Piatra Teiului, known as ”The Devil’s Rock”

A long, long time ago, I don’t know how things were, but for some time people began forgetting about the rules – that Our Lord, the Creator of the world, made – rules of a good and pious life. Much too many people became mean and did all sorts of base things, to Satan’s devilish merriment, who even started to plan his glory.

What do you reckon crossed the fiend’s mind – the devil’s dam – one pitch-black night? – “What if I go to God to see whether he is up to his neck with the many devilish deeds I enjoy so much, which one can see every day on earth?. And if, with skilful words, I add some salt to the wounds of his soul, that’s it, I’ll make him fed up for good with the evil of the world and – turning his back to it – he leaves it in my hands!”

Said and done! Satan even finds God dark in the face with sorrow for the people’s greater and greater devilish deeds. However, as He is forgiving everything to everyone – His eyes were still gleaming with kindness. So, the devil reckons he must find a way to trick Him:

“O Lord, it is in vain that You’re wasting your time with such good-for-nothing people. Your worrying at the sinful deeds of those who abandon themselves to me is to no avail. You can’t imagine how thick the rows of those still alive have one of their feet in my tar cauldrons and not in Your Heaven. Your kindness and mercy are pointless. You hope in vain: You shall never be able to make them come to their senses, nor shall you be able to make the world the land of milk and honey as in the times of Adam and Eve! O Lord, give me free and power over all hand and I will teach them right! Should you not like how I make them behave and what the punishment is then…”

Being aware of the sly Satan’s thought, that the world and the earth perish altogether, which – as divine creations stuck in the Evil’s throat, our Lord replied instantly:

“I agree, you Satan, but if you fail, you shall not seek my help!”…

“I swear on my darkness, O highly Enlightened, to succeed fully and without Your assistance,” said Satan in one breath, fretting his hoofs with joy.

And left hastily to Hell to think over thoroughly.

Not long after that, one night, when the moon was taking its pale rays to setting, on the peak of Ceahlău the shadow of a black giant could be seen. Only his eyes were glimmering like two fires left behind on the mountain crest, and – with gloomy sparkles – looked aslant to the deep valley where the Bistriţa waters were winding and settlement were blooming.

As the giant was squatting, waiting or plotting something, he stood up with a huge rock in his claws, opens two wide wings, like two tarred sails of a ship and started to fly over Ceahlău. you’ve already guessed. It was Satan, who still wanted dearly to win his bet with God and fulfil his old dream – to make the world perish. That’s why he was carrying that huge rock along: to throw it into the river’s way thus making the water grow and then burst its banks, bring a new flood to the earth and people would drown!

But, when he was almost above the Bistriţa river, the rooster’s crow could be heard from the valley, and a streak of light pierced the horizon. As night belongs to the Devil only from evening to dawn, Satan suddenly lost his powers and its claws dropped the rock a bit further from the water stream. He got more furious and started hastily to hell, where he stayed to this day. The rock, on top of which a lime tree shoot rooted and then grew into a tall tree, now is known as Piatra Teiului [the Lime tree’s Rock].

As for the Bistriţa waters, now and then they gather around the solitary rock though not harming anyone. On the contrary, they only add to the unutterable beauty of the site…