Mattie the Goose-boy

Mattie the Goose-boy, or Lúdas Matyi, is a Hungarian epic poem written by Mihály Fazekas (1766–1828) in 1804 and first released in 1817. It is based on a folk-tale of unknown origins. Most film adaptations place the story to the beginning of the 19th century, however based on hints in the poem, as well as the word "ludas" also being used to depict someone suspected of a crime already in the Tripartitum, the original story can be placed at least to the early 16th century. Plot Prologue Matyi, a young peasant boy, is trying to sell his geese at the market. Trouble ensues when the local lord, Dániel Döbröghy, offers to underpay for them by about half the price, which Matyi declines. Lord Döbröghy then orders his servants to take the geese by force, and punish Matyi with 50 lashes to his back. Matyi vows to get revenge, proclaiming that he will repay the punishment three times to the lord. The first repayment Three years after Matyi's punishment, Döbröghy begins building a castle for himself. The construction goes on very slowly, because of the lack of carpenters. Matyi dresses as an Italian architect-maestro, and he visits the construction site. He lures the lord and his servants to the nearby forest to gather wood for the structure. After ordering all the servants and guards to harvest the forest, he then lures Döbröghy away, ties him to a tree with a rope, and lashes him for the first time.