Famous Stories or Epics
There are many popular folk stories in Slovakia. Many have to do with fairies, goblins and mythical creatures, but the most popular one is based on a true story. It is the legend of Juraj Janosik. Everybody knows it and there are many poems and stories about him.
Long time ago, Juraj was just an ordinary boy from the mountains. His village was very poor because all the money and all the food were taken away by rich lords. Juraj didn’t like that. He decided this must change. He organized a group of friends and they started to steal from the rich. The lords always traveled in their carriages through the woods, so it was very easy to loot them. Juraj shared the stolen money and gold with the people in the village. The people in the village were very happy and they always helped Juraj and his friends. No one could discover Juraj and his group, because they always hid back in the woods.
But one man from the village was very envious and wanted all the money for himself. The lords promised him a lot of gold if he tells them where Juraj is hiding. The man told them that Juraj has a girlfriend in the village and that he visits her each night. And there the lords caught him that very night. He tried to escape, but he slipped on the peas that were spilt on the floor. Juraj was hanged, but his legend lives on – it tells us that you should always help the others and fight injustice.
Children’s game
Children in Slovakia like to play many different games. From hide and seek to throwing rings, you will find it all. Both boys and girls also play a lot of sport. Of course, computer games are very exciting, too, but fresh air is much healthier than staying outside!
In the fall, flying a kite is very popular. It is the best if you can make it yourself – it shows that you are crafty and creative. It can get very windy sometimes, so there are competitions! Who can fly their kite the highest and who can fly it the longest? And which kite is the most beautiful?
When the weather is not good, you can play ‘Name-town-animal-thing.’ One of the players chooses one letter of the alphabet. Other players must say a name, a town, an animal and a thing which starts with that letter. Who can do it the fastest gets points! You can play after you go through all letters of the alphabet. Some letters can be very difficult, so you need to be quick and know a lot about the world around you!
