sons back

home but she could not reach them because they were quickly running in

different directions.

‘Tell me a story, we will be friends’

Şcoala gimnazială „Matei Basarab” Târgovişte, Romania Page 10

She began to cry and, with tears in her eyes, she prayed for her sons to

be saved:

‘Please Lord, guide my sons’ steps. I lost the emperor. Dear Lord, do

something for my twins not to perish!’

Lord listened to her pray and He decided on the spot to turn the two

princes into immortal rivers. And so have they stayed until today, keeping

their names: the Mureş and the Olt.

‘Tell me a story, we will be friends’

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The Mureş flows slowly towards the field, hoping that, after many

windings, he will find his brother. And people sing about him this way:

‘Mureş, Mureş, slow river,

Take me to foreign land

And help me rest.’

While the fast and naughty Olt hits the mountain rocks, frantically

turns them over, foaming and bleeding at the Red Tower. And people sing

about him this way:

‘Olt, damn’ river,

You became deeper and bigger

And you run foaming and bleeding.’

‘Tell me a story, we will be friends’

Şcoala gimnazială „Matei Basarab” Târgovişte, Romania Page 12

LLP, Comenius sub-programme, eTwinning action

“Tell me a story, we will be friends”

registered on 4.10.2012

Partners:

1. Pinelopi Vasiliou, 1o Dimotiko sholeio Obrias, Patra, Greece

2. Elisabeta – Luise Mihălăchioiu, Şcoala gimnazială „Matei Basarab”,

Târgovişte, Romania

3. Agnès Roux, École Primaire Saint André les Alpes, St. André les Alpes,

France

4. Ahmet Ova, Karapinar İlköğretim Okulu, Karasu, Turkey

5. Libuše Kolínková, Záklandí škola Emila Zátopka, Zlín, Czech Republic

This publication was created within the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Commission. This

publication reflects the views only of the authors and the European Commission cannot be held responsible for

any use that may be made of the information contained therein.