Ep. 730 - The Bride of the Fountain - An Armenian Folktale

Somewhere I have heard that there were once three sisters, whose mother went to town to buy them dresses. On her way back to the village she sat down by a fountain to rest.

“Tush!” exclaimed she, remembering that she had forgotten to buy a dress for her youngest daughter.

Suddenly an old man came out from the fountain, and standing before the woman, said:

“My name is Tush; why did you call me?”

“I did not call you,” said the woman, “I exclaimed, ‘Tush!’ because I had forgotten to buy a dress for my youngest daughter.”

“Go, bring her,” said the old man, “and call on me again; I will give her a dress.”

The woman went and brought her daughter to the fountain. As soon as she uttered the word “Tush!” the old man came out. He took the maiden into the fountain and never came back, in spite of the repeated exclamations of the woman, who tired of repeating, “Tush! Tush!” At last she gave up hope, and going home mourned the wonderful disappearance of her pretty daughter.