Splinter

Costi Gălățanu
Achim, come to eat, yelled Sister Rica after for her nephew who was sculpting the icon that Father Șofronie had asked for. He hurried to finish it, the chisel slipped and a spliinter flew into his eye. Weeping, he ran to the fountain, he washed his face thoroughly and the splinter was gone. After his meal, he went to the church and put the icon on the wall. But what, Achim, did it start raining? The priest asked, seeing the puddle underneath the icon. Looking up, he saw tears falling from the eyes of Sain Mary. Help us, God, he whispered falling to his knees in prayer.
 
 Roxana Catana Tarhon
Mom, when I'll be 20 years old will I be bald like father? At 20 no, baby, but later there's no telling; if you inherited this gene from your father you'll be balding. But will I have a big belly? That's up to you, cause your father started having it around the time I met him, at around 50 years old, from all the beer that he puts in himself. Will I have those thick glasses? It depends from whom you've inherited your eyes; now at 4 years old, you don't show signs of having problems with your eye sight; we will see in time. But can I at least be a special senior citizen like father when I grow up?

Tavi Tone
Grandfather had a proud axe, made of steel forged with patience and handiness by a master blacksmith from those parts. Its handle was carved out of acacia wood and it was left behind the fireplace the whole winter to dry out completely. After that it was boiled in oil to strengthen it. You child, don't you hold it hard in your hands cause wood takes vengeance. And don't hit the log willy nilly, look at it well before, cause it will tell you itself where it cracks. You saw that it ain't hard? Now gather these splinters into the wicker basket, we'll use them to light the fire.

(Translated by Jessica-Polixenia-Cristiana Copilaș / University of Bucharest, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures, MTTLC, year II / Corrected by Silvia Petrescu, coordinator of the translations)