Fairy Tales of the Slav Peasants and Herdsmen
exposed to full view all the splendour of her wonderful hair, which
seemed like a waterfall of golden rays, and covered her from head to
foot. The glorious light that shone from it dazzled the young man's
eyes, and he immediately fell in love with her.
The king provided his daughter with gifts worthy of a queen, and she
left her father's palace in a manner befitting a royal bride. The
journey back was accomplished without any mishaps.
On their arrival the old king was delighted at the sight of Zlato
Vlaska, and danced with joy. Splendid and costly preparations were
made for the wedding. His majesty then said to George, "You robbed me
of the secret of animal language. For this I intended to have your
head cut off and your body thrown to birds of prey. But as you have
served me so faithfully and won the princess for my bride I will
lessen the punishment--that is, although you will be executed, yet you
shall be buried with all the honours worthy of a superior officer."
So the sentence was carried out, cruelly and unjustly. After the
execution the Princess with the Golden Hair begged the king to make
her a present of George's body, and the monarch was so much in love
that he could not refuse his intended bride anything.
Zlato Vlaska with her own hands replaced the head on the body, and
sprinkled it with the Water of Death. Immediately the separated parts
became one again. Upon this she poured the Water of Life, and George
returned to life, fresh as a young roebuck, his face radiant with
health and youth.
"Ah me! How well I have slept," said he, rubbing his eyes.
"Yes; no one could have slept better," answered the princess, smiling,
"but without me you would have slept through eternity."
When the old king saw George restored to life, and looking younger,
handsomer, and more vigorous than ever, he too wanted to be made young
again. He therefore ordered his servants to cut off his head and
sprinkle it with the Life-Giving Water. They cut it off, but he did
not come to life again, although they sprinkled his body with all the
water that was left. Perhaps they made some mistake in using the wrong
water, for the head and body were joined, but life itself never
returned, there being no Water of Life left for that purpose. No one
knew where to get any, and none understood the language of animals.
So, to make a long story short, George was proclaimed king, and the
Princess with Hair of Gold, who really loved him, became his queen.
THE JOURNEY TO THE SUN AND THE MOON
THE JOURNEY TO THE SUN AND THE MOON
There were once two young people who loved each other dearly. The
young man was called Jean, the girl, Annette. In her sweetness she was
like unto a dove, in her strength and bravery she resembled an eagle.
Her father was a rich farmer, and owned a large estate, but Jean's
father was only a poor mountain shepherd. Annette did not in the least
mind her lover being poor, for he was rich in goodness: nor did she
think her father would object to their marrying.
One day Jean put on his best clothes, and went to ask the farmer for
his daughter's hand. The farmer listened without interrupting him, and
then replied, "If you would marry Annette, go and ask of the Sun why
he does not warm the night as well as the day. Then inquire of the
Moon why she does not shine by day as well as by night. When you
return with these answers you shall not only have my daughter but all
my wealth."
These conditions in no way daunted Jean, who placed his hat on the
side of his head, and taking a loving farewell of Annette, set out in
search of the Sun. On reaching a small town at the close of day, he
looked about for a place wherein to pass the night. Some kind people
offered him shelter and invited him to sup with them, inquiring as to
the object of his journey. When they heard that he was on his way to
visit the Sun and Moon, the master of the house begged him to ask the
Sun why the finest pear-tree they had in the town had, for several
years, ceased to bear fruit, for it used to produce the most delicious
pears in the world.
Jean willingly promised to make this inquiry, and the next day
continued his journey.
He walked on and on, over mountain and moor, through valley and dense
forest, until he came to a land where there was no drinking water. The
inhabitants, when they heard the object of Jean's journey, begged him
to ask the Sun and Moon why a well, that was the chief water supply of
the district, no longer gave good water. Jean promised to do so, and
resumed his journey.
After long and weary wanderings he reached the Sun's abode, and found
him about to start on his travels.
"O Sun," said he, "stop one moment, do not depart without first
answering a few questions."
"Be quick then and speak, for I have to go all round the world
to-day."
"Pray tell me why you do not warm or light the earth by night as well
as day?"
"For this simple reason, that if I did, the world and everything upon
it would be very soon burnt up."
Jean then put his questions concerning the pear-tree and the well. But
the Sun replied that his sister, the Moon, would be able to answer him
on those points.
Hardly had the Sun finished speaking before he was obliged to hurry
off, and Jean travelled far and fast to meet the Moon. On coming up to
her he said, "Would you kindly stop one moment? there are a few
questions I should like to ask you."
"Very well, be quick, for the earth is waiting for me," answered she,
and stood still at once.
"Tell me, dear Moon, why you do not light the world by day as well as
by night? And why you never warm it?"
"Because if I lit up the world by day as well as by night the plants
would produce neither fruit nor flower. And though I do not warm the
earth, I supply it with dew, which makes it fertile and fruitful."
She was then about to continue her course, but Jean, begging her to
stop one moment longer, questioned her about the pear-tree which had
ceased to bear fruit.
And she answered him thus: "While the king's eldest daughter remained
unmarried the tree bore fruit every year. After her wedding she had a
little child who died and was buried under this tree. Since then there
has been neither fruit nor flower on its branches: if the child be
given Christian burial the tree will produce blossom and fruit as in
the past."
The Moon was just moving off when Jean begged her to stop and answer
one more question, which was, why the inhabitants of a certain land
were unable to obtain from their well the clear and wholesome water it
had formerly poured forth.
She replied: "Under the mouth of the well, just where the water should
flow, lies an enormous toad which poisons it continually: the brim of
the well must be broken and the toad killed, then the water will be as
pure and wholesome as formerly."
The Moon then resumed her journey, for Jean had no more questions to
ask her.
He joyfully went back to claim his Annette, but forgot not to stop on
coming to the land where they were short of water. The inhabitants ran
out to meet him, anxious to know what he had found out.
Jean led them to the well and there explained the instructions he had
received from the Moon, at the same time showing them what to do. Sure
enough, right underneath the brim of the well they found a horrible
toad which poisoned everything. When they had killed it, the water
immediately became pure and transparent, and sweet to the taste as
before.
All the people brought Jean presents, and thus laden with riches he
again set out. On arriving at the town where grew the unfruitful
pear-tree, he was warmly welcomed by the prince, who at once asked if
he had forgotten to question the stars about the tree.
"I never forget a promise once made," replied Jean, "but I doubt
whether it will be agreeable to your majesty to know the cause of the
evil."
He then related all the Moon had said, and when his directions had
been carried out they were rewarded by seeing the tree blossom
immediately. Jean was loaded with rich gifts, and the king presented
him with a most valuable horse, by means of which he reached home very
quickly.
Little Annette was wild with joy on hearing of her lover's safe
return, for she had wept and suffered much during his absence. But her
father's feelings were very different; he wished never to see Jean
again, and had, indeed, sent him in search of the Sun with the hope
that he might be burnt up by the heat. True it is that "Man proposes
and God disposes." Our young shepherd returned, not only safe and
sound, but with more knowledge than any of his evil-wishers. For he
had learnt why the Sun neither lights nor warms the earth by night as
in the day; also why the Moon does not give warmth, and only lights up
during the night. Besides all this he had brought with him riches
which far exceeded those of his father-in-law, and a steed full of
fire and vigour.
So Annette's father could find no fault, and the wedding was
celebrated with joy and feasting. Large quantities of roasted crane
were eaten, and glasses overflowing with mead were emptied. So
beautiful, too, was the music, that for long, long after it was heard
to echo among the mountains, and even now its sweet sounds are heard
at times by travellers among those regions.
THE DWARF WITH THE LONG BEARD
THE DWARF WITH THE LONG BEARD
In a far distant land there reigned a king, and he had an only
daughter who was so very beautiful that no one in the whole kingdom
could be compared to her. She was known as Princess Pietnotka, and the
fame of her beauty spread far and wide. There were many princes among
her suitors, but her choice fell upon Prince Dobrotek. She obtained
her father's consent to their marriage, and then, attended by a
numerous suite, set off with her lover for the church, having first,
as was the custom, received her royal parent's blessing. Most of the
princes who had been unsuccessful in their wooing of Pietnotka
returned disappointed to their own kingdoms: but one of them, a dwarf
only seven inches high, with an enormous hump on his back and a beard
seven feet long, who was a powerful prince and magician, was so
enraged that he determined to have his revenge. So he changed himself
into a whirlwind and lay in wait to receive the princess. When the
wedding procession was about to enter the church the air was suddenly
filled with a blinding cloud of dust, and Pietnotka was borne up high
as the highest clouds, and then right down to an underground palace.
There the dwarf, for it was he who had worked this spell, disappeared,
leaving her in a lifeless condition.
When she opened her eyes she found herself in such a magnificent
apartment that she imagined some king must have run away with her. She
got up and began to walk about, when lo! as if by some unseen hand the
table was laden with gold and silver dishes, filled with cakes of
every kind. They looked so tempting, that in spite of her grief she
could not resist tasting, and she continued to eat until she was more
than satisfied. She returned to the sofa and lay down to rest, but
being unable to sleep, she looked first at the door, and then at the
lamp burning on the table, then at the door again, and then back to
the lamp. Suddenly the door opened of itself, giving entrance to four
negroes fully armed, and bearing a golden throne, upon which was
seated the Dwarf with the Long Beard. He came close up to the sofa and
attempted to kiss the princess, but she struck him such a blow in the
face that a thousand stars swam before his eyes, and a thousand bells
rang in his ears; upon which he gave such a shout, that the palace