OUR STORY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 59, 24 March 1944, Page 6

OUR STORY

A TALE FROM POLAND

You have probably been told before of the great mound being raised at Cracow in honour of Marshal Pilsudski, and how earth for it. has been sent from all parts of the Avorld Instead of ordering a sculpture made by one artist the Avliole nation is building with its own hands the mound in memory of Joseph Pilsudski, Avho died last May. The oldest mounds of this kind, also near Cracow, are to Krakus and Wanda, the legendary founder of the town and his daughter, who. according to tradition, drowned herself in the Vistula rather than marry a German knight who sought to take, the city. The Pilsudski mound is the other slide of the town from these, and here, at dawn, you may see the factory Avorkers, clerks and shopgirls, who have no other time to spare. They push the heavy wheelbarrows up the. hill to the central point happy to do their share before going on to their ordinary day's. Avork. Later come the peasants, the Avelidrcssed ladies, and the schoolchildren. Everybody wants to take part m honouring the national hero. Even the babies are not left out. They toddle betAveen the handles adding their little strength to that of father or 4 mother, manifest!proud of their real, groAvn-up Avork. When father stops to Avipe the sweat from his brow baby docs t.h« same, as if the movement avc re part of the performance. But when the wheelbarroAV is empty of soil it comes bump, bump, doAvn the slope Avith baby inside enjoying the fun! From all parts of the country pilgrims stream to Cracow, in summer about 3000 visitors a day. In common boxes or lovely urns they bring earth l'rom their fields or gardens to add to the gradually rising mound One workman pushed his borrow load 180 miles. Emigrants have sent soil from their adopted countries. An Englishman sent a little parcel of sweet lavendar which was thrown on the hiill. fin a year's time the hcav hill Avill rise above CracoAv. A garden Avill be laid out round it, Avit.li lawn and flower beds and fountains, and Polish children Avill play there, pausing now and again to remember with pri.de the. man avlio lived for their country's freedom. i