Fairy Tales of the Slav Peasants and Herdsmen
no difficulty in obtaining the sword. Start without delay, and do not
return without it at your peril."
Niezguinek bowed and went to the stable, where he found his horse
looking very thin and miserable, with his head drooping.
"What is the matter, my horse? Do you want anything?"
"I am unhappy because I foresee a long and dangerous journey."
"You are right, for we are ordered to return to Yaga's house for the
sword: but how can we get hold of it? doubtless she guards it as the
apple of her eye."
The horse answered, "Do as I tell you and all will be right." And he
gave him certain instructions. Niezguinek came out of the stable,
saddled his friend, and mounting him said:
"Marvel of strength and of beauty so white;
Horse of my heart, do not wait on the road;
Rise in the air, like a bird take thy flight,
Haste to the wicked old witch's abode."
The horse rose immediately as if he had been beckoned to by some one
in the clouds, and passing swiftly through the air, crossed rivers and
mountains, till at midnight he stopped before old Yaga's house.
Since the disappearance of the guzla the sword had been placed on
guard before the house, and whoever came near it was cut to pieces.
Niezguinek traced a circle with holy chalk, and placing himself on
horseback in the centre of it, said:
"Sword who of thyself can smite,
I come to brave thy ire;
Peace or war upon this site
Of thee I do require.
If thou canst conquer, thine my life;
Should I beat thee, then ends this strife."
The sword clinked, leapt into the air, and fell to the ground divided
into a thousand other swords, which ranged themselves in battle array
and began to attack Niezguinek. But in vain; they were powerless to
touch him; for on reaching the chalk-traced circle they broke like
wisps of straw. Then the sword-in-chief, seeing how useless it was to
go on trying to wound him, submitted itself to Niezguinek and promised
him obedience. Taking the magic weapon in his hand, he mounted his
horse and said:
"Marvel of strength and of beauty so white,
Horse of my heart, while I sing,
Rise in the air, like a bird take thy flight,
Back to the court of my king."
The horse started with renewed courage, and by noon was eating his hay
in the royal stables. Niezguinek went in to the king and presented him
with the sword. While he was rejoicing over it one of his servants
rushed in quite out of breath and said, "Sire, your enemies who
attacked us last year, and whose king is your prisoner, surround our
town. Being unable to redeem their sovereign, they have come with an
immense army, and threaten to destroy us if their king is not released
without ransom."
The king armed himself with the magic sword, and going outside the
city walls, said to it, as he pointed to the enemy's camp, "Magic
Sword, smite the foe."
Immediately the sword clinked, leapt flashing in the air, and fell in
a thousand blades that threw themselves on the camp. One regiment was
destroyed during the first attack, another was defeated in the same
way, while the rest of the terrified soldiers fled and completely
disappeared. Then the king said, "Sword, return to me."
The thousand swords again became one, and so it returned to its
master's hand.
The victorious king came home filled with joy. He called Niezguinek to
him, loaded him with gifts, and assuring him of his favour, made him
the highest general of his forces. In carrying out the duties of this
new post Niezguinek was often obliged to punish his brothers, who
became more and more enraged against him, and took counsel together
how they might bring about his downfall.
One day the king found a letter by his door, and after reading it he
called Niezguinek to him and said, "I should very much like to see
Princess Sudolisu, whom you wish to bring me."
"Sire, I do not know the lady, and have never spoken to her."
"Here, look at your letter."
Niezguinek read:
"Beyond the nine kingdoms, far beyond the ocean, within a
silver vessel with golden masts lives Princess Sudolisu. If
the king wishes it, I will seek her for him.
(Signed) NIEZGUINEK."
"It is true the writing is like unto mine; nevertheless, I neither
composed the letter nor wrote it."
"No matter," answered the king. "You will be able to get this
princess, as you did the guzla and the sword: if not, I will have you
killed."
Niezguinek bowed and went out. He entered the stable where stood his
horse looking very weak and sad, with his head bent down.
"What is the matter, dear horse? Are you in want of anything?"
"I am sorrowful," answered the horse, "because I foresee a long and
difficult journey."
"You are right, for we have to go beyond the nine kingdoms, and far
beyond the ocean, to find Princess Sudolisu. Can you tell me what to
do?"
"I will do my best, and if it is God's will we shall succeed. Bring
your club of four hundred and eighty pounds weight, and let us be
off."
Niezguinek saddled his horse, took his club, and mounting said:
"Marvel of strength and of beauty so white,
Horse of my heart, do not lag on the road;
Rise in the air, through the clouds take thy flight,
Haste to Princess Sudolisu's abode."
Then the horse looked up as if there were something he wanted in the
clouds, and with a spring flew through the air, swift as an arrow; and
so by the second day they had passed over ten kingdoms, and finding
themselves beyond the ocean, halted on the shore. Here the horse said
to Niezguinek, "Do you see that silver ship with golden masts that
rides on the waves yonder? That beautiful vessel is the home of
Princess Sudolisu, youngest daughter of old Yaga. For after the witch
had lost the guzla and magic sword she feared to lose her daughter
too: so she shut her up in that vessel, and having thrown the key
thereof into the ocean, sat herself in her oaken trough, where with
the help of the iron crutches she rows round and round the silver
ship, warding off tempests, and keeping at a distance all other ships
that would approach it.
"The first thing to be done is to get the diamond key that opens the
ship. In order to procure this you must kill me, and then throw into
the water one end of my entrails, by which bait you will trap the King
of the Lobsters. Do not set him free until he has promised to get you
the key, for it is this key that draws the vessel to you of its own
accord."
"Ah, my beloved steed," cried Niezguinek, "how can I kill you when I
love you as my own brother, and when my fate depends upon you
entirely?"
"Do as I tell you; you can bring me to life again, as you did before."
Niezguinek caressed his horse, kissed him and wept over him; then,
raising his mighty club, struck him full on the forehead. The poor
creature staggered and fell down dead. Niezguinek cut him open, and
putting an end of his entrails in the water, he kept hold of it and
hid himself in the water-rushes. Soon there came a crowd of crawfish,
and amongst them a gigantic lobster as large as a year-old calf.
Niezguinek seized him and threw him on the beach. The lobster said, "I
am king of all the crawfish tribe. Let me go, and I will give you
great riches for my ransom."
"I do not want your riches," answered Niezguinek, "but in exchange for
your freedom give me the diamond key which belongs to the silver ship
with the golden masts, for in that vessel dwells Princess Sudolisu."
The King of the Crawfish whistled, upon which myriads of his subjects
appeared. He spoke to them in their own language, and dismissed one,
who soon returned with the magic diamond key in his claws.
Niezguinek loosed the King of the Crawfish; and hiding himself inside
his horse's body as he had been instructed, lay in wait. At that
moment an old raven, followed by all his nestlings, happened to pass,
and attracted by the horse's carcase, he called to his young ones to
come and feast with him. Niezguinek seized the smallest of the birds
and held it firmly.
"Let my birdling go," said the old raven, "I will give you in return
anything you like to ask."
"Fetch me then three kinds of water, the Life-giving, the Curing, and
the Strengthening."
The old raven started off, and while awaiting his return Niezguinek,
who still held the ravenling, questioned him as to where he had come
from and what he had seen on his travels, and in this way heard news
of his brothers.
When the father bird returned, carrying with him the bottles filled
with the marvellous waters, he wanted to have his nestling back.
"One moment more," said Niezguinek, "I want to be sure that they are
of the right sort."
Then he replaced the entrails in the body of his horse and sprinkled
him first with the Life-giving, then with the Curing, and finally with
the Strengthening Water; after which his beloved steed leapt to his
feet full of strength and cried, "Ah! how very soundly I have slept."
Niezguinek released the young raven and said to his horse, "For sure,
you would have slept to all eternity, and have never seen the sun
again, if I had not revived you as you taught me."
While speaking he saw the marvellous ship sparkling white in the sun.
She was made entirely of pure silver, with golden masts. The rigging
was of silk, the sails of velvet, and the whole was enclosed in a
casing of inpenetrable steel network. Niezguinek sprang down to the
water's edge armed with his club, and rubbing his forehead with the
diamond key, said:
"Riding on the ocean waves a magic ship I see;
Stop and change thy course, O ship, here I hold the key.
Obey the signal known to thee,
And come at once direct to me."
The vessel turned right round and came at full speed towards land, and
right on to the bank, where it remained motionless.
Niezguinek smashed in the steel network with his club; and opening the
doors with the diamond key, there found Princess Sudolisu. He made her
unconscious with the herb Sleep, and lifting her before him on his
horse, said:
"Marvel of strength and of beauty so white,
Horse of my heart, while I sing,
Swift as an arrow through space take thy flight
Straight to the court of my king."
Then the horse, as if he saw some strange thing in the clouds, lifted
himself in the air and began to fly through space so rapidly that in
about two hours he had crossed rivers, mountains, and forests, and had
reached his journey's end.
Although Niezguinek had fallen violently in love with the princess
himself, he took her straight to the royal palace and introduced her
to the king.
Now she was so exquisitely beautiful that the monarch was quite
dazzled by looking at her, and being thus carried away by his
admiration, he put his arm round her as if to caress her: but she
rebuked him severely.
"What have I done to offend you, princess? Why do you treat me so
harshly?"
"Because in spite of your rank you are ill-bred. You neither ask my
name nor that of my parents, and you think to take possession of me as
if I were but a dog or a falcon. You must understand that he who would
be my husband must have triple youth, that of heart, soul, and body."
"Charming princess, if I could become young again we would be married
directly."
She replied, "But I have the means of making you so, and by help of
this sword in my hand. For with it I will pierce you to the heart,
then cut up your body into small pieces, wash them carefully, and join
them together again. And if I breathe upon them you will return to
life young and handsome, just as if you were only twenty years of
age."
"Oh indeed! I should like to know who would submit to that; first make
trial of Sir Niezguinek here."