GRDINICA (an imp) AND AN ANT
There was a woman who wandered and wandered through the forest for so long that she found a small devil or imp, sometimes called “Grdinica”. She heard a voice under a stone, “Ah, ah, let me go, let me go!”
The little old woman lifted the stone and the imp wriggled out. The grateful little fellow followed the little old lady everywhere. He said, “You pulled me out from under the stone so you have to keep me!”
And the poor little old lady said, “What can I do with an imp like you? Where can I take you?”
They went down to her cottage. The imp jumped into her home and refused to leave the house!
The poor old lady was worried and said, “Well now, how can I get that little devil out of my house?”
Later that day she met an ant: one of those that bite.
“Ah!” she said. The ant could see that lady was worried.
“What is the matter with you?”
“I have a very annoying imp at my home and it does not want to leave the house.”
The ant came closer to the woman and said, “Come, come, I’ll help you.”
The ant went home with the little old lady; it crawled in the house and bit the imp from behind. The imp jumped right out onto the doorstep. The ant came closer and bit the imp again. The imp jumped over the doorstep.
The ant prepared to bite again. The imp went into the yard and the little old lady closed the door. And that is how she got rid of the imp and she thanked the ant very warmly for its help.
REZIJANSKE PRAVLJICE – background
