Ever Clever Eva Read online

  Eva felt the tears sprout from her eyes and roll down her face. She tried to wipe her cheeks as she turned away from the husband she loved.

  “But,” the judge carried on, “as a gesture of goodwill, I will allow you to take with you the one thing that is dearest to you. Now, choose wisely!” And with that, the judge stomped off to his study and slammed the door with an almighty bang.

  Chapter Four

  Eva felt alone, more alone than she had been in all her life. Her husband’s last words ran through her head. But, as the tears dried on her face, an idea began to form.

  “Yes,” she murmured. “That is it!”

  Putting on a sorrowful face, she knocked quietly on the door to her husband’s study.

  “What is it?” growled the judge.

  Eva slipped into the room.

  “My lord, seeing as I am to leave you in the morning, will you allow me to cook you one last meal tonight? Tomorrow I will decide what to take with me, the thing I hold most dear.”

  The judge felt bad for his earlier words. But there would be no appeal. The case was closed. “Yes, let us eat together and talk of better times. And in the morning, I shall bid you goodbye.”

  Eva scurried out of the study, trying to hide the smile on her face. She ran down to the kitchen and began to prepare the judge’s favourite food.

  Two hours later, a rich smell wafted through the house. The judge’s nose began to twitch. “Ah, what a scent!” Then he frowned. He would miss his wife’s cooking.

  The table was laid with the finest family silver, and Eva poured a glass of their best wine.

  The judge sat down as Eva served him from two steaming tureens.

  “Oh! It’s my favourite! Pork in cream and paprika sauce, with plenty of caraway seed dumplings to soak up the gravy!”

  As was the Czech custom, they both ate a slice of bread with a sprinkling of salt. Then prayers were said and the judge tucked in.

  They talked about the happy times they’d shared and Eva made sure the judge’s glass was kept full. A pleasant hour passed and the judge felt a little merry. I almost wish I could go back on my word, he thought to himself, but that would not do for a judge!

  Meanwhile, Eva ate lightly and drank little, all the better to keep a clear head for the evening before her.

  She cleared the plates and stoked the fire, insisting that the judge take the most comfortable seat.

  As he settled himself in front of the flames, it was the time for Eva to put her plan into action.

  “My lord,” she announced. “I hope you are comfortable?”

  “I am indeed. I hope you are not trying to win me back by showing me how well looked after I am?”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it,” said Eva, innocently. “I merely wanted our last night together to be one that you remember fondly. Now, I would like to tell you a story, if I may?”

  “Oh, wonderful!” sighed the contented judge. “My mother used to tell me tales to help me sleep at night.”

  Eva nodded. That was her exact intention.

  “Will it entertain me?”

  “I should certainly think so. Sit back, close your eyes and let me take you away.”

  The judge did as he was told and Eva began her tale.

  There once was a woman who had no work, which was a bit of a problem as she wanted to be rich. Well, it just so happened, as these things do, that one day there was a knock on the door. Who was it then, do you think? None other than Death himself. How could you tell? He was skinny, real skinny, so skinny he had no skin. Just a lot of bone beneath his black suit. His face looked a bit pale, and he didn’t have any eyes. It was definitely Death. No doubt about it.

  The judge interrupted. “Isn’t this a rather gloomy tale?”

  “Don’t worry, my dear, even Death, the judge of us all, meets his match some time,” said Eva.

  “Very well then. Continue!”

  Eva put another log on the fire and carried on with the story.

  Death said to the woman, “You want to be rich? No problem, my dear lady! Just call yourself a doctor. And when you go to visit the poor patients, don’t worry, I’ll be there. Here’s the trick. If I am standing at the head of the bed, that patient will get better simply by you laying your soft hand on their head… But, if I am standing at the foot of the bed? Forget it, that patient is mine until the end of time!”

  Death smiled while he was talking. He had a lot of teeth and the woman wondered for a second if talking without a tongue or lips was the only trick Death had up his sleeve. Finally, she agreed to the plan, though she questioned why Death was trying to help her. Still, it was something to keep her busy. She made some calling cards and gave them out, waiting for the summons. And the call came, one dark night. She was asked out to the poorest area of the city and came to a one-roomed shack. A ragged, worried mother pushed her inside. The rotten door gave way to cold, damp interior. A young, skinny man lay in the single bed, eyes closed, waiting to die.

  But guess who was standing at the head of the bed? It was Death! No doubt about it! Quick as a thought, the woman put her hand on the boy’s head. He opened his eyes, and the mother jumped for joy. Death smiled and the woman went home.

  Next day, the call came again. It was a rich man’s house this time, in the best part of town. There were plenty of rooms, each with its own fireplace and floors strewn with rugs so thick you could sleep on them. She was led up the stairs and into the richly decorated room, to see the man’s wife not looking well at all. Her eyes were closed and she was waiting to die.

  Can you guess who was standing at the head of the bed? It was Death. No doubt about it! Quick as an eel, the woman put her hand on the wife’s head. She opened her eyes, and the rich man jumped for joy. Then he gave her a bag of silver. Death smiled and the woman went home.

  Word about the miracle doctor spread like Chinese whispers. And every time she went to a house, guess who was standing at the head of the bed? It was Death. No doubt about it! Soon, the woman was rich as rich can be and richer still. The only thing missing in her life was a little bit of love.

  “A little bit of love… Hmmm!” sighed the judge as his eyelids almost began to close, despite his best efforts to keep them open. After all, his tummy was full and what with the drink and the fire, he glowed all over like a contented ember.

  “Yes!” said Eva, agreeing. “The only thing missing was a little bit of love.” And she continued the tale…

  The woman, who was rich now, dreamed about the perfect man in her life. But her dream was interrupted by a royal summons. It was the king! No doubt about it!

  “My son is ill!” he said in a very royal voice. “All the wise women and wise men in the land have tried their utmost. Potions, spells, pills and exercises. Nothing has worked, and soon my son shall be nothing also. If you can cure him, his hand shall be yours in marriage, as shall half of my kingdom. But if you cannot,” the king thundered, “then you shall return home without that which sits on top of your shoulders – YOUR HEAD!”

  Chapter Five

  The woman had not a worry in the world. Why, Death always stood at the head of the bed. This would be simple! So she dressed in her finest clothes, dabbed perfume behind each ear and made her way to the castle. The grand gold gates opened before her. She was led through stone corridors wider and longer than rivers, up great stairs of marble until she came to the prince’s bedroom, which was large enough to contain a house.

  In the centre lay the four-poster bed, fashioned from four oak trees. The heavy bed rested on four tiny wheels so it could be moved for cleaning. The prince was hidden from view behind curtains of green velvet. The king drew the curtains back.

  And guess who was standing … at the foot of the bed? It was Death. No doubt about it! And he was smiling a toothy smile. What could the woman do? She was in despair. She would lose her head! She thought and she thought and she thought, until she had a flash of inspiration. Quick as a shooting star, she turned the bed right round, unt
il Death was standing at the head of the bed.

  Before he could say anything, she put her hand on the young man’s forehead. The prince opened his eyes. It was love at first sight.

  “Oh, very clever. Very clever indeed!” mumbled the judge, who could feel little waves of sleep creeping closer and closer like a tide.

  “I think so, too!” smiled Eva with a glint in her eye. “But wait a minute, all is not won yet!” She carried on…

  Things happened very fast. The woman married the prince that night, with a big feast and lots of drinking and dancing. The new princess was as happy as the sun. Morning came and they rode off out of the castle as man and wife.

  Now guess who came swooping out of the sky? It was Death. No doubt about it! He grabbed the princess before she could cry, “Wait a second!” and whipped her up into the sky, past the clouds, by the sun, through the stars, down the Milky Way, into a darkness so black there was nothing to be seen, until at last they came to a door.

  “After you, my lady!” Death bowed as she opened the door. Behind, was a vast room, full of flickering oil lamps. “These are all the lives of all the people in all the universe. When the oil runs out, they will die and it’s my job to tend the lamps.” He reached up onto one shelf and pulled out two lamps. Each of them had various marks on them for the different stages of life from IMMORTAL down to VERY OLD AND NOT MUCH TIME LEFT. But the lamp he held in his hand only said FIVE MINUTES TO GO. “This, my dear lady, is your lamp. I am ever so sorry!”

  What could the woman do? She was in despair. She was about to lose her life! She thought and she thought and she thought, until she had a flash of inspiration. Quick as lightning, she turned to Death.

  “Dear Death, seeing as I am to die in only five minutes, maybe I could tell you a story to pass the time?” she smiled sweetly, and Death agreed it would be a pleasant way to pass the time. He settled his bony frame into an old armchair stuffed with human hair and the woman began to tell him a tale all about two brothers, one rich and one poor. The poor brother had a daughter who went to work for her rich uncle as a goose girl…

  But Death was not a very good listener. He began to yawn politely and then found himself falling into a deep, deep sleep. By the end of the tale, Death was snoring away, the breath whistling through his pearly white teeth.

  This was just what the young woman wanted. She ran to the oil jar, filled up her and her husband’s lamps right to the top where it was marked IMMORTAL.

  Death slept on as she crept out of the room, through the darkness so dark there was nothing to be seen, down the Milky Way, through the stars, by the sun, past the clouds, into the sky and back onto the horse she had left only a second before. The prince had not even noticed she had gone. And guess what? They rode off into the new day, and lived happily ever after. Definitely in love. No doubt about it!”

  Eva looked up and saw that her husband, like Death in the tale she had told, was also now snoring and slumped in his chair like a sack of potatoes. It was exactly as she had planned. Maybe her story could have a happy ending, too.

  She summoned the servants, who carried the master of the house up to bed. Once he was under the covers, Eva told them what she had in mind.

  “You’re not serious, mistress?” said the servants.

  “Oh, I am. It’s a matter of life and … death! Now will you help me, or not?”

  The servants whispered among themselves for a few seconds. “We are acting against our master’s wishes, but we also agree it might be the best solution. You can count on us!”

  “Thank you,” said Eva

  Each one of them lifted a corner of the bed and carried it gently out of the room, down the stairs, through the front door, along the cobbled streets, into the fields and finally up to the cottage where Eva’s father was waiting with a hug for his daughter.

  The morning washed across the sky like a wave in the sea. The judge stretched, yawned and finally opened his eyes. At the foot of the bed stood Eva. Definitely Eva. No doubt about it!

  “Where am I?” demanded the judge, feeling rather confused and with a big thumping pain in his head.

  “You are in my house, in my bedroom!” said Eva.

  “But I told you to leave me! The last thing I remember is sitting by the fire and you telling me some story about a very intelligent woman…”

  “And you also said, kind husband, before I left, that I could take the one thing with me that I held most dear. And that one thing, of course, is you!” she beamed.

  The judge frowned for a second. His face turned as red as a poppy in bloom. Then he realised how clever his wife really was and burst out laughing. “How right you are, and how stupid and proud I have been. You really are the wisest woman in the whole world, even wiser than the woman who tricked Death!” said the judge, “And I hope you will forgive me.”

  Eva smiled and said, “As long as you promise never to interfere in our love for each other!”

  The judge had to agree. No doubt about it!

  After they kissed and made up, the judge had one more thing to say.

  “My dear Eva, I think you’re much better at telling right from wrong than me. Therefore, from this day onwards, I shall give up sitting in the courthouse and you shall be the judge of this city!”

  Her husband had spoken well, for it came to pass that Eva was a wonderful judge and everyone in Prague was very happy.

  And as for Eva and her beloved husband? Well, they lived cleverly everly after.

  Author’s Note

  In my days as a storyteller, I asked my mother if she knew any folk tales. She grew up in Prague in the 1930s and this story was told to her by her nursemaid and is well known among the Czechs. The heroine was called Manka, but I wanted to use my aunt’s name to give the book its title, Ever Clever Eva.

  About the Author

  Andrew Fusek Peters has written over 70 books for children. When he isn’t stuck behind his computer, you can find him doing author visits all over the country with his didgeridoo, juggling balls and skateboard.

  His latest books include the thrilling new series Skateboard Detectives. For A&C Black he has written The Story Thief and Ever Clever Eva. You can find out more about him and his work at www.tallpoet.com

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  Text copyright © 2009 Andrew Fusek Peters

  Illustrations copyright © 2009 Teresa Murfin

  First published 2009 by A & C Black

  Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

  50 Bedford Square,

  London, WC1B 3DP

  www.bloomsbury.com

  This electronic edition published in September 2013 by Bloomsbury Publishing

  White Wolves Series Consultant: Sue Ellis, Centre for Literacy in Primary Education

  This book can be used in the White Wolves Guided Reading programme for independet readers in Year 5

  The rights of Andrew Fusek Peters and Teresa Murfin to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work respectively have been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  All rights reserved

  You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unautho
rised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

  A CIP catalogue for this book is available from the British Library.

  eISBN: 978-1-4081-6350-4

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