Grandfather's Eyes

Grandfather's Eyes

Once upon a time there was a boy named Janecek. He lost his parents at an early age and, when he grew up, went out into the world to look for work.

He walked from village to village, asking millers, shepherds, and craftspeople if they needed a helper. Either there was no work, or they already had enough hands.

One evening Janecek came to a small hut near the forest.

An old man was sitting on the threshold. Goats were bleating nearby in the pen.

“What do they want so badly?” asked Janecek.

The old man turned toward his voice.

“They want to go to pasture. And now I can’t lead them. I can’t see the way.”

Janecek realized the old man was blind.

“Take me on as your shepherd,” he offered. “I’ll tend your goats if you give me a roof and supper.”

“That’s a fair bargain,” said the old man with a smile. “Stay.”

The next morning, he explained the paths around the cottage to Janecek.

“Take the goats wherever you like, but keep away from the green hill across the river.”

“Why?”

The old man fell silent.

“Three jezinkas live there. They appear as friendly young women. Once, I ignored the warnings. They offered me a magical flower to smell, and I fell asleep. When I woke, my world had gone dark. The jezinkas had stolen my sight and hidden it in their cave.”

“Stolen your sight?” asked Janecek in surprise.

“Yes. They collect what others see as some people collect colored glass.”

For the first two days Janecek obeyed and grazed the goats near the hut.

On the third day, though, he looked toward the distant hill. Its grass was tall, green, and lush.

“The goats will like it,” he thought. “And I’ve been warned. I just won’t take anything from strangers.”

Before setting out, he cut three long bramble shoots, twisted them into flexible loops, and put them in his bag.

The goats happily set off through the forest, drank at the river, and ran up the hill.

Janecek sat down under a tree.

Within minutes, a young woman in white appeared before him, carrying a large red apple.

“Good afternoon, little shepherd,” she said gently. “Have an apple from my garden. It’s sweeter than honey.”

Janecek immediately guessed who it was.

“Thank you, but I’m full.”

“Just a piece.”

“No, thank you.”

The girl frowned and disappeared among the trees.

Soon a second woman arrived with a full red rose.

“Lovely weather, isn’t it? Smell my flower. You’ve never smelled anything like it.”

“My master’s garden has plenty of flowers,” replied Janecek. “You may keep your rose.”

And the second stranger left with nothing.

The youngest came third. In her hand shone a golden comb.

“What untidy hair you have, little shepherd! Let me comb it.”

Janecek smiled.

“If you really want.”

When the jezinka drew near, he quickly slipped a bramble loop around her wrist.

This was no ordinary cord. In old tales, brambles could hold forest magic fast when used for protection rather than out of spite.

The jezinka tried to vanish into the air, but could not.

“Let me go!”

Two sisters came running at her scream.

“What are you doing?” they cried indignantly.

“Getting back what you took from the old man.”

“We didn’t take anything!”

“Then you have nothing to fear from a conversation.”

The sisters rushed to free the youngest, but Janecek slipped the other two bramble loops around them too.

“I won’t hurt anyone,” he said. “But you’ll come with me to your cave and find the old man’s sight.”

The jezinkas exchanged glances.

They realized that they would neither be able to put the boy to sleep nor scare him.

Janecek brought the old man up the hill, and the three jezinkas led them to their cave.

Dozens of little glass spheres stood on shelves inside. A different scene shimmered in each: morning skies, a forest at night, a river, a field, flames, a bird’s nest.

“Here is his sight,” said the first jezinka, handing over two dark spheres.

Janecek placed them in the old man’s palms.

The magic flashed.

The old man opened his eyes and drew back in surprise.

“No! I see treetops in darkness, mice far away, and every movement in the night. This is an owl’s sight!”

The spheres grew dim.

"Keep looking," said Janecek.

The second jezinka brought another pair.

The old man touched them and shook his head.

“These aren’t mine either. I see the undergrowth from close to the ground. I sense every trail and want to follow it. This is a wolf’s sight.”

"Once more," said Janecek firmly.

The third jezinka took out two greenish spheres.

“Maybe these?”

The old man touched them and laughed.

“Now I see water all around me! The silver sides of fish, pebbles on the bottom… No, this isn’t mine either.”

Janecek looked at the sisters.

“You know perfectly well what you’re looking for. Enough joking.”

The youngest jezinka lowered her head.

“All right. The real ones are at the very bottom of the old chest. We haven’t touched them in ages.”

She took out two plain, almost unremarkable spheres. They had no golden glow or brilliant color.

As soon as the old man held them in his palms, they melted like two drops of clear water.

He blinked.

He saw Janecek.

He saw green grass.

He saw goats calmly chewing leaves nearby.

“These are my eyes!” he cried. “I can see again!”

Janecek took the bramble loops off the jezinkas.

“Now you are free. But don’t take away from people what belongs to them anymore.”

The sisters silently retreated to the cave.

The youngest paused for a moment.

“We thought other people’s sight was simply something interesting,” she said. “Now we see how much pain we caused.”

Since then, no one on the green hill has lost their sight again.

Janecek and the old man lived together for many years. The boy tended the goats, and the old man made cheese. In the evenings, they sat by the door watching the sun sink behind the forest, taking joy in ordinary things.

“How strange,” the old man sometimes said. “I used to see this sunset every day and hardly notice it.”

“And now?”

“Now I know seeing means more than having eyes. It means learning to notice too.”

And Janecek remembered these words for the rest of his life.

May this story leave a little light in your heart ✨