There was a widow with her son living in a small house. They were very poor and often had nothing to eat. Yet, she had a good noble friend who sometimes gave her some leftovers and helped pay the expenses. She had been looking for a job for a long time, but could not find anything. The only wealth she had was the money she had inherited from her late husband. Despite her poverty and sadness, the woman tried to raise her son and give him everything she could, not to lack anything. The boy attended the local catholic school round the corner. He had friends, but some mocked him for his miserable situation. He did not bother his head about it. He knew his mother was doing the best she could for him. She was trying to give him more than she had, and she would even give him a piece of herself. His real friends appreciated his attitude to mocking, but also admired his mum for how well she was managing their terrible situation. Weeks, months and years were passing until the boy was 18 years old. His mother got old and could not do that much as she had done a few years ago. The boy saw her quickly getting weak, and he decided to look for a job. His first one was very hard and poorly paid. He worked more than 11 hours a day which made him very exhausted and he could not spend time his mother either. He took care of her, cooked for her,tidied up and yet had less time and money. When he could not manage that anymore, he decided to find a better-paid job that would not be so exhausting. He was not used to fancy things and did not want anything for himself. His mother had taught him to be modestfrom an early age. He kept on failing for a long time. He gave up and accepted that he would have to stay at his old job. They had to earn their living. Desperate, not knowing who to complain or talk to, he decided to go to a church and ask the Lord for help. He was dazzled by the great glow in front of the church gate. He did not know what was going on. He opened his eyes and saw the silhouette of a man in front of him. As soon as he could see better, he found that the silhouette had wings. The boy was thoroughly confused because he was not sure what he saw. When the glow vanished, he saw clearly who was ahead. The creature was not human. He could not believe his eyes when he realized that an angel was standing in front of him. The angel was tall with long golden hair wearing a long white robe. He looked at him tenderly and with a smile. The boy knelt and kissed his hands. The angel bent to him and without saying a word handed him two golden birds. One bird turned into a gold brick and the other into a hen. The boy wanted to thank the angel and ask him why he deserved it, but the angel disappeared. Captivated, he ran home to tell his mother what had happened, but he was late. His mother was lying in the bed lifeless. The boy began to cry and prayed. Later, while he was thinking about everything, he realized what had happened. The angel who had come to save him from poverty was his beloved mother. She knew she had been just a burden, so she solved it all for him. The boy ran to meet a local priest. He laughed at him first, but when the boy handed him the gold brick and the hen he got from the angel, the priest finally believed. The news spread further and soon, the whole village knew about it. A few days later, the news also reached the neighbouring towns and went on further and further. As years passed, people decided to render this event forever. Over time, a local painter painted an angel with two golden birds and until the present, the angel holds them in the town’s coat of arms.

Story from the book “What is Whispered about the Copper City”, Moskovská 2 Primary School, Banská Bystrica. Author of the story: Lea Leštáková, Moskovská 2 Primary School, Banská Bystrica.