Basque tales
Here are various tales Basque : the Obantzun mare, the lake of Biarritz, the charcoal burner and the Basa Jaun
Obantzun's mare
The neighbors of the Etsoinberri house had a mare. Every day they sent her to graze in the mountains, they brought her back down in the evening. The servant and maid took care of this work. They had developed a habit: whoever saw the beast first came back riding it.
One day it was the servant who saw her and, while saying
“here is our black mare,” she ran and mounted her in the blink of an eye.
The animal went towards the Obantzun chasm where she entered with her rider.
The servant remained for some time staring into the abyss; but no sign, neither of the mare nor of the servant. He returned home wondering:
“What mare was that?” » when he saw, further down, in a shallow, the real mare of Etsoinberri.
Some time later, when the people of the house went to wash their clothes, they found the captive servant's earrings and ring in the Itturan fountain.
Biarritz lake
Some times, at the onset of night, the lord and Saint Peter, that way somewhere, on the side of the negress, in Biarritz, knock, knock, knock, knocked on the door of a poor house and they asked for the accommodation for the night. Certainly we would welcome them; and they were brought in. The Lord Jesus asked if they could have something to eat, even just a bite. And these poor people admitted to him that they had nothing to give.
– » Search in the bread bin.
– » Very willingly, lord. But unfortunately ! we know what to expect from our bread bin. See…”
And these people remained amazed: they saw the bin...crowded with bread to the brim...They fell on their knees before the Lord Jesus. And the Lord Jesus then asked if they could have a bed, because they were both very tired.
– » A bed, yes, with a very big heart…. but we wouldn't have any sheets to give you.
– » See once again.
- " Oh ! Lord, we know well the count of our sheets.
– “See all the same…”
And where there shouldn't be a single one, they discovered plenty of sheets. The poor people remained trembling. The Lord Jesus then said to them:
– » We knocked on all the houses in the neighborhood, asking for shelter for the night… no one offered it to us except you. This night you will hear a lot of noise; don't be frightened at all. We will be there to protect you. »
And they all went to bed... The next day, washed away by the waters, all the houses in the neighborhood had disappeared, and all their inhabitants had also disappeared. The house which had housed the Lord Jesus and Saint Peter was the only one to remain standing…. If you ever happen to go to the side of the negress, you will still see her there, at the edge of the big lake created by the rain, during that terrible night.
The coalman and the Basa Jaun
In Askoa, a mountain of Ataun, a Basa Jaun (the wild Lord in Basque) joined forces with a group of charcoal burners working in the area.
One of these charcoal burners had struck such a blow with his ax that the trunk was split in the middle but the tool remained stuck. He called to the Basa Jaun to put his hands in the slot so that the ax could be released and the trunk could be attacked from the other end.
This is what the Basa Jaun did.
The coalman was able to draw his ax and the slit closed on the fingers of the naive Basa Jaun.
The latter, dominated by the skill and cunning of the charcoal burner, was taken to the village of Ataun so that everyone could see him at their leisure. Then the charcoal burner freed him from his trap.
The Basa Jaun returned to his cave. The charcoal burner also returned to his occupation but later disappeared mysteriously.
