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Dark Lucky Dancer
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The father eventually gave in to his younger son’s request to learn how to shudder. He said, “You will not earn your bread by shuddering, but maybe by learning to shudder you could learn fear as well. With luck, then you’d be cautious enough to learn a proper trade.”
But try as he might, the father could not find a way to strike fear into his son. The people in the town began to say “throw that boy out, he is a danger to your farm and to himself! He will bring you nothing but stress!” Disgraced and ashamed, he finally found himself unable to put up with his son’s ineptitude. He said to the boy, “I’ve done all I can for you, but I can not tolerate the trouble you cause me any more. Get out of my sight. Go far away from here and tell no one that I am your father.”
“As you wish,” the boy replied, not wishing to be an inconvenience to his family. He set out the next day, unafraid of life on his own, but still wishing he could learn to shudder.
After days of wandering on his own, he began to hear rumors of a castle in the countryside where a wealthy Baroness had passed away. Since the Baroness had no heirs, her wealth by law belonged to king Pole. However, the king’s efforts to collect this gold had been disrupted by the revelation that the Baroness continued to haunt her castle from beyond the grave. King Pole decreed that whoever could retrieve the Baroness’ treasures from the castle and bring them to him would win the hand of his fourth wife's youngest daughter in marriage. Many had tried, but none had succeeded.
“Ah,” said the boy, “Maybe I could learn to shudder there!” And without a second thought he went to the castle.
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