Read Haunted House Tales

Once upon a time, there was and there was not. Could a tale be a lie? That's a lie, this is a lie, a snake has swallowed an elephant. In a certain land, deep inside the forests, there was an enchanted house. Anyone who entered this house never came out again. That is why it was called the enchanted (or haunted) house. The villagers living around the forest sustained themselves by using the wood and plants from the forest.

In one of the villages, there lived three siblings in poverty. While the eldest and the middle siblings were very greedy, the youngest sister was just as modest. One day, the poverty became unbearable for the eldest brother. Tired of looking after his siblings, the eldest brother said: "I want to go to that enchanted house and never come back. Am I even living a life here?" and he went to the enchanted house without even telling his siblings.

The eldest brother entered the enchanted house. As soon as he stepped inside, a fairy suddenly appeared before him. The fairy said to the eldest brother: "Wish from me whatever you desire."

The eldest brother stated his wish: "I want to be the richest person in the world."

The fairy instantly turned all of the eldest brother's clothes, from his shirt to his socks, into gold. She adorned the inside of the house with jewels. The eldest brother tasted the joy of his wealth. At that very moment, the fairy took back the gold she had given him and had the eldest brother thrown into the dungeon.

The siblings of the eldest brother worried about him. They went to the forest to look for him but couldn't find him. They thought, "Our brother must have gone to the enchanted house too." Helpless, the two siblings returned home and continued their lives together. Now, the middle brother went to the forest to provide for the house, and the little sister took care of the household chores.

Some time passed, and the middle brother grew tired of providing for the house. One day, he said to his sister: "Our eldest brother is not returning because he is living a wealthy life in the enchanted house. He abandoned us, and I will go too. I will live a comfortable life there. I am tired of being your elder brother and earning money."

The middle brother also went and knocked on the door of the enchanted house. The door opened, and after greeting this boy, the fairy maiden said to him: "Wish from me whatever you desire."

Hearing this, the boy exclaimed excitedly: "I want to have servants, I want to have lots of money, I want to have all sorts of food—I want to live a rich life!"

The fairy maiden immediately created a golden throne for this boy. She set a table laden with a thousand kinds of food. She conjured up servants to attend to him. The boy sat down, the servants waited on him, bringing him food. The boy was just tasting the joy of his wealth and had achieved the comfort he desired. But at that very moment, the fairy maiden took back what she had given to the middle brother and had him thrown into the dungeon as well.

When her brother didn't return home, the little girl was left all alone and helpless. There wasn't much food left in the house either. The little girl thought long and hard and finally came up with a solution. She decided to visit the homes of those who had gone to the enchanted house and never returned. She spoke with the families of the missing people. Every day, she visited a different home. She asked the families why their children had gone to the enchanted house and learned their reasons.

One person said: "My daughter went there to wish for a room full of dolls."
Another said: "My husband went to the enchanted house because he wanted to be rich."
Another person said: "My wife said she was going to wish for jewels and diamonds."

After her meetings with the families, the little girl pondered, thought things through, and decided to go to the enchanted house herself. The next day, she set off toward the house.

The Chief of the Fairies greeted the girl who came to the enchanted house: "Wish from me whatever you desire," she said.

The little girl asked the fairy: "Do you grant every wish made by those who come to this house?"

"I am obliged to grant them, for I am the Chief of the Fairies, and that is what I exist for," the fairy replied.

"All the wishes?" the little girl asked again.

"All the wishes," the fairy confirmed.

"Then my wish from you is to set free everyone who has come to this house and made a wish from you," the girl declared.

The Chief of the Fairies was deeply moved by the little girl's wish and the beauty of her heart. She loved this girl, who used her wish not for herself but for the good of others. Because of her beautiful heart, she released everyone in the dungeon.

The fairy said to the little girl: "Little girl with the beautiful heart, this house held a secret. Only you were able to solve it, and only you could save the prisoners here. Everyone who came here asked for something for themselves, but you used your wish for others. I imprisoned the selfish ones to make them realize their mistake, and that punishment has been enough for them."

Thus, the little girl, who solved the secret of the enchanted house, was reunited with her brothers. She told them everything that had happened. Her brothers regretted what they had done. They gave up their selfishness. The little girl forgave her brothers. From that day on, the enchanted house also turned into an ordinary house. This story spread throughout the village. The villagers lived the rest of their lives free of selfishness and in solidarity. They ate, they drank, and they achieved their heart's desire...