Finally, Lech decided he would not rest until he was given a sign from the gods. And just then, a majestic white eagle flew over him. Lech followed it north until he found a strong forest with a great river (the Vistula River) running through it. He decided this must be where the gods wanted his people to be and declared that this land would forever be known as Poland!
Myth of Krakus
After Lech founded Poland, they still needed a capital city. They decided to build a city right next to the Vistula River and even erected a great castle on Wawel Hill. But there was a problem, a horrible, beastly dragon lived in a cave under that castle whose appetite grew with its strength. The people of this city gave the dragon a weekly ration of cattle to keep it from eating people! However, that still wasn't enough. King Lech hired all the strongest knights to try and slay the dragon. He gave them the finest armor and the sharpest swords. Still, the dragon's scales were invincible.
People thought the dragon's horrible reign would never end. That was until a shoemaker named Krakus had a bright idea. Krakus learned from the mistakes of those brave knights, so he didn't try to fight the dragon. No, instead he fed him! He created fake cows that were actually filled with sulfur, a stinky powder that made the dragon thirstier than he had ever been in his life. The dragon was so thirsty that he sprinted from his cave to the Vistula River and drank and drank water until he drowned.
With the dragon dead, King Lech rewarded Krakus by making him a prince, and later king for his deeds. The people were overjoyed and celebrated Krakus so much that they named the city after him, Krakow.
Mermaid of Warsaw
