The Lamp Lighter
Long ago, in a small hamlet of Luxembourg, there lived a poor young man named Hans. Hans was not very prosperous and struggled day in and day out to make ends meet. However, amidst the melancholy of life's hardship, there was a soft corner in his heart for the old and broken lamps scattered across the streets of the hamlet.
He would spend his spare time repairing these lamps, making them glow amidst the darkest nights. He felt an inexpressible joy every time he saw the streets illuminated by the lamps he'd repaired. His work didn't go unnoticed. The villagers started calling him the 'Lamp Lighter'.
However, the village head, Alfons, was a gloomy man. He held the belief that light attracted unwanted spirits and brought bad luck. He ordered Hans to stop lighting the streets. But the heartfelt pleas from the other villagers made Alfons begrudgingly allow Hans to continue his work.
One day, a fairy, disguised as an old woman, visited the hamlet. She heard about the hard work of the Lamp Lighter and was eager to reward him. She approached Hans and handed him an old, broken lamp saying it had belonged to her late husband.
Without a second thought, Hans lovingly took the lamp into his hands and painstakingly worked on it till it lit again. The fairy, impressed by his kindness, revealed her true identity. Hans was aghast, but continued to remain humble.
The fairy, in return for his kindness, gifted Hans with a boon. She would make one of his dreams come true. Hans, without wasting a second, asked for unlimited oil for his lamps. The fairy granted his wish and disappeared, leaving behind a magical oil can that would never run out of oil.
Despite his newfound blessing, Hans's life did not dramatically change. He still lived in his tiny house and continued his work as a cobbler during the day. But every dusk, he would light every lamp in the village, the magical oil can never running out.
Word of his illuminated hamlet reached the neighbouring villages and town. Visitors from far and wide came to witness the brightly lit village, which was now being called the 'Village of Eternal Light'. The once quiet and forgotten hamlet was now full of life and joy.
However, a greedy king from a neighbouring country heard about the magical oil can and ordered his soldiers to snatch it from Hans. They obeyed and stormed into the village, causing chaos and destruction. But Hans managed to escape with the can, running into the deep woods.
In the depth of the forest, Hans encountered a creature of the night - an ogre. But the ogre, mesmerized by the lamp Hans was carrying, didn't harm him. Instead, it guided Hans through the forest to a secret cave.
In the cave, Hans found an ancient inscription which told of a spell to protect the magical oil can. With boundless joy, he pronounced the spell, protecting the oil can forever.
The soldiers searched for Hans for long but returned empty-handed. The king, infuriated, decided to invade the hamlet. Upon hearing this, Hans rushed back to the village.
He made a replica of the oil can and let the news of his return spread. The king's soldiers found him and seized the fake can. Delighted, they rushed back to their king.
However, when the king tried to use the can, it exploded with a blinding light. The king, realizing he was duped, ordered his soldiers to arrest Hans, but they found the hamlet empty. Hans had evacuated the villagers to the safe confines of the secret cave.
When the king's soldiers finally gave up, Hans returned to the hamlet with the villagers and lit all the lamps again. The village shone brighter than ever, filled with laughter and joy, marking the beginning of peace and prosperity.
Hans, the humble and gentle Lamp Lighter, was celebrated as a hero for his courage and wisdom. His tale was told in whispers over fires, in roars during festivities, and in awe-struck murmurs across the generations, forever illuminating the hearts of the people just as his lamps did the streets of his beloved village.