Read by Elizabeta Skumavc

The Julian Alps of Slovenia are the theater of the tale figure Zlatorog, an ibex with golden horns, who once protected treasures hidden under the mountains. The Goldhorn story is a tragic story full of death, greed and revenge, but takes place in a beautiful part of Slovenia. Elizabeta Skumavc works as an ambassador for the Julish Alps und proudly talks about those mountains. Especially in Spring and Autumn the most north western part of Slovenia shows all its beauty - when people are gone or not there yet and you feel like those mountains are all yours.

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Transcript

Once upon a time the Triglav mountains were Zlatorog’s kingdom, covered with meadows full of flowers. It was home of white fairies and their white goats. They were all protected by a white wild goat with golden horns - Zlatorog. Zlatorog’s golden horns were the key to hidden treasures under the mountain of Bogatin. If anybody should wound him, a mysterious flower - triglavska roža - would spring forth from his blood and cure him. All these sectors were known to a brave, young hunter, who lived in those days in the Trenta Valley. Being insulted by the hurtful words of his beloved girl, who was enchanted with golden presents that a rich merchant from Venice had given her, he decided to find Zlatorog’s treasure. The Trenta hunter shot Zlatorog but the wounded animal ate the miraculous flower and became well and strong again. In his rage he pushed the hunter over the rocks. Before departing Zlatorog devastated the grassy meadows with his golden horns and turned them into a rocky wasteland. The fairies and the white goats left our mountains, but traces of Zlatorog’s horns are still seen in our mountains. Zlatorogove police - a rocky path still traverses the Triglav north face, triglavska roža still grows on the Triglav slopes and Zlatorog’s treasure is still hidden under the mountain of Bogatin.