Heesi’s Millstone
Long long ago, in the age before television, a poor farmer lived in Russia. It was the middle of winter at Christmas and he had no food for his family. In order to avoid starving the fishermans wife sent him to beg for food at the house of his rich cousin who lived at the other end of the village.
When he came to the house he pleaded with his cousin “Give me a little bit of food, it is Christmas and my children are starving.”
The farmers cousin was greedy man who hated to give anything away. At first he refused to give his poor relative anything. But when the farmer refused to leave the cousin, who was a fisherman, finally gave him an old fish head to eat just so he would go away. The farmer was very grateful for even this and fell on his knees in gratitude, thanking his cousin. This just angered the fisherman even more who didn’t want to be bothered by his poor cousin anymore.
“Go away you beggar!” he yelled “To the Devil with you!”
The farmer wandered away with a frown on his brow.
“If my cousin says I should go to the Devil then that is what I will do” he said to himself. “But where should I find him?”
He wandered off into the forest a ways until he heard the sound of woodmen chopping down trees.
“Hey there woodmen,” he called, “do you know the way to the devil?”
“Sure we do,” they answered. “But if you take our advice you’ll keep away from him. The Devil is a twenty foot tall ogre named Heesi. What do you want with him?”
“My cousin, god bless his soul, gave me this fish head and then told me to go to the Devil so I have to find him.”
The woodcutters looked at each other questioningly.
“If you feel you must go then follow the trail of fallen trees behind us for we are his woodcutters. You will come upon his house soon enough. A word of advice though, bring along a big stick and if he goes to shake your hand give him the stick instead. Also if for some reason he is to ever offer you a reward ask for nothing but his magic millstone.
Thanking the woodmen for their advice the farmer continued on his journey until he came to Heesi’s house. He very politely knocked on the door and was surprised at the horrible roar that came from inside.
“Enter!” it said.
Although a little scared the farmer opened the door and went inside. Inside was Heesi, he was just as terrifying as the woodcutters described. The fisherman looked about himself nervously wishing he was anywhere else but knowing he was committed he steeled himself as best he could.
“Hello” he said nervously.
“Welcome guest!” Heesi’s voice boomed stretching out his hand.
Remembering what the woodcutters said the fisherman had brought a branch which he quickly put into Heesi’s hand. Immediately sawdust poured out of Heesi’s fingers.
“You’re not as foolish as you look” Heesi laughed. “What do you have there?”
“It is a gift for you” the farmer said thinking quickly proffering the fish head.
Heesi smiled and took the fish head, munching it down whole.
“Many promise me food but none dare to come near my home before now. I like you, and so I will reward you, do you prefer gold or silver?”
“I have no use for gold or silver” said the farmer. “But if you want to reward me you could give me that millstone hanging behind you there.”
Heesi’s smile disappeared, he had no wish to lose his magic millstone. He offered the farmer jewels, salt, more gold, but the farmer refused them all.
“Very well” Heesi sighed at last, “I promised you a reward and so must do so. If you won’t accept any other reward then it is yours. But know this, this millstone is no ordinary millstone. Just say ‘grind my millstone, grind away!’ and it will bring you what you wish. When you’ve had enough just tell it ‘enough and have done, my millstone’ and it will stop.”
The poor farmer took the magic millstone and went home as quickly as he could. When he got home his family saw the millstone but no food and their hearts sank.
“What were you thinking? We need food” his wife complained. “We don’t have any grain to grind with that millstone!”
The farmer put the millstone on the table and declared “Grind my millstone, grind away! Bring plenty of food for the holiday!”
All by itself the millstone started to turn and began pouring out bread, meat, fruit, pies, and many other delicious foods. The family quickly began eating their fill. After they were done eating they filled their pantry with the extra. Still the millstone continued to turn and turn. Eventually the farmer spoke again “Enough and have done, my millstone.”
At once the millstone stopped grinding.
Shortly afterwards the rich fisherman happened to pass by and he heard the sound of laughter and happiness coming from the farmers house. Knowing in what dire straits his cousin was in the fisherman barged into the farmers house.
“What is this?” The fisherman demanded “You come to me to indulge on my generosity when you have so much?”
“No cousin, you don’t understand” the farmer replied. “This is what you gave me with your advice.”
The farmer then explained how he took the fish head to Heesi the devil and was given the magic millstone. Envious of his cousins good fortune the fisherman asked to “borrow” the millstone. Not knowing that the fisherman was planning to steal it the farmer readily agreed. The farmer began telling him how it worked but in his greed the fisherman ran out with the millstone while the farmer was still trying to explain. He took the millstone to his fishing boat and sailed away with it. He knew that with his boat he could sail far away and never be found by his cousin. Once he had the ship on the course he wanted he went to the millstone and shouted
“Grind my millstone, grind away! Pour out salt the livelong day!”
Now this may sound strange but at that time and part of the world salt was as rare and valuable as gold. The fisherman planned to sail away with the millstone, sell the salt he told it to make, and become rich. He soon passed out of sight of land on his long journey. As he journeyed he noticed that the salt was starting to fill the ship.
“Stop my millstone, stop now” he said.
But without the right words the millstone continued to grind out salt. The fisherman tried to remember everything his cousin had said but he couldn’t remember the words to make the millstone stop.
“Millstone stop and stay, please grind again another day” he sang hopefully
“Abracadabra? Alakazam? Open sesame? Please?” he tried everything he could think of to no avail.
By this time there was so much salt in the ship it was starting to sink. In desperation the fisherman tried to pick up the stone and throw it overboard but it could not be moved while it was still turning. Eventually there was so much salt in the ship it sank completely. The fisherman had traveled so far out in the ocean he couldn’t see any land and drowned when the ship sank. The millstone sank down to the bottom of the ocean where even today it continues to grind out salt. This is the reason the ocean tastes of salt.