The Epic Ballad of the Fabulous Fish Hunt
A group of fishermen gathered around a feast, eating and drinking in celebration. Only one among them did not partake—Antofiță, the son of the clan’s master fisherman. With solemn determination, he turned to his father and asked for permission to undertake a great task: to catch the largest fish of all.
He declared, “Its meat will be served at my wedding. Its bones will frame the walls of my future home. Its scales will tile the roof.”
But his father refused, saying the boy was too young, not yet ready for such a trial.
In some versions of the tale, the father grants permission, but with one condition: Antofiță must not fish in the Lake of Vidros, also known as the Lake of the Otter.
Defying his father’s authority, Antofiță leads a group of fishermen to the forbidden lake. There, they capture a baby otter and torment it, until its mother appears from the depths. She begs for mercy and offers a trade: either the mighty sturgeon itself or as many fish as they can carry.
When the sturgeon is finally caught in their net, its colossal thrashing sends enormous waves crashing through the lake, capsizing the boats. All the fishermen drown, except Antofiță, who survives by clinging to a willow branch. His father finds him there and rescues him from the water.
In other tellings, Vidros, the ancient being who sleeps at the bottom of the lake, is awakened by the commotion. In his fury, he drowns them all, including Antofiță.