Fairy Tales of the Slav Peasants and Herdsmen
"What do you want here, unlucky wretch?" said she. "If my husband sees
you, he will kill you instantly."
"Who is your husband then?" asked the traveller.
"What! you do not know him? My husband is the Water-King; everything
under water obeys him. Depart quickly, for if he finds you here he
will certainly devour you."
"Perhaps after all he would take pity on me. But hide me somewhere,
for I am worn and weary, and without shelter for the night."
So the Water-Queen was persuaded, and hid him behind the stove. Almost
immediately after the Water-King entered. He had barely crossed the
threshold when he called out, "Wife, I smell human flesh; give it me
quickly, for I am hungry." She dared not disobey him, and so she had
to tell him of the traveller's hiding-place. The poor man became
terribly frightened, and trembled in every limb, and began to stammer
out excuses.
"I assure you I have done no harm. I came here in search of news of my
poor wife. Oh, do help me to find her; I cannot live without her."
"Well," replied the Water-King, "as you love your wife so tenderly I
will forgive you for coming here, but I cannot help you to find her,
for I do not know where she is. Yet I remember seeing two ducks on the
lake yesterday, perchance she is one of them. But I should advise you
to ask my brother the Fire-King; he may be able to tell you more."
Happy to have escaped so easily, he thanked the Water-King and set out
to find the Fire-King. But the latter was unable to help him, and
could only advise him to consult his other brother, the Air-King. But
the Air-King, though he had travelled all over the earth, could only
say he thought he had seen a woman at the foot of the Crystal
Mountain.
But the traveller was cheered at the news, and went to seek his wife
at the foot of the Crystal Mountain, which was close to their cottage.
On reaching it he began at once to climb the mountain by making his
way up the bed of the torrent that came rushing down there. Several
ducks that were in the pools near the waterfall called out, "My good
man, don't go up there; you'll be killed."
But he walked fearlessly on till he came to some thatched cottages, at
the largest of which he stopped. Here a crowd of wizards and witches
surrounded him, screaming at the top of their voices, "What are you
looking for?"
"My wife," said he.
"She is here," they cried, "but you cannot take her away unless you
recognise her among two hundred women all exactly like her."
"What! Not know my own wife? Why, here she is," said he, as he clasped
her in his arms. And she, delighted to be with him again, kissed him
fondly. Then she whispered:
"Dearest, though you knew me to-day I doubt whether you will
to-morrow, for there will be so many of us all alike. Now I will tell
you what to do. At nightfall go to the top of the Crystal Mountain,
where live the King of Time and his court. Ask him how you may know
me. If you are good and honest he will help you; if not, he will
devour you whole at one mouthful."
"I will do what you advise, dear one," he replied, "but tell me, why
did you leave me so suddenly? If you only knew what I have suffered! I
have sought you all over the world."
"I did not leave you willingly," said she. "A countryman asked me to
come and look at the mountain torrent. When we got there he sprinkled
some water over himself, and at once I saw wings growing out of his
shoulders, and he soon changed his shape entirely into that of a
drake; and I too became a duck at the same time, and whether I would
or no I was obliged to follow him. Here I was allowed to resume my own
form; and now there is but the one difficulty of being recognised by
you."
So they parted, she to join the other women, he to continue his way to
the Crystal Mountain. At the top he found twelve strange beings
sitting round a large fire: they were the attendants of the King of
Time. He saluted them respectfully.
"What dost thou want?" said they.
"I have lost my dear wife. Can you tell me how to recognise her among
two hundred other women all exactly alike?"
"No," said they, "but perhaps our King can."
Then arose from the midst of the flames an old man with bald head and
long white beard, who, on hearing his request, replied: "Though all
these women be exactly alike, thy wife will have a black thread in the
shoe of her right foot."
So saying he vanished, and the traveller, thanking the twelve,
descended the mountain.
Sure it is that without the black thread he would never have
recognised her. And though the Magician tried to hide her, the spell
was broken; and the two returned rejoicing to their home, where they
lived happily ever after.
III
THE TWELVE MONTHS
There was once a widow who had two daughters, Helen, her own child by
her dead husband, and Marouckla, his daughter by his first wife. She
loved Helen, but hated the poor orphan, because she was far prettier
than her own daughter. Marouckla did not think about her good looks,
and could not understand why her stepmother should be angry at the
sight of her. The hardest work fell to her share; she cleaned out the
rooms, cooked, washed, sewed, spun, wove, brought in the hay, milked
the cow, and all this without any help. Helen, meanwhile, did nothing
but dress herself in her best clothes and go to one amusement after
another. But Marouckla never complained; she bore the scoldings and
bad temper of mother and sister with a smile on her lips, and the
patience of a lamb. But this angelic behaviour did not soften them.
They became even more tyrannical and grumpy, for Marouckla grew daily
more beautiful, while Helen's ugliness increased. So the stepmother
determined to get rid of Marouckla, for she knew that while she
remained her own daughter would have no suitors. Hunger, every kind of
privation, abuse, every means was used to make the girl's life
miserable. The most wicked of men could not have been more mercilessly
cruel than these two vixens. But in spite of it all Marouckla grew
ever sweeter and more charming.
One day in the middle of winter Helen wanted some wood-violets.
"Listen," cried she to Marouckla; "you must go up the mountain and
find me some violets, I want some to put in my gown; they must be
fresh and sweet-scented--do you hear?"
"But, my dear sister, who ever heard of violets blooming in the snow?"
said the poor orphan.
"You wretched creature! Do you dare to disobey me?" said Helen. "Not
another word; off with you. If you do not bring me some violets from
the mountain forest, I will kill you."
The stepmother also added her threats to those of Helen, and with
vigorous blows they pushed Marouckla outside and shut the door upon
her. The weeping girl made her way to the mountain. The snow lay deep,
and there was no trace of any human being. Long she wandered hither
and thither, and lost herself in the wood. She was hungry, and
shivered with cold, and prayed to die. Suddenly she saw a light in the
distance, and climbed towards it, till she reached the top of the
mountain. Upon the highest peak burnt a large fire, surrounded by
twelve blocks of stone, on which sat twelve strange beings. Of these
the first three had white hair, three were not quite so old, three
were young and handsome, and the rest still younger.
There they all sate silently looking at the fire. They were the twelve
months of the year. The great Setchene (January) was placed higher
than the others; his hair and moustache were white as snow, and in his
hand he held a wand. At first Marouckla was afraid, but after a while
her courage returned, and drawing near she said:
"Men of God, may I warm myself at your fire? I am chilled by the
winter cold."
The great Setchene raised his head and answered:
"What brings thee here, my daughter? What dost thou seek?"
"I am looking for violets," replied the maiden.
"This is not the season for violets; dost thou not see the snow
everywhere?" said Setchene.
"I know well, but my sister Helen and my stepmother have ordered me to
bring them violets from your mountain: if I return without them they
will kill me. I pray you, good shepherds, tell me where they may be
found?"
Here the great Setchene arose and went over to the youngest of the
months, and placing his wand in his hand, said:
"Brother Brezene (March), do thou take the highest place."
Brezene obeyed, at the same time waving his wand over the fire.
Immediately the flames rose towards the sky, the snow began to melt
and the trees and shrubs to bud; the grass became green, and from
between its blades peeped the pale primrose. It was Spring, and the
meadows were blue with violets.
"Gather them quickly, Marouckla," said Brezene.
Joyfully she hastened to pick the flowers, and having soon a large
bunch she thanked them and ran home. Helen and the stepmother were
amazed at the sight of the flowers, the scent of which filled the
house.
"Where did you find them?" asked Helen.
"Under the trees on the mountain slope," said Marouckla.
Helen kept the flowers for herself and her mother; she did not even
thank her step-sister for the trouble she had taken. The next day she
desired Marouckla to fetch her strawberries.
"Run," said she, "and fetch me strawberries from the mountain: they
must be very sweet and ripe."
"But who ever heard of strawberries ripening in the snow?" exclaimed
Marouckla.
"Hold your tongue, worm; don't answer me; if I don't have my
strawberries I will kill you."
Then the stepmother pushed her into the yard and bolted the door. The
unhappy girl made her way towards the mountain and to the large fire
round which sat the twelve months. The great Setchene occupied the
highest place.
"Men of God, may I warm myself at your fire? The winter cold chills
me," said she, drawing near.
The great Setchene raised his head and asked:
"Why comest thou here? What dost thou seek?"
"I am looking for strawberries," said she.
"We are in the midst of winter," replied Setchene; "strawberries do
not grow in the snow."
"I know," said the girl sadly, "but my sister and stepmother have
ordered me to bring them strawberries; if I do not they will kill me.
Pray, good shepherds, tell me where to find them."
The great Setchene arose, crossed over to the month opposite him, and
putting the wand into his hand, said:
"Brother Tchervene (June), do thou take the highest place."
Tchervene obeyed, and as he waved his wand over the fire the flames
leapt towards the sky. Instantly the snow melted, the earth was
covered with verdure, trees were clothed with leaves, birds began to
sing, and various flowers blossomed in the forest. It was summer.
Under the bushes masses of star-shaped flowers changed into ripening
strawberries. Before Marouckla had time to cross herself they covered
the glade, making it look like a sea of blood.
"Gather them quickly, Marouckla," said Tchervene.
Joyfully she thanked the months, and having filled her apron ran
happily home. Helen and her mother wondered at seeing the
strawberries, which filled the house with their delicious fragrance.
"Wherever did you find them?" asked Helen crossly.
"Right up among the mountains; those from under the beech trees are
not bad."
Helen gave a few to her mother and ate the rest herself; not one did
she offer to her step-sister. Being tired of strawberries, on the
third day she took a fancy for some fresh red apples.
"Run, Marouckla," said she, "and fetch me fresh red apples from the
mountain."
"Apples in winter, sister? why, the trees have neither leaves nor
fruit."
"Idle slut, go this minute," said Helen; "unless you bring back apples
we will kill you."
As before, the stepmother seized her roughly and turned her out of the