The Bucket that Never Emptied

Once upon a time there lived a powerful wizard. He traveled the world looking to find true love; he did not think it existed for it was the one thing he could not make with magic or tricks. He had been told that to find it he first had to find the bucket that would never empty. He searched and searched until it seemed the whole world had been traveled, but no bucket could be found. He began to think it did not exist.

 

One day he walked into a small village he had never heard of before. How is this? He thought to himself as he was wise and knew many things. Yet, there it was – a town he did not know. Walking up to the blacksmith, the wizard asked, “What town is this? Why is it here? I see no crossroad or river.” 

 

Laughing a big laugh, “why we have no name here, we’ve never had the need for one.” As the blacksmith continued fashioning a horseshoe he asked, “you must have traveled far to come to this place. No one comes unless they are looking for something, what is it you seek?”

 

Feeling sure there is nothing to gain in this town, “I seek a bucket, a magic bucket that does not empty. It holds the only magic I do not have,” the wizard shares.

 

“Ah, the bucket!” exclaims the blacksmith with a knowing smile. “Come have supper with me and my wife, we shall talk of the thing you seek.” The blacksmith motions towards his house behind the shop. “Come, my wife will make you a fine meal and we can talk.”

 

The wizard cannot believe this man knows of the bucket, he had searched so long and only the wisest men had even heard of it. How could this simple man know of such things? Waiting for a moment to think things through, “yes, yes I would be glad to dine with you – and talk!” Entering the home the wizard feels warmth unlike felt in any other. Surly the humble fire could not be giving such warmth, but yet he felt it. There is something special about this place, the wizard thought, something special about these people. Soon the meal was ready and they all sat down and enjoy it.

 

Watching the gentle way the man treated his wife seemed odd, him being a blacksmith and all. Yet with her, he was quite the lamb. And with the way she treated him, one might think him a king, the wizard pondered on it throughout the meal. He waited all he could, “you say you know where this bucket is,” the wizard asked.

 

 

“Do you mean the bucket that will not empty?” the wife asked in reply, it seemed even she knew of it.

 

 

“Yes, yes, I have searched so long for it,” the wizard said almost begging to know more.

 

 

“Oh, I did not think one so wise believed in such things,” she said as she cleared the table.

 

 

“Pay her no mind,” the smith said as he too cleared things away. “She believes in it right enough, we all do,” and with that he kissed her gently on the cheek.

 

All alone, the wizard began to understand. They had true love! He must have the bucket! he thought. No more talk of the bucket was had. The wizard had formed a plan. The couple offered to put their visitor up for the night and he readily agreed. Perfect, he thought. When they are asleep I will search the house. The bucket will be mine!

 

Soon as he was sure the couple was asleep, the wizard searched the house. He looked at every bucket he could find. Nothing seemed special about any of them. He thought it must be hidden. Allowing his frustration to get the better of him, the wizard gave no concern to the mess he mad and pulled all sorts of things from their place. He emptied drawers; he pulled out packing boxes. He looked under the stairs; he looked in the root cellar - still no magic bucket. He was exhausted and sat down on the kitchen floor. He was so tired he fell asleep right there.

 

   

Before the sunrise, the blacksmith started his day. Seeing his house in such a state, be began to look around. Who did this? He thought. Looking into the kitchen, he saw the wizard on the floor asleep. “Friend,” he said and he shook his guest awake. “Why have you done this?”

 

 

Looking around at what he had done, the wizard felt ashamed. He told the blacksmith the truth, the truth about everything.

 

 

Rather than anger, the blacksmith laughed his big belly laugh, “Come my friend, help me put all this away and I will give you the secret to the bucket.”

 

 

As the two men put things away, the blacksmith explained, “the bucket is not a real bucket, it is a way to love.” The wizard did not understand.

 

 

“You see, love lives in your heart’s bucket. You can never know just how much is in there or when it might run dry by giving your love away. As you put yours into your lovers bucket, they in return put theirs in yours. That way neither ever is empty. It is the secret to true love. It is when love is not returned the heart is in danger.”

 

 

Later that morning as the wizard left his friends, he looked back on the little town knowing he had the bucket all along. We all have it. We have to give love as well as receive it, only then we can know true love. Only then will love’s bucket never empty.

Author's Note

Something I wrote for a niece of mine.

Reviews

[April Child]

This is sweet. I enjoyed it, a humorous tale with an important message. I wish I had read stories like these when I was growing up instead of cinderella and sleeping beauty. Someone told me in recent years that love is like a fuel tank you have to empty in order to get it refilled and that stuck with me and now this will too.

You just a have a few spelling mistakes you might want to read over again and tidy up.

[Constance]

This is cute. :) It is in the same sort of simple style I used in one of my stories, The Woman Who Loved An idol.
It has a great moral, and is a great story for a child. In fact, I just might read it to my little one right now. :)