The fairy tale was inspired by a walking seminar (February 2025) through the mythical landscape of Istria. It emerged from reflections on the region’s symbols, stories, and natural features, woven into a new narrative blending heritage-making and imagination.
In a faraway land, beyond seven forests, lived a kind-hearted girl named Tashana. She lived in a peaceful village. Every day, she would take her dog for a walk up the hill above the village, where there was a well. This pond was no ordinary pond; even today, its existence remains unexplained. Nobody went there except Tashana, who loved quiet, lonely places. She loved sitting by the pond, gazing at its calm surface and making up stories.
One day, Tashana went for a walk with her dog as the sun was setting and mist began to rise from the grass. When she reached the pond, her dog began to behave strangely, running back along the path they had come from. Tashana looked after him in surprise and suddenly noticed something strange. The water in the pond rippled slightly, even though there was no wind. Then a long, dark snake with eyes that shone like amber peeked out of the depths.
‘Don’t be afraid,’ said the snake in a soft, gentle voice. ‘I’ve been waiting for someone like you for a long time.’
‘Me?’ asked Tashana. ‘Why?’
‘I need help,’ said the snake. ‘Deep beneath the earth is my world. But something is wrong. The darkness is spreading, the trees are dying, and the creatures down there are losing hope. Only a heart full of goodness can bring back the light.’
Tashana sensed that the snake was telling the truth. Without fear, she reached out her hand towards it. The moment she touched it, the water softened like mist and pulled her down — not with force, but as though she were embracing a dream. Soon, she found herself in an underground world where crystal flowers shone and trees were made of breathing stone. But there was something sad about it all: the leaves were withered and the birds were silent. The snake led her through caverns to a large tree with a hollow heart.
‘You must leave something of yourself here,’ the snake said. ‘Something that means the most to you.’
Tashana closed her eyes. She took a small stone pendant from around her neck, which she had once found on a long walk beside a wild river. ‘This is my heart,’ she whispered, placing it in the hollow of the tree. Suddenly, light streamed out of the tree. The stones glowed, the leaves turned green, and the birdsong returned. The underground world came alive again.
The snake wrapped itself around Tashana and said, ‘Your kindness has saved our world. But now it is time for you to return.’
When Tashana opened her eyes again, she was sitting beside the pond. The sun was just rising, but something had changed. The pond was no longer dark; lights were floating in it as if the magical world was still shining beneath the surface. From that day on, the pond became a place of peace, and many people began to gather there. If you listened very quietly, you could hear a faint whisper: ‘Kindness always finds its way into the light.’
