In the village of Brzóza, nestled deep in the Masovian woods, winter came like a verdict. The snow fell so thick it muffled bells, and wolves padded through gardens like stray dogs. Yet in the chapel of Saint Jadwiga, one candle burned without end.
They called it Świeca Bez Końca, the Candle Without End.
It stood on the altar, flickering gold night and day, even when wind howled through broken panes or rain hissed through the stones. The priest claimed it had been lit by an angel when Poland was still ruled by kings. No one dared snuff it out. Not even to clean the wax.
But one girl would test that boundary.
A Flame Watched Too Closely
Her name was Kasia. Orphaned at seven, raised by the stern widow Gienia, Kasia swept the chapel steps, changed the flowers, and sang hymns with a voice like spring water.
But her eyes always returned to the candle.
“Why doesn’t it go out?” she asked once. “What happens if it does?”
Gienia slapped her hand. “Ask that again and you’ll lose a finger.”
But the questions grew louder in her mind. Was it holy oil? A trick? A relic with secret wicks?
And more dangerously: what if she could light such a candle herself?
The Night the Flame Fled
One frostbitten night, when Gienia snored in her chair and the priest had gone to tend a dying cow, Kasia tiptoed into the chapel with a jar of river water and a brave heart.
She stood before the candle, its flame dancing steady as a heartbeat.
She hesitated.
Then, quick as breath, she poured the water.
The flame sizzled, flickered blue… and died.
The silence that followed was louder than thunder.
Then the chapel doors burst open. Wind howled in. The stained glass shattered like ice. And outside, wolves. Not five or six, but dozens, yellow-eyed and silent.
Kasia screamed, but the wind stole her voice.
She ran. Through the forest. Through snow. Through night.
The Return of the Flame
They found her the next day, half-frozen, curled beneath the chapel eaves. No wolves had touched her. But her hair had gone white, as if all her years had burned away.
When she awoke, she wept, not from fear, but guilt.
“I snuffed it,” she told the priest. “And I saw what darkness truly is.”
He said nothing, only guided her hand to the altar, where the candle now burned again, though no one had relit it.
From that day, Kasia never left the chapel. She kept silent vigil, speaking only when children asked her about the flame.
She’d only say: “It burns because someone repented.”
When she died at eighty-seven, the candle flickered once, then grew brighter.
Moral of the Tale
Sacred things are not always meant to be understood, only respected. The candle represents our faith, our duty, our inner light. When curiosity turns to arrogance, darkness follows swiftly. But where there is true remorse, even a flame extinguished by foolish hands may yet be rekindled.
Knowledge Check
What is the moral of the folktale “The Candle That Never Burned Out”?
The story teaches that sacred things deserve respect and that redemption is possible through sincere repentance.
What cultural group does the tale “The Candle That Never Burned Out” come from?
This folktale originates from the Polish tradition in Eastern Europe.
Why did Kasia snuff out the eternal candle?
In the tale, Kasia extinguished the candle out of curiosity and a desire to understand its mystery, despite being warned not to.
How does the folktale “The Candle That Never Burned Out” explain eternal flames?
It offers a traditional explanation that eternal flames may be protected by divine forces and only extinguished by spiritual folly.
Is “The Candle That Never Burned Out” considered a trickster tale, ghost story, or moral fable?
It is a moral fable with spiritual overtones, emphasizing the consequences of sacrilege and the power of repentance.
How is this folktale relevant to modern readers?
It speaks to the timeless importance of respecting tradition, the danger of unchecked curiosity, and the power of second chances.
Origin: This story comes from the Polish tradition of Eastern Europe.
