SOOO BOOOOORED!!! I’m bored, I’m bored, I’m sooo booooooored!!!” “Quit your fussing, Olivine, we still have a lot of work to do,” said Pyrite. “I DO-NOT–CARE about precious stones. I don’t, I don’t, I don’t, I dooooooon’t!!! I want miners, MI-NERS, miners, miners, miners, mi...” “Stop! Shut it right now, Olivine, or I’m gonna slap you!” “You won’t. You won’t, you won’t, you won’t. Because I will sit on your labradorite. Like this! You were polishing it all day my dear, precious, shiny, treasure of a friend. You won’t let me sprawl all over it.” “What are we going to do with him, boys, this can’t continue. Zircon, give him something to do before we lose our nerves.” “I’ve been trying all day, brother,trust me. Besides, he’s right. Mining around Banská Bystrica isover.Therearenominers left, nobody tooversee.Noofferingseither.This isnolifeforagnome. We took care of ore, minerals and gems. I guess allthat’s leftis to move to Kremnica.” “Brothers, here we were born and here we stay. In the copper mines. No glory here. Yet we’re destined to live in Bystrica. But I, Pyrite, will devise a plan!” “A PLAAAAN!!! A plan, a plan, a pla... yeaaaaaaaa, we’re going to town!!!” “Are you crazy, Olivine, they could see us! There are no tunnels to hide in town!” “We’ll go at night! In the darkness. No one will see us. Besides, look at yourself! You’re shorter than grass!” “You!!!” “C’mon boys! Let’s go!” “Whaaaaat???!!!” “Let’s go. Tonight. It has been decided.” “Let me goooooooooooo, I wanna see too!” “Whoooaah, such a beauty. So many miners in one place. They seem kinda happy. They weren’t having that much fun in the mine. Topas, go ask...” “Go ask yourself if you ain’t scared. And shut that lantern so they won’t see us. We’re gonna wait a while till the square empties. And then we go explore.” The knockers did as they had decided. Once the public square was deserted they gained the courage to light their little lanterns and exit their hideout. The beauty had them flabbergasted, they admired the fountain, the exquisite buildings and the tall tower which they thought was kind of leaning. They decided to inspect it from all corners of the square and spread out with their little lanterns. 16 Citrine, Malachite, Rhodochrosite, Tourmaline, Topaz, Lepidolite, Labradorite, Aragonite, Emerald, Zircon, even Pyrite himself and the rogue Olivine gazed speechlessly at the tall leaning tower with the little lanterns in their hands. They forgot the world around them and in their amazement missed the approaching figure of a deputy mayor who was stumbling on his way home from a junket. The high-spirited deputy mayor appreciated the little lights that were evenly spread across the Banská Bystrica square. He did not remember ever seeing anything quite so beautiful. The kind knockers accompanied him home after seeing his unsure gait and thinking that it was caused by a long day of hard labour in the depths of the mine. Given this kind gesture, the deputy mayor decided that the square should be permanently illuminated in their honour. He installed electric lights in the Banská Bystrica square to remind him of this strange magical evening that he never mentioned to anyone because, Uhm, how to say, he preferred to keep his highly esteemed job. Ever since he could hear a strange knocking sound coming from the square at night. And if you listen carefully, you can hear it too. Nobody knows exactly where the knockers settled down. Neither does anybody know who helps the overly cheerful inhabitants and visitors of the city get home safely during the night because they do not like to talk about it. But one thing is for certain. When you take a good look at the Banská Bystrica square at night, illuminated from all angles by lights that seem to shine through the earth, say hello to the knockers. Maybe they will hear you and cheer up because somebody remembered them. The big and small guardians and protectors of minerals and underground treasures from the copper-rich Banská Bystrica.