The Saint Ana Lake is in a very beautiful place, with mountains around, mountains covered with fir trees like a crown. All over the Earth you cannot find a more beautiful place. In the old times, who can believe it, on the lake place was a very high pick with a proud fortress on the top of it, with view over the villages from Ciuc and Trei Scaune counties. But it was not the only fortress in the area. At an hour distance, near the Stinking Cave, was another proud fortress. It was long, long time ago. Now there is no trace of the fortresses. Only their memory, a sad memory, still exists.
In the two fortresses lived two brothers, both proud and reckless. In their hearts was not place for love for nobody. They exploited and tortured their people and did not love even each other. Always they were praised themselves and were in race: who is richer. In both their caves was a lot of gold and silver.
One day, from a far away place, came on visit to the Stinking fortress master, a very important lord. He had arrived in a calash with 6 horses. But such a calash and such horses were not seen before. Gold, silver and jewels all over and the horses spirited like dragons. The master immediately had tried to make his guest to sell him the calash with the horses. But even with all the gold and promised lands the guest did not was to give them away.
"Let it be, all will be my" - thought the master.
He prepared a big feast, the wine was flowing like Olt river, and when the guest was dizzy, our master got the dices. He thought that would win the horses and the calash. The fortune was with him and took all the money from his guest and also the horses and the calash. When his guest left his first thing to do was to visit his brother. How it will envy him. He has more gold, more silver but not such horses and such a calash.
His brother was in the yard when he arrived with his calash pulled by those spirited horses.
- Brother, do you have such horses? - he cried triumphant
- No I do not - replied the brother - but I will have even better
- That I want to see myself!
- After 24 hours you will see.
The Stinking fortress master laughed loudly.
- I am saying this! If your 6 horses will be better then these, my fortress and all my land will be yours.
- But not 6, it will be 12!
The master of the Stinking fortress did not enter his brother house, he wanted only to show his brother the horses, so he have turned around and left to his house quickly like a wind, even faster.
The other brother thought all day long how could he find 12 special horses. He had not any idea. But he got one: to bring in the fortress 12 girls, the most beautiful ones, he put them to pull the calash and so to go to his brother. So he ordered to his slaves and sent them to bring all the beautiful girls from all over his lands.
After half a day, the slaves were back with the girls: were hundreds, one more beautiful then the other, but the prettiest was Ana. She was the first chosen. Next the other eleven. He put them in the front of his calash and harnessed them. Poor girls! They were trembling before the calash. Tiers were falling from their eyes like a summer rain. All were regarding the sky hoping for help from them. The master got into the calash, took out the whip, and cried
- Go, forward, go!
The girls tried to go but they could not move the heavy calash. The master went mad. He whipped hardly, kicking Ana who was in the front. Blood was flowing from her skin but the master cried:
- Go, Ana, go - cried, and whipped Ana
- Sky master strike you! cried Ana - be buried under the ground, killer of not guilty souls!
And, in the same moment, the sky turn black, lightened, thundered and the earth begin to move, trees cracked, the fortress tower shook, begin to incline, and suddenly crushed down, and after it the whole fortress, the earth got lower and lower, till it was swallowed by waters. At the end, when the sky anger slowed down, on the fortress place was a beautiful lake, with 12 swans on it. Far away a dragon was fighting with the water trying to catch the swans, but could not get free from the whirlpool.
The swans got to the shore, stepped on the land, shook and had transformed back to girls. All went in a big hurry home, only Ana remained there. The built a chapel on the lake side and have spent the rest of her life here in praying.
P
ilgrims from all over came here to pray in the little chapel with the saint girl, declared Saint even during her life. After her death the lake was named Saint Ana.
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