Hold On, Little Pot!
Once, there was a builder. He worked very hard, but he was happy. He had a good home and a beautiful wife.
One day, the King came to him and said, ‘Dear builder! I have heard that you are the best builder in the country. I want to see your work. Build a house for my son.’
The builder was very surprised. He did not think he was so good at his job, but he was very happy to work for the King. So he went and built the house, and then he came home.
‘My lovely wife,’ he said. ‘Did you miss me?’
‘Hmm? Oh yes, of course. You finished that house very quickly.’
‘I finished it quickly because I wanted to come home to you!’
‘Well, I’m afraid the King has another job for you. He wants you to build a bigger house for his daughter.’
So the builder went and worked, and he thought about his wife the whole time. He didn’t like being away from home.
When he came back, his wife said, ‘Oh, you’re back. You know, the King has another job for you.’
‘I don’t believe it!’ he said. ‘I cannot say no to the King, but this is too much. What must I build this time?’
‘The King wants a new castle. It must be beautiful, and you have five days to finish it.’
‘Five days?! I can’t build a castle in five days!’
His wife sighed. ‘Well, you have to try. If you do not do it, the King will kill you.’
That night, the builder went into the forest. He could not sleep. The King would kill him, and then his wife would be alone.
He sat by a river and cried.
‘What is wrong?’
He saw a woman next to him. She was very old, and she had red eyes.
‘Who are you?’ he said.
‘I am just an old woman. Tell me what’s wrong. You’re crying.’
‘Oh, it’s just… The King has asked me to build a castle for him in five days. I cannot do it, and he will kill me.’
‘Ah,’ said the old woman. ‘I can help with that.’
She gave him a piece of her hair.
‘Put this under the first brick you put down.’
The builder thought she was crazy, but he did what she said. He put the hair under the first brick of the castle and started building. He worked and worked, but the day went very slowly. When night came, he had finished the castle.
‘I don’t believe it!’ he said. The hair he put under the brick had changed time. It was magic!
When he came home, his wife was very surprised. ‘You finished it?’
‘Yes! I was so excited to see you that I worked all day.’
‘How wonderful,’ she said.
But when the King saw the new castle the next day, he was not happy.
‘Hmm, this castle needs something. I know! It needs a lake. Every good castle has a lake.’
‘A lake? But I am a builder. I cannot make a lake.’
‘You are such a good builder. You must know how to make a lake! You finished the castle so quickly, so I think you will only need three days this time.’
To make the lake, he would have to dig a hole and fill the hole with water. It was too much work for three days!
The builder went back into the forest that night and cried. The old woman came again and said, ‘Well, well, well. He wants you to make a lake, does he? You know, I think this king really hates you.’
‘I don’t understand why. I have always worked hard for him!’
‘It is very strange. But don’t worry. I will help you again.’
This time, she gave him a bowl of water.
‘Dig the hole and pour this water in.’
So the builder did that. He dug all day, and made a big hole. Then he poured the bowl of water in. The water grew and grew, and the lake filled with water, and it was beautiful and blue.
But of course, his wife and the King were not happy to see it.
‘You are quite an amazing builder!’ said the King, very angry. ‘But I want to see something really special now! Tomorrow morning, I will come to your house. I want to see a himphamp. If you do not make me a himphamp, I will kill you myself!’
The builder did not understand. What was a himphamp? He had never heard of it.
Again, he went to the old woman in the forest and told her about the himphamp.
‘This will be more difficult. Do exactly what I say. Take this pot.’ She gave him a pot. ‘Put it under your bed, and hide in your room tonight. When someone touches the pot, say, “Hold on, little pot!” Then you will be safe.’
The builder did not understand, but he said thank you to the old woman.
When he came home, the King was there. He was in his bed, with his wife. And they were kissing.
‘Oh, my King, my King!’ she cried. ‘I love you so much!’
The builder couldn’t believe it. His wife was sleeping with the King! Now he understood. All this time, the King wanted him to build big houses and castles, so that he was away and the King could sleep with his wife.
The builder wanted to kill the King, but the King had his sword next to the bed. So the builder waited until they went to sleep. Then he put the pot under the bed and hid.
In the morning, the King said, ‘Oh, that was a good night. And your husband is busy looking for a himphamp. But of course, himphamps aren’t real!’
‘I know,’ said the wife.
‘I know you know. Anyway, I’m going to the toilet,’ said the King.
‘There’s a pot under the bed,’ said the wife.
So the King took out the pot, and when he touched it, the builder said, ‘Hold on, little pot!’
The pot stuck to the King’s hand, and he could not move away from it.
‘The pot is stuck to my hand!’ he cried.
‘Let me help you,’ said the wife.
When she touched the pot, the builder said, ‘Hold on, little pot!’
And his wife stuck to the pot as well.
‘I can’t believe this!’ said the King. ‘What is happening?’
‘Good morning, my King,’ said the builder.
‘Oh, no,’ said the King and the builder’s wife.
The builder stood there. He was very angry. ‘I can’t believe you. You,’ he said to his wife, ‘you slept with another man. And you,’ he said to the King, ‘you made me build castles and lakes, because you wanted to sleep with my wife.’
‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry!’ said his wife. ‘Please help us.’
‘No!’ The builder took the King’s sword and said, ‘Out! Get out!’
The King and the wife ran outside with the pot stuck to them. It was heavy, and they could not run fast. In the garden, a cat saw them, and thought there was food in the pot. She tried to eat the food, but when she touched the pot, the builder cried, ‘Hold on, little pot!’ and the cat stuck to the pot.
The King, the wife and the cat ran. In town, a dog saw them, and wanted to eat the cat. But when the dog touched the pot, the builder cried, ‘Hold on, little pot!’ and the dog stuck to the pot.
The King, the wife, the cat and the dog ran. They ran to the castle that the builder had built. The King’s horse saw them. He ran to them, because he thought the King was in danger. When he touched the pot, the builder cried, ‘Hold on, little pot!’ and the horse stuck to the pot.
‘Look,’ said the builder. ‘It’s a himphamp! I made a himphamp, my King. Aren’t you happy?’
‘Please stop!’ said the wife. ‘I’m sorry! We’re sorry!’
‘I will give you gold!’ said the King. ‘All my gold!’
The builder held the sword and said, ‘I don’t want your gold. I want you to build me a castle, and you have, hmm, ten minutes! Can’t you do that, my King? Can’t you build a castle in ten minutes?’
‘I will kill you, you—’
The King walked back and fell into the lake. The wife, the cat, the dog and the horse were all stuck to the pot, so the pot pulled them down into the water.
‘No!’ cried the King.
‘Yes!’ cried the builder.
And that was it. The himphamp was dead. The little pot had killed them all. The builder went inside the castle he had built and made a new home.
THE END
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