Goldsmith's Pretty Daughter

Her name was Helenka. Or maybe Tereska? She got up very late because she went to bed very late. But when she was opening her window on the first floor of the house at number 4 on Złota Street, all traffic was put to a halt in the street. Passers-by stopped and watched for her fair head to appear or a piece of underwear to flash in the window. Tereska! Tereska! Voices were resounding in Złota Street. Little boys chasing about were calling her name jokingly. They too wanted to have a glimpse of the goldsmith’s pretty daughter. Her father had a shop on the ground floor and, like most of the craftsmen running their shops in the area, he was making fine gold rings, earrings and hairclips. Tereska was stretching lazily on her down-filled bed, laughing brightly. The sweetie was the apple of her father’s eye. He was deaf to matrons coming into his shop and griping. “If I see my husband behave funny when we’re passing by your house, I will tear all hair out of your gal’s head,” they were shouting at the poor goldsmith. “If I see my son running out of your house at dawn, I will knock your bonny Tereska into the middle of next week!,” added others. It appeared that only daddy was unaware that older and younger gents were sneaking into his house to meet the pretty miss. The young lady had so many admirers because each and every one of them could be sure she would be completely discreet. They went in through one door and left through another, never having a chance to meet. The only witness of the night trysts on the first floor of the Goldsmith’s House was the gold rooster on Trinitarian Tower. To this day, the rooster crows only when a faithful husband crosses the gate. Source: Lublin Municipal Office