Once upon a time, there was an old king who lived on the Chiojdu Valley. In those quiet times when peace and tranquility ruled, all living creatures lived in harmony and there was nothing to ruin this. The emperor had such a good soul that he was unable to hurt either an insect. He had a daughter he had raised alone, because the empress had died at the birth of the girl. Legend has it that his dedication and love was precisely the gift with which the girl had grown, so she had such a tender soul. The princess was called Lera and she was such a beauty, with blond curls and happy laughter, blue eyes like the sky and a gentle heart.
She was spending all day long in the garden with her friends: rabbits, deer, squirrels and all other forest dwellers. They roamed all day with her on the sunny meadows, while Lera enjoyed every moment.
One day, on her usual walks in the forest, suddenly appeared a handsome young man, who left her moved with astonishment. The boy was called Cătun and lived in a village downstream.
That day, Cătun had lost some sheep and set off in search of them. When he saw the girl, he was almost enjoying the loss of the animals, because he had the chance to meet Lera.
Cătun and the princess have not separated since that day. They always changed the meeting place so that no one finds out bout their relationship. Only the creatures of nature witnessed their love. Lera was afraid that the emperor would not accept the idea that his beloved daughter would fall in love and leave him.
But that wasn’t their only concern! In the forest lived a rogue shepherd, Colanu, who took revenge on everyone for no reason. He appeared when you were expecting less, he set the birds’ nests on fire, he burned the grasslands just to harm them. He was known for his unnatural evil, and people kept away from him.
However, Lera attracted the attention of Colanu and he decided to keep her for himself, even though for this he had to permanently get rid of Cătun. Colanu decided to poison him, but he knew that he was stronger than him, so he needed to trick him. He poisoned the spring and when Cătun drank the water, he fell in the arms of his beloved Lera.
The girl cried for help but there was no one to hear her and her love, Cătun remained cold forever.
People called that place Cătun, in the boy’s memory. There is also a village fireplace with the same name.
Lera retreated to a place on a stone to cry with bitter tears. Colanu, who was chasing her, tried to catch her, but the princess decided to throw herself off the rock.
That place became the Stone of the Lera, and the stream that formed from the tears of the girl’s face, is today called the Lera’s Brook. Colanu was cursed by Lera before she thrown herself from the stone to solitude, and he was transformed into a lonely rock, left in the wind and rain which is yet to be found now alone on the hill.
