Topal

There was a man who was limping, the peasants never called him by name, they called him " Topal " (lame). This man did not like to work, but for eating and drinking he was remarkable.

The lame man was asked:

• Why don't you work?
• Ah! he replied, 'don't talk to me about work, otherwise I'll play a trick on you!

One day, the lame man is going for a walk, he goes to the bridge over the river. Suddenly he sees a black and hideous demon; he immediately throws himself under the bridge.

 »Ah ah! I smell human flesh! " said the demon. He climbs onto the bridge, he hears a tremor. Who is it that makes the bridge shake? " 

The lame man answers:

 " It's me, the strong man, the strongest man! " 

The demon says: " Since you are the strongest man, do something, let me see your strength! " 

The lame man picks up a turtle from the water's edge and throws it on the deck.

 " Looked, he said, here is one of my lice. " 

The demon is surprised and says to himself: " if one of his lice is this big, he himself must be very big ".

The demon asks: " Can you show me your strength once again? " 

 " I can ! " said the lame man.

Luckily there was a severed donkey's tail there. He grabs her and throws her onto the bridge.

 " Looked, he said, here is one of my hair ”.

The demon grabs him, looks at him amazed. " And what else can you do? " 

The lame man picks up a fallen beam from the bridge and throws it at him. " Here is my stick! " 

The demon admits: " You are right, you have great strength. Come with me to my house. " 

He takes the lame man home, he gives him bread, he cooks him food. In the evening, he spreads him a very soft mattress, he arranges good pillows for him, he washes his feet in hot water and puts him to bed. The lame man falls asleep.

At midnight, the demon's mother begins to snore. The lame man goes up to the attic. The demon opens his eyes, he sees the lame. " What are you doing up there? " - "I want to tear off a beam, break it in half and push the pieces into your mother's nostrils, because it prevents me from sleeping. " 

The demon is troubled, he begs him so much and as long as the day breaks.

(May the light also come on you!).

The demon and the lame go out for a little walk. They arrive in a wood, the lame man uproots a young tree, he starts hitting the trees here and there, he breaks their branches, he drops their leaves, he cries out in anger

. (God save you from such vandals!).

The demon, trembling, asks him: " What are you doing ? "  I want to destroy all these trees, I want to throw them somewhere! " 

The demon throws himself at the feet of the lame:

 " Man, he said, pity, pity, since you are the strongest of men, spare these trees, do not destroy them, leave them! " 

 " Good, said the lame man, I spare them. " 

The demon and the lame move away from the trees. They walk, they walk, they come to a place where there are no men or demons, no wolves or dragons, no birds. The demon is a little bored. He says : " Man, let's both fight! " 

 "Let's fight" answers the lame man.

They fight. During the fight, the demon sees that the lame one rolls his eyes. He asks : " Why are you rolling your eyes? " 

The lame man answers:

 " I look up to see if I'm going to throw you right or left. " 

The demon stops fighting; he bows.

 " Man, he said, May your luck smile on me! come, let's go home. I have a crate full of gold, take it, take it home with you. " 

 "Let's go" said the lame man.

They arrive at the demon. The lame man sees the box, he tries to lift it, oh! how heavy it was! he can't even get her to move. He turns and says:

 " For the strongest of men, it's a shame to carry a crate, everyone will laugh at me. " 

The demon says: " Brother, go quietly, I will bring you the box at your place. " 

The lame man returns home. He pretends to be proud. He said to his wife:

 " Woman, I found a black demon, I rolled it well, it will bring me today a crate full of gold. When he comes in, I will ask you:Woman, what demon do you want to cut off the head of? and you will answer me: From the black demon. " 

No sooner has he finished speaking, the demon arrives, the crate on his back. He puts it on the floor.

The lame man asks his wife:

•  " Woman, how are you going to honor our guests? " 
•  With demon meat. " the woman answers.
•  What sort of demon? " 
•  "The black demon" the woman answers.

With these words, the demon takes his legs around his neck and fled in a cloud of dust.

Some say that there are three kinds of fearful in this world: the lame, the blind and the swaggering….