Great Heart and the three tests

Great Heart and the three tests

On the very shore of the sea, where the waves rolled over smooth pebbles day and night, there lived a boy whom everyone called Great Heart.

He had earned the name through kindness rather than size or strength. From an early age, he noticed anyone who needed help. He picked up spilled firewood, led lost children home, and silently took the other end of the rope when an old fisherman struggled to haul his boat ashore.

Over the years, Great Heart grew tall and strong. One morning he told his parents:

“I want to see the world and find out what I’m really capable of.”

His mother hugged him and replied:

“Strength is not shown when you lift heavy things. Real strength is shown when you don’t forget about others.”

Great Heart remembered these words and set off on his journey.

A few days later he saw a young man walking along the path with heavy stones tied to his feet.

“Why have you tied those stones to your feet?” Great Heart asked in surprise.

The young man smiled.

“So that I don’t run too fast. Without them, I run so fast that the wind can’t keep up with me.”

“Then let’s go together,” Great Heart suggested. “Fast legs can come in handy on the way.”

So Swift Runner joined him.

Soon the friends came to the lake and saw a man who was drinking water in large gulps, but still repeated:

“What a thirst I have today!”

“Are you still thirsty?” Great Heart asked.

“Always,” he laughed. “Sometimes even a whole lake is not enough for me.”

“Come with us.”

So there were three of them.

Then they met a skilled archer who could spot a tiny branch across a valley and send an arrow exactly where he wished. They called him Longshot.

Beyond the next hill, a man sat with his ear to the ground.

“What are you listening to?” asked Great Heart.

“A beetle moving in the grass, and a flower opening beyond the river,” he replied.

It was Sharp Ear.

Now there were five of them traveling.

One evening, they reached a large settlement. Everyone was talking about the young woman who owned a spacious house. She was clever, independent, and in no hurry to marry. Together with the elders, she had announced three tests for anyone wishing to seek her hand. Many hopeful suitors had tried and simply gone home when they failed.

“I will try,” said Great Heart.

“We’re with you,” his friends answered together.

The first test was announced in the morning.

In front of the window of the house lay a huge stone block. It blocked the sun, and the room remained gloomy even at noon.

“Move this stone so that sunlight can enter the window again,” the elders told him.

Great Heart walked around the boulder, found the best place to push, and braced his shoulder against it. It did not move.

Instead of growing angry, he stepped back to think. He slid a sturdy pole beneath the edge and tried again. The boulder shifted.

“A little more!” his friends urged.

Great Heart gathered his strength and slowly rolled the block aside. The sunbeam immediately fell on the floor in a golden rectangle.

“The first test is passed,” said the elders.

The next day, Great Heart saw a long table. On it stood jugs of water, baskets of bread, bowls of soup, fruits and nuts.

“For the second test, our guests must finish the feast the whole settlement has prepared.”

Great Heart looked at the table and whistled softly.

“We could be here for a week.”

“I’ll help with the food,” said Swift Runner.

“And leave the water to me!” their ever-thirsty companion cried cheerfully.

The friends ate slowly, sharing among themselves and not wasting a single crumb. And when it came to the big jugs, their thirsty friend emptied them one by one and asked:

“Could I have a little cup of water for the road?”

Everyone laughed.

“The second test is passed!”

On the third day, a race was to be arranged to a distant hill and back. The best local runner was to run from the settlement, and Great Heart could choose one of his friends.

“This one is for me,” said Swift Runner, untying the heavy stones.

As soon as the signal was given, he disappeared from the starting line as quickly as if he had been picked up by a gust of wind.

The local runner knew that he would not be able to catch up with his rival. Therefore, on the way back, seeing the Swift Runner far ahead, he shouted:

“You will win anyway! Rest for a minute under a tree.”

Swift Runner was sure he had plenty of time. He sat in the shade, leaned against a tree, and drifted off to sleep.

Everyone in the settlement was waiting.

Suddenly, Sharp Ear raised his head.

“Our friend is sleeping. I can hear him snoring all the way from here.”

“Where exactly?” asked Longshot.

Sharp Ear pointed in the direction.

Longshot drew his bow and sent an arrow high into the air. It did not touch Swift Runner. Instead, it struck a dead branch above him, which fell nearby with a crack.

“What? The race!” he cried, springing up.

He ran so fast that the dust under his feet swirled in a small cloud. In a few moments, he overtook his rival and crossed the finish line first.

The settlement erupted in joyful shouts.

When the cheering had quieted, the young woman stepped forward.

“Great Heart,” she said, “you have passed all three tests. But I saw that you succeeded in two because of your friends. Will you claim their achievements as your own?”

Great Heart shook his head.

“No. I moved the stone, but we passed the second and third tests together. Without my friends, I would not be standing here as a winner.”

The young woman smiled.

“Then I learned more about you than from any competition. You are strong, but you know how to share the glory. And I also want to say: I am not a prize to be won in a race. If we ever become a family, it will only be because we both want it.”

“It cannot be otherwise,” answered Great Heart.

They talked late into the evening. He told her about the sea, his parents, and his journey. She told him about her home, her neighbours, and her hopes for the future.

The next day, the settlement held a celebration for all five friends. Each received a gift. Everyone rejoiced to see that however strong one person may be, friends working together can achieve much more.

Later, Great Heart returned to the seashore to embrace his parents and tell them about his travels. Then he visited the young woman again. They came to know each other better and decided to share their lives.

And when someone asked Great Heart which of the three trials was the hardest, he would answer:

“Neither the stone, the feast, nor the race. What matters most is remembering that your victories seldom belong to you alone.”

A great heart is not one filled with the most glory, but one that always has room for others.

May this story leave a little light in your heart ✨