Fairy Tales of the Slav Peasants and Herdsmen
gold, he was certainly a marvel of a horse.
"Prince Junak," said the steed, "I have waited centuries for such a
knight as you; here I am, ready to carry you and serve you faithfully.
Mount upon my back, and take hold of the invisible club that hangs at
the pommel of the saddle. You yourself will not need to use it; give
it your orders, it will carry them out and do the fighting itself. Now
we will start; may God look after us! Tell me where you wish to go,
and you shall be there directly."
The prince quickly told the horse his history, mounted, seized the
club, and set off. The creature capered, galloped, flew, and swam in
the air higher than the highest forests but lower than the clouds; he
crossed mountains, rivers, and precipices; he barely touched the
blades of grass in passing over them, and went so lightly along the
roads that he did not raise one grain of dust.
Towards sunset Junak found himself close to an immense forest, in the
centre of which stood Yaga's house. All around were oaks and pines
hundreds of years old, untouched by the axe of man. These enormous
trees, lit up by the rays of the setting sun, seemed to look with
astonishment at their strange guest. The silence was absolute; not a
bird sang in the branches, not an insect hummed in the air, not a worm
crawled upon the ground. The only sound was that made by the horse as
he broke through the underwood. Then they came in sight of a small
house supported by a cock's foot, round which it turned as on a
movable pivot. Prince Junak cried:
"Turn round, little house, turn round,
I want to come inside;
Let thy back to the forest be found,
Thy door to me open wide."
The little house turned round, and the prince entering saw old Yaga,
who immediately cried out, "What, Prince Junak! How have you come
here, where no one ever enters?"
"You are a silly old witch, to worry me with questions instead of
making me welcome," said the prince.
At these words old Yaga jumped up and hastened to attend to his needs.
She prepared food and drink, made him a soft bed where he could sleep
comfortably, and then leaving the house passed the night out of doors.
On her return in the morning the prince related all his adventures and
confided his plans.
"Prince Junak," said she, "you have undertaken a very difficult task,
but your courage will enable you to accomplish it successfully. I will
tell you how to kill Kostey, for without that you can do nothing. Now,
in the very midst of the ocean lies the Island of Eternal Life. Upon
this island is an oak tree, and at the foot of it, hidden in the
earth, a coffer bound with iron. A hare is shut up in this coffer, and
under her sits a grey duck whose body contains an egg. Within this egg
is Kostey's life--if it be broken he dies. Good-bye, Prince Junak,
start without loss of time. Your horse will carry you to the island."
Junak mounted his horse, spoke a few words to him, and the brave
creature fled through space with the swiftness of an arrow. Leaving
the forest and its enormous trees behind, they soon reached the shores
of the ocean. Fishermen's nets lay on the beach, and in one of them
was a large sea fish who, struggling to free itself, spoke to the
prince in a human voice.
"Prince Junak," he said sadly, "free me from my prison; I assure you
you will lose nothing by doing me this service."
Junak did what was required of him, and threw the fish back into the
water. It plunged and disappeared, but he paid little attention to it,
so occupied was he with his own thoughts. In the far distance could be
seen the rocks of the Island of Eternal Life, but there seemed no way
of reaching it. Leaning on his club he thought and thought, and ever
as he thought he grew sadder and sadder.
"What is the matter, Prince Junak? Has anything vexed you?" asked his
horse.
"How can I help grieving when, while in sight of the island, I can go
no further? How can we cross the sea?"
"Get on my back, prince, I will be your bridge; only take care to hold
on tight."
The prince held firmly to its mane, and the horse leapt into the sea.
At first they were plunged right beneath the waves, but rising again
to the surface swam easily across. The sun was about to set when the
prince dismounted on the Island of Eternal Life. He first took off his
horse's harness, and leaving him to browse on the green grass, hurried
to the top of a distant hill, whence he could see a large oak. Without
losing a moment he hastened towards it, seized the tree with both
hands, pulled at it with all his might, and after the most violent
efforts tore it up by the roots from the place it had filled for
centuries. The tree groaned and fell, and the hole in which it had
been planted appeared like an immense case. Right at the bottom of
this case was a coffer bound with iron. The prince took it up, broke
the lock by striking it with a stone, opened it and seized the hare
that was trying to make its escape. The grey duck that had lain
underneath flew off towards the sea: the prince fired, struck the
bird, the latter dropped its egg into the sea, and both were swallowed
by the waves. Junak gave a cry of despair and rushed to the beach. At
first he could see nothing. After a few minutes there was a slight
movement of the waves, while upon the surface swam the fish whose life
he had saved. It came towards him, right on to the sand, and dropping
the lost egg at his feet, said: "You see, prince, I have not forgotten
your kindness, and now I have found it in my power to be of service to
you."
Having thus spoken it disappeared in the water. The prince took the
egg, mounted his horse, and crossing the sea with his heart full of
hope, journeyed towards the island where Princess Sudolisu kept watch
over her sleeping subjects in the Enchanted Palace. The latter was
surrounded by a wall, and guarded by the Dragon with Twelve Heads. Now
these heads went to sleep in turn, six at a time, so it was impossible
to take him unawares or to kill him, for that could be done only by
his own blows.
On reaching the palace gates Junak sent his invisible club forward to
clear the way, whereupon it threw itself upon the dragon, and began to
beat all the heads unmercifully. The blows came so thick and fast that
the body was soon crushed to pieces. Still the dragon lived and beat
the air with its claws. Then it opened its twelve jaws from which
darted pointed tongues, but it could not lay hold of the invisible
club. At last, tormented on all sides and filled with rage, it buried
its sharp claws in its own body and died. The prince then entered the
palace gates, and having put his faithful horse in the stables and
armed himself with his invisible club, made his way for the tower in
which the princess was shut up. On seeing him she cried out, "Prince,
I rejoiced to see your victory over the dragon. There is yet a more
terrible foe to conquer, and he is my jailor, the cruel Kostey. Beware
of him, for if he should kill you, I shall throw myself out of window
into the precipice beneath."
"Be comforted, my princess: for in this egg I hold the life or death
of Kostey."
Then turning to the invisible club, he said, "Press forward, my
invisible club; strike your best, and rid the earth of this wicked
giant."
The club began by breaking down the iron doors, and thus reached
Kostey. The giant was soon so crippled with blows that his teeth were
smashed, lightnings flashed from his eyes, and he rolled round and
round like a pin-cushion. Had he been a man he must have died under
such treatment. But he was no man, this master of sorcery. So he
managed to get on his feet and look for his tormentor. The blows from
the club rained hard upon him all the time, and with such effect that
his groans could be heard all over the island. On approaching the
window he saw Prince Junak.
"Ah, wretch!" cried the ogre, "it is you, is it, who torments me in
this way!" and he prepared to blow upon him with his poisonous breath.
But the prince instantly crushed the egg between his hands, the shell
broke, the white and yellow mingled and flowed to the ground, and
Kostey died.
As the sorcerer breathed his last, the enchantments vanished and the
sleeping islanders awoke. The army, once more afoot, advanced with
beating drums to the palace, and everything fell into its accustomed
place. As soon as Princess Sudolisu was freed from her prison she held
out her white hand to her deliverer, and thanking him in the most
touching words, led him to the throne and placed him at her side. The
twelve maids of honour having chosen young and brave warriors, ranged
themselves with their lovers round the queen. Then the doors were
thrown open, and the priests in their robes entered, bearing a golden
tray of wedding rings. Thereupon the marriage ceremony was gone
through, and the lovers united in God's name.
After the wedding there were feasting and music and dancing, as is
usual on such occasions, and they all enjoyed themselves. It makes one
glad to think how happy they were, and what a glorious time they had
after their misfortunes.
THE PRINCE WITH THE GOLDEN HAND
THE PRINCE WITH THE GOLDEN HAND
There once lived a king and queen who had an only daughter. And the
beauty of this princess surpassed everything seen or heard of. Her
forehead was brilliant as the moon, her lips like the rose, her
complexion had the delicacy of the lily, and her breath the sweetness
of jessamine. Her hair was golden, and in her voice and glance there
was something so enchanting that none could help listening to her or
looking at her.
The princess lived for seventeen years in her own rooms, rejoicing the
heart of her parents, teachers, and servants. No one else ever saw
her, for the sons of the king and all other princes were forbidden to
enter her rooms. She never went anywhere, never looked upon the
outside world, and never breathed the outer air, but she was perfectly
happy.
When she was eighteen it happened, either by chance or by the will of
fate, that she heard the cry of the cuckoo. This sound made her
strangely uneasy; her golden head drooped, and covering her eyes with
her hands, she fell into thought so deep as not to hear her mother
enter. The queen looked at her anxiously, and after comforting her
went to tell the king about it.
For many years past the sons of kings and neighbouring princes had,
either personally or by their ambassadors, presented themselves at
court to ask the king for the hand of his daughter in marriage. But he
had always bidden them wait until another time. Now, after a long
consultation with the queen, he sent messengers to foreign courts and
elsewhere to proclaim that the princess, in accordance with the wishes
of her parents, was about to choose a husband, and that the man of her
choice would also have the right of succession to the throne.
When the princess heard of this decision her joy was very great, and
for days she would dream about it. Then she looked out into the garden
through the golden lattice of her window, and longed with an
irresistible longing to walk in the open air upon the smooth lawn.
With great difficulty she at last persuaded her governesses to allow
her to do so, they agreeing on condition that she should keep with
them. So the crystal doors were thrown open, the oaken gates that shut
in the orchard turned on their hinges, and the princess found herself
on the green grass. She ran about, picking the sweet-scented flowers
and chasing the many-coloured butterflies. But she could not have been
a very prudent maiden, for she wandered away from her governesses,
with her face uncovered.
Just at that moment a raging hurricane, such as had never been seen or