Why the Cat Kills Rats

Nigeria
Ansa was King of Calabar for fifty years. He had a very faithful cat as a housekeeper, and a rat was his house-boy. The king was an obstinate, headstrong man, but was very fond of the cat, who had been in his store for many years.
The rat, who was very poor, fell in love with one of the king's servant girls, but was unable to give her any presents, as he had no money.

At last he thought of the king's store, so in the nighttime, being quite small, he had little difficulty, having made a hole in the roof, in getting into the store. He then stole corn and native pears, and presented them to his sweetheart.
At the end of the month, when the cat had to render her account of the things in the store to the king, it was found that a lot of corn and native pears were missing. The king was very angry at this, and asked the cat for an explanation. But the cat could not account for the loss, until one of her friends told her that the rat had been stealing the corn and giving it to the girl.
When the cat told the king, he called the girl before him and had her flogged. The rat he handed over to the cat to deal with, and dismissed them both from his service. The cat was so angry at this that she killed and ate the rat, and ever since that time whenever a cat sees a rat she kills and eats it.

Read more...

Why the Vulture is Bald

Burma
The vulture was originally a humble old bird, and rather stupid. His plumage was not exceptionally beautiful, but quite passable. One day, however, the noticed that his feathers were falling off. He consulted other birds, who told him that he was merely moulting, and new would grow later. But the vulture was pessimistic, and soon became thin and sickly with worry about his plumage. At last the other birds took pity on him, and each gave him a feather to stick on his body. When all the birds had given his their feathers, the vulture looked a wonderful bird with a plumage of all colors.

The vulture now became conceited. He strutted about in his borrowed feathers, and declared that he was the most beautiful of all the birds. He became more and more proud until he asked the birds to recognize him as their king. At this insolence, the birds pecked off, no only the feathers that they had given the vulture, but also the vulture's own feathers. So when the birds had finished with him, the vulture looked old and ugly and bald. That is why even at the present day the vulture is a sour and ugly old bird.

Read more...

Why the North Tower of Saint Stephen's Cathedral Remains Unfinished

Austria
Hans Puchsbaum, a journeyman mason in the Viennese Cathedral Construction Guild of Saint Stephen, was in love with Maria, the beautiful daughter of Master Builder Hans von Prachatitz, who since the year 1430 had been directing the construction of the south tower. The proud builder had selected the son of a wealthy burgher to marry his daughter and was thoroughly opposed to her affinity for Hans Puchsbaum.

"If you can finish the north tower at the same hour that I complete the south tower, then you may take Maria to wife," thundered hard-hearted Prachatitz to his journeyman. This condition was practically impossible. No one would be able to complete such a construction project in so short a time. The hopes and dreams of poor Puchsbaum disappeared. In despair he stood there and murmured to himself: "Only the devil could complete such a masterpiece. I shall leave this city, and Maria will belong to another man."
He had scarcely spoken these words when the Evil One appeared before him. "I will help you build the tower, but during the entire construction time you may not utter the name of God nor that of any of any of His saints, otherwise your soul will belong to me," was the offer made to him by the Spirit of Hell.
Plagued with a bad conscience, Hans asked himself if he should build a house of God with the help of Satan. But his love of Maria conquered all doubts, and he entered into the pact with the devil.
The townspeople of Vienna watched in amazement as the north tower scaffolding grew upward and the construction advanced rapidly. Puchsbaum himself was the most industrious of all the workers. Day and night he mixed mortar and set stones into place. The tower, growing ever higher, was decorated by the most glorious stone figures. Puchsbaum adhered rigorously to the conditions set by the devil, and it appeared less and less likely that the builder would have to surrender his soul.
Then the Evil One resorted to trickery. Assuming Maria's shape, he walked across Saint Stephen's Square with his head bowed. Hans Puchsbaum, who was standing high above on the scaffolding, recognized Maria. Forgetting his oath, he called out her name. Immediately the heavy beams broke apart and Puchsbaum fell to the ground. The tower remained unfinished. No one dared continue with the devil's work.

Read more...

Why the Tower of Wasserburg Church Remains Unfinished

Bavaria
The Wasserburg town hall was built more than 600 years ago. A legend is connected to the history of this building.
At Wasserburg they were building a church and a town hall at the same time. Thus they engaged many masons and construction workers, and instructed the masters to not delay.

Two diligent stonemasons, named Hans and Stephan, took charge of the work. The older one, Hans, supervised the construction of the church; the younger one, Stephen, the town hall. Both were experienced in the art of building, having participated together in the construction of many a marvelous structure, also in southern Europe. They proceeded once again together with the plans, extending to one another the hand of true friendship and swearing that they would help each other like good brothers, without hate and without envy.
Because every good work should be rewarded, if it is to advance and succeed, the man who finished his project first was promised a reward, provided that the work was worthy and without blemish.
Do you want to know what kind of reward it was to be? A very unusual reward, neither of gold and silver, nor a medal of honor: It was the mayor's beautiful daughter.
Both stonemasons had cast their eyes on the girl at the same time, and this was no secret to her father. Because both were skilled and upright people, the mayor did not care if his daughter would take the one or the other as a bridegroom. Thus he promised her to the one who would first complete his building. However, the bride-to-be was not consulted in this matter. In her heart she had already chosen Stephen, the younger man.
As luck would have it, Stephan completed his building first. The town hall was finished, but the church tower's steeple was still missing. The competition was over. Stephan was to take home the mayor's wealthy and beautiful daughter as his bride.
This was a difficult test of friendship. Hans accepted his fate without envy and complaint, devoting himself to his friend as before. But Stephan could not see it the same way. He did not feel right surrounded by good fortune while his friend was unhappy. Thus he walked about sadly and despondent, thinking to himself how he might be freed of his misery.
One day he disappeared. In his room, instead of himself, there was a stone statue of him and a written message, in which he extended his final greetings to his friend and to his bride-to-be. He revealed to them his decision to join a distant monastery.
The legend does not tell us if Hans took home the abandoned bride. However, the friend appears to have lost all joy in his work, because the church tower's steeple is missing even today.
The statue of loyal Stephen is still preserved in the town hall of Wasserburg.

Read more...