Hero tales and legends of the Serbians

HERO TALES
AND LEGENDS OF

THE SERBIANS

/>. " (9 beauteous green lake ! Thou art to be my home

for evermore "

Yoji 'star

'HERO TALES
AND LEGENDS OF

THE SERBIANS

<BY
WOISLAV M. PETROVITCH

ATTACHE* TO THE SERBIAN ROYAL LEGATION TO THE
COURT OF ST. JAMES

WITH A PREFACE BY

CHEDO MIYATOVICH

FORMERLY SERBIAN MINISTER TO THE COURT OF ST. JAMES

AND THIRTY-TWO ILLUSTRATIONS
IN COLOUR BY

WILLIAM SEWELL V GILBERT JAMES

{/

"rVW,
il

/llfa floMtoV

NEW YORK
FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY

PUBLISHERS

•

TO THAT MOST EMINENT SERBIAN
PATRIOT AND STATESMAN

HIS EXCELLENCY
NICHOLAS P. PASHITCH

PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS,
MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS, ETC. ETC.

THIS BOOK IS

RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED

BY THE AUTHOR

PRINTED AT THE BALLANTYNE PRESS
LONDON ENGLAND

PREFACE

SERBIANS attach the utmost value and importance
to the sympathies of such a highly cultured, great,
and therefore legitimately influential people as is
the British nation. Since the beginning of the twentieth
century there have been two critical occasions — the
annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Austria and
the war against the Turks — when we have had opportuni-
ties to note how British sympathies, even when apparently
only platonic, can be of great practical importance for our
nation. It is quite natural that we should desire to retain
and if possible deepen and increase those sympathies.
We are proud of the victories of our army over the brave
Turks, but we flatter ourselves that our nation may win
sympathy and respect by other than military features of
its national character. We wish that our British friends
should know our nation such as it is. We wish them to
be acquainted with our national psychology. And nothing
could give a better insight into the very soul of the
Serbian nation than this book which M. Woislav M.
Petrovitch has so happily conceived.
The Serbians belong ethnologically to the great family of
the Slavonic nations. They are first cousins to the
Russians, Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, and Bulgars, and they
are brothers to the Croats and Slovenes. Since the Church
has ceased to be the discordant and disuniting element in
the life of the nations, the Orthodox Serbians and the
Roman Catholic Croats are practically one and the same
people. But of all Slavonic nations the Serbians can
legitimately claim to be the most poetical one. Their
language is the richest and the most musical among all
the Slavonic languages. The late Professor Morfill, a

Tales &f Legends of the Serbians

man who was something of a Panslavist, repeatedly said
to me : " I wish you Serbians, as well as all other Slavonic
nations, to join Russia in a political union, but I do not
wish you to surrender your beautiful and well-developed
language to be exchanged for the Russian ! " On one
occasion he went even so far as to suggest that the future
United States of the Slavs should adopt as their literary
and official language the Serbian, as by far the finest and
most musical of all the Slavonic tongues.
When our ancestors occupied the western part of the
Balkan Peninsula, they found there numerous Latin
colonies and Greek towns and settlements. In the course
of twelve centuries we have through intermarriage ab-
sorbed much Greek and Latin blood. That influence, and
the influence of the commercial and political intercourse
with Italy, has softened our language and our manners
and intensified our original Slavonic love of what is
beautiful, poetical, and noble. We are a special Slavonic
type, modified by Latin and Greek influences. The Bulgars
are a Slavonic nation of a quite different type, created by
the circulation of Tartar blood in Slavonian veins. This
simple fact throws much light on the conflicts between
the Serbians and Bulgarians during the Middle Ages, and
>£ven in our own days.

jfNow what are the Serbian national songs ? They are not
//^ongs made by cultured or highly educated poets — songs

j which, becoming popular, are sung by common people.

I They are songs made by the common people themselves.

/ Up to the middle of the nineteenth century the Serbian
peasantry lived mostly in agricultural and family associa-
tions called Zadrooga. As M. Petrovitch has stated, the
sons of a peasant did not leave their father's house when
they got married, but built a wooden cottage on the
vi

Preface

land surrounding the father's house. Very often a large
settlement arose around the original home, with often
more than a hundred persons, men and women, working
together, considering the land and houses as their com-
mon property, enjoying the fruits of their work as the
common property too. All the members of the Zadrooga
considered the oldest member of such family association
as their chief, and it was the usual custom to gather round
him every evening in the original house. After questions
of farming or other business had been disposed of, the
family gathering would be enlivened by the chieftain or
some other male member reciting an epic song, or several
such songs, describing historic events or events which
had lately happened. At the public gatherings around
the churches and monasteries groups of men and women
would similarly gather about the reciters of songs on old
kings and heroes or on some great and important event.
In Hungarian Serbia (Syrmia, Banat, Bachka) poor blind
men often make it a lucrative profession to sing old or new
songs, mostly on old heroes and historical events or on con-
temporary events. But in other parts of Serbia (Shuma-7
diya, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Montenegro, Dalmatia) veryj
often well-to-do peasants recite the hero songs to crowds of
listeners of both sexes. It is a curious fact noticed already
by Vouk S. Karadgitch that the reciters of the heroic songs
are hardly ever young men, but generally men of middle
age, and still more frequently old men. It is as if old
men considered it their duty to acquaint the young genera-
tion with the principal events of the nation's history and
their principal heroes. You may find still many an illiterate
person in Serbia, but you will not find one who would not
be able to tell you something about Stephan Nemanya, the
first king of mediaeval Serbia, about his son St. Sava,

vii

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

Tsar Doushan, his young son Ourosh, King Voukashin
the Royal Prince Kralyevitch Marko, Tsar Lazar, and the
heroes who fell in the famous battle at Kossovo (1389).
It can be said that the Serbian peasants wrote their own
national history by composing and reciting it from one
generation to another in the rhythmical ten-syllabic blank
verse. The gooslari and the monks kept the national
political consciousness and the national Church fully alive
through the five centuries in which they were only Turkish
Rayah, a mass of common people doomed to be nothing
better than slaves to their master, the Turk. We would
to-day not have known anything about the persistent
guerilla war, which the best and boldest men of the nation
were relentlessly carrying on against the nation's oppressor
since the beginning of the sixteenth century until the first
rising of Shumadia under Karageorge in 1 804, if we had not
the so-called Ha'idoochke Pesme (the Songs on Haidooks).
Long before the history of The Resurrection of the Serbian
National State had been written by Stoyan Novakovich,
the learned President of the Serbian Academy, the bard
Vishnyich described that resurrection in songs of great
beauty and power. And the victories of the Serbian army
over the Turks and Bulgars in the war of 1912-13 are
already sung by the improvized bards in the inns and at
the great gatherings of the people at the village fairs and
around the churches on great church festivals. jOf^course,
a Serbian who has heard on hundreds of occasions national
songs recited learns to recite them himself, although he
may not be able to accompany his recitation on the goussle.
Nor does he find it difficult, by using many stereotyped
lines of old and well-known songs, to tell the story of a
recent event. When in 1873, as Minister of Finance, I
was defeated in the Budget debate at the Skoupshtina,
viii

Preface

my defeat was recited to the people in blank verse the same
evening, and the next day.

Beside the songs which relate, more or less accurately,
actual events, many a national song relates a legend or a
tradition. They have been created, no doubt, under the
influence of the priests and monks, and are appropriate
recitations to the crowds who come to the church festivals.
I am glad to see that M. Petrovitch has included in his
collection the song which is probably the oldest among
all Serbian songs. It is called "The Saints partition \i
[or divide] the Treasures," and it gives expression to an
evidently very old tradition, which remembers a sort of
catastrophe which befell India, and which probably was HI
the cause of the ancient ancestors of the Slavs leaving
India. It is most remarkable to find an echo of an Indian
catastrophe in the national songs of the Serbians.
That the Serbians had national songs in which they
described the exploits of their national heroes was noted
in the fourteenth century. Nicephoras Gregoras, sent by
the Byzantine Emperor on a diplomatic mission to Serbia,
relates having heard the Serbians sing their national songs
on their heroes. The records of several diplomatic
missions, going from Vienna or Buda to Constantinople
during the sixteenth century, relate that the members
heard people sing heroic songs. In that century we have
the first attempt to reproduce in print some of those
national songs, as, for instance, by the Ragusan poet
Hectorovich. In the eighteenth century fuller efforts were
made by the Franciscan monk Kachich-Mioshich and by
Abbe Fortis. But it is to the self-taught founder of modern
Serbian literature, Vouk Stephanovitch Karadgitch, that
the greatest honour is due, as has been shown by M.
Petrovitch in his Introduction and elsewhere.

b ix

Tales §§f Legends of the Serbians

M. Petrovitch must have experienced what the French
call embarras de riches ses. It was not so easy to select
the songs for an English translation, But he has given
us some of the finest Serbian epic songs as samples of
what the Serbian national poetry is capable of creating.
I regret only that he has not included a few samples of
what the Serbian village women and girls are able to
produce in the way of lyrical poetry. Perhaps on some
other occasion he will make an amende honorable to our
countrywomen.

I wish to add yet a few words to what M. Petrovitch
said about our greatest national hero, the Royal
e-^&fatyevilrh) 'Marke, — As he has pointed out,

arko is a historical personality. But what history has
to say about him is not much, and certainly not of the

^nature to explain how he became the favourite hero of
the Serbian people. He was a loyal and faithful vassal
of the Sultan, a fact hardly likely to win him the respect
and admiration of the Serbians. Yet the Serbians
throughout the last five centuries have respected, ad-

unired, loved their Royal Prince Marko, and were and
are now and will ever be proud of him. This psycho-
logical puzzle has stirred up the best Serbian and some
other historical students and authors to investigate the
matter. It is evident . to. -all ..that most of the songs
on Marko must have been composed under the mighty
influence of his personality upon his contemporary country-
men. Dr. Yagich, Dr. Maretich, Professor Stoykovich
and St. Novakovich all believe that his athletic strength
and personal appearance were responsible for much of
the impression he made. All agree that his conduct in
everyday life and on all occasions was that of a true
knight, a cavaliere servente, a chevalier sans peur et sans

Preface

reproche. Even his attachment and unfailing readiness
to serve the Sultan was counted in his favour, as proof
of his absolute loyalty of character. Probably that very
loyalty was appreciated by the Sultan and enabled Marko
not rarely to appeal to the Sultan in favour of his
people, especially when some prisoners or slaves were to
be liberated and saved. He was certainly the protector
of poor and suffering men and women, and went to their
rescue at all and every personal risk and cost. He must
have given real proofs of his devotion to the cause of
justice ; that is what endeared him to his generation as
well as to the generations which followed. He must have
been known during his life for his fear of God and his
respect and tender love for his mother. The Serbians
painted him from the model which his own personality
and his actual deeds offered to the nation. One of the most
beautiful features of his knightly character as described
by the national bards is his love of and pity for suffering
animals. I regret that my friend Petrovitch did not give a
sample of the songs which glorify that feature of our
national hero, as, for instance, the song " Marko and the
Falcon" (Vouk. ii. 53), or "Marko and the Eagle"
(Vouk. ii. 54), in each of which it is described how when
once Marko fell ill on a field, an intense thirst tormenting
him and the scorching sun-rays burning his face, those
birds out of gratitude for the kindness Marko showed
them once, brought to him water in their beaks and spread
_their wings to shade his face against the sun.
By far the best study on the Serbian national hero has
been written by the Russian professor M. Halanski, who
explains the puzzle by the natural sympathy of the people
for a ' tragic hero.' The historical Marko was certainly
a ' tragic hero.' Nothing proves that better than his last

xi

Tales ^f Legends of the Serbians

words before the battle of Rovina began (1399), and
which M. Petrovitch quotes in the text.
^Tought to add that there is also a theory that the Serbian
nation, so to say, projected itself in the Royal Prince
Marko, depicting its own tragic fate, its own virtues and
weaknesses, in the popular yet tragic personality of Marko.
No doubt Marko must have been in some way the repre-
sentative type of a noble Serbian, otherwise he could not
have found the way to the soul and heart of his people.
Yet that theory is hardly modest, for my taste.
It may interest our British friends to know that a relation
of the dynasty of which Marko was the last representa-
tive, a certain Prince John Mussachi, in a historical
memoir stated that Marko's father, King Voukashin, was
the descendant of a certain nobleman named Britanius
or Britanicus ! * We should be proud if it could be
proved that the ancestors of our national hero were in
some way connected with the Britons.

CHEDO MIYATOVICH

Member of the Royal Serbian Academy

of Sciences
BELGRADE

June 28, 1914

1 Mussachi's memoir in Karl Hopf's Chroniques Gr&co-Romaines.

Xll

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

INTRODUCTION xvii

I HISTORICAL RETROSPECT i

II SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEFS AND NATIONAL

CUSTOMS 13

III SERBIAN NATIONAL EPIC POETRY 54'

IV KRALYEVITCH MARKO ; OR, THE ROYAL

PRINCE MARKO 59

V BANOVITCH STRAHINYA 119

VI THE TSARINA MILITZA AND THE ZMAY

OF YASTREBATZ 129

VII THE MARRIAGE OF MAXIMUS TZRNO-

YEVITCH 134

-VIII THE MARRIAGE OF TSAR DOUSHAN THE

MIGHTY 150

IX TSAR LAZARUS AND THE TSARINA

MILITZA 170

X THE CAPTIVITY AND MARRIAGE OF

STEPHAN YAKSHITCH 177

XI THE MARRIAGE OF KING VOUKASHIN 186

XII THE SAINTS DIVIDE THE TREASURES 195

XIII THREE SERBIAN BALLADS

1. THE BUILDING OF SKADAR 198

2. THE STEPSISTERS 206

3. THE ABDUCTION OF THE BEAUTIFUL ICONIA 210

XIV FOLK LORE

1. THE RAM WITH THE GOLDEN FLEECE 213

2. A PAVILION NEITHER IN THE SKY NOR ON THE EARTH 220
PEPELYOUGA 224

4. ANIMALS' LANGUAGE 230
THE STEPMOTHER AND HER STEPDAUGHTER 235

6. JUSTICE AND INJUSTICE 240

xiii

Tales &f Legends of the Serbians

CHAPTER

XIV FOLK LORE— continued

7. HE WHO ASKS LITTLE RECEIVES MUCH
•MJ. BASH TCHELIK OR REAL STEEL
^9. THE GOLDEN APPLE- TREE AND THE NINE PEA-HENS

THE BIRD MAIDEN
1 1. LYING FOR A WAGER
12. THE MAIDEN WISER THAN THE TSAR
GOOD DEEDS NEVER PERISH
HE WHOM GOD HELPS NO ONE CAN HARM
ANIMALS AS FRIENDS AND AS ENEMIES

6. THE THREE SUITORS

-%47.

— 19.

THE DREAM OF THE KING'S SON
THE BITER BIT

THE TRADE THAT NO ONE KNOWS
THE GOLDEN-HAIRED TWINS

XV SOME SERBIAN POPULAR ANECDOTES
GLOSSARY AND INDEX

PAGE

243

247

267
280

283
287
291
3OO

305
3l6
322
328

34°
353

362

XIV

ILLUSTRATIONS

Facing

page
" O BEAUTEOUS GREEN LAKE ! THOU ART TO BE MY HOME FOR

EVERMORE " Frontispiece

HE IS INSTANTLY PURSUED BY A DENSE FoG I 8

THE YOUNG MAN SHAKES A TREE THREE TIMES 32

THE CHILDREN GLEEFULLY FOLLOW HER 48

VOUKASHIN WAS ON THE PoiNT OF GETTING WITHIN REACH OF HIS

SON 70

" BUT THANKS TO SHARATZ I GOT FARTHER AND FARTHER FROM HIM " 86

THE DOGE GALLANTLY RAISED THE HANGING AT THE DOOR 96

" I SAW HOW BLACK HER FACE WAS AND I SHUDDERED WITH HORROR" 102

IN A FEW MOMENTS SHARATZ CAME UP WITH THE VEELA 104

" THERE is THE SWORD AND HERE is THE ANVIL " 112

HE LAMENTED LOUDLY THE FATE OF MARKO I l6

A TOWER HAD STRUCK MAXIMUS WITHOUT DOING HIM SERIOUS HURT 138

THE RAYS SHONE UPON THE MAIDEN 150

THE MOUNTAIN SHAR WHERE MILOSH-THE-SHEPHERD TARRIED WITH

HIS FLOCKS 1 54

TWO OF THEM LOOKED MEANINGLY AT THEIR COMPANION I 66

THE VEELA RAZING THE WALLS OF SKADAR 200

SHE WRUNG THE NECK OF PAUL'S GREY FALCON 208

"WHY DO YOU WEEP, MY BROTHER ? " 214

THE ELEPHANTS CAME AS WAS EXPECTED 218

SITTING WITH THE SLEEPING DRAGON'S HEAD ON HER KNEE 222

MARRA TOOK OFF HER GOLDEN DRESS 228

THE SNAKE ENTWINED ITSELF SWIFTLY ROUND HIS ARM 232

THE VEELE CAME TO THE SPRING TO BATHE 242

ON THAT SPOT INSTANTLY ROSE A BEAUTIFUL PALACE 246

HE WAS HORRIFIED TO SEE A SNAKE ON THE WALL 254

XV

Tales ^f Legends of the Serbians

Facing
page

THE PEA-HEN INSTANTLY TURNED INTO A MAIDEN 268

THE OLD WOMAN WAS ABSORBED IN PLAYING WITH THE BIRD 282

" THE WHOLE LOAF is FOR THEE, AND BEARDLESS is TO GET NOTHING ! " 286

HE COULD NOT FIND A WORD TO SAY 290

" PRAY, GIVE ME YOUR HAND THAT I MAY SEE YOUR RING ! " 298

THE YOUNG MAN STROVE EARNESTLY IN PRAYER 302

HE ASKED THE ERA WHERE HE HAD HIDDEN THE THIEF 364

MAP OF THE BALKAN STATES 370

XVI

INTRODUCTION

MORE than once in the following pages I have
lamented my inability to translate into English
verse the spirited ballads of our national bards ;
never until now have I realized the error involved in the
dictum of my teachers of literature — true as it may be
from one point of view — that beautiful thoughts are to be
more freely expressed in prose than in a poetic form, which
is necessarily hampered by rules of prosody and metre.
Undoubtedly, good prose is worth more than mediocre
verse, but how if the author be a master poet ?
Serbian epic poetry undoubtedly deserves the attention of
the English literary world, and I venture to express the
hope that some day another English poet will be attracted
as was Sir John Bowring by the charm of our ballads,
and like him will endeavour to communicate to readers of
English the alluring rhythmic qualities of the originals.
In the first half of the nineteenth century various German
poets transversified some of our national ballads, and I
cannot but boast that among the number was even Goethe
himself. Alas ! he was compelled to use Italian versions,
for he was ignorant of the Serbian language, unlike his
worthy countryman Jacob Grimm, who, after having
learnt our musical tongue that he might acquaint himself
with the treasures written in it, wrote : " The Serbian
national poetry deserves indeed a general attention. . . .
On account of these ballads I think the Serbian will now
be universally studied."

A Tcheque1 writer, Lyoodevit Schtur, speaking of the
Slav poetry, wrote : " The Indo-European peoples express
each in their own manner what they contain in themselves

1 Tcheque is a better synonym for the solecism Bohemian.

xvii

/

Tales ^P Legends of the Serbians

and what elevates their souls. The Indian manifests this
in his huge temples ; the Persian in his holy books ;
the Egyptian in pyramids, obelisks and immeasurable,
mysterious labyrinths; the Hellene in his magnificent
statues ; the Roman in his enchanting pictures ; the
German in his beautiful music — the Slavs have poured
out their soul and their intimate thoughts in ballads and
tales."

I think that it is not too much to claim that of all the Slavs,
Serbians have most profusely poured out their souls in
their poetry, which is thoroughly and essentially national.
So much could not safely be said about their tales and
legends, which, to my mind, seem less characteristic.
Indeed, by their striking analogy with the folk lore of
other nations they help to demonstrate the prehistoric
oneness of the entire Aryan race. For example, it would
be ridiculous for any nation to lay exclusive claim, as
'national property/ to such legends as "Cinderella"1
and certain others, which are found more or less alike in
many languages, as is well known to those who have any
considerable acquaintance with European folk lore.

m time immemorial the Serbian has possessed an
exceptional natural gift for composing heroic ballads. That
gift was brought from his ancient abode in the North ;
and the beautiful scenery of his new surroundings, and
contact with the civilized Byzantine, influenced it very
considerably and provided food for its development, so
that it came to resemble the Homeric epic rather than
any product of the genius of the Northern Slav. The
treasure of his mental productions was continually aug-

1 In Serbian Pepdyouga, where/*/*/, or — with vocalized l—pcpeo, means
' cinder ' or * ashes ' ; ouga being the idiomatic suffix corresponding to
the Italian one or English ella, etc.

xviii

Introduction

mented by new impressions, and the national poetry
thus grew opulent in its form and more beautiful in its
composition. The glorious forests of the Balkans, instinct
with legend and romance, to which truly no other forests
in Europe can compare ; the ever-smiling sky of Southern
Macedonia ; the gigantic Black Rocks of Montenegro and
Herzegovina, are well calculated to inspire even a less
talented people than the Serbian inhabitants of those
romantic regions for the last thirteen centuries.
The untiring Serbian muse pursued her mission alike upon
the battlefield or in the forest, in pleasant pastures amid
the flocks, or beneath the frowning walls of princely
castles and sacred monasteries. The entire nation parti-
cipated in her gracious gifts ; and whenever a poet
chanted of the exploits of some favourite national hero, or
of the pious deeds of monk or saint, or, indeed, of any
subject which appeals closely to the people, there were
never lacking other bards who could make such poetic
creations their own and pass them on with the modifica-
tions which must always accompany oral transmission,
and which serve to bring them ever more intimately near
to the heart of the nation. This characteristic of oral
transmission explains the existence of varying versions of
some of the most popular songsT"?

Through many centuries, and more especially during the
blighting domination of the Turk, Serbian national litera-
ture was limited to a merely oral form, save that the
untiring monks, inviolable within the sacred walls of their
monasteries, spent their leisure, not in inscribing the
popular ballads and lyric songs of their nation, but in
recording the biographies of other monks or of this or
that princely patron.

Those Serbians who could not endure the oppressive

xix

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

rule of the Ottoman, and who in the seventeenth century
emigrated with their Patriarch Arsen Tcharnoyevitch to
the level fields of Southern Hungary — there to adopt
in the course of the two subsequent centuries the
pseudo-classicism of the West — considered it infra dig-
nitatem to write about such vulgar subjects as popular
poetry and tradition. The gifted descendants of those
lamentable slaves of the cunning Austrian and Pan-
Russian influences wasted their talents in vain and empty
imitation of pseudo-classic productions from Italy and
France, and, by conjugating zealously the Serbian and
Old-Slavonic verbs in the Russian fashion they created a
monstrous literary jargon which they termed Slavyano-
Serbski (i.e. Slavo-Serbian). And if any Serbian author
should have presumed to write in the melodious and
genuine Serbian as universally spoken throughout his
fatherland, he would have been anathematized by those
misguided Slavo-Serbian * classicists ' who fondly believed
that by writing in a language hardly comprehensible even
to themselves, because of its utter inconsequence and arbi-
trary changes, they would surely become distinguished
in the history of their nation's literature.
The ' classicists ' received their deserts in the first half of
the nineteenth century, when they were overwhelmed by
the irresistible torrent of the popular movement headed by
the self-taught Serbian peasant, VOUK STEPHANOVITCH-
KARADGITCH, whose name will remain for ever great in
the history of Serbian literature. Karadgitch has been
called justly "the father of Serbian modern literature."
His numberless opponents, who began by heaping upon
him every opprobrious epithet which their pens or tongues
could command, ended, after more than fifty years of
fruitless resistance, by opening wide their arms to him.
xx

Introduction

Karadgitch framed a grammar of the popular Serbian
language, banishing all unnecessary graphic signs and
adapting his thirty-lettered alphabet to the thirty sounds
(five vowels and twenty-five consonants) of his mother
tongue — thus giving it an ideal phonetic orthography,
and establishing the golden rule, " Spell as you speak
and speak as you spell"1 He also travelled from
one village to another throughout Serbia, zealously
collecting and inscribing the epic and lyric poems,
legends, and traditions as he heard them from the lips
of bards and story-tellers, professional and amateur.
In his endeavours he was powerfully seconded by the
Serbian ruling princes, and he had the good fortune to
acquire the intimate friendship of those distinguished
philologers and scientists of the last century, Bartholemy
Kopitar, Schaffarik, and Grimm. Helped by Kopitar,
J£aradgitch succeeded in compiling an academic dictionary
of the Serbian language interpreted by Latin and German
\ equivalents. This remains to this day the only reliable
I Serbian dictionary approaching to the Western standard
*"oF such books. His first collection of Serbian popular
poems was published in Vienna in 1814. It contained
200 lyric songs, which he called ^enske pyesme (i.e.
'women-songs'), and 23 heroic ballads, and the book
created a stir in literary circles in Austria, Serbia,
Germany, Russia, and other countries. Seven years later
Karadgitch published at Leipzig a second edition in three
Hbooks. This contained 406 lyric songs and 117 heroic
j poems. From this edition Sir John Bowring made his
metrical translation of certain of the lyric and epic poems,

1 See Servian Conversation Grammar, by Woislav M. Petrovitch, ed.
Julius Groos, Heidelberg, 1914 (London : David Nutt, 212 Shaftesbury
Avenue, W.C.), Introduction, pp. 1-8.

xxi

tha

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

which he published in 1827 under the title Servian Popular
Poetry. He dedicated the book to Karadgitch, who was
is intimate friend and teacher of Serbian.1
I have reproduced three of Bowring's ballads in this book
that English readers may have a better idea than they
can obtain from a mere prose rendering of the original
verse. As to the poetic merits of these metrical trans-
lations I will not presume to offer an opinion, but I may
be permitted to say that I have not seen a more faithful
translation of our national ballads and lyric songs in
nglish or in any other language. Considering the
difficulties to the Anglo-Saxon student of any Slavonic
language (more especially Serbian) it is surprising that
there should be so few defects in Bowring's work. Sir
"John must have possessed an uncommon gift for acquiring
languages, as he has also translated from each of the
other Slavonic tongues with — so I am informed — similar
accuracy and precision.

/Tfie third edition of Karadgitch's work appeared in Vienna

I at intervals between the years 1841 and 1866. It had

i now grown to five volumes and contained 1112 lyric songs

Ljand 313 heroic ballads. It is from this edition that I have

selected the hero-tales in this book ; and if I should succeed

in interesting a new generation of English readers in the

literature of my country it will be my further ambition to

attempt the immeasurably harder task of introducing them

in a subsequent volume to our popular lyric poetry.

1 This was one of many honours received by the self-taught peasant.
He was elected an honorary Doctor of Philosophy by the University of
Jena, and later became acting or honorary member of most of the
Academies of Sciences in Europe ; the highest orders of the ruling
princes of Serbia were bestowed upon him, and the Emperors of
Austria, Russia, and Germany conferred upon him similar marks of their
favour.

xxii

Introduction

Following the example of Karadgitch, many Serbians
of Bosnia and Herzegovina have collected ballads and
legends which Karadgitch did not hear recited during
his various journeys through those typically Serbian
countries, or which he had not found time to add
to his volumes. Such additional poems — a very large
number indeed — have been published from time to time
in the well-known magazines, Bosanska Veela (i.e. "The
Veela of Bosnia") and Karadgitch, and the number is
being continually added to, not only from ancient sources
but also from the newer inspiration which has resulted
from the Balkan wars of 1912-1913.
It remains only to tender my most grateful acknowledg-
ment to my esteemed friend M. Chedo Miyatovich for
his invaluable advice and encouragement, and for his
generous willingness to contribute the preface which
adorns my book. I would also thank my publishers for
the help given in the preparation of my manuscript for
the press.

W. M. PETROVITCH

189 QUEEN'S GATE, LONDON
May 1914

XXlll

CHAPTER I : HISTORICAL
RETROSPECT

The Coming of the Serb

PRIOR to their incursion into the Balkan Peninsula
during the seventh century, the. Serbians * lived as
a patriarchal people in the country now known as
Galicia. Ptolemy, the ancient Greek geographer, describes
them as living on the banks of the River Don, to the \
north-east of the sea of Azov. They settled mostly in
those Balkan territories which they inhabit at the present
day, namely, the present kingdom of Serbia, Old Serbia,
Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Dal-
matia, Batchka, Banat, Croatia, Sirmia and Istria. The
ancient inhabitants of those regions, Latins, Illyrians,
Thracians, Greeks and Albanians, were easily driven by
the newcomers toward the Adriatic coast. Their Em-
peror, Heraclius (A.D. 610-641), unable to oppose an
effective resistance, ceded to the Serbians all the provinces
which they had occupied, and peace was thus purchased.
The pagan and uncultured Serbian tribes now came into
constant intercourse with the civilized Byzantines, and
soon were converted to Christianity; for it is an almost
invariable fact that when one people conquers or subjects
another people, the more civilized of the two, whether the
vanquished or the victorious, must necessarily impose its
civilization and customs on the more barbarous. But the
Serbians only embraced Christianity to any large extent

1 The English language is the only one which, instead of_the correct
forms ' Serbian/ ' Serbia,' uses the solecism 'S^ryia,' etc. Suggesting
a false derivation from the Latin root which furnished the English
words * serf,' ' servant,' ' servitude,' this corrupted form is, of course
extremely offensive to the people to whom it is applied and should
be abandoned.

A I

f Legends of the Serbians

e I beginning of the ninth century, when the two
brothers XJyrillos'and Methodius — the so-called Slavonic
apostles — translated and preached the teaching of Christ
in the ancient Slav language, then in common use among
all southern Slavs of that time.

Early Struggles

As the Serbians, during the seventh and eighth cen-
turies, were divided into tribes, they became an easy
prey to the attacks of the Byzantines, the Bulgars and the
Francs, although they never were subjugated by any of
those neighbours. The Serbians, however, were forced to
realize that only by concentration of their power could
they offer resistance as a nation, and a serious effort was
made to found a State on the banks of the River Morava,
with Horea Margi (now called Tyoupriya) as its capital,
in the early part of the ninth century. Owing to Bul-
garian hostility, however, this proved abortive.
A fresh attempt to form an independent State was made
by the Djoupan (Count) Vlastimir, who had succeeded in
emancipating himself from Byzantine suzerainty. This
province was called Rashka and extended around the
Rivers Piva, Tara, and Lim, touching the basin of the
River Ibar in the east and that of Vrbas in the west. But
in the very beginning of its civil life there were dissensions
amongst the leaders which facilitated the interference of
the Bulgarian Tsar Sim6on. Tchaslav, the djoupan of
another Serbian tribe, though he possessed no rights to it,
claimed the throne, and was supported by Simeon, who
successfully invaded Rashka. The Bulgarians retained
possession of the country for seven years (924-931), when
Tchaslav succeeded in wresting from them a new state
which comprised, together with Rashka, the territories of

Internecine Strife

Zetta, Trebinye, Neretva and Houm. After his death,
great disorder reigned in this principality.
In the course of the next century the Byzantine Empire,
having again brought the now enfeebled Bulgaria within
its rule, also overpowered Rashka, whose Grand Djoupan
fled. The ruler of Zetta, Stephen Vo'islav (1034-1051),
son of Dragomir, djoupan of Trebinye, took the oppor-
tunity of declaring himself independent of his suzerain
the Grand Djoupan of Rashka, and appropriated
Zahoumlye (Herzegovina) and some other regions. His
son Michaylo (1053-1081) succeeded further in bringing
Rashka under his authority, and obtained the title of king
(rex Sclavoium) from Pope Gregory VII in the year 1077.
Under the rule of King Bodin, the son of Michaylo, the
Serbia of Tchaslav was restored ; furthermore Bosnia was
added to his state. But after Bodin's death new disorder
ensued, caused mainly by the struggles amongst the several
pretenders to the throne.

Internecine Strife

Internecine strife is an unfortunate feature to be noticed
throughout Serbian history, and constantly we see energy
wasted in futile dissensions among various members of
ruling families, who criminally and fatally neglected
national interests, in pursuit by legitimate or illegitimate
means of their personal ambitions. This has at all times
hindered the Serbian nation from becoming a powerful
political unit, although efforts were made by many of the
rulers to realize this policy.

In 1169 a dynasty destined to rule Serbia for more than
two centuries (1169-1372) within ever-changing political
boundaries, was founded by the celebrated Grand Djoupan
Stephan Nemanya (1169-1196) who was created Duke

3

Tales Sf Legends of the Serbians

(grand djoupan) of Serbia by the Byzantine Emperor after
he had instigated a revolution, the result of which was
favourable to his pretensions. By his bravery and
wisdom he succeeded not only in uniting under his rule
the provinces held by his predecessors, but also in adding
those which never had been Serbian before, and he placed
Ban Koulin, an ally, upon the throne of Bosnia. Further-
more he strengthened the orthodox religion in his state by
building numerous churches and monasteries, and by
banishing the heretic Bogoumils.1 Feeling the weakness
of advanced age, and wishing to give fresh proof of his
religious faith to his people, the aged Nemanya abdicated
in 1196, in favour of his able second son Stevan, and
withdrew into a monastery. On his accession in the year
1217 Stevan assumed the title of King of Serbia.
When the crusaders vanquished Constantinople, Sava,
Stevan's youngest brother, obtained from the Greek
patriarch the autonomy of the Serbian Church (1219), a°d
became the first Serbian archbishop.
Stevan was succeeded by his son Radoslav (1223-1233),
who was dethroned by his brother Vladislav (1233-1242),
who was removed from the throne by his third brother
Ourosh the Great (1242-1276). Ourosh increased his
territory and established the reputation of Serbia abroad.
In his turn, he was dethroned by his son Dragoutin
(1276-1281), who, owing to the failure of a campaign
against the Greeks, retired from the throne in favour of a
younger brother Miloutin (1281-1321), reserving, however,
for himself a province in the north of the State. Soon
afterward Dragoutin received from his mother-in-law, the
queen of Hungary, the lands between the Rivers Danube

1 Protestants of the Greek Orthodox Church who later settled in
Bosnia.

Doushan the Powerful

Sava and Drina, and assumed the title of King of \Sjrmjj
Dragoutin, while still alive, yielded his throne and a part
of his lands to Miloutin, and another part remained under
the suzerainty of the King of Hungary. Miloutin is
considered one of the most remarkable descendants of
Nemanya. After his death the usual discord obtained
concerning the succession to the throne. Order was
re-established by Miloutin's son, Stevan Detchanski
(1321-1331), who defeated the Bulgarians in the famous
battle of Velbouzd, and brought the whole of Bulgaria
under his sway. Bulgaria remained a province of Serbia
until the Ottoman hordes overpowered both.

Doushan the Powerful

Stevan Detchanski was dethroned by his son Doushan the
Powerful (1331-1355), the most notable and most glorious
of all Serbian sovereigns. He aimed to establish his rule
over the entire Balkan Peninsula, and having succeeded
in overpowering nearly the whole of the Byzantine Empire,
except Constantinople, he proclaimed himself, in agree-
ment with the Vlastela (Assembly of Nobles), Tsar of
Serbia. He elevated the Serbian archbishopric to the
dignity of the patriarchate. He subdued the whole of
Albania and a part of Greece, while Bulgaria obeyed him
almost as a vassal state. His premature death (some
historians assert that he was poisoned by his own
ministers) did not permit him to realize the whole of his
great plan for Serbia, and under the rule of his younger
son Ourosh (1355-1371) nearly all his magnificent work
was undone owing to the incessant and insatiable greed
of the powerful nobles, who thus jiaved the way for the
Ottoman invasion.

Among those who rebelled against the new Tsar was

5

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

King Voukashin. Together with his brother and other
lords, he held almost independently the whole territory
adjoining Prizrend to the south of the mountain Shar.1
King Voukashin and his brother were defeated in a
battle with the Turks on the banks of the River Maritza
(1371), and all Serbian lands to the south of Skoplye
(Uskiib) were occupied by the Turks.

The Royal Prince Marko

The same year Tsar Ourosh died, and Marko, the eldest
son of King Voukashin, the national hero of whom we
shall hear much in this book, proclaimed himself King
of the Serbians, but the Vlastela and the clergy did not
recognize his accession. They elected (A.D. 1371) Knez 2
(later Tsar) Lazar, a relative of Tsar Doushan the Power-
ful, to be the ruler of Serbia, and Marko, from his
principality of Prilip, as a vassal of the Sultan, aided the
Turks in their campaigns against the Christians. In the
year 1399 he met his death in the battle of Rovina, in
Roumania, and he is said to have pronounced these
memorable words : " May God grant the victory to the
Christians, even if I have to perish amongst the first ! "
The Serbian people, as we shall see, believe that he did
not die, but lives even to-day.

Knez Lazar ruled from 1371 to 1389, and during his
reign he made an alliance with Ban3 Tvrtko of Bosnia
against the Turks. Ban Tvrtko proclaimed himself King
of Bosnia, and endeavoured to extend his power in
Hungary, whilst Knez Lazar, with the help of a number
of Serbian princes, prepared for a great war against the

1 See the poem : " Tsar Ourosh and his Nobles, or : The Royal Prince

Marko tells whose the Empire will be."

! This title corresponds to ' prince.'

3 ' Ban ' is the original title of the rulers of Bosnia.

6

The Royal Prince Marko

Turks. But Sultan Amourath, informed of Lazar's
intentions, suddenly attacked the Serbians on June 15
1389, on the field of Kossovo. The battle was furious on
both sides, and at noon the position of the Serbians
promised ultimate success to their arms.

The Treachery of Brankovitch.

There was, however, treachery in the Serbian camp. Vook
(Wolf) Brankovitch, one of the great lords, to whom was
entrusted one wing of the Serbian army, had long been
jealous of his sovereign. Some historians state that he
had arranged with Sultan Amourath to betray his master,
in return for the promise of the imperial crown of Serbia,
subject to the Sultan's overlordship. At a critical
moment in the battle, the traitor turned his horse and fled
from the field, followed by 12,000 of his troops, who
believed this to be a stratagem intended to deceive the
Turks. This was a great blow to the Serbians, and
when, later in the day the Turks were reinforced by fresh
troops under the command of the Sultan's son, Bajazet,
the Turkish victory was complete. Knez Lazar was taken
prisoner and beheaded, and the Sultan himself perished
by the hand of a Serbian voivode,1 Milosh Obilitch.
Notwithstanding the disaster, in which Brankovitch
also perished, the Serbian state did not succumb to the
Turks, thanks to the wisdom and bravery of Lazar's son,
Stevan Lazarevitch (1389-1427). His nephew, Dyourady
Brankovitch (1427-1456), also fought heroically, but was
compelled, inch by inch, to cede his state to the Turks.

1 Voivode originally meant ' leader of an army ' or * General.' As a
title of nobility it corresponds with the English ' Duke,' which, derived
from the Latin, dux, possesses the same root meaning.

7

Tales SP Legends of the Serbians

The Final Success of the Turks
After the death of Dyourady the Serbian nobles could not
agree concerning his successor, and in the disorder that
ensued the Turks were able to complete their conquest of
Serbia, which they finally achieved by 1459. Their states-
men now set themselves the task of inducing the Serbian
peasantry in Bosnia, by promises of future prosperity, to take
the oath of allegiance to the Sultan, and in this they were
successful during the reign of the King of Bosnia, Stevan
Tomashevitch, who endeavoured in vain to secure help
from the Pope. The subjugation of Bosnia was an accom-
plished fact by 1463, and Herzegovina followed by 1482.
An Albanian chief of Serbian origin, George Kas-
triotovitch-Skander-Beg (1443-1468), successfully fought,
with great heroism, for the liberty of Albania. Eventually,
however, the Turks made themselves master of the
country as well as of all Serbian lands, with the exception
of Montenegro, which they never could subdue, owing
partly to the incomparable heroism of the bravest
Serbians — who objected to live under Turkish rule — and
partly to the mountainous nature of the country. Many
noble Serbian families found a safe refuge in that land of
the free ; many more went to I^agusa as well as to the
Christian Princes of Valahia and Moldavia. The cruel
and tyrannous nature of Turkish rule forced thousands of
families to emigrate to Hungary, and the descendants of
these people may be found to-day in Batchka, Banat,
Sirmia and Croatia. Those who remained in Serbia were
either forced to embrace Islam or to live as raya (slaves),
for the Turkish j^&gjjTand-lords) not only oppressed the
Christian population, but confiscated the land hitherto
belonging to the natives of the soil.
8

Serbia again Subjugated

The Miseries of Turkish Rule

We should be lengthening this retrospect unduly if we
were to describe in full the miserable position of the
vanquished Christians, and so we must conclude by giving
merely an outline of the modern period.
When it happens that a certain thing, or state of things,
becomes too sharp, or acute, a change of some sort must
necessarily take place. As the Turkish atrocities reached
their culmination at the end of the XVffith century,
the Serbians, following the example of their brothers in
Hungary and Montenegro, gathered around a leader who
was sent apparently by Providence to save them from the
shameful oppression of their Asiatic lords. That leader,
a gifted Serbian, George Petrovitch— designated by the
Turks Kamg£Qige»j(iBladLJIeorge-5) — gathered around
him other Serbian notables, and a general insurrection
occurred in 1804. The Serbians fought successfully, and
established the independence of that part of Serbia com-
prised in the pashalik of Belgrade and some neighbour-
ing territory. This was accomplished only by dint of
great sacrifices and through the characteristic courage of
Serbian warriors, and it was fated to endure for less than
ten years.

Serbia again Subjugated

When Europe (and more particularly Russia) was
engaged in the war against Napoleon, the Turks found in
the pre-occupation of the Great Powers the opportunity to
retrieve their losses and Serbia was again subjugated in
iSi^jGeorge Petrovitch and other Serbian leaders left the
country to seek aid, first in Austria, and later in Russia.
In their absence, Milosh Obrenovitch, one of Karageorge

9

Tales ^P Legends of the Serbians
Petrovitch's lieutenants, made a fresh attempt to liberate the
Serbian people from the Turkish yoke, and in 1815 was suc-
cessful in re-establishing the autonomy of the Belgrade
pashalik. During the progress of his operations, George
Petrovitch returned to Serbia and was cruelly assassinated
by order of Milosh who then proclaimed himself hereditary
prince and was approved as such by the Sublime Porte in
October 1815. Milosh was a great opponeniL-oLEussian
policy and he incurred the hostility of that power and was
forced to abdicate in 1839 in favour of his son JVliohel
(Serbian * Mihaylo'). Michel was an excellent diplomat,
and had previously incorporated within the independent
state of Serbia several districts without shedding blood.
He was succeeded by Alexandre Karageorgevitch (1842-
1860) son of Karageorge Petrovitch. Under the prudent
rule of that prince, Serbia obtained some of the features of
a modern constitution and a foundation was laid for further
and rapid development. But an unfortunate foreign policy,
the corruption existing among the high dignitaries of
the state and especially the treachery of Milosh's apparent
friends, who hoped to supplant him, forced that enlightened
prince to abandon the throne and to leave his country.
The Skoupshtina (National Assembly) restored Milosh
but the same year the prince died and was succeeded
once again by his son Michel (1860-1868). At the
assassination of this prince his young cousin, Milan
(1868-1889), ruled with the aid, during his minority, of
three regents, in conformity of a Constitution voted in
1869.

The principal events during the rule of Milan were :
the war against Turkey (1876-1878) and the annexation
of four new districts; the acknowledgment of Serbian
independence by the famous Treaty of Berlin;* the
10

King Peter I

proclamation of Serbia as a kingdom in 1882 ; the un-
fortunate war against Bulgaria, which was instigated by
Austria, and the promulgation of a new Constitution,
which, slightly modified, is still in force.
After the abdication of King Milan, his unworthy son,
Alexander, ascended the throne. Despite the vigorous
advices of his friends and the severe admonishments of
his personal friend M. Chedo Miyatovich, he married
his former mistress, Draga Mashin, under whose influence
he entered upon a period of tyranny almost Neronian in type.
He went so far as to endeavour to abolish the Constitution,
thus completely alienating his people and playing into the
hands of his personal enemies, who finally murdered him
(1903).

King Peter I

The Skoupshtina now elected the son of Alexander
Karageorgevitch, the present King Peter I Karageorge-
vitch, whose glorious rule will be marked with golden
letters in modern Serbian history, for it is to him
that Christendom owes the formation of the league
whereby the Turk was all but driven from Europe in
1913. But, alas! the Serbians have only about one-half
of their lands free, the rest of their brethren being still
under the foreign yoke.

Brief as is this retrospect it will suffice to show the
circumstances and conditions from which sprung the
Serbian national poetry with which we shall be largely
concerned in the following pages. The legends have their
roots in disasters due as much to the self-seeking of
Serbian leaders as to foreign oppressors ; but national
calamities have not repressed the passionate striving of a

ii

Tales ^f Legends of the Serbians

high-souled people for freedom, and these dearly loved
hero tales of the Balkans express the ideals which have
inspired the Serbian race in its long agony, and which will
continue to sustain the common people in whatever further
disappointments they may be fated to suffer ere they gain
the place among the great nations which their persistence
and suffering must surely win in the end.

12

CHAPTER II : SUPERSTITIOUS
BELIEFS ftP NATIONAL
CUSTOMS

General Characteristics

THE Serbians inhabiting the present kingdom of
Serbia, having been mixed with the ancient
indigenous population of the Balkan Peninsula,
have not conserved their true national type. They have
mostly brown visages and dark hair; very rarely are
blonde or other complexions to be seen. IJpshnyaks
(Serbians, inhabiting Bosnia) are considered to be the most
typical Serbians, they having most strongly retained the
national characteristics of the pure Southern-Slavonic
race. The average Serbian has a rather lively tempera-
ment; he is highly sensitive and very emotional. His
enthusiasm is quickly roused, but most emotions with
him are, as a rule, of short duration. However, he is
extremely active and sometimes persistent. Truly patriotic,
he is always ready to sacrifice his life and property for
national interests, which he understands particularly well,
thanks to his intimate knowledge of the ancient history of
his people, transmitted to him from generation to genera-
tion through the pleasing medium of popular epic poetry-
composed in very simple decasyllabic blank verse — entirely
Serbian in its origin. He is extremely courageous and
always ready for war. Although patriarchal and conserva-
tive in everything national, he is ready and willing to
accept new ideas. But he has remained behind other
countries in agricultural and industrial pursuits. Very
submissive in his Zadrooga * and obedient to his superiors,

1 The male members of a Serbian family continue to live after marriage
in the paternal home. If the house is too smaU to accommodate the

13

Tales ftf Legends of the Serbians

he is often despotic when elevated to power. The history
of all the Southern Slavs pictures a series of violations,
depositions, political upheavals, achieved sometimes by
the most cruel means and acts of treachery ; all mainly
due to the innate and hitherto inexpugnable faults charac-
teristic of the race, such as jealousy and an inordinate
desire for power. These faults, of course, have been most
apparent in the nobles, hence the decay of the ancient
aristocracy throughout the Balkans.

Paganism and Religion

There is available but slender material concerning the
pre-Christian history of the Southern-Slavonic races, and
their worship of Nature has not been adequately studied.
Immediately after the Slavonic immigration into the
Balkan Peninsula during the seventh and eighth centuries,
Christianity, which was already deeply rooted in the
Byzantines, easily destroyed the ancient faith. The last
survivors of paganism lived in the western part of the
peninsula, in the regions round the river Neretva, and these
were converted to Christianity during the reign of BasiLJ.
A number of Croatians had been converted to Christianity
as early even as the eleventh century, and had established
an episcopate at Agram (Zagreb). In the course of some
thousand years Graeca-Oriental myths and legends, ancient
Illyrian and Roman propaganda and Christian legends and
apocryphal writings exercised so great an influence upon
the ancient religions of the Southern-Slavonic peoples that
it is impossible to unravel from the tangled skein of such evi-
dence as is available a purely Southern-Slavonic mythology.

young couple, an annexe is built. The home may be frequently enlarged
in this way, and as many as eighty members of a family have been known
to reside together. Such family associations are called ' zadrooga.'

14

The Sun God

The God Peroon

Of Ppronn, fa?t pussier* Horl r>f ThnnrWj by whom the Rus-
sian pagans used to swear in their treaties and conventions
concluded with the Byzantines during the tenth century,
only a few insignificant traces remain. There is a village
named ' Peroon ' near Spalato ; a small number of persons
in Montenegro bear the name; l and it is preserved also in
the name of a plant, ' Peroonika ' (iris), which is dedicated
to the god. There is hardly a cottage-garden in the
Serbian villages where one does not see the iris growing
by the side of the house-leek (Tchuvar-Koutchye). The
Serbians say that the god lives still in the person of St. Elias
(Elijah), and Serbian peasants believe that this saint
possesses the power of controlling lightning and thunder.
They also believe that St. Elias has a sister ' Ognyena
Maria ' (Mary the Fiery One), who frequently acts as his
counsellor.

The God Volos

From the Russian God of Cattle, ' VolosJ the city
' Veless ' has obtained its name ; also a village in the
western part of Serbia, and there is a small village on
the lower Danube called ' Velessnitza.' But the closest
derivative appears in the Serbian word 'Vo,' or 'VollJ
(in the singular) ' Volovi ' (in the plural) which means
'Ox.'

The Sun God

Other phenomena of Nature were also personified

and venerated as gods. The Sun god, ' Daybog ' (in

1 One of the principal characters in King Nicholas's drama The Empress
of the Balkans is a warrior called * Peroon.'

15

Tales &P Legends of the Serbians

Russian ' Daszbog,5 meaning literally ' Give, O God 1 '),
whose idols are found in the group of idols in Kief*
and whose name reappears as a proper name of persons
in Russia, Moldavia and Poland, is to the Serbians
the personification of sunshine, life, prosperity and, in-
deed, of everything good. But there have been found
no remains of idols representing the god ' Daybog ' among
the Southern-Slavonic nations, as with the Russians, who
made figures of him in wood, with head of silver and
moustache of gold.

The Veele

The Serbian legends preserve to this day interesting traces
of the worship of those pagan gods and of minor deities —
which still occupy a considerable place in the national
superstition. The " vv^ai " and " TTOTQ/X/ " mentioned by
the Greek historian Procope, as inferior female divinities
inhabiting groves, forests, fountains, springs or lakes,
seem to have been retained in the Serbian popular Veela
(or Vila — in the singular; Veele or Vile — in the plural).
There are several fountains called "Vilin Izvor" in
Montenegro (e.g. on Mount Kom), as also in the district
of Rudnik in Serbia. During the Renaissance the Serbian
poets of Ragusa and other cities of Dalmatia made
frequent reference to the nymphs^ dry ads , and oreads
beloved by them as " veele." The Serbian bards or
troubadours from the early fourteenth century to our day
have ever glorified and sung of the veele, describing them
as very beautiful and eternally young, robed in the whitest
and finest gauze, with shimmering golden hair flowing
down over snow-white bosoms. Veele were said to have
the most sweet voices and were sometimes armed with
bows and arrows. Their melodious songs were often
16

The Vcele

heard on the borders of the lakes or in the meadows
hidden deep in the forests, or on high mountain-peaks
beyond the clouds. They also loved to dance, and their
rings are called ' Vrzino (or Vilino) Kollo.' In Mount
Kom in Montenegro, there is one of these rings which
measures about twenty metrea^across and is called
* Vilino Kollo.' The Treaty of Berlin mentions another
situated between Vranya and Kustandil, through which
ran the Serbo-Bulgarian frontier. When veele were
dancing nobody dare disturb them, for they could be
very hostile to men. Like the Greek nymphs, veele could
also be amicably disposed ; and on occasions they assisted
the heroes. They could become the sisters of men and
of women, and could even marry and have off-spring^. But
they were not by any means invulnerable. J^Prince Marko,
the favourite hero of the Serbians, was-endowed with
superhuman strength by a veela who also presented
him with a most wonderful courser, '§ha£alz,' which
was, indeed, almost human. A veela also became his
possestrima (Spiritual sister, or ' ^ister-in-Gnd ') and when
Marko was in urgent need of help, she would descend
from the clouds and assist him. But she refused to aid
him if he fought in duels on Sundays. On one occasion 1
Marko all but slew the Veela Raviyoyla. who ^founded
his pobratim (brofbfM^n-rwi) VniVnH** Mi'lnch / The
veele were wise in the use of herbs, and kne\vjtne pro-
perties of every flower and berry, therefore Raviyoyla
could heal the wounds of Milosh, and his pierced heart
was " sounder than ever before." They believed in God
and St. John, and abhorred the Turk. The veele also
possessed the power of clairvoyance, and Prince Marko's
* sister-in-God ' prophesied his death and that of

1 See " Prince Marko and the Veela," page 102.

B 17

Tales ^f Legends of the Serbians

Sharatz.1 Veele had power to control tempests and other
phenomena of nature ; they could change themselves into
snakes or swans. When they were offended they could
be very cruel ; they could kill or take away the senses of
any who threatened them with violence ; they would lead
men into deep waters or raze in a night magnificent
buildings and fortresses.2

To veele was attributed also the power of deciding the
destiny of newly born children. On the seventh night
after the birth of a child the Serbian peasant woman
watches carefully for the Oossood, a veela who will pro-
nounce the destiny of her infant, and it is the mother only
who can hear the voice of the fairy.

Predestination and Immortality
The Serbians believe firmly in predestination, and they
say that " there is no death without the appointed day "
(Nema smrti bez soodyena dana). They believe uni-
versally in the immortality of thp snnl., of which even
otherwise inanimate objects, such as forests, lakes,
mountains, sometimes partake. After the death of a
man, the soul delays its departure to the higher or lower
spheres until the expiration of a certain period (usually
forty days), during which time it floats in the air, and
can perhaps enter into the body of some animal or insect.

Good and Evil Spirits

Spirits are usually good; in Montenegro the people
believe that each house has its Guardian-Spirit, whom
they call syen or syenovik. Such syens can enter into the
body of a man, a dog, a snake, or even a hen. In the like

1 See "The Death of Marko," page 117.

2 See "The Building of Skadar," page 198.

it

He is instantly pursued by a dense fog

Good and Evil Spirits

manner every forest, lake, and mountain has each its syen,
which is called by a Turkish word djin. So, for example,
the djin of the mountain Riyetchki Kom, near the
northern side of the lake of Scutari, does not allow
passers-by to touch a branch or a leaf in the perpetually
green woods on the mountain side, and if any traveller
should gather as much as a flower or a leaf he is instantly
pursued by a dense fog and perceives miraculous and
terrifying visions in the air. The Albanians dread similar
spirits of the woods in the region round Lurya, where
they do not dare touch even the dry branches of fallen
firs and larches. This recalls the worship of sacred
bushes common among the ancient Lithuanians.
Besides the good spirits there appear evil spirits (by ess),
demons, and devils (dyavd), whom the Christians con-
sidered as pagan gods, and other evil spirits (zli doossi)
too, who exist in the bodies of dead or of living men.
These last are called vookodlaks or Vlkodlaks (i.e. vook,
meaning * wolf,' and dlaka, meaning ' hair '), and, accord-
ing to the popular belief, they cause solar and lunar
eclipses. This recalls the old Norse belief that the sun
and moon were continually pursued by hungry wolves, a
similar attempt to explain the same natural phenomena.
Even to-day Serbian peasants believe that eclipses of the
sun and moon are caused by their becoming the prey of a
hungry dragon, who tries to swallow them. In other parts
of Serbia it is generally believed that such dragons are
female beings. These mischievous and very powerful
creatures are credited with the destruction of cornfields
and vineyards, for they are responsible for the havoc
wrought by the hail-carrying clouds. When the peasants
observe a partial eclipse of the moon or the sun, believing
that a hailstorm is imminent, they gather in the village

19

Tales ftP Legends of the Serbians

streets, and all — men, women, and children — beat pots
and pans together, fire pistols, and ring bells in order to
frighten away the threatening monster. ^^ /{c^Sv^tA
In Montenegro, Herzegovina, and Bocca Cattaro the
people believe that the soul of a sleeping man is wafted
by the winds to the summit of a mountain, and, when a
number of such has assembled, they become fierce giants
who uproot trees to use as clubs and hurl rocks and
stones at one another. Their hissing and groans are
heard especially during the nights in spring and autumn.
Those struggling crowds are not composed merely of
human souls, but include the spirits of many animals,
such as oxen, dogs, and even cocks, but oxen especially
join in the struggles.

Witches

Female evil spirits are generally called veshtitze
(singular, veshtitza, derived obviously from the ancient
Bohemian word ved, which means * to know '), and are
supposed to be oIcT" women possessed by an evil spirit,
i , irreconcilably hostile to men, to other women, and most
of all to children. They correspond more or less to the
English conception of * witches.' When an old woman

% / goes to sleep, her soul leaves her body and wanders about
" till it enters the body of a hen or, more frequently, that of

&(A^ black moth. Flying about, it enters those houses where
there are a number of children, for its favourite food is
the heart of an infant. From time to time veshtitze meet
to take their supper together in the branches of some tree.
An old woman having the attributes of a witch may join
such meetings after having complied with the rules pre-
scribed by the experienced veshtitze, and this is usually
done by pronouncing certain stereotyped phrases. The
20

Vampires

peasants endeavour to discover such creatures, and, if
they succeed in finding out a witch, a jury is hastily
formed and is given full power to sentence her to death.
One of the most certain methods used to discover whether
the object of suspicion is really a witch or not, is to throw
the victim into the water, for if she floats she is surely a
witch. In this case she is usually burnt to death. This
test was not unknown in England.

Vampires

The belief in the existence of vampires is universal
throughout the Balkans, and indeed it is not uncommon
in certain parts of western Europe. Some assert that
this superstition must be connected with the belief generally
held in the Orthodox Church that the bodies of those who
have died while under excommunication by the Church
are incorruptible, and such bodies, being taken possession
of by evil spirits, appear before men in lonely places and
murder them. In Montenegro vampires are called lampirs
or tenatZ) and it is thought that they suck the blood of
sleeping men, and also of cattle and other animals,
returning to their graves after their nocturnal excursions
changed into mice. In order to discover the grave where
the vampire is, the Montenegrins take out a black horse,
without blemish, and lead it to the cemetery. The
suspected corpse is dug up, pierced with stakes and
burnt. The authorities, of course, are opposed to such
superstitious practices, but some communities have
threatened to abandon their dwellings, and thus leave
whole villages deserted, unless allowed to ensure their
safety in their own way. The code of the Emperor
Doushan the Powerful provides that a village in which
bodies of dead persons have been exhumed and burnt

21

Tales &P Legends of the Serbians

shall be punished as severely as if a murder had been
committed ; and that a resnik, that is, the priest who
officiates at a ceremony of that kind, shall be anathe-
matized. Militchevitch, a famous Serbian ethnographist,
relates an incident where a resnik, as late as the beginning
of the nineteenth century, read prayers out of the apocrypha
of Peroon when an exorcism was required. The revolting
custom has been completely suppressed in Serbia. In
Montenegro the Archbishop Peter II. endeavoured to
uproot it, but without entire success. In Bosnia, Istria
and Bulgaria it is also sometimes heard of. The belief
in vampires is a superstition widely spread throughout
Roumania, Albania and Greece.1

Nature Worship

Even in our own day there are traces of sun and moon
worship, and many Serbian and Bulgarian poems celebrate
the marriage of the sun and the moon, and sing Danitza
(the morning star) and Sedmoro Bratye ('The Seven
Brothers' — evidently The Pleiades).2 Every man has
his own star, which appears in the firmament at the
moment of his birth and is extinguished when he dies.
Fire and lightning are also worshipped. It is common
belief that the earth rests on water, that the water reposes
on a fire and that that fire again is upon another fire,
which is called Zmayevska Vatra (' Fire of the
Dragons ').

Similarly the worship of animals has been preserved to
our times. The Serbians consider the bear to be no less
than a man who has been punished and turned into an

1 Monk Marcus of Seres Zqnprtc Tree* /SovAxoXa^wv, ed. Lambros ; N«'oe
lEXX7/vo/iV)J//u;v I (1904), 336-352.

2 ' Pleiades ' are otherwise known under the name of Sedam Vlashitya.
22

Nature Worship

animal. This they believe because the bear can walk
upright as a man does. The Montenegrins consider the
jackal (cants aureus) a semi-human being, because its
howls at night sound like the wails of a child. The
roedeer (capreolus capred) is supposed to be guarded by
veele, and therefore she so often escapes the hunter. In
some parts of Serbia and throughout Montenegro it is a
sin to kill a fox, or a bee.

The worship of certain snakes is common throughout the
Balkans. In Montenegro the people believe that a black
snake lives in a hole under every house, and if anybody
should kill it, the head of the house is sure to die.
Certain water-snakes with fiery heads were also con-
sidered of the same importance as the evil dragons (or
hydra) who, at one time, threatened ships sailing on the
Lake of Scutari. One of these hydras is still supposed to
live in the Lake of Rikavatz, in the deserted mountains of
Eastern Montenegro, from the bottom of which the hidden
monster rises out of the water from time to time, and
returns heralded by great peals of thunder and flashes of
lightning.

But the Southern Slavs do not represent the dragon as
the Hellenes did, that is to say as a monster in the form
of a huge lizard or serpent, with crested head, wings
and great strong claws, for they know this outward
form is merely used as a misleading mask. In his
true character a dragon is a handsome youth, possessing
superhuman strength and courage, and he is usually
represented as in love with some beautiful princess or
empress.1

1 See "The Tsarina Militza and the Zmay of Yastrebatz," page 129.

23

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

Enchanters

Among celebrants of the various pagan rites, there is
mention of tcharobnitzi (enchanters), who are known to
have lived also in Russia, where, during the eleventh
century, they sapped the new Christianity. The Slavonic
translation of the Gospel recognized by the Church in the
ninth century applies the name ' tcharobnitzi * to the three
Holy Kings.

To this same category belong the resnitzi who, as is
apparent in the Emperor Doushan's Code referred to
previously, used to burn the bodies of the dead. Resnik^
which appears as a proper name in Serbia, Bosnia and
Croatia, means, according to all evidence, " the one who
is searching for truth."

Sacrificial Rites

From translations of the Greek legends of the saints, the
exact terminology of the sacrificial ceremonies and the
places where they had been made is well known. Pro-
copius mentions oxen as the animals generally offered for
sacrifice, but we find that calves, goats, and sheep, in
addition to oxen, were used by the Polapic Slavs and
Lithuanians, and that, according to Byzantine authorities,
the Russians used even birds as well. In Montenegro,
on the occasion of raising a new building, a ram or a
cock is usually slaughtered in order that a corner-stone
may be besprinkled with its blood, and, at the ceremony
of inaugurating a new fountain, a goat is killed. Tradition
tells of how Prince Ivan Tzrnoyevitch once shot in front
of a cavern an uncommonly big wild goat that, being
quite wet, shook water from its skin so that instantly
a river began to flow thence. This stream is called even
24

Funeral Customs

now the River of Tzrnoyevitch. The story reminds one
of the goats' horns and bodies of goats which are seen on
the altar dedicated to the Illyrian god, Bind, near a
fountain in the province of Yapod.

It is a fact that Russians and Polapic Slavs used to offer
human sacrifices. Mention of such sacrifices among the
Southern Slavs is found only in the cycle of myths relating
to certain buildings, which, it was superstitiously believed,
could be completed only if a living human being were
buried or immured. Such legends exist among the
Serbians and Montenegrins concerning the building of
the fortress Skadar (Scutari) and the bridge near Vishe-
grad; with the Bulgarians in reference to building the
fort Lidga-Hyssar, near Plovdiv, and the Kadi-Kopri
(Turkish for * the bridge of the judge ') on the river
Struma ; and again among modern Greeks in their history
of the bridge on the river Arta, and the Roumanians of
the church 'Curtea de Ardyesh.' It seems very likely
that certain enigmatic bas-reliefs, representing oval human
faces with just the eyes, nose and mouth, which are found
concealed under the cemented surface of the walls of
old buildings have some connexion with the sacrificial
practice referred to. There are three such heads in the
fortress of Prince Dyouragy Brankovitch at Smederevo
(Semendria), not far from Belgrade, on the inner side of
the middle donjon fronting the Danube, and two others
in the monastery Rila on the exterior wall close to the
Doupitchka Kapiya.

Funeral Customs

During the siege of Constantinople in the year 626, the
Southern Slavs burnt the bodies of their dead. The
Russians did the same during the battles near Silistria,

25

Tales &f Legends of the Serbians

971, and subsequently commemorative services were held
in all parts of Russia, and the remains of the dead were
buried.

The Slavs of north Russia used to keep the ashes of the
dead in a small vessel, which they would place on a pillar
by the side of a public road ; that custom persisted with
the Vyatitchs of southern Russia as late as noo.
These funeral customs have been retained longest by the
Lithuanians ; the last recorded instance of a pagan burial
was when Keystut, brother of the Grand Duke Olgerd,
was interred in the year 1382, that is to say, he was
burnt together with his horses and arms, falcons and
hounds.

There are in existence upright stones, mostly heavy slabs
of stone, many of them broken, or square blocks and even
columns, which were called in the Middle Ages kami, or
bileg, and now stetyak or mramor. Such stones are to be
found in large numbers close together; for example,
there are over 6000 in the province of Vlassenitza, and
some 22,000 in the whole of Herzegovina; some can be
seen also in Dalmatia, for instance, in Kanovli, and in
Montenegro, at Nikshitch ; in Serbia, however, they are
found only in Podrigne. These stones are usually
decorated with figures, which appear to be primitive
imitations of the work of Roman sculptors : arcades on
columns, plant designs, trees, swords and shields, figures
of warriors carrying their bows, horsemen, deer, bears,
wild-boars, and falcons; there are also oblong represen-
tations of male and female figures dancing together and
playing games.

The symbol of the Cross indicates the presence of
Christianity. Inscriptions appear only after the eleventh
century. But many tombstones plainly had their origin in
26

Classic ^f Mediaeval Influence

the Middle Ages. Some tombs, situated far from villages,
are described by man's personal name in the chronicles
relating to the demarcations of territories, for example,
Bolestino Groblye (the cemetery of Bolestino) near Ipek ;
Druzetin Grob (the tomb of Druzet). In Konavla, near
Ragusa, there was in the year 1420 a certain point where
important cross-roads met, known as 'Obugonov Grob.'
Even in our day there is a tombstone here without
inscription, called * Obugagn Greb.' It is the grave of
the Governor Obuganitch, a descendant of the family of
Lyoubibratitch, famous in the fourteenth century.

Classic and Medieval Influence
When paganism had disappeared, the Southern-Slavonic
legends received many elements from the Greeks and
Romans. There are references to the Emperors Trajan
and Diocletian as well as to mythical personages. In the
Balkans, Trajan is often confused with the Greek king
Midas. In the year 1433 tne Chevalier Bertrandon de la
Broquiere heard from the Greeks at Trajanople that this
city had been built by the Emperor Trajan, who had
sheep's ears. The historian Tzetzes also mentions that
emperor's sheeps-ears (oma rpdvov). In Serbian legends
the Emperor Trajan seems also to be confused with
Daedalus, for he is given war-wings in addition to the
ears.

To the cycle of mediaeval myths we owe also the djins
(giants) who dwelt in caverns, and who are known by the
Turkish name div — originally Persian. Notable of the
divs were those having only one eye — who may be called
a variety of cyclops — mentioned also in Bulgarian, Croatian
and Slovenian mythology. On the shores of the river
Moratcha, in Montenegro, there is a meadow called

27

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

* Psoglavlya Livada ' with a cavern in which such creatures
are said to have lived at our time.

The Spread of Christianity

When the pagan Slavs occupied the Roman provinces, the
Christian region was limited to parts of the Byzantine
provinces. In Dalmatia after the fall of Salona, the arch-
bishopric of Salona was transferred to Spalato (Splyet),
but in the papal bulls of the ninth century it continued
always to be styled Salonitana ecclesia, and it claimed
jurisdiction over the entire lands as far as the Danube.
According to Constantine Porphyrogenete, the Serbians
adopted the Christian faith at two different periods, first
during the reign of the Emperor Heraclius, who had
requested the Pope to send a number of priests to convert
those peoples to the Christian faith. It is well known,
however, that the Slavs in Dalmatia even during the
reign of Pope John IV. (640-642) remained pagans. No
doubt Christianity spread gradually from the Roman
cities of Dalmatia to the various Slav provinces. The
Croatians already belonged to the Roman Church at the
time when its priests were converting the Servians to
Christianity between the years 642 and 731, i.e., after the
death of Pope John IV. and before Leon of Isauria had
broken off his relations with Rome.

The second conversion of those of the Southern Slavs
who had remained pagans was effected, about 879, by the
Emperor Basil I.

At first the Christian faith spread amongst the Southern
Slavs only superficially, because the people could not
understand Latin prayers and ecclesiastical books. It
took root much more firmly and rapidly when the ancient
Slavonic language was used in the church services.
28

The Spread of Christianity

Owing to the differences arising over icons and the form
their worship should take, enthusiasm for the conversion
of the pagans by the Latin Church considerably lessened.
In the Byzantine provinces, however, there was no need
for a special effort to be made to the people, for the
Slavs came in constant contact with the Greek Christians,
whose beliefs they adopted spontaneously.
From the Slavonic appellations of places appearing in
certain official lists, one can see that new episcopates were
established exclusively for the Slavs by the Greek Church.
The bishops conducted their services in Greek, but the
priests and monks, who were born Slavs, preached and
instructed the people in their own languages. Thus they
prepared the ground for the great Slav apostles.
The Slav apostles of Salonica, Cyrillos and his elder
brother Methodius, were very learned men and philo-
sophers. The principal of the two, Cyrillos, was a priest
and the librarian of the Patriarchate ; in addition he was
a professor of philosophy in the University of the Imperial
Palace at Constantinople, and he was much esteemed
on account of his ecclesiastical erudition. Their great
work began in 862 with the mission to the Emperor
Michel III., with which the Moravian Princes Rastislav
and Svetopluk entrusted them.

The Moravians were already converted to Christianity, but
they wished to have teachers among them acquainted with
the Slav language. Before the brothers started on their
journey, Cyrillos composed the Slav alphabet and trans-
lated the Gospel.

Thus the Servians obtained these Holy Books written in
a language familiar to them, and the doctrines of the
great Master gradually, but steadily, ousted the old,
primitive religion which had taken the form of pure

29

Tales ftP Legends of the Serbians

Naturalism. But the worship of Nature could not com-
pletely disappear, and has not, even to our day, vanished
from the popular creed of the Balkans. The folk-lore of
those nations embody an abundance of religious and
superstitious sentiment and rites handed down from pre-
Christian times, for after many years' struggle paganism
was only partially abolished by the ritual of the Latin and
afterwards of the Greek Christian Church, to which all
Serbians, including the natives of Montenegro, Macedonia
and parts of Bosnia, belong.

Superstition

The foundations of the Christian faith were never laid
properly in the Balkans owing to the lack of cultured
priests, and this reason, and the fact that the people love
to cling to their old traditions, probably accounts for
religion having never taken a very deep hold on them.
Even to this day superstition is often stronger than
religion, or sometimes replaces it altogether. The whole
daily life of the Southern Slav is interwoven with all
kinds of superstition. He is superstitious about the
manner in which he rises in the morning and as to what
he sees first ; for instance, if he sees a monk, he is sure to
have an unfortunate day ; when he builds a house, a
' lucky spot ' must be found for its foundation. At night
\ he is superstitious about the way he lies down ; he listens
to hear if the cocks crow in time, and if the dogs bark
much, and how they are barking. He pays great attention
j to the moment when thunder is first heard, what kind
I of rain falls, how the stars shine — whether or not they
shine at all, and looks anxiously to see if the moon has a
halo, and if the sun shines through a cloud. All these
things are portents and omens to his superstitious mind,
30

Superstition

and they play a considerable part in all his actions.
When he intends to join a hunting expedition, for
example, he decides from them whether there will be
game or not; he believes that he is sure to shoot some-
thing if his wife, or sister (or any other good-natured
person) jumps over his gun before he calls up .his dogs.
Especially there are numberless superstitions connected
with husbandry, for some of which fairly plausible
explanations could be given; for others, however,
explanations are hopelessly unavailing, and the reasons
for their origin are totally forgotten. Nevertheless, all
superstitions are zealously observed because, the people
say, " it is well to do so," or " our ancestors always did
so and were happy, why should we not do the same?"
The planting of fruit-trees and the growing of fruit must
be aided by charms, and numerous feasts are organized
to secure a fruitful year, or to prevent floods, hail, drought,
frost, and other disasters. But undoubtedly the greatest
number of superstitions exist regarding the daily customs,
most of which refer to birth, marriage and death. Charms
are used to discover a future bridegroom or bride ; to
make a young man fall in love with a maid or vice versd ;
also, if it seems desirable, to make them hate each other.
Sorcery is resorted to to ensure the fulfilment of the bride's
wishes with regard to children ; their number and sex are
decided upon, their health is ensured in advance, favour-
able conditions are arranged for their appearance. Death
can come, it is believed, only when the Archangel Michael
removes a soul from its body, and that can only happen on
the appointed day.

The chief national customs of the Southern Slavs are
involved in a 171 ass of nnprrntitinn As the Serbians are
the most representative of the Balkan Slavs, we shall

Tales ^f Legends of the Serbians

consider a few of their customs in order to show how little
of the true spirit of religion is to be found in some of their
religious observances.

Marriage

When a child is born in a Serbian family, the friends
congratulate the parents and wish for them : " that they
may live to see the green wreaths," which means living to
see their child married. Marriages are most frequent in
autumn, especially towards Christmas, and more rare in
summer. When parents intend to find a bridegroom for
their daughter or a bride for their son, they generally
consider the question thoroughly for a whole year before-
hand. They take their daughter or son to various social
gatherings, in order that they may meet one suited to
become the husband of their daughter or the wife of their
son. When a daughter is informed of her parents' decision
she must hasten her preparations : she must see that the
bochtchaluks x (wedding presents), which she has to dis-
tribute among the wedding guests (svati or svatovi) be
finished soon. These presents are articles mostly made by
her own hands, such as socks, stockings, shirts, towels,
and rugs. Usually the house is put into good order and
perhaps enlarged before the marriage, and when all the
preparations are ready the rumour of her approaching
marriage is allowed to spread through the village. As
marriages are usually settled by the parents, love-matches,
unfortunately, are rare, and elopements are regarded as
phenomenal. There are, however, cases where young
people are not docile to the will of their parents with regard
to marriage. If a girl has fallen in love with a young
man, she may have recourse, besides usual ways and
1 A Serbian word of Turkish origin.
32

The young man shakes a tree three times

Marriage

methods, to professional enchantresses. Among the
devices recommended by these friends of lovers are the
following : The maiden looks through the muzzle of a
roast sucking-pig (which has been killed for the Christmas
festivities) at her beloved, whereupon he is sure to grow
madly in love with her ; her lover is bound to die of love
for her if she sees him through a hole made in a cherry or
certain other fruit ; she is equally sure to gain his affec-
tion if she can succeed in finding the trace of his right
foot-print and turns the earth under it. These and many
other kinds of sorcery are usually practised on or about
St. George's Day (23rd of April. O.S.). ffiyp4*ir <&L
Young men, too, have recourse on occasion to witchcraft
when they desire the love of some obdurate maiden. For
instance, if at midnight on a certain Friday the young
man goes to the courtyard of the dwelling of the lady of
his heart and there shakes a tree three times, uttering as
many times her Christian name, she is absolutely certain
to answer his call and to reciprocate his love. Another
equally infallible method is for him to catch a certain fish
and to let it die near his heart; then to roast its flesh
until it is burnt to a cinder, then to pound this, and to
place the powder secretly in water or some other beverage.
If the girl can be induced to taste of it, she is as a matter
of course constrained to love him. These expedients
recall the famous exploit of the French troubadour Pierre
Vidal undertaken to win the love of his beautiful patroness
Donna Azalais de Baux. A magical recipe for success in
love, taken from an Arabic monument, was given to the
poet by Hughes de Baux, a mischievous young knight and
brother-in-law of the fair Donna Azalais ; the credulous
Vidal was induced to ride on a pig one moonlight night
three times round the castle of his lady-love, all uncon-

c 33

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

scious that his waggish friend had brought all the inmates
to a terrace to witness his ridiculous exhibition.

Marriage Negotiations

When parents have chosen their son's bride they send to
her parents a fully qualified delegate (navodagjyd) to
inquire whether or not they would consent to give their
daughter to the young man. As marriages are rarely
concluded without the aid of these delegates there are
numerous persons who make it their regular profession to
negotiate marriages, and they receive a sum of money
when their offices are successful. In addition to this fee
the navodagjya receives from the future bride at least one
pair of socks. If the father of the girl is not agreeable to
the proposal, he generally does not give a decisive reply,
but finds some pretext, stating, for example, that his
daughter is still too young, or that she is not quite ready
with her preparations for marriage ; but if the young man
appears to be eligible and the father is willing to give his
consent, he generally answers that he would like to see his
daughter married to such an excellent man, provided the
couple be fond of each other. Then a meeting is arranged,
although in fact this is merely a matter of form, since the
final decision must come from the parents themselves,
irrespective of the mutual feelings of the prospective
husband and wife. The parents ask the young people if
they like one another; usually an affirmative answer is
given, whereupon all present embrace each other, and
presents are exchanged, both between the parents and
between the future husband and bride. This event is
often celebrated by the firing of pistols and guns, in order
to make it known all over the village that marriage
festivities are soon to follow. Soon after the ceremony,
34

The Wedding Procession

which may be called a preliminary betrothal, the parents
of the bridegroom, together with the young man and a
few most intimate friends, pay an official visit to the house
of the bride. The visit usually takes place in the evening,
and, after the bridegroom has given the bride a ring,
festivities begin and last until the next morning. A few
days later the bride and the bridegroom go to church,
accompanied by a few friends, and the priest asks them
some stereotyped questions, such as : " Do you wish to
marry of your own free will ? " to which they are, so to
speak, compelled to answer " Yes."

The Wedding Procession

A week before the wedding-day both families prepare
their houses for numerous guests, whom they will enter-
tain most hospitably for several days. Until very recent
times, if the bride lived in some distant village the
wedding procession had to travel for several days to fetch
her, and, in the absence of good roads for carriages, the
entire party had to ride on horseback. The wedding
party includes the dever l (that is, leader of the bride),
who remains in constant attendance upon the bride
throughout the ceremonies, being, in a sense, her guar-
dian; the koom (principal witness, who in due course
becomes a sort of sponsor or godfather to the children) ;
and the stari-svat^ who is the second witness of the
wedding ceremony. Throughout the wedding ceremonies
the koom has to stand behind the bridegroom and the
stari-svat behind the bride. The stari-svat is also a kind
of master of the ceremonies on the wedding-day ; he

1 This personage is usually a brother or very intimate friend of the
bridegroom. He corresponds somewhat to the 'best man' at an
English wedding, but his functions are more important, as will be seen.

35

Tales ^f Legends of the Serbians

keeps order among the guests and presides at the nuptial
banquets. With the dever come also his parents, and
the koom and stari-svat must bring one servant each, to
attend them during the ceremony. These two witnesses
must provide themselves with two large wax candles,
generally adorned with transparent silk lace and flowers,
which they must present to the bride in addition to many
other gifts.

Before the procession sets out, the young people fire
pistols, sing, and dance, whilst the elders sit and take
refreshment. The appearance of the bridegroom in his
bridal garments, and wearing flowers in his hat, is the
signal for the traditional nuptial songs from a chorus of
girls. When the carriages are ready to start they sing
the following :

" A falcon flew from the castle
Bearing a letter under its wing,
Drops the letter on the father's knee
See ! Father ! The letter tells you
That thy son will travel far,
Beyond many running rivers,
Through many verdant forests,
Till he brings you a daughter[-in-law]."

The Tzigan (Gipsy) band begins its joyful melodies ; the
bridegroom, the standard-bearer, and other young people
mount their horses, all gaily bedecked with flowers, and
the procession starts for the bride's house, the equestrians
riding, generally, two and two, firing pistols and singing.
The procession is always led by a frolicsome youth who
carries a tchoutoura (a flat wooden vessel) containing red
wine. It is his duty to offer this to every person the
wedding party may meet on the road, and he is privileged
to make, during the wedding festival, jokes and witticisms
at the expense of everybody. He enjoys the licence of a
36

The Arrival

court jester for that day, and nobody must resent his
witticisms, which are, at times, indelicate and coarse.
A few steps behind the tchoutoura-bearer ride the voivode
(general, or leader), whose office it is to support the
former in his sallies, and the standard-bearer, who carries
the national flag ; after them, in one of the carriages pro-
fusely decorated with flowers, ride the bridesmaids, who
are selected from among the relatives of the bridegroom.
With other presents the maidens carry the wedding dress
and flowers which the bridegroom's father has bought for
his future daughter-in-law. Immediately following the
bridesmaids rides the bridegroom between the koom and
the stari-svat. Then come other relatives and guests,
two and two in procession. At times these wedding pro-
cessions offer a very impressive sight.

The Arrival

When the wedding procession approaches the house of the
bride, its arrival is announced by firing off pistols and guns,
whereupon a number of girls appear and sing various songs
expressive of sorrow at the bride's departure from her old
home. In some parts of Serbia there still survives a strange
old custom; the bride's father requires that certain
conditions should be fulfilled before the gates of the
courtyard are opened for the procession. For example, he
sends a good wrestler to challenge any or every man of the
bridegroom's party, and one of the wedding guests must
overpower the challenger before the gates are opened. Of
course, the wrestling bout is not serious, as a rule. Another
condition, obtaining in other parts, is that the newcomers are
not be to admitted before one of them, by firing his pistol,
has destroyed a pot or other terra-cotta vessel fastened at
the top of the chimney.

37

Tales <§f Legends of the Serbians

When such, or other, conditions have been successfully
negotiated, the wedding party is admitted to the house
and led to tables loaded with roast lamb or pork, cakes,
fruit, wine and brandy. The bride's father places the
father of the bridegroom in the seat of honour, and
immediately next to him the stari-svat, then the koom
and then the bridegroom. When the guests are seated, a
large flat cake (pogatcha) is placed before the bride-
groom's father, and he lays upon it some gold coins; it
may be a whole chain made of golden ducats, which the
bride is to wear later round her neck. His example is
followed immediately by the stari-svat, the koom, and all
the other guests. Finally the bride's father brings the
dowry which he has determined to give to his daughter
and lays it on the cake. All the money thus collected is
handed over to the stari-svat, who will give it in due
course to the bride. Next the bridesmaids take the
wedding dress to the bride's apartment, where they adorn
her with great care and ceremony. Her toilet finished,
one of her brothers, or, in the absence of a brother, one of
her nearest male relatives, takes her by the hand and
leads her to the assembled family and friends. The
moment she appears, the wedding guests greet her with a
lively fire from their pistols, and the bridesmaids conduct
her to the bridegroom, to whom she presents a wreath of
flowers. She is then led to the stari-svat and the koom,
whose hands she kisses. That ordeal concluded, she
goes into the house, where, in front of the hearth, sit her
parents on low wooden chairs. There she prostrates
herself, kissing the floor in front of the fire. This is
obviously a relic of fire-worship ; now, however, sym-
bolical of the veneration of the centre of family life.
When she rises, the maiden kisses the hands of her father

38

The Return from Church

and mother, who, embracing her, give her their blessing.
Now her brother, or relative — as the case may be — escorts
her back to the bridegroom's party and there delivers her
formally to the dever, who from that moment takes charge
of her, in the first place presenting to her the gifts he has
brought.

The Return from Church

After they have feasted the guests mount their horses and,
firing tirelessly their pistols, set out with the bride for the
nearest church. When the religious ceremony is over the
wedding party returns to the bridegroom's home, and the
bride has to alight from her horse (or carriage) upon a
sack of oats. While the others enter the courtyard
through the principal gate, the bride usually selects some
other entrance, for she fears lest she may be bewitched.
Immediately she enters, the members of the bridegroom's
family bring to her a vessel filled with various kinds of
corn, which she pours out on the ground " in order that
the year may be fruitful." Next they bring her a male
child whom she kisses and raises aloft three times. She
then passes into the house holding under her arms loaves
of bread, and in her hands bottles of red wine — emblems
of wealth and prosperity.

Although the wedding guests have been well feasted at
the bride's house, the journey has renewed their appetites,
therefore they seat themselves at tables in the same order
as we have already seen, and are regaled with a grand
banquet. Throughout the meal, as at the previous one,
the voivodes and the tchoutoura-bearer poke fun and
satire at the expense of everybody. These mirthful
effusions are, as we have already said, not generally in
very good taste, but no one takes offence, and everybody

39

Tales ftf Legends of the Serbians

laughs heartily, provided there be wit in the jokes. After
this feast, during which the young people perform the
national dances (kollo) and sing the traditional wedding
songs, the dever brings the bride to the threshold of her
apartment (vayat) and delivers her to the koom, who, in
his turn, leads her in, places her hand in that of the
bridegroom and leaves them alone. The guests, however,
often remain in the house, until dawn, drinking and
singing.

Slava (or Krsno Ime)

This custom is considered to be a survival of the times
when the Serbians were first converted to Christianity.
Every Serbian family has one day in the year, known as
slava, generally some saint's day, when there are performed
certain ceremonies partly of a religious and partly of a
social character. The saint whom the head of the family
celebrates as his patron, or tutelary saint, is also celebrated
by his children and their descendants.
A few days before the celebration the priest comes to the
house of every svetchar — the man who as the chief of the
family celebrates the saint — in order to bless the water
which has been prepared beforehand for that purpose in a
special vessel ; after this he besprinkles the heads of all
the members of the family with the holy water, into which
he has dipped a small sprig of basil. Then he proceeds
from room to room performing the same ceremony in
each.

In order to please their tutelary saint, all the members of
the family fast for at least a week before the feast. On
the eve of the saint's day a taper is lit before the saint's
image, and remains burning for two days. One or two
days before the festival the women prepare a kolatch (a
40

The Slava Eve Reception

special cake made of wheat-flour) which measures about
fifteen inches in diameter, and is about three inches thick.
Its surface is divided into quarters by being marked with
a cross, each quarter bearing a shield with the letters
I. N.R.I. In the centre there is a circle in which is a
poskurnik (monogram of these initials). Besides the
kolatch, another cake of white wheat well boiled and mixed
with powdered sugar, chopped nuts, and almonds, is made.
This is called kolyivo (literally "something which has
been killed with the knife"). This is obviously a relic of
the pagan times when kolyivo was the name given to
animals sacrificed on the altar. When the Serbians were
coverted to the Christian faith, they were told that the
Christian God and His saints did not call for animal, and
still less for human sacrifice, and that boiled wheat might
serve as a substitute. And it is interesting to find that
kolyivo is prepared only for those saints whom the people
believe to be dead, and not for those who are believed to
be still living, such as St. Elias (Elijah), the patron Saint
of Thunder, or the " Thunderer," the Archangel Michael
and certain others, for it is emphatically a symbolic offering
for the dead.

The Slava Eve Reception

On the eve of the Slayji <ja.y enough food is prepared to
last for the two following days, and toward sunset, all the
tables are well loaded with refreshments in readiness for
the arrival of numerous guests. Friends and relations are
invited to come by a messenger especially sent out from
the house. There are several stereotyped forms of this
invitation, one of which is the following : " My father (or
my uncle, as the case may be) has sent me to bring you
his greetings and to invite you to our house this evening

Tales ®f Legends of the Serbians

to drink a glass of brandy. We wish to share with you
the blessings bestowed upon us by God, and our patron-
saint. We entreat you to come ! " At these words the
messenger hands to the invited guest a tchoutoura filled
with red wine and decorated with flowers, out of which the
guest is obliged to take a little. He then makes the sign
of the Cross, and says : " I thank you, and may your Slava
be a happy and prosperous one!" After tasting the
wine, he continues : " We will do our best to come. It is
simple to comply with your wish, since we are invited to
share such an honour." He invariably pronounces these
words whether he really intends to accept the invitation
or not.

In the meantime, while the messenger was away inviting
guests, the women of the household have been making
all the preparations necessary for their reception. Each
guest, as he reaches the threshold exclaims : " O master
of the house, art thou willing to receive guests ? " Hear-
ing this the Svetchar rushes to meet the guest and greets
him in these words : " Certainly I am, and may there be
many more good guests such as thou art ! " Then the
guest enters, embraces the Svetchar and says : " I wish
thee a most pleasant evening and a happy Slava ! " And
then as a matter of course the host answers : " I thank
thee, and welcome thee to my house ! " In the same
manner the other guests are greeted. When they have
all arrived, the host invites them to wash their hands —
for no Serbian peasant would ever sit down to take food
without first doing so. Then the host shows to each one
his place at the table, always strictly observing precedence
due to seniority.

The girls of the house first pass round brandy to the
assembled guests and this, at least in the winter, has
42

The Slava Eve Reception

generally been warmed, and honey or sugar has been
added. While that is being served all the guests stand,
and in silence wait reverently for the ceremonies of the
Slava to begin.

The host places in the middle of the table a large wax
candle, which he does not light until he has made the sign
of the Cross three times. Next he takes an earthen vessel
containing a few embers, places in it a few small pieces of
incense and then lets the fragrance ascend to the icon, which
is, according to custom, occupying the place of honour in
the room, then still holding the cluser he stops for a few
moments before each guest. That ceremony being ended,
and if there be no priest present, the host himself invites
his guests to say their prayers to themselves. A great
many Serbian peasants are gifted with the power of offer-
ing extemporal prayers and they are always in request at
these ceremonies. The host passes the censer to his wife,
whose duty it is to see that the fumes of the incense reach
into every part of the house. Next the host breaks
silence with the following prayer: "Let us pray, O
brethren, most reverently to the Almighty Lord, our God,
and to the Holy Trinity ! O Lord, Thou omnipotent
and gracious Creator of Heaven and Earth, deliver us,
we pray Thee, from all unforeseen evil 1 O, St. George !
(here he adds the name of the saint whose festival they
are celebrating), our holy patron-saint, protect us and
plead for us with the Lord, our God, we here gathered
together do pray Thee. Ye Holy Apostles, ye, the four
Evangelists and pillars upon whom rest the Heavens and
the Earth, we, being sinners, do conjure ye to intercede for
us," and so on. When his prayer is finished, the guests
make the sign of the Cross several times and then supper
begins.

43

Tales SP Legends of the Serbians

Slava Toasts

During the first two or three courses, the guests con-
tinue to drink brandy, and wine is not served until they
have partaken of meat. At the drinking of the first glass
of wine the oldest guest or whoever enjoys the highest
dignity of position (generally it is the village priest or
the mayor) proposes the first toast, of which — as well as
of all the subsequent ones — it may be said that tradition has
ordered the exact programme to be followed in all these
proceedings, and even prescribed the very words to be used.
In some parts of Serbia the host himself proposes the
first toast to the most distinguished of his guests, address-
ing him with : " I beg to thank you, as well as all your
brethren, for the honour which you graciously show me
in coming to my Slava ! Let us drink the first glass to
the glory of the gracious God 1 Where wine is drunk in
His name, may prosperity always be ! " The principal
guest accepts the toast, makes the sign of the C'ross and
answers in such words as the following : "I thank you,
most kind and hospitable host ! May your Slava bring you
prosperity, let us drink this second glass ' for the better
hour.' " The third toast is generally " To the glory of
the Holy Trinity ! " (In Serbian : Tretya-sretya, sve u
slavu Svete Troyitze!)

In some parts of Serbia there are commonly seven or even
more toasts to be drunk, but this custom shows, fortunately,
a tendency to disappear.

The Ceremony at Church

Next morning all the members of the family rise very

early in order to restore order in the house, and the

Svetchar goes to the nearest church, taking with him the

44

The Slava Feast

kolyivo, the kolatch, some wine, incense and a wax
candle. All these things he places in front of the altar
where they must remain during the morning service,
after which the officiating priest cuts the Slava cake
from underneath so that his cuts correspond with the
lines of the cross shown on the upper surface. Then he
breaks the cake and turns it in a circle with the help of
the Svetchar, while they pronounce certain prayers together.
This ceremony ended, the host takes one half of the cake
home and leaves the other half to the priest. If it happens
that the church is far away, and time does not allow the
host to absent himself long from home, the Slava cake
may be cut in halves by him in his own house with the
help of his male guests, chanting all the while certain
formal prayers : and standing in a circle they hold the
cake so that a thumb of each guest should be placed on
the top of the cake, whilst they each support it with four
fingers.

The Slava Feast

Toward noon, a few minutes before the sun reaches his
zenith, a part of the Slava cake is placed upon the table
together with a lighted wax candle. To this midday meal
many more guests are usually invited than had attended
the supper on the previous evening; furthermore, on this
day even a stranger — whatever his religion may be — has
the right to enter the house and to claim hospitality.
For instance, the Royal Prince Marko had many friends
amongst the Turks, and they would invariably come to
him as guests on his Slava day. All the guests rise
together, cross themselves with great reverence, and, in
perfect silence, with glasses filled, they await the address
to be made by the Svetchar. Again three, or perhaps

45

Tales ftP Legends of the Serbians

more, toasts are proposed and accepted, and, of course,
as many times are the glasses again emptied and re-filled
before the ' midday ' meal is even begun. Eating and
drinking, in all cases, " to the glory of God, the Holy
Trinity, to the Holy Slava " and so forth continue till
late at night, when the guests remember that it is time
to go home. Many, however, remain in the house all
night and for the next day. Some devotees of good wine
used actually to remain, on occasions, for three whole
consecutive days and nights. This very extreme devotion
to the saints has been practised more especially at Nish,
and in that neighbourhood, and has furnished the cele-
brated Serbian novelist Stefan Strematz, with abundant
material for one of the finest, as it is undoubtedly one of
the wittiest, novels that has been written in Serbian.

Christmas Eve

Another festival, which the Serbians, like other nations,
conduct with many rites and customs of unmistakably
pagan origin and which fills the hearts of all with joy, is
Christmas. It is a saying of the Serbian people that
" there is no day without light — neither is there any real
joy without Christmas."

The Serbian peasant is, as a general rule, an early riser,
but on Christmas Eve (Badgni dan) everybody is up
earlier than usual, for it is a day when each member of
the household has his hands full of work to be done.
Two or more of the young men are sent out from every
house to the nearest forest1 to cut, and bring home, a

1 Forests have been considered until recently as the common property
of all. Even in our day every peasant is at liberty to cut a Badgnak-
tree in any forest he chooses, though it may be the property ot
strangers.

46

Christmas Eve

young oak tree, which is called Badgnak. (The etymology
of this word is obscure, but it is probably the name, or
derived from the name, of a pagan god.) When the
young man who is to cut the tree has selected it, he
kneels down, and murmuring words of greeting and
uttering a special prayer, he throws at it a handful of
wheat or corn ; then he makes the sign of the Cross three
times and begins carefully to cut in such a direction that
the tree must necessarily fall toward the East, and at
just about the moment when the sun first shows himself
above the horizon. He has also to see that the tree does
not touch, in falling to earth, the branches of any tree near
it, otherwise the prosperity of his house would most surely
be disturbed during the ensuing year. The trunk of the
tree is now cut into three logs, one of which is rather
longer than the others.

Toward evening, when everything is ready and all the
members of the family are assembled in the kitchen, the
chief room in the dwelling, a large fire is lit, and the head of
the family solemnly carries in the Badgnak, and, placing it
on the fire, so that the thicker end is left about twelve inches
beyond the hearth, he pronounces in a loud voice his good
wishes for the prosperity of the house and all within it.
In the same way he brings in the other parts of the
Badgnak, and, when all are in a blaze, the young
shepherds embrace across the largest log, for they believe
that by doing so they will ensure the attachment of the
sheep to their lambs, of the cows to their calves, and of
all other animals to their young.

At this point of the proceedings the oldest member of the
family brings in a bundle of straw and hands it over to
the housewife, to whom he wishes at the same time "a
good evening and a happy Badgni dan." She then throws

47

Tales <§? Legends of the Serbians

a handful of corn at him, thanks him for the straw and
starts walking about the kitchen and the adjoining rooms,
scattering straw on the floor and imitating the clucking
of hens, while the children gleefully follow her and
imitate the sounds made by young chicks.
This finished, the mother has next to bring a yellow wax
candle and an earthen vessel filled with burning coal.
The father again reverently makes the sign of the Cross,
lights the candle and places some incense on the embers.
Meanwhile the rest of the family have already formed
themselves into a semi-circle, with the men standing on
the right and the women on the left. The father now
proceeds to say prayers aloud, walking from one end of
the semi-circle to the other and stopping in front of each
person for a short space of time that the fumes of smoking
incense, in the incenser, held in his right hand, should
rise to the face of every one in turn. The prayers which
they utter on these occasions last for about fifteen or
twenty minutes, and vary in nearly every district.
After the prayers they all sit down to supper, which is
laid, not upon a table, but on the floor, for it is considered
a good orthodox custom to lay sacks over the stone or
clay of which the floor is formed, and to use cushions
instead of chairs on Christmas Eve. During supper, at
which no meat is served, the father of the family enthu-
siastically toasts the Badgnak, expressing at the same
time his wishes for their common prosperity for the new
year, and pours a glass of wine over the protruding end
of the log. In many parts of Serbia all the peasants —
men, women, and even small children — fast for the forty-
five days immediately before Christmas. They abstain
from meat, eggs, and milk-food, and eat simply vegetables
and fruit.
48

The children gleefully follow her

Christmas Day

When the supper is over the whole family retires to bed,
except one of the young men, who remains near the fire to
see that the Badgnak does not burn off completely, and
that the fire is not extinguished.

Christmas Day

It is generally believed that the rites and customs con-
cerning this Church festival, which we Serbians call in
our own language Bojitch^ meaning 'the little God/ is
nothing but the modified worship of the pagan god Dabog
(or Daybog), to whom we have already referred, or perhaps
represents several forms of that worship. Our pagan
ancestors used to sacrifice a pig to their Sun-god, and in
our day there is not a single house throughout Serbia in
which " roast pork " is not served on Christmas Day as a
matter of course. The men and boys of each household
rise very early in the morning that day to make a big
fire in the courtyard, and to roast a sucking-pig on a spit,
for which all preparations are made on Badgni dan. The
moment each little pig is placed at the fire there is a
vigorous firing of pistols or rifles to greet it, showing by
the sound of shot after shot that the whole village is astir.
As nearly all the houses in a village practise the same
custom most zealously, and as naturally every youth con-
siders it a part of his duty to fire a pistol, the neighbour-
ing hills echo again and again as if persistent skirmishing
were going on.

Still early in the morning one of the maidens goes to the
public well to fetch some drinking water, and when she
reaches the well she greets it, wishing it a happy Christmas,
throwing at the same time into it a handful of corn and a
bunch, or perhaps merely a sprig, of basil. She throws the
corn in the hope that the crops may be as abundant as

D 49

Tales &P Legends of the Serbians

water, and the basil is to keep the water always limpid
and pure. The first cupful of the water she draws is
used to make a cake (Thesnitza) to be broken at the
midday meal into as many pieces as there are members of
the household. A silver coin has been put into the
dough, and the person who finds it in his piece of cake is
considered as the favourite of fortune for the year to
come.

During the morning every house expects a visitor (polaz-
nik), who is usually a young boy from a neighbouring
house. When the polaznik enters the house he breaks off
a small branch of the Badgnak's smouldering end, and while
he is greeting the head of the house with * Christ is born ! '
and all the others are answering him with a cry of ' In
truth He is born ! ' the mother throws at him a handful of
wheat. He then approaches the hearth, and strikes the
Badgnak with his own piece of tree repeatedly, so that
thousands of sparks fly up into the chimney, and he pro-
nounces his good wishes : " May the holy Christmas bring
to this house as many sheep, as many horses, as many
cows, as many beehives, [and so forth,] as there are sparks
in this fire ! " Then he places on the Badgnak either a
silver or a gold coin, which the head of the family keeps
to give to the blacksmith to smelt in with the steel when
making his new plough — for, as he believes, this cannot
fail to make the ground more fertile and all go well. The
polaznik is, of course, made to stay and share the meal
with them, and afterwards he is presented with a special
cake also containing a coin, sometimes a gold one, some-
times silver.

After the repast all the youths go out of doors for sports,
especially for sleighing, while the older people gather
together around a goo star (a national bard), and take

50

The Dodola Rite

much, even endless, delight in listening to his recitals of
their ancient ballads.

The Dodola Rite

The disasters which Serbian peasants most fear are of two
kinds — drought and very violent storms. In pagan times
there was a goddess who, it is believed, ruled the waters
and the rain. When the Serbians were first converted to
Christianity, the power of controlling the ocean, rivers,
and storms, and the sailing of ships at sea was attributed
to St. Nicholas, and the Dalmatians, sea-going men, still
pray only to him ; whereas in the heart of Serbia,
where the peasants have no conception of what large
navigable rivers are, still less of what seas and lakes are
like, recourse is taken to the favourite goddess Doda or
Dodola whenever there is an unduly long spell of dry
weather.

The Dodola rite is a peculiar one. A maiden, generally
a Gipsy, is divested of her usual garments and then
thickly wrapped round with grass and flowers so that she
is almost concealed beneath them. She wears a wide
wreath of willow branches interwoven with wild flowers
around her waist and hips, and in such fantastic attire she
has to go from house to house in the village dancing,
while each housewife pours over her a pailful of water,
and her companions chant a prayer having the refrain,
Oy Dodo> oy Dodole after every single line :

Fall, O rain ! and gentlest dew !

Oy, Dodo ! Oy, Dodole !
Refresh our pasture-lands and fields !

Oy, Dodo ! Oy, Dodole !

In each verse that follows mention is made of a cereal or
other plant, imploring Doda that rain may soon be shed

Tales ftf Legends of the Serbians

upon it. Then the cottage women give them presents, either
food or money, and the maidens sing other songs for them,
always in the same rhythm, give their thanks, offer good
wishes, and are gone.

-v

-? 1

Whitsuntide

During the Whitsuntide festivities, about fifteen young
girls, mostly Christian Gipsies, one of whom personates
the Standard-bearer, another the King, and another the
Queen (kralyitza), veiled and attended by a number of
Maids of Honour, pass from door to door through the
village, singing and dancing. Their songs relate to such
subjects as marriage, the choice of a husband or wife, the
happiness of wedded life, the blessing of having children.
After each verse of their songs follows a refrain, Lado, oy>
Lado-leh ! which is probably the name of the ancient
Slavonic Deity of Love.

Palm Sunday

" In winter, just before Lent, the great festival in honour
of the Dead is celebrated, at which every one solemnizes
the memory of departed relations and friends, and no
sooner does Palm Sunday arrive than the people join in
commemorating the renovation of life.
On the preceding Saturday the maidens assemble on a
hill, and recite poems on the resurrection of Lazarus;
and on Sunday, before sunrise, they meet at the place
where they draw water and dance their country dance
(kollo), chanting a song, which relates how the water
becomes dull by the antlers of a stag, and bright by his
eye."1

1 Quoted from the historian Leopold von Ranke.
52

St. George's Day

Sf. George's Day

On St. George's Day, April 23rd (DyourdyevDari), long
before dawn, all the members of a Serbian family rise and
take a bath in the water, in which a number of herbs and
flowers — each possessing its own peculiar signification —
have been cast before sunset the preceding day. He who
fails to get up in good time, and whom the sun surprises
in bed, is said to have fallen in disgrace with St. George,
and he will consequently have little or no luck in any of
his undertakings for the next twelve months. This rite is
taken as a sign that the Serbian peasants yield to the
many influences of newly awakened nature.
It will be seen by anyone who studies the matter that each
season in turn prompts the Serbians, as it must prompt
any simple primitive people, to observe rites pointing to
the mysterious relation in which man finds that he stands
to nature.

53

CHAPTER III : SERBIAN NATIONAL
EPIC POETRY

The Importance of the Ballads

THAT the Serbian people — as a distinct Slav and
Christian nationality — did not succumb altogether
to the Ottoman oppressor; that through nearly
five centuries of subjection to the Turk the Southern
Slavs retained a deep consciousness of their national
ideals, is due in a very large measure to the Serbian
national poetry, which has kept alive in the hearts of the
Balkan Christians deep hatred of the Turk, and has given
birth, among the oppressed Slavs, to the sentiment of a
common misfortune and led to the possibility of a collective
effort which issued in the defeat of the Turk on the
battlefields of Koumanovo, Monastir, Prilip, Prizrend,
Kirk-Kilisse, and Scutari.

Who has written those poems ? We might as well ask,
who is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey ? If
Homer be the collective pseudonym of an entire cycle
of Hellenic national bards, * The Serbian people ' is that
of the national bards who chanted those Serbian epic
poems during the centuries, and to whom it was nothing
that their names should be attached to them. The task
of the learned Diascevastes of Pisistrate's epoch, which
they performed with such ability in the old Hellade, has
been done in Serbia by a self-taught peasant, the famous
Voukjtephanovitch-Karadgitch, in the beginning of the
nineteenth century. Vouk's first collection of Serbian
national poems, which he wrote down as he heard them
from the lips of the gousslari (i.e. Serbian national bards),
was published for the first time at Vienna in 1814, and was
not only eagerly read throughout Serbia and in the literary
54

The Importance of the Ballads

circles of Austria and Germany, but also in other parts of
Europe. Goethe himself translated one of the ballads,
and his example was quickly followed by others.
Those poems — as may be seen from the examples given in
this volume — dwell upon the glory of the Serbian mediaeval
empire, lostjm the fateHieldjOCossovo (1389). When
the Turks conquered the Serbian lands and drove away
the flower of the Serbian aristocracy, these men took
refuge in the monasteries and villages, where the Turkish
horsemen never came. There they remained through
centuries undisturbed, inspired by the eloquence of the
Serbian monks, who considered it their sacred duty to
preserve for the nation behind their old walls the memory
of ancient kings and tzars and of the glorious past in
which they flourished.

Professional bards went from one village to another,
chanting in an easy decasyllabic verse the exploits of
Serbian heroes and .JJaidooks (knight-brigands)^, who were
the only check upon the Turkish atrocities. The bards
carried news of political and other interesting events,
often correct, sometimes more or less distorted, and the
gifted Serbians — for gifted they were and still are — did
not find it difficult to remember, and to repeat to others,
the stories thus brought to them in poetic form. As the
rhythm of the poems is easy, and as the national ballads
have become interwoven with the spirit of every true/l
Serbian, it is not rare that a peasant who has heard a poem
but once can not only repeat it as he heard it, but also
improvise passages ; nay, he can at times even compose
entire original ballads on the spur of inspirational
moments.

In Serbian Hungary there are schools in which the blind
learn these national ballads, and go from one fair to

55

Tales ^ Legends of the Serbians

another to recite them before the peasants who come from
all Serbian lands. But this is not the true method. In
the mountains of Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herze-
govina there is no occasion to learn them mechanically :
they are familiar to all from infancy. When, in the winter
evening, the members of a Serbian family assemble around
the fire, and the women are engaged with their spinning,
poems are recited by those who happen to know them best.

The Goussle

The ballads are recited invariably to the accompaniment
of a^rimitLye_Jnstrument with^ijsingle string, called a
^goussle, which is to be met with in almost every house.
TKefjx>pular Servian poet,JPeter Petrovitch,jn his master-
piece, Gorsky Viyenatz (' The Mountain Wreath ')
uttered the following lines, which have become pro-
verbial :

Dye se goussle u kutyi ne tchuyu
Tu su mrtva i kutya i lyoudi.

(The house in which the goussle is not heard
Is dead, as well as the people in it.)

The old men^ with grown-up sons^who are excused from
hard labour, recite to their grandchildren, who yield
themselves with delight to the rhythmic verse through
which they receive their first knowledge of the past.
Even the abbots of the monasteries do not deem it dero-
gatory to recite those ballads and to accompany their
voices by the monotonous notes of the goussle. But the
performance has more of the character of a recitation
than of singing : the string is struck only at the end
of each verse. In some parts of Serbia, however, each
syllable is accentuated by a stroke of the bow, and the
final syllable is somewhat prolonged.

56

The Goussle

decasyllabic lines haYe__ invariably five

trochees, with the fixed caesura afler-the second foot ; and
almost every line is injtself a complete sentence. __
There is hardly a tavern or inn in any Serbian village
where one could see an assembly of peasants without a
gousslar around whom all are gathered, listening with
delight to his recitals. At the festivals near the cloisters,
where the peasants meet together in great numbers, pro-
fessional gousslars recite the heroic songs and emphasize
the pathetic passages in such an expressive manner that
there is hardly a listener whose cheeks are not bedewed
with copious tears. The music is extremely simple, but
its simplicity is a powerful and majestic contrast to the
exuberance of romance manifested in the exploits and
deeds of some favourite hero — as, for example, the Royal
Prince Marko.

There are njgnyjbold^ hyperboles mjthose national songs,
and~TItne^wonder~if they are discredited by Western
critics, especially in the ballads concerning the exploits of
the beloved Marko — who " throws his heavy mace aloft
as high as the clouds and catches it again in his right
hand, without dismounting from his trusty courser
Sharatz." Now and then an English reader may find
passages which may seem somewhat coarse, but he must
bear in mind that the ballads have usually been composed
and transmitted from generation to generation by simple
and illiterate peasants. Most of those concerning the
Royal Prince Marko date from the early fourteenth
century, when the customs, even in Western Europe, were
different from those prevailing now. My translations
have,however, been carefully revised J^_Mr&^JCTJ3C
jarnam wKBTiaslalceirargreat interest in this book, and
has endeavoured to do no injustice to the rugged

57

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

originals. Having passed some time in Serbia — as many
noble English ladies have done — nursing the wounded
heroes of the Balkan War, of 1912-13, and softening
their pain with unspeakable tenderness and devotion, she
was attracted by the natural, innate sense of honesty and
the bravery which her cultivated mind discovered in
those simple Serbians and her interest has since extended
to their history and literature.

It is worthy of consideration that the history of the
Serbian and other Southern Slavonic nations, developed
by its poetry — if not even replaced by it altogether — has
through it been converted into a national property, and
is thus preserved in the memory of the entire people so
vividly that a Western traveller must be surprised when
he hears even the most ignorant Serbian peasant relate to
him something at least of the old kings and tsars of the
glorious dynasty of Nemagnitch, and of the feats and
deeds of national heroes of all epochs.

CHAPTER IV : KRALYEVITCH
MARKO; OR, THE ROYAL
PRINCE MARKO

The Marko Legends

MARKO was, as we have already seen, the son of
King Voukashin ; and his mother was Queen
Helen whom the Serbian troubadours called by
the pleasing and poetic name Yevrossima (Euphrosyne) in
their songs and poems.

According to the popular tradition, the Prince was born
in the castle of Skadar (Scutari^ and his mother, being the
sister of that most glorious and ^adventurous knight
Mpmchilo, fortunately transmitted much of the heroism,
and many of the other virtues, characteristic of her own
family, to her son.

But there is also another tradition, equally popular,
which maintains that J^Iarko was the child^ of a veela
(fairy-queen) and a ^w^/^dragon). The fact that his
father was a dragon is believed by those who accept this
tradition, to explain and in every way to account for,
Marko's tremendous strength and his astonishing powers
of endurance.

Truly Prince Marko possessed a striking and extra-
ordinarily attractive personality : he so vividly impressed
the minds of the Serbian people, people of all ranks and
localities, that he has always been, remains to this day,
and promises ever to remain, our most beloved hero.
Indeed there is no Serbian to be found, even in the most
remote districts, who has not a great love for Kralyevitch
Marko, and who cannot tell his story.
This Prince's brave deeds and all his exploits have
luckily been immortalized by the national bards who are

59

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

never weary of describing him in their ballads and legends
as a lover of justice, the hater of all oppression, and the
avenger of every wrong. He is always represented as the
possessor of great physical strength : his principal weapon
was his heavy war-club (it weighed one hundred pounds —
sixty pounds of steel, thirty pounds of silver, and the
remainder was pure gold) and it must be borne in mind
that the swords and clubs wielded by the merely human
hands of his antagonists can never kill him ; they never
injure him, for they scarcely ever even touch this hero.
Marko is always thought to have had much of the super-
natural in him.

Marko, who was often rough and ready in his behaviour,
and more especially so to the Turks, whose very Sultan}
indeed, he mightily terrified with the tales he told of his
many bloodthirsty and warlike deeds, was invariably a
most dutiful, loving and tender-hearted son to his mother :
and there were occasions when he willingly consulted her,
and followed the advice she gave him.
Prince Marko was fearless: It was said that "he feared
no one but God " ; and it was his rule to be courteous to
all women. In Serbia it was the usual custom to drink a
great deal of wine, the red wine of which we so often hear,
and this custom was one which Marko upheld : but it
is always said, and universally believed, that he was never
drunk.

The ballads also sing of King Voukashin. Youkashia
had been the Councillor oLStatgLjiurmg^ the__reign. of
Doushan jhe Powerful. The capital of thejimpire was
JPrizrend, and Marko was brought up thei at the Court,
by his father Voukashin. According to the generally
accepted belief it was Marko who, a little later on, attended
the Emperor as secretary and councillor of State, and
60

The Horse Sharatz

was entrusted by Doushan, on the approach of death, with
his young son Ourosh.

The Bad Faith of Voukashin

One ballad relates that the Emperor Doushan had
bequeathed the crown to Voukashin and stipulated in his
will that that monarch should reign for seven years, and at
the end of that time he should give up the rule to the
Tsarevitch Ourosh. King Voukashin not only pro-
longed his haughty rule to sixteen years, but absolutely
refused to yield the sceptre even then, and moreover pro-
claimed himself sovereign Tsar. The ballad further depicts
the incessant struggles which were in the end to cause the
downfall of the Serbian mediaeval State. And so tradition,
earnestly sympathizing with the just anger felt by the people
against the rebels, and their lamentation over the lost
tsardom, charges Voukashin with all the blame and
responsibility — curses him as a usurper and a traitor, and
execrates him for his cunning and inconsistency : whilst
on the other hand tradition ever extols and glorifies his
son Marko as the faithful defender of Prince Ourosh, as the
great avenger of national wrongs, and praises him at all
times for his good heart, his generous foresight in politics
and private affairs, his humanity, and above all his readiness
to perish in the cause of justice.

The Horse Sharatz

The story of Marko cannot be told without some account
of Sharatz, his much-loved piebald steed, from whom he
was never parted.

Sharatz was undoubtedly unique. There are several
versions of the story as to how Marko became possessed
of him : Some of the bards assert that Sharatz was given

61

Tales ^f Legends of the Serbians

to Marko by the same veela who had from the first
endowed him with his marvellous strength ; but there are
others who affirm that Marko once bought a foal suffering
from leprosy, and that the Prince tended him himself and
completely cured him, taught him to drink wine, and
finally made him the fine horse that he became.
And there are others again who say that at one time, in
his youth, Marko served a master for three years, and
that for his sole reward he asked permission to choose a
horse from among those then grazing in the meadow. His
master gladly consented, and Marko, according to his
custom, tested each horse in turn, by taking it by the tail
and whirling it round and round.

At last, when he came to a certain piebald foal he
seized it by the tail : but this animal did not stir, and
Marko, with all his vast strength, could not make it move
one step. Marko chose that foal, and it became his beloved
Sharatz. The Serbians of Veles still call a great plain
near Demir-Kapi * Markova Livada ' (Marko's meadow).
Sharatz means 'piebald,' and it is said that the skin
of Marko's horse was more like the hide of an ox in
appearance than like the skin of an ordinary horse. The
Prince called him by various endearing names such as
Sharin or Sharo, and was devoted to him for the hundred
and sixty years they were together.

This wonderful beast was the strongest and swiftest
horse ever known, and he often overtook the flying veela.
He was so well trained that he knew the very moment
when to kneel down to save his master from an adversary's
lance ; he knew just how to rear and strike the adversary's
charger with his fore-feet. When his spirit was thoroughly
roused Sharatz would spring up to the height of three
lengths of a lance and to the distance of four lance-
62

The Horse Sharatz

lengths forward ; beneath his hoofs glittering sparks
shone forth, and the very earth he trod would crack and
stones and fragments fly in all directions ; and his nostrils
exhaled a quivering blue flame, terrifying to all beholders.
He often bit off the ears of enemies' horses and crushed
and trampled to death numbers of Turkish soldiers.
Marko might peacefully doze, and sometimes even go to
sleep, when riding through the mountains; and all the
time he was safe, for Sharatz would keep careful guard.
Therefore the Prince would feed his steed, with bread and
wine, from the vessels that he used himself and loved him
more than he loved his own brother; and Sharatz shared,
as he deserved to share, the glory of many a victory with
his master. Marko never rode upon another horse, and
together they were described as " a dragon mounted upon
a dragon."

are in existence about thirty-eight poems and
perhaps twice as many prose-legends containing detailed
descriptions of Marko's thrilling exploits, and there is
hardly a Serb or a Bulgar anywhere to be found who
cannot recite at least a few of them. In the Balkans-
Turkish War, 1912-13, a gouslar, when not fighting,
would take his gousle^ and recite to his comrades heroic
poems of which the greater number related to Marko.
The intense veneration felt by Serbians for this beloved
Prince proves an unfailing bond between them in their
own country and in all parts of the world.
There are, naturally enough, various accounts of the
death of Marko. The story that has most appealed to his
countrymen and taken a specially firm hold of their poets'

1 An instrument which emits droning monotonous sounds, and which
resembles in many points the hurdy-gurdy. In olden times, in Serbia,
this instrument was played by minstrels thirty years of age or more ;
younger men played the flute, violin, and a kind of bagpipes.

63

Tales &P Legends of the Serbians

imaginations is that he never died. It is believed that he
withdrew to a cave, near his castle at Prilip, which is still
standing, to rest, and that he is there, now, asleep. From
time to time he awakes and looks to see if his sword has
yet come out of a rock into which he had thrust it to the
very hilt. When the sword is out of the rock Marko will
know that the time has come for him to appear among the
Serbians once more, to re-establish the mediaeval empire,
lost at the battle of Kossovo.1

1 In order to illustrate how firmly rooted is that belief throughout
Serbia, the author quotes from his article (condensed) : " How a
Fourteenth Century Serbian Prince achieved a Miraculous Victory in
the Late War," The International Psychic Gazette^ May 1913.
"... When we arrived on the i5th of November last year, at Skoplye
(Uskub), the Serbian officers gave a comparatively sumptuous banquet
at their barracks in honour of Surgeon-General Bourke and the two
units; of the British Red Cross, on which occasion the aged General
Mishitch related to us the following incident from the battle of Prilip,
fought a few days previously.

"... Our infantry was ordered to make a forced march on the eve
of that battle, which is unique in the history of warfare. They were
to wait at the foot of the mount of Prilip on which stood the Castle of
Marko for the effect of our artillery, which was superior both in numbers
and quality to that of the Turks. They were especially cautioned
against storming the fort before they received the order from their
commander-in-chief. This was necessary, for our soldiers had won
recently several battles at the point of the bayonet, and were
convinced that there was nothing that would frighten the Turks more
than the sight of the shining bayonets of the Serbian troops. They
knew well that the mere exclamation of Bulgarians, Na noge ! put the
Turks to flight at Kirk-Klisse and Lille" Bourgass.
" During the early morning the infantry kept quiet, but at the first
cannon-shots we noticed an effervescence among our troops, and soon
afterward we heard them shouting frantically and saw them running
like wolves straight to the castle of the Royal Prince Marko. I could
hear the voice of our Captain Agatonovitch, commanding them to
stop and await the General's order. When the immediate commanders
saw that discipline proved futile, they essayed in vain to appeal to the
soldiers' reason, assuring them of certain death if they would not await
at least the effect of our artillery. Our warriors, deafened by the
roaring of the Turkish siege-cannon and mitrailleuses, ran straight into
the fire, and appeared to fall in dozens ! The sight was horrible. I

64

The Horse Sharatz

As for Sharatz, he is still feeding, but he has now nearly
finished his portion of hay.

PRINCE MARKO TELLS WHOSE
THE EMPIRE SHALL BE

Four tabors* met together on the beautiful field of
Kossovo near the white church Samodrezja : 2 One tabor
was headed by King Voukashin ; the second by Despot
Ouglesha ; 3 the third by Voivode Goykp, and the fourth
by Tsarevitch Ourosh. *&*jf<K*>

The first three of these were disputing over the inherit-
ance of the Empire and were ready to stab one another, so

was unable to stop my soldiers. My blood froze, I closed my eyes.
Disastrous defeat ! Demoralisation of other troops ! My own
degradation was certain !

" In a little while our artillery ceased firing, lest they should kill their
own comrades, who were now crossing bayonets with the Turkish
infantry. A few minutes later we saw the Serbian national colours
fluttering on the donjon of Kralyevitch Marko's castle. The Turks
were fleeing in greatest disorder. The Serbian victory was as complete
as it was rapid !

"When we arrived on the scene a little later, a parade was ordered.
After calling together the troops we found our loss had been com-
paratively insignificant. I praised my heroes for their brave conduct,
but reproached them bitterly for their disobedience. At my last

admonishing words, I heard from thousands of soldiers in majestic

unison :

" ' Kralyevitch Marko commanded us all the time : FOR WARD / Did

you not see him on his Sharatz ? '

" It was clear to me that the tradition of Kralyevitch Marko was so

deeply engraved on the hearts of those honest and heroic men that,

in their vivid enthusiasm, they had seen the incarnation of their hero.

"I dismissed the troops and ordered double portions of food and

wine to be given to all for a week. Every tenth man obtained a

' Medalya za Hrabrost* (medal for courage)."

1 Tabor is a Turkish word meaning an army, or a camp.

2 Other bards mention ' Gratchanitza.'

3 Despot was an honorary title of the Byzantine emperors, then of
members of their families, and was later conferred as a title of office
on vassal rulers and governors. The rank of Despot was next to that
of the king.

E 65

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

eager were they all to reign. They did not know who
had been appointed the Tsar's successor and who was the
rightful heir to the throne. King Voukashin announced :
" The Empire was left to me I " Voivode Goyko cried
out: "Not so! The Empire is mine!" and Despot
Ouglesha interposed angrily, " You are both wrong, for
know that the Empire is mine"

The youthful Tsarevitch remained silent, for he was not
bold enough to proffer a single word in the presence of his
haughty elders.

King Voukashin prepared a message and sent it by
a faithful servant to the Archdeacon Nedelyko, at
Prizrend, summoning him to come at once to the field
of Kossovo and state without delay to whom the
Empire had been left — for he must surely know, having
received the last confession of the illustrious Tsar
Doushan the Mighty and been in attendance upon him up
to his death. Besides, it was known that the Archdeacon
had the archives under his care, and could at least
produce the Emperor's will. Despot Ouglesha also sent
a missive to the Archdeacon by his swiftest messenger; a
third was written by Voivode Goyoko, who dispatched it
by his special courier, and a fourth was inscribed and
sent off by Ourosh.

The messages were all dispatched secretly, but the
couriers reached Prizrend and met at the gates of
Nedelyko's dwelling. But Nedelyko had gone, as Court
Chaplain, to officiate at the morning service in the
Cathedral. The men were enraged at the delay, and
without even alighting from their horses, they rushed
infuriated, into the sacred edifice, raised their whips
and brutally struck the good Archdeacon, commanding
him: "Behold, O Archdeacon Nedelyko! Hasten now,
66

Marko is Summoned

this very hour, to the plain of Kossovo. Thou must state
to whom the Empire belongs, for thou hast received
the confession from the illustrious Tsar and administered
the last sacrament to him, and it is thou who hast the
state records in thy care. Hasten, hasten, lest we,
in our fierce impatience, do sever thy head from thy
body ! "

Archdeacon Nedelyko wept with grief and mortification
and thus replied : " Begone, ye servants of the most mighty
princes ! Begone from the House of God ! Suffer first
that we end God's service, then will I make known into
whose hands the Empire is to fall ! "
The couriers then went out and awaited the coming of the
Archdeacon. Presently the Archdeacon came to them
and spake in this wise : " O my children, messengers
from the King himself, and from the Princes ! I received
the last confession of our glorious Tsar, and gave him the
sacrament; but about the Empire and affairs of state
he spoke never a word, for we were concerned only with
the sins that he had committed. Ye must go to the city of
Prilip, for there is the castle of the Royal Prince Marko.
Marko, as ye may remember, learned from me how to
read and write ; later he was secretary to the Emperor
and he was then entrusted with the care of the records,
and he will surely know to whom the empire was
entrusted. Call Marko to the field of Kossovo to say who
is now the Tsar. Marko will tell the truth, for he fears
none but God ! "

Marko is Summoned

The messenger set out at once, and, arriving at Prilip,
they smote on the portals of the castle. The knocking
was heard by Yevrossima, and she spoke thus to her son :

Tales ^f Legends of the Serbians

" O Marko, my dearest son 1 who are they who knock at
the gates below? They may be messengers from thy
father ! "

Marko commanded that the gates should be opened,
and when the messengers entered they bowed with
profoundest respect, and said : " May God always help
thee, O noble Lord Marko 1 "

The Prince laid his hand upon their heads with kindness
and said : " Be welcome, ye my dear children ! Are the
Serbian knights in good health ? And is all well with the
glorious Tsar and King ! "

The couriers again made humble obeisance, saying : " O
noble Lord, thou most Royal Prince Marko ! All are
well, though not, we fear, upon friendly terms together !
The King, thy father, and other princes are seriously
contending for the Empire upon Kossovo, that vast field
which is near the church Samodrezja ; they are ready to
stab each other at any moment with their blades, for they
know not to whom the Empire rightly belongs. Thou art
now called upon, O noble Prince, to proclaim the heir to
the Imperial crown."

The bard goes on to narrate how Marko went to
Yevrossima and asked her advice, and although it was
well known that Marko himself loved the truth, his good
mother implored him with the following words : " O
Marko, thy mother's only son ! May the food on which
thou wert nourished be not cursed ! Speak not falsely
either to please thy father, or to satisfy the ambitions of
thine uncles, but tell, I beg of thee, the truth before God
lest thou shouldest lose thy soul. It were better that thou
shouldst perish than sin against thy soul ! "
Marko took the ancient documents, mounted Sharatz and
rode forthwith to the plain of Kossovo. As he approached
68

Marko is Summoned

his father's tent King Voukashin saw him and exclaimed :
" Oh, how fortunate am I ! Here is my son Marko ; he
will say that the Empire was left to me, for of course he
knows that it will pass from father to son ! "
Marko heard this, but said not one single word, neither
would he turn his head towards the King's tent.
When Despot Ouglesha saw Marko, he spoke in this wise :
" Oh, what a lucky thing for me ! here is my nephew
Marko ; he is certain to say the Empire is mine ! Say, O
Marko, the Empire is mine ! We would reign together,
you and I, like brothers ! " Marko still kept silent and
did not even turn his head in the direction of his uncle's
tent.

As Voivode Goyko perceived his coming, he exclaimed :
" Oh, here is a stroke of good fortune for me 1 here is my
dear nephew Marko : he is sure to say that the Empire
was left to me. When Marko was a little child I used to
caress him fondly, for he was dear to me as a golden
apple, and always most precious. Whenever I rode out
on horseback I always used to take Marko with me. O
Marko ! dear Marko, thou must say that the Empire
is mine ! It will be virtually thou who shalt reign as Tsar,
and I shall be at thy right hand, at all times ready, as thy
counsellor ! " Marko, still without a word, and com-
pletely ignoring Voivode Goyko, went straight on to the
tent where Tsarevitch Ourosh was, and there he alighted
from his Sharatz.

When the young Ourosh saw him, he sprang from his
silken couch, and exclaimed : " Hurrah ! Behold my
godfather Marko ! Now he is going to tell us who the
true Tsar is ! " They embraced each other, inquired after
each other's health, and seated themselves upon the couch
from which Ourosh had just risen.

69

Tales ^f Legends of the Serbians

Marko tells the Truth

Some time elapsed and the sun had set, the night passed,
morning dawned, and church bells called all to morning
prayers, and after the service the King, the Princes and
great Lords went out into the churchyard, where they
took their places at tables, and ate sweet-meats and drank
brandy. Marko at last opened the ancient documents,
and said aloud : "O my father, thou King Voukashin!
Art thou not content with thy Kingdom ? May it be
turned into a desert if thou art not. Oh ! that thou
shouldst wish to seize another's Empire ! And thou, my
uncle, Despot Ouglesha! Art thou not satisfied within
thine own territory? Is it indeed too small for thee that
thou must struggle for the Empire that belongs to another?
May it also turn into a desert ! And thou, my uncle, thou
Vo'fvode Goyko ! Is thy Dukedom not vast enough for
thee ? May it likewise become a desert if it is not ! Oh
that thou too shouldst strive for another's Tsardom ? Do
ye not all see and understand ? If ye fail to see may God
not see ye ! It is clearly stated in the records that the
Empire was left to Ourosh. From father shall it pass to
son. To this youth now belongs the Imperial Crown of
his ancestors. It was Ourosh whom our late Tsar, on his
dying day, named as his successor!" When King
Voukashin heard this, he sprang to his feet, drew out his
golden yatagan and would have pierced his son with it.
The Prince, pursued by his father, fled, for, indeed, it
would have been unseemly for Marko to fight with and
perhaps mortally strike his own father. Marko ran round
the church Samodreza, his father closely following, till
they had run round the building three times, and then,
when Voukashin was on the point of getting within reach
70

Voukashin was on the point of getting within reach of his son

7 '

Marko tells the Truth

of his son, all at once a mysterious voice from within
the church uttered these words : " Run into the church,
O, thou Royal Prince Marko ! Seest thou not that other-
wise thou shalt perish by thy father's hand, because thou
hast spoken the truth so dear to God?" The doors
suddenly opened of themselves and Marko passed inside ;
then they closed and interposed themselves between the
two men. King Voukashin began to strike violently
upon the doors with his short hanging sword until he
noticed that there were drops of blood trickling down the
beam, whereupon he was seized with remorse and sighed
in lowly penance, saying : " Alas ! Unfortunate man that
I am ! O, thou infinite and divine God ! Hear me 1 I have
killed my son Marko ! " But the mysterious voice from the
church answered : " Behold 1 Voukashin thou most mighty
King I Lo, thou hast not even wounded thy son Marko,
but thou hast injured the angel of the true God ! "
At these words the King grew again enraged with Marko
and cursed him in these words : " O Marko, my only son, 1
may God kill thee! Mayest thou never be entombed! Mayest I
thou have no son to come after thee 1 May thy family end
with thee 1 And, worse than all, may thy soul depart not from 1
thy body before thou hast served as vassal to the Turk ! " I
In these bitter words the King cursed Marko, but the \
new Tsar, Ourosh, blessed him, saying : " O my beloved \
god-father, Marko 1 May God ever support thee ! May thy
word be always respected and accepted by all just men for
ever in the divan I l May thy bright sabre prosper in all
battles and combats ! May there never be a hero to over-
power thee ! May it please God that thy name shall at all
times be remembered with honour, for so long as the sun
and the moon continue to shine."
1 Divan^ a Turkish word for " senate."

71

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

PRINCE MARKO AND A
MOORISH CHIEFTAIN

A great and powerful Moorish chieftain had built for
himself a magnificent castle, rising to the height of twenty
storeys. The place he had chosen for the castle was by
the sea, and when it was quite completed he had panes of
the most beautiful glass put in for windows ; he hung all
the rooms and halls with the richest silks and velvets and
then soliloquized thus : " O my koula? why have I erected
thee ? for there is no one but I who is there to tread, with
gentle footsteps, upon these fine rugs, and behold from
these windows the blue and shining sea. I have no
mother, no sister, and I have not yet found a wife.
But I will assuredly go at once and seek the Sultan's
daughter in marriage. The Sultan must either give me
his daughter or meet me in single combat." As soon
as the Moor, gazing at his castle, had uttered these words, he
wrote a most emphatic letter to the Sultan at Istamboul,1
the contents of which ran thus : " O Sire, I have built a
beautiful castle near the shore of the azure sea, but as yet it
has no mistress, for I have no wife. I ask thee, therefore, to
bestow upon me thy beloved daughter ! In truth, I demand
this ; for if thou dost not give thy daughter to me, then
prepare thyself at once to meet me face to face with thy
sword. To this fight I now challenge thee!"
The letter reached the Sultan and he read it through.
Immediately he sought for one who would accept the
challenge in his stead, promising untold gold to the knight
who would show himself willing to meet the Moor.
Many a bold man went forth to fight the Moor, but not
one ever returned to Istamboul.

1 Koula is a Serbo-Turkish word for "castle."

2 Istamboul is the Turkish name for Constantinople.

72

The Entrance of the Moor

Alas ! the Sultan soon found himself in a most em-
barrassing position for all his best fighters had lost their
lives at the hand of the haughty Moor. But even this
misfortune was not the worst. The Moor prepared
himself in all his splendour, not omitting his finest sabre ;
then he proceeded to saddle his steed Bedevia, securely
fastening the seven belts and put on her a golden curb.
On one side of the saddle he fastened his tent, and this
he balanced on the other side with his heaviest club.
He sprang like lightning on to his charger, and holding
before him, defiantly, his sharpest lance, he rode straight
to Istamboul.

The instant he reached the walls of the fort, he spread
his tent, struck his lance well into the earth, bound his
Bedevia to the lance and forthwith imposed on the inhabi-
tants a daily tax, consisting of : one sheep, one batch of
white loaves, one keg of pure brandy, two barrels of red
wine, and a beautiful maiden. Each maiden, after being
his slave and attending on him for twenty-four hours,
he would sell in Talia for large sums of money. This
imposition went on for three months, for none could stop
it. But even yet there was a greater evil to be met.

The Entrance of the Moor

The inhabitants of Istamboul were terrorized one day
when the haughty Moor mounted upon his dashing steed
entered the city. He went to the Palace, and cried
loudly : " Lo ! Sultan, wilt thou now, once and for ever,
give me thy daughter?" As he received no answer
he struck the walls of the Palace with his club so violently
that the shattered glass poured down from the windows
like rain. When the Sultan saw that tl^e Moor might
easily destroy the Palace and even the whole city in

73

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

this way, he was greatly alarmed, for he knew that there
was no alternative open to him in this horrible predica-
ment but to give up his only daughter. Although over-
whelmed with shame, therefore, he promised to do this.
Pleased with his success, the Moor asked for fifteen days'
delay before his marriage took place that he might go
back to his castle and make the necessary preparations.
When the Sultan's daughter heard of her father's desperate
resolution, she shrieked and exclaimed bitterly : " Alas !
Behold my sorrow, O almighty Allah ! For whom have
I been taught to prize my beauty ? For a Moor ? Can
it be true that a Moor shall imprint a kiss upon my
visage ? "

The Sultana's Dream

That night the Sultana had a strange dream, in which the
figure of a man appeared before her, saying: "There is
within the Empire of Serbia a vast plain Kossovo ; in
that plain there is a city Prilip; and in that city dwells
the Royal Prince Marko who is known among all men as
a truly great hero."

And the man went on to advise the Sultana to send,
without delay, a message to Prince Marko and beg him
to become her son-in-God, and at the same time to offer
him immense fortune, for he was without doubt the only
one living likely to vanquish the terrible Moor and save
her daughter from a shameful fate. The next morning
she sped to the Sultan's apartments and told him of her
dream. The Sultan immediately wrote a firman^ and
sent it to Prince Marko at Prilip, beseeching him to
journey with all speed to Istamboul and accept the
challenge of the Moor, and if he should succeed in saving
1 Firman is a Turkish word for an imperial " letter " or " decree."
74

The Princess appeals to Marko

the Princess the Sultan would give him three tovars l of
pure golden ducats.

When Marko read the firman, he said to the Sultan's
young courier, a native of Tartary : " In the name of
God go back, thou Sultan's messenger, and greet thy
master — my father-in-God — tell him that I dare not face
the Moor. Do we not, all of us, know that he is in-
vincible? If he should cleave my head asunder, of what
avail would three tovars, or three thousand tovars, of gold
be to me?"

The young Tartar brought back Marko's answer which
caused the Sultana so much grief, that she determined to
send a letter to him herself, once more beseeching him to
accept the challenge and this time increasing the reward
to five tovars of pure gold. But Marko, though generally
so chivalrous and courteous to all women, remained
inexorable, replying that he would not meet the Moor
in combat even if he were to be presented with all the
treasure the Sultan possessed ; for he did not dare.

The Princess appeals to Marko
When the broken-hearted bride heard that this answer
had come from Marko she sprang to her feet, took a pen
and some paper, struck her rosy cheek witli the pen and
with her own blood traced the following : " Hail, my
dear brother-in-God, O, thou Royal Prince Marko ! Be
a true brother to me ! May God and Saint John be our
witnesses ! I implore thee, do not suffer me to become
the wife of the Moor ! I promise thee seven tovars of
pure gold, seven boshtchaluks, which have been neither
woven nor spun, but are embroidered with pure gold.

1 Tovar is a Serbian measure, representing what a normal horse can
carry on its back. It is now an obsolete term.

75

Tales ®P Legends of the Serbians

Moreover, I shall give thee a golden plate decorated with
a golden snake, whose raised head is holding in its mouth
a priceless gem, from which is shed a light of such
brilliance, that by it alone you can see at the darkest
hour of midnight as well as you can at noon. In addition
to these I shall present thee with a finely tempered sabre ;
this sabre has three hilts, all of pure gold, and in each of
them is set a precious stone. The sabre alone is worth
three cities. I shall affix to this weapon the Sultan's seal
so that the Grand Vizir may never put thee to death
without first receiving his Majesty's special command."
When he had read this missive, Marko reflected thus:
" Alas ! O my dear sister-in-God 1 It would be but to
my great misfortune if I came to serve thee, and to my
still greater misfortune if I stayed away. For, although
I fear neither the Sultan nor the Sultana, I do in all truth
fear God and Saint John, by whom thou hast adjured
me ! Therefore I now resolve to come and, if necessary,
to face certain death 1 "

Marko prepares to succour the Princess
Having sent away the Princess' messenger without telling
him what he had resolved to do, Marko entered his castle
and put on his cloak and a cap, made of wolves' skins ;
next he girded on his sabre, selected his most piercing
lance, and went to the stables. For greater safety he
fastened the seven belts under the saddle of his Sharatz
with his own hands ; he then attached a leathern bottle
filled with red wine on one side of his saddle and his
weightiest war-club on the other. Now he was ready and
threw himself upon Sharatz and rode off to Istamboul.
Upon reaching his destination he did not go to pay his
respects either to the Sultan or to the Grand Vizir, but
76

Marko greets the Princess

quietly took up his abode in a new inn. That same
evening, soon after sun-set, he led his horse to a lake
near by to be refreshed : but to his master's surprise
Sharatz would not even taste the water, but kept turning
his head first to the right, then to the left, till Marko
noticed the approach of a Turkish maiden covered with
a long gold-embroidered veil. When she reached the
edge of the water she bowed profoundly toward the lake
and said aloud: "God bless thee, O beauteous green
lake ! God bless thee, for thou art to be my home for
ever more! Within thy bosom am I henceforth to
dwell; I am now to die, O beauteous lake; rather would
I choose such a fate than become the bride of the cruel
Moor!"

Marko greets the Princess

Marko went nearer to the maiden and spoke thus: "O,

thou unhappy Turkish maiden ! What is thy trouble ?

What is it that has made thee wish to drown thyself ? "

She answered : " Leave me in peace, thou ugly dervish?

why dost thou ask me, when there is nought that thou

canst do to help me ? "

Then the maiden related the story of her coming marriage

with the Moorish chieftain, of the messages sent to Marko,

and finally she bitterly cursed that Prince for the hardness

of his heart.

Thereupon Marko said : " O, curse me not, dear sister-

in-God! Marko is here and is now speaking to thee

himself!"

Hearing these words the maiden turned toward the

famous knight, embraced him and earnestly pleaded:

Dervish is an ecclesiastic official amongst the Mohammedans. When
applied to the laity it is used as a term of reproach.

77

Talcs ftp Legends of the Serbians

" For God's sake, O my brother Marko ! Suffer not the
Moor to wed me ! "

Marko was greatly affected, and declared : " O dear
sister-in-God ! I swear that so long as my head remains
upon my shoulders, I shall never let the Moor have thee !
Do not tell others that thou hast seen me here, but
request the Sultan and thy mother to have supper pre-
pared and sent to the inn for me, and, above all things,
beg them to send me plenty of wine. Meanwhile I shall
await the Moor's coming at the inn. When the Moor
arrives at the Palace, thy parents should welcome him
graciously, and they should go so far as to yield thee to
him in order to avoid a quarrel. And I know exactly
the spot where I shall be able to rescue thee, if it may so
please the true God, and if my customary good luck, and
my strength, do not desert me."

The Prince returned to the inn, and the maiden hastened
back to the Palace.

When the Sultan and the Sultana knew that Marko had
come to their aid, they were much comforted, and imme-
diately ordered a sumptuous repast to be sent to him,
especially good red wine in abundance.
Now all the shops in Istamboul were closed, and there
was silence everywhere as Marko sat drinking the
delicious wine in peace. The landlord of the inn came
presently to close his doors and windows, and, questioned
by Marko as to why the citizens were all shutting up their
dwellings so early that day, he answered : <c By my faith*
you are indeed a stranger here ! The Moorish chieftain
has asked for our Sultan's daughter in marriage, and as,
to our shame, she is to be yielded to him, he is coming to
the Palace to fetch her this day. Therefore, owing to our
terror of the Moor, we are forced to close our shops."

78

Sharatz & Bedevia

But Marko did not allow the man to close the door of the
inn, for he wished to see the Moor and his gorgeous train
pass by.

The Moor in Istamboul

At that very moment, as they were speaking, Marko could
hear from the city the clangour caused by the Moorish
chieftain and his black followers, numbering at least five
hundred, and all in glittering armour. The Moor had
roused his Bedevia, and she trotted in such a lively
manner that the stones, which she threw up with her
hoofs, whizzed through the air in all directions, and
broke windows and doors in all the shops she passed !
When the cavalcade came up to the inn, the Moor
thought : " Allah ! I am struck with wonder and
astonishment 1 The windows and doors of all the shops
and houses throughout the entire city of Istamboul are
closed from the great fear the people have of me, except,
I see, the doors of this inn. There must either be nobody
within, or if there is anybody inside, he is assuredly a
great fool ; or perhaps he is a stranger, and has not yet
been told how terrible I am." The Moor and his retinue
passed that night in tents before the Palace.
Next morning the Sultan himself presented his daughter
to the Moorish chieftain, together with all the wedding
gifts, which were known to weigh twelve tovars. As the
wedding procession passed the inn where Marko waited,
the Moor again noticed the open door, but this time he
urged Bedevia right up to it to see who might be there.

Sharatz and Bedevia

Marko was seated at his ease in the most comfortable

room the inn could boast, leisurely drinking his favourite

79

Tales SP Legends of the Serbians

red wine ; he was not drinking from an ordinary goblet,
but from a bowl which held twelve litres ; and each time
he filled the bowl he would drink only one half of its
contents, giving, according to his habit, the other half to
his Sharatz. The Moor was on the point of attacking
Marko, when Sharatz barred his way and kicked viciously
at Bedevia. The Moor, meeting such unexpected resist-
ance, promptly turned to rejoin the procession. Then
Marko rose to his feet, and, turning his cloak and cap
inside out, so that to the first glance of those who saw
him he presented the terrifying appearance of a wolf,
inspected his weapons and Sharatz's belts carefully, and
dashed on his charger after the procession. He felled
horsemen right and left, till he reached the dever and the
second witness, and killed them both. The Moorish
chieftain was immediately told of the stranger who had
forced his way into the midst of the procession, and of
those whom he had killed, also that he did not look like
other knights, being clad in wolves' skins.

Marko and the Moor

The Moor astride his Bedevia, wheeled round and
addressed Marko thus : " 111 fortune is indeed overtaking
thee to-day, O stranger 1 Thou must have been driven here
by Satan to disturb my guests and even kill my dever and
second witness; thou must be either a fool, knowing
nothing of to-day's events, or thou must be extremely
fierce and hast gone mad; but maybe thou art merely
tired of life ? By my faith, I shall draw in the reins of my
Bedevia, and shall spring over thy body seven times;
then shall I strike off thy head ! " Thereupon Marko
answered : " Cease these lies, O Moor ! If God, and my
usual luck, do but attend me now, thou shalt not even
80

Marko slays the Moor

spring near to me ; still less can I imagine thee carrying out
thy intention of springing over my body ! " But, behold !
The Moor drew in his Bedevia, spurred her violently for-
ward and indeed he would have sprung over Marko, had not
Sharatz been the well-trained fighter that he was, and in a
trice he reared so as to receive the adversary against his
forefeet and swiftly bit off Bedevia's right ear, from which
blood gushed forth profusely and streamed down over her
neck and chest. In this way Marko and the Moor struggled
for four hours. Neither would give way, and when finally
the Moor saw that Marko was overpowering him, he wheeled
his steed Bedevia round and fled along the main street of
Istamboul, Marko after him. But the Moor's Bedevia
was swift as a veela of the forest, and would certainly have
escaped from Sharatz if Marko had not suddenly recollected
his club, and flung it after his adversary, striking him
between his shoulders. The Moor fell from his horse and
the Prince severed his head from his body. Next he
captured Bedevia, returned to the street where he had
left the bride, and found, to his astonishment, that she with
her twelve tovars of presents, was alone, awaiting him, for all
the wedding-guests and the retinue of the Moorish chieftain
had fled at full gallop. Marko escorted the Princess back
to the Sultan, and cast the head of the Moorish chieftain
at his feet.

The hero now took his leave and started at once on his
journey back to Prilip, and the following morning he
received the seven tovars of gold which had been pro-
mised to him, the many precious gifts which the Princess
had described, and last of all a message thanking him for
the marvellous deeds he had done, and telling him that
the vast stores of gold belonging to his father-in- God, the
Sultan, would for ever be at his disposal. tvU>^ *

F 81

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

PRINCE MARKO ABOLISHES
THE WEDDING TAX

Early one morning the Royal Prince Marko rode across
the plain of Kossovo. When he reached the river a
maiden from Kossovo met him, and Marko greeted her
in the usual Serbian custom : " May God aid thee, O
maiden of Kossovo ! "

The maiden bowed very profoundly, and answered : " Hail !
thou unknown hero ! "

Marko, after having looked for a while at her, said :
" Dear sister, thou maiden of Kossovo, thou art beauteous,
though thou mightest well be a little younger ! Thou
art tall, strong and graceful; thy cheeks look healthful
and thou hast a pleasing and dignified appearance. But,
alas ! dear sister, thy hair is grey and becomes thee not.
Who caused thy sorrow ? Tell me, is it thyself, thy
mother or thy aged father."

The maiden shed many bitter tears, and amidst her sobs
answered Marko thus : " O dear brother, thou unknown
knight ! I am not the cause of mine own misfortune, and
it is neither my mother nor yet my father who has brought
great trouble upon me; but I have lost all happiness
through the evil-doing of a Moor who dwells beyond the
sea. He has taken possession of the whole field of
Kossovo and has imposed, among other extortions, a
terrible tax of thirty ducats to be paid by all brides, and
thirty-four ducats by all bridegrooms. My brothers are
poor and have not the money necessary to pay my tax,
therefore I am unable to wed my sweetheart and have thus
lost all happiness. Merciful God, should I not go and
take my life?"

Thereupon Prince Marko said : " Dear sister, thou maiden
82

Marko visits the Moor

of Kossovo 1 Do not trifle with thy life ; abandon every
such idea, else thou shalt bring sin upon thy soul ! Tell
me, where is the castle where the Moorish Lord may be
found ? I think I have something to say to him ! "
To this the maiden answered : " O my brother, thou un-
known knight I Why dost thou inquire about his castle ?
How I wish it could be razed to the ground ! Thou hast,
perhaps, found a maiden according to thy heart and thou
goest now to pay the wedding tax, or art thou the only
son of thy dear mother? I fear for thee, O brother,
for thou mayest perish there, and what then would thy
sorrowful and lonely mother do ? "

Marko plunged his hand into his pocket, took out a purse
and handed it to the maiden saying: "O sister 1 take
these thirty ducats, go home and await in peace for what
may befall thee ; l only kindly point out to me the castle
of the Moor, for I am going to pay him thy wedding
tax!"

Thereupon the maiden, glowing with unexpected happiness
spoke thus : " It is not a castle, but tents (and may they
be cursed !). Seest thou not upon the plain where flutters
that silken flag ? There is the Moor's own pavilion ;
around it grows a pleasant garden which he has dared to
decorate with the heads of seventy-seven Christian heroes,
and he has forty servants, who are, day and night, on
guard near by."

Marko visits the Moor

Upon hearing these words Marko took leave of the
maiden and rode toward the tents. He urged his steed
so violently that under his hoofs living fire shone, and

1 Literally, " until thy good luck calls thee," and means in Serbia until
she marries.

83

Tales ft? Legends of the Serbians

from his nostrils appeared a bright blue flame. Mad with
anger Marko rode fiercely across the camp and, with tears
streaming from his eyes which were fixed upon the plain
of Kossovo he exclaimed: "Alas, O plain of Kossovo!
Oh ! to think that thou shouldst have remained to see
this day ! And, after the reign of our great Emperor,1
that thou shouldst be here to witness the tyranny of a
Moor ! Can I endure such shame and sorrow : Oh ! that
the Moors should be allowed to ravage thee 1 Now
shall I either avenge thee, or perish ! "
The sentinels observed Marko's arrival and went to in-
form their Lord : " O Master, thou Moor ! A strange
and fierce hero, riding a piebald steed, is approaching;
and it is plain that he intends to attack us."
But the Moor answered indifferently : " O my children,
ye forty true servants of mine ! That hero will not attack
us. He is undoubtedly bringing his wedding tax and,
because he regrets the amount of money he has to give
up, he is impatiently urging on his charger. You had better
go forth and welcome him ; take his steed and his weapons
from him and show him to my tent. I do not care for
his treasure, but I am quite willing to cleave his head and
seize his courser, which would suit me well ! "
The servants went forth to obey, but when they saw Marko
near, they were so terrified that they did not dare face
him, but fled to hide themselves behind their chieftain,
concealing their yataghans under their cloaks at the sight
of Marko.

As the fierce Prince came up, he alighted in front of the
opening of the tent and spoke aside to his trusty courser :
" Walk about alone, my Sharo," said he, "for I am going
into this tent to see the Moor; go not too far from this
1 This is a reference to Lazar, who fell at the battle of Kossovo.

84

Marko pays for All

spot, as should evil happen I may have need of thee ! "
Then Marko entered the pavilion.

The Moorish chieftain sat enjoying cool wine which was
poured out for him by a Christian woman and a maiden.
The princely Marko saluted the Moor : " May God help
thee, my Lord ! " The Moorish chieftain answered :
" Hail, thou unknown knight ! Be seated, that we may
drink wine together ere thou dost tell me why thou hast
come hither ! "

Prince Marko answered : " I have no time to drink with
thee; but I have come with the intention of seeing thee.
I have found a maiden after my own heart, my guests
and their horses await me a little way down the road,
while I came to pay thee my wedding tax. I shall at once
give thee the gold so that nothing may hinder my
happiness. Tell me now, what must I pay ? "
The Moor answered in a very friendly manner : " Well,
thou oughtest to have known that long ago : it was thirty
ducats for brides and thirty-four for bridegrooms; but
as thou appearest to be a distinguished knight, it would
not hurt either of us if thou gavest me a round hundred
ducats ! "

Prince Marko took out of his pocket three ducats and laid
them before the haughty Moor, saying : " Believe me I
have no more money ; I should be grateful if thou
wouldest wait till I reach my bride's house, for there we
shall certainly receive many rich presents. I shall give
thee all the presents and will retain the bride only for
myself!"

Marko pays for All

Thereupon the mighty Moor shouted out, bitterly enraged :

" I allow no credit, thou wretch ! Thou art bold enough

85

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

to laugh at me! " Then he sprang to his feet, raised his
club and struck Marko's shoulders three or four times.
Marko smiling, said : " Heroic Moor, dost thou strike in
earnest or dost thou merely strike in jest ? "
The Moor, continuing the assault, hissed : " I beat thee
in earnest ! "

Marko smiled again, and remarked : " Oh, then, I pity
thee ! Since thou art striking with serious intent, know
then that I too have a club. Now I shall smite thee as
many times as thou hast struck me, no more than that !
Let us make it a fair fight!" With this, Marko raised
his mace 'and smote the Moor with such force that his
head fell from his shoulders !

At this Marko burst into laughter : " Merciful God,
mayest thou be thanked! How quickly the Moorish
hero's head was cleft asunder ! It now lies just as if it
had never been upon his shoulders ! "
He now unsheathed his sword, and caught the Moor's
bodyguard, cleaving also their heads one after the other,
except four of their number, whom he left to tell the tale
to all who wished to hear the truth. Then he took down
the heads of the Christian heroes and carefully buried
them, that wolves and vultures might not devour them.
He next instructed the four remaining servants to run
across the field of Kossovo, north, east, south, and west,
and to proclaim to all that maids and youths were hence-
forth free to marry without paying the hated tax, for had
not the Royal Prince Marko come and paid once for all ?
When the oppressed Christians learned the news, they all,
young and old, joined in the joyful cry : " May God grant
Royal Prince Marko long life ! For Marko has freed our
land of a monster ! We pray to God that his soul may
be purified of all sin."
86

But thanks to Sharatz I got farther and fart Jier from him "

86

Prince Marko & Bogdan the Bully

/

PRINCE MARKO AND BOGDAN
THE BULLY

Early one morning three Serbian knights rode out from
Kossovo ; one was Prince Marko of Prilip ; the second
was Relya of Bazar, and the third was Milosh of Potzerye.
They were bound for the seashore, and their way lay
through the vineyards of Bogdan the Bully. Relya of
Bazar was a joyous young knight, and he encouraged his
steed to prance gaily through the vineyard, whereby he
broke some of the tall vines loaded with sweet grapes.
Marko admonished his friend thus : " Thou hadst better
leave these vineyards alone, O my Relya ! If thou only
knewest whose they are thou would st keep thy courser
under careful control : for they belong to Bogdan the Bully.
Once I, myself, was riding through these very vineyards,
and as I was young then, I also made my Sharatz prance
along, as thou art doing. But, alas 1 I was seen by Bogdan
riding on his slender mare Bedevia. I knew that I was
at fault and, as the true God does not support guilty men,
I dared not face him, but fled up the rocky coast. He
pursued me, and if I had not had my trusty Sharatz he
would indeed have caught me. But thanks to Sharatz I
at last got farther and farther from him. When Bogdan
saw that at the rate I was fleeting he could never reach
me, he swiftly threw his club after me and just touched
my back with its handle, so that I fell forward over on
the ears of my Sharatz and regained my seat only by a
great effort. However, I did escape him. This happened
some seven years ago, since when I have not come this
way until to-day."

As Marko said this, the three knights noticed in the dis-
tance a cloud of dust, in the midst of which they recognized

8;

Tales SP Legends of the Serbians

Bogdan with twelve attendants on horseback. Marko
exclaimed : " Hark ye, my two brothers-in-God ! Here
he is ! and he will surely kill all three of us if we do not
make our escape."

To this Milosh of Potzerye answered : " O my brother-
in-God, thou Royal Prince Marko! The whole people
believe that there are no greater heroes living than we
three Serbian knights ; it would be far better for us all to
perish than shamefully to flee ! "

When Marko heard this, he said : " Listen to me, my
brothers-in-God ! Since that is so, let us divide the enemy.
Will ye face Bogdan alone or his twelve knights ? "
Milosh and Relya chose to fight Bogdan alone, leaving
Marko to meet the twelve followers. This division was
quite agreeable to Marko, and it was hardly arranged
than Bogdan came up at the head of his troop. He was
immediately engaged by Milosh and Relya, while Marko
turned his attention to the twelve attendants. Swinging
his heavy mace he urged Sharatz against his foes, and in
'a very short time all were hurled to the ground. Marko
then alighted from his horse, bound their hands behind
them, and drove them through the vineyards.
He had gone but a little distance when he saw Bogdan
driving toward him his two friends, their arms bound
in the same manner as those of Bogdan's followers. At
this Marko was seized with fear and looked around
for a means of escape. The next moment he remem-
bered that the three brothers-in-God had sworn faith-
fulness one to another, and that they were pledged at
all times to help one another. So tightening Sharatz's
reins he drew his helmet over his forehead, furiously
unsheathed his trusty sabre, and cast one fierce, dark
glance at Bogdan.
88

Prince Marko & General Voutcha

The Bully fears to meet Marko
When the Bully saw the terrific fury and determination in
Marko's eyes his legs shook beneath him, and he turned
his mare away, not daring to meet Marko face to face.
He could not, however, hope to escape the vengeance of
the Prince, and so after a short silence he called out:
" Come, O Marko, let us be reconciled. Wilt thou release
my twelve attendants? If thou art willing to do that I
shall in turn set free thy brothers-in-God."
Marko agreed to this, and alighting from Sharatz, he
unhooked from his saddle a skin of wine, and they all sat
down to refresh themselves with the cool wine and to
partake of freshly gathered grapes. When they had
rested, the three friends mounted their horses and pre-
pared to depart. As they were about to ride off Marko
thus addressed Bogdan : " Mayest thou prosper with
God's help, O Bogdan ! And may we meet again some
day in good health and once more drink together ! "
To this Bogdan replied : " Farewell 1 and may God ever
help thee, O thou Royal Prince Marko ! But may my
eyes never again behold thee ! Seeing how thou hast
terrified me this day, I do not think that I shall wish ever
to meet thee again ! "

PRINCE MARKO AND GENERAL
VOUTCHA

Hark ! Is it thunder or is it an earthquake ? Neither,
but guns are roaring from fort Varadin : General
Voutcha is feasting in triumph, for he has captured three
Serbian heroes ; the first is Milosh of Potzerye, the
second is Milan of Toplitza, and the third is Ivan
Kosantchitch. The General has thrown them into the

Tales <§f Legends of the Serbians

deepest dungeons of his castle, noisome holes where
stagnant water lies knee-deep and the bones of warriors
lie piled as high as the shoulders of a hero.
Milosh of Potzerye is of noble lineage, unaccustomed to
privation and suffering, and he bitterly laments and deplores
his fate, as he peers anxiously through the grating of the
massive door into the dark passage by which alone succour
might come. And, indeed, after three days he saw a
messenger, to whom he called : " O, my brother-in-God 1
Bring me that whereon I may inscribe a missive ! "
The man was pleased to be called a brother-in-God of
such a famous hero and swiftly brought a roll to Milosh,
who inscribed on it the following words : " To the
Royal Prince Marko of Prilip : O brother-in-God, thou
princely Marko ! Either thou dost not want to hear
more of me or thou hast ceased to care for me ! Fate
has been hard, and I have fallen, O brother, into the
hands of a foe. The Magyar Voutcha has captured me
and my two brothers-in-arms. We have been immured
in this vile dungeon for three whole days, and it is
impossible that we should remain for another three days
and live. Therefore, if thou wouldst see us again, rescue
us, O brother, either by heroic deeds or by ransom ! "
Milosh scratched his cheek and sealed the missive with
his blood ; he then handed it to the man, together with
twelve ducats, and implored him to hasten with it to
Prilip. The messenger rode with all speed, arriving at
the city of Prilip on a Sunday morning. Prince Marko
was coming out of church when the courier dashed up to
him with the missive. As the Prince read of the terrible
straits in which his friends found themselves tears ran
down his cheeks, and he swore that he would save his
noble brothers-in-God.
90

The Arrival of Marko

The bard here describes Marko's preparations in much
the same manner as in the ballad, " Prince Marko and the
Moorish Chieftain." Next he tells of the journey from
Prilip to Varadin, but not without exaggerating as a
matter of course, the wonderful alertness of Sharatz, who,
on this occasion, swam across the Danube.

The Arrival of Marko

Arrived on the plain before the castle of Varadin, Marko
spread his tent, unhooked his skin of wine, the contents of
which he drank from a bowl * containing twelve okas '
(about forty-eight pints), never forgetting to have half
the quantity of wine each time he filled the bowl, for
his beloved Sharatz. This action was observed by a
fair Magyar lady, the wife of General Voutcha's son
Velimir, and being alarmed at seeing such a strange hero,
she was suddenly seized with a fever (' which will torture
her for three years ') and hastened to tell the General
what she had seen, and described to him every detail
of Marko's attire.

But General Voutcha, feigning indifference, comforted
his beloved daughter-in-law, promising that he would
capture him as easily as he had captured the three
knights already lying in his dungeons. Voutcha called
his son, whom he ordered to take three hundred horse-
men, and seize the haughty stranger immediately.
Marko sitting and enjoying his wine, did not see the ap-
proach of Velimir, but the faithful Sharatz began striking the
earth with his right forefoot, thus warning his unobservant
master. Marko understood, turned his head, and saw
that a whole squadron was surrounding him ; so he drank
one more bowl of wine, threw the vessel on the grass,
sprang on to his horse and fiercely attacked the army, * as

Tales $5? Legends of the Serbians

a falcon attacks the timid pigeons/ One portion he cut
to pieces, the second he ran down with his Sharatz, and
the third he drowned in the Danube.
But Velimir nearly escaped him, thanks to his own speedy
charger. When Marko saw that Sharatz, tired out, could
not possibly come up with Velimir's horse, he remembered
his mace, which he now hurled so skilfully that the heavy
handle only touched the youth with sufficient force to
fling him to the earth. Marko was by his side
immediately and he had Velimir securely bound, where-
upon he threw him down on to the soft, green grass, and
went on drinking more of his wine.

Velimir's wife had witnessed the whole of the proceedings,
and she now ran swiftly to the General, who was furious
at the intelligence and ordered all the siege-guns to be
fired. Then he collected three thousand warriors and
mounting his mare he led this host against Marko.
The Magyars completely surrounded the hero, but Marko
saw nothing of it as he went on sipping his wine.
Sharatz, however, was watchful and came to the side .of,
his master, who, realizing his critical position, sprang to
the saddle and, more furious than before, rushed fiercely at
the Magyars, with his sabre in his right hand, his lance
in his left, and Sharatz's reins held firmly in his teeth.
Those whom he struck with his sabre, he cut in two ;
those he touched with his lance, were thrown over his
head.

Marko captures General Voutcha

After three or four encounters Marko had killed so many

Magyars that those who were left, filled with horror, fled

in disorder. Marko next captured General Voutcha in

the same manner as he had his son, and after tying his

92

Marko captures General Voutcha

hands, bound him to his Sharatz's saddle and carried him
off to where Velimir lay groaning. Making the two of
them fast to the General's mare, he proceeded to Prilip
and cast them prisoners into a dungeon.
A few days later he received a letter from Voutcha's wife,
beseeching him not to destroy Velimir and his father, and
offering him vast sums of gold as ransom. And Marko
sent the following answer : " Behold ! thou faithful consort
of General Voutcha ! If thou desireth that I should release
my prisoners, thou hast but to release my old friends Milan
of Toplitza and Ivan Kosantchitch and give to each three
tovars of gold to compensate for the time he has wasted
in prison ; and thou must also give me a like sum, for I
have had to overwork my good Sharatz. And there is
still my friend Milosh of Potzerye within your castle, but
I authorize him to settle his own affairs with you in
person, for I agree to whatsoever he may arrange."
The wife of the Generallost no time in sending the
required quantity of gold. Then she took the keys of the
dungeons, and released the heroes ; sent for a number of
barbers to shave their beards, and to attend to their hair
and nails. 'She-next ordered a large quantity of the finest
wines and most costly dishes to be served to the noble
Serbians, and after the fea§t, she narrated to them
Marko's wonderful deeds, beseeching Milosh of Potzerye
to use all his influence and persuade the princely Marko to
have mercy on her husband and her son. Thereupon Milosh
promised that her wish should be gratified, and that she
had no need to fear. Only he requested her to give him :
first, the best horse from General Voutcha's stables, the
one that Voutcha rode once a year to go in state to the
church at Tekiye ; secondly, the gilded coach, harnessed
with twelve Arabian coursers used by General Voutcha

93

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

when travelling to Vienna on his visits to the Emperor, for
in that carriage Milosh wished to drive home the aged
hero, Milan of Toplitza. And finally he asked that his
friend Toplitza might be allowed to wear the fine attire
which the General wore on Easter day. To all this
Voutcha's wife agreed and, moreover, she gave each of
the friends one thousand ducats in order that they might
not be short of wine on their journey to Prilip.
Marko greeted the knights in a warm brotherly manner,
and then released General Voutcha and his son Velimir,
ordering a powerful convoy to escort them to Varadin.
When the noble Serbian voivodes had enjoyed Marko's
hospitality for several days (consuming during that time
a formidable quantity of his red wine) they embraced and
kissed each other on the cheek ; the friends, in addition,
kissing Marko's uncovered hand. Then each proceeded
in peace to his own domains.

PRINCE MARKO'S WEDDING
PROCESSION

One evening as Prince Marko sat at meat with his aged
mother, she requested him to seek a maiden of his heart,
that she might enjoy the companionship and support of a
daughter-in-law. Thereupon Marko answered : " May
God be my witness, O mother dear ! I have journeyed
through nine kingdoms and through the whole Turkish
empire, and whenever I found the maiden I wished to
make my bride, I never found that thou wert of the same
mind with me. Sometimes it was that thou didst not
feel friendly toward her family ; and when I chanced to
find a family to thy liking there was never the maiden
thou didst desire for me ! Howbeit, when I was wandering
through Bulgaria I once reined my Sharatz near a well,

94

Prince Marko's Wedding Procession

and lo ! there I saw a maiden so fair and gentle, that all
at once it seemed to me as if the grass near where we stood
were turning round us again and again. Later I learned
that this maiden was the daughter of King Shishman of
Bulgaria : assuredly this would be the very maiden for me
and a family which would please thee 1 If thou approvest,
therefore, I will at once go and ask her in marriage. "
Marko's mother, delighted with this choice of her son,
hastened to prepare the usual presents that very night,
for she feared her son might change his mind before
the morrow. Next morning, however, Marko ordered
Sharatz to be saddled, and slinging the necessary skin of
wine on one side of the saddle and his war-club on the
other, he took leave of his mother and rode straight to
the castle of King Shishman.

The Bulgarian sovereign saw Marko while he was still a
long way off, and walked forth to greet him. When he
was quite close, Marko alighted from Sharatz, stretched
out his arms and the two embraced, each inquiring after
the state of the other's health. The King then led Marko
into the castle while Sharatz was taken by the grooms to
the royal stables.

A little later, in the course of the gorgeous banquet which
had been immediately arranged in honour of the princely
guest, Marko sprang to his feet, bowed deeply before the
King and asked his daughter's hand in marriage. The
King was so pleased to have such a noble and valiant
son-in-law that he consented without hesitation. Marko
expended three tovars of gold on the ring to be worn by
his future bride, for her wedding-robe and other presents.
Next he asked if he might return to Prilip to gather his
wedding guests and friends, and as he was on the point
of leaving the Palace, the Queen specially advised the

95

Tales ^f Legends of the Serbians

Prince not to select as the bride's leader one whom he
could not trust implicitly, but rather to choose his own
brother or at least a cousin, for, said she, a stranger
might possibly prove a rival, so charming and beauteous
was her daughter.

When Marko came near to Prilip, his mother walked forth
to greet him, and, after embracing him warmly on both
cheeks and giving him her fair hands to kiss, she inquired
if he had had a prosperous journey and had become
betrothed to the Princess. Marko narrated all that had
happened, and did not forget to repeat the Queen's words
at parting, complaining of his great misfortune in that
his brothers were dead, neither had he a cousin. His
mother, filled with joy, advised Marko not to lament
because of that, but to send at once a message to the
Doge of Venice, inviting him to come with a company of
five hundred and to act as koom ; also to send to Styepan
Zemlyitch, asking him to join the wedding party with
five hundred followers and to be the bride's leader.
Marko thought the counsel good and dispatched couriers
forthwith, as his mother advised. The Doge soon
appeared with his five hundred horsemen and Styepan
Zemlyitch likewise. Marko welcomed them cordially
and hospitably, and there was no lack of good red wine.
The company now proceeded to the court of the Bulgarian
King, who received them most heartily and feasted them
for three days. On the fourth day the wedding party
prepared to return for it was evident that if the guests
were to remain for another three days the King would
have no wine left. Shishman presented all with royal
gifts : to some he gave silks, to others costly shirts, to
others again golden dishes and plates; to the bride's
leader was presented a special shirt embroidered in gold.

The Doge gallantly raised the hanging at the door 96

The Unfaithful Koom

When the bride was mounted, her royal father presented
her to the bride's leader with these words: "Here are
now, in thy keeping, the bride and her horse till thou
arrivest at Marko's castle ; once there thou shalt give
Marko the bride, but her courser thou mayst retain for
thyself ! "

The Wedding Procession

The procession rode on through the Bulgarian woodland
and meadows, and as there is no happiness without some
misfortune, a gust of wind blew aside for a moment the
bride's veil. The Doge of Venice, riding close by her
side, beheld the maiden's fair face and was so fascinated
by her wondrous beauty that he fell violently in love with
her. When the whole party of wedding guests halted for
the night, he went unperceived to the tent of Styepan
Zemlyitch, addressing him thus : " O thou bride's leader !
Wilt thou yield to me thy charge that we may flee
together : I will give thee a bootful of golden ducats ! "
Styepan Zemlyitch answered indignantly : " Keep silent,
thou Doge of Venice ! Mayest thou be turned to stone !
Hast thou made up thy mind to perish ! "
When they reached the halting-place on the second day,
the Doge again went secretly to the tent of Styepan
Zemlyitch and once more asked for the bride, but this
time he offered two bootfuls of ducats. Again the bride's
leader refused, saying : " Begone, O Doge ! Lest thou
shouldst have thy head cleft asunder ! Has anybody ever
heard of a koom taking his kooma from her bridegroom ?"

The Unfaithful Koom

When the third night came, the Doge offered to the
bride's leader three bootfuls of pure golden ducats. This

G 97

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

enormous sum of money was too great a temptation for
the bride's leader, and he gave up the bride to the Doge,
who conducted her to his own tent. Then he declared his
love to the maiden, and in impassioned tones implored
her to fly with him to Venice, where he could offer her all
that heart could desire. But the Bulgarian maiden turned
from him with loathing. " For pity's sake, O thou Doge
of Venice ! " said she, " the earth under us would surely
crack to swallow us and the skies above us would burst
asunder if a kooma should thus be false to her bride-
groom."

But the Doge persisted : " Oh do not be so foolish, my
sweet kooma 1 I have kissed and caressed many koomas,
but never once did the earth open under us, or the
heavens burst asunder. Come, let us embrace!" The
maiden thought it well to dissemble, and she replied:
" O my koom, thou Doge of Venice ! My aged mother
told me that I should have her curse if I ever kissed a
bearded hero ; and I swore to her that I should love only
a shaven knight such as is the Royal Prince Marko."
Upon this the Doge called two barbers : one to shave his
beard and the other to wash his face clean. As they were
thus engaged the maiden stooped and gathered up,
unnoticed, the Doge's beard and wrapped it in the folds
of her silken robe.

The Doge now dismissed the barbers and endeavoured
afresh to make love to the bride, who feigned coyness
and said that she feared that they both would surely
perish when Marko learned of what had taken place. But
the Doge protested : " Oh do not be so foolish. I have
five hundred followers with me ! Marko's tent stands far
away. Dost thou not see it in the distance ? On its top
is fixed a golden apple. In the apple are placed two large

The Escape of the Maiden

diamonds which shed a light so far and wide that the
neighbouring tents need no candles at night.

The Escape of the Maiden

The maiden pretended that she wished to have a clear
view of this wonder, and the Doge gallantly raised the
hanging at the door that she might see more clearly.
The next moment she was running swiftly as a deer
toward Prince Marko's pavilion.

Marko was sleeping, and was greatly astonished when
suddenly he was awakened by the entrance of his
unexpected visitor. When he recognized in the maiden
his future wife he addressed her angrily : " Thou maiden
of low birth ! Is it seemly that thou shouldst visit me
contrary to all our Christian customs ? "
The maiden bowed low and replied : " O my Lord, thou
Royal Prince Marko ! I am not a girl of low birth, but of
most noble lineage. Thou hast brought with thee guests of
most evil dispositions. Know then, that my leader Styepan
Zemlyitch sold me, thy bride, to the Doge of Venice for
three bootfuls of gold ! If thou canst not believe this, look !
Here is the Doge's beard 1 " and she unfastened her robe
and took out the Doge's beard and showed it to him.
Marko's wrath was now directed against his perfidious
friends, and at break of day, wrapping himself in his
wolf-skin cloak, and taking his heavy mace, he went
straight to the bride's leader and to the koom, saying :
" Good morning to ye, O bride's leader and koom ! Thou
leader, where is thy sister-in-law ? And thou, O koom,
where is thy kooma ? " Styepan Zemlyitch kept as silent
as a stone, but the Doge said : " O thou Royal Prince
Marko 1 There are such strange people about that one
cannot even make a joke without being misunderstood ! "

99

Tales ft? Legends of the Serbians

But Marko answered : " 111 is thy joke, O thou Doge of

Venice! Where is thy beard? It is a very strange joke

to shave one's beard 1 " The Doge would have answered,

but before he could do so Prince Marko had unsheathed

his sabre and cleft his head in twain.

Styepan Zemlyitch attempted to escape, but Marko rushed

after him and struck him so neatly with his keen sabre

that he fell to earth in two pieces.

This done, Marko returned to his tent, ordered the

procession to advance, and arrived without mishap at

Prilip.

PRINCE MARKO AND THE
MOORISH PRINCESS

One day the mother of Prince Marko spoke thus to her
son : " O, my darling son, thou Royal Prince Marko !
Why dost thou erect so many churches and shrines?
Either thou hast sinned gravely before God and thou art
in lowly penance, or thou must have piled somewhere
superabundant wealth? " Then Marko of Prilip answered
her : " My beloved, aged mother 1 I will tell thee the
truth. Once while I travelled through the Moorish
country I rose early one morning in order to go and
refresh my Sharatz at the well. When I arrived there I
found twelve Moors who had come for the same purpose,
and, as I, in my pride, would not await my turn, the twelve
Moors opposed me because they had come first. At once
we began to quarrel. I lifted my heavy club and felled
one of the Moors, to the earth ; his companions attacked
me and I struck another to the ground ; ten assailed me
and I killed a third ; nine engaged me and a fourth bit
the dust; the other eight rushed on me and I knocked
down the fifth ; seven strove with me and I sent to
100

The Moorish Princess

eternity the sixth ; but I had to face the remaining six,
who overpowered me ; they bound my arms to my back
and carried me to their Sultan, who flung me in prison.
There I dwelt for eight years knowing nothing of the
seasons, save that in winter girls would play with snow-
balls and sometimes fling them through my prison bars,
wherefore I knew that it was winter ; or maidens flung me
bunches of basil, and thus I knew when it was early
summer.

The Moorish Princess

" When the eighth year broke upon me, it was not my
dungeon that distressed me so much as a Moorish maiden,
the beloved daughter of the Sultan. She annoyed me by
coming every morning and every evening and calling to
me through my dungeon-window: 'Why shouldst thou
perish in this prison, O Marko ? Give me thy word that
thou art willing to marry me and I will release thee, and
thy Sharatz too, I would take with me, also, heaps of
golden ducats ; as much, O Mark, as thou canst ever wish
to have.'

" At that time I was in very great misery and despair, O
my mother, and so taking off my cap and placing it upon
my knee I addressed it thus : * By my firm faith ! I shall
never abandon thee ; neither shall I ever forget thee, upon
my soul ! The sun itself has often changed, shining not
in winter as in summer, but my promise shall be unbroken
for ever ! '

" The maiden believed, in pleasant delusion, that I had
sworn faithfulness to her, and so at dusk one evening she
opened the doors of my prison, led me along to my
spirited Sharatz, having got ready for herself a fine noble
charger. Both steeds bore on their backs bags filled with

101

Tales* <§P Legends of the Serbians

ducats. The Moorish maiden brought in addition my
best tempered sabre and we sped swiftly through the
Moorish lands.

" When darkness came upon us and I flung myself on the
ground to slumber, the Moorish princess did likewise, and
lo ! she threw her arms around me. And I looked at her,

0 my mother, and I saw how black her face was and
how white were her teeth ! I shuddered with horror and
hardly knowing what I did, I sprang to my feet, mounted
my Sharatz, and galloped away madly, leaving her alone.
The maiden called after me in anguish : ' O my brother-
in-God, thou Royal Prince Marko 1 Leave me not thus ! '
But I would not stay my flight.

"Then and there, O my mother, I sinned before God!
Then it was that I obtained gold in profusion, and there-
fore is it that I have built numberless churches and
shrines to expiate* my sin ! "

PRINCE MARKO AND THE VEELA
Prince Marko and Milosh of Potzerye rode early one
morning across the beauteous mountain Mirotch, carrying
their lances and trotting their steeds. They loved each
other so dearly that they would now and then embrace.
Suddenly Marko began to doze on his Sharatz, and tried
to persuade his companion to sing something in order
to keep him awake. Thereupon Milosh answered : " O
dear brother-in-God, thou Royal Prince Marko! I
would gladly sing a song for thee, but last night when

1 was with veela Raviyoyla, I drank far too much wine,
and she threatened, in truth she promised, to pierce both
my heart and my throat with arrows if she ever heard me
sing again."

But Marko insisted : " Oh do sing, brother dear ! Fear

IO2

11 1 saw how black her face was and I shuddered with horror

The Pursuit of the Veela

not the veela as long as I, Prince Marko, live; and as
long as I have Sharatz and my six-edged club ! "
So Milosh to please his pobratim, began to sing a beauti-
ful song telling of their valiant and virtuous ancestors ;
how they had held kingdoms and ruled in succession over
the much-honoured land of Macedonia; and how every
one of those good sovereigns had erected a shrine or a
church.

The song pleased Marko so much that, lulled by Milosh's
melodious voice, he fell asleep. But it happened that the
veela also heard the song, and began to sing in turn with
Milosh, doing all the time her very best to show him that
she sang better than he did. Milosh really sang better,
for he possessed a magnificent voice, and this fact much
irritated the veela ; she took two slim arrows, twanged
her bow, and transfixed first Milosh's throat and then his
heart.

Milosh uttered a piercing cry: "Alas, O my mother!
Alas, Marko, my brother-in-God ! The veela has shot
me with her arrows ! Did I not tell thee, O pobratim,
that I must not sing on the mountain Mirotch ? "

The Pursuit of the Veela

This lamentation awoke Marko at once. He leaped
lightly from the saddle, tightly fastened his Sharatz's
girths, embraced him, and thus whispered in his ear : " Lo,
Skaro, thou on whom I depend for speed ! Oh, thou must
overtake, now, the veela Raviyoyla ; and I shall shoe thy
hoofs with pure silver and gild them with the finest gold ;
I shall cover thee with a silken cloak reaching to thy
knees, and on it I shall fasten fine silk tassels to hang
from thy knees to thy hoofs ; thy mane shall I intertwine
with threads of gold and adorn it with rare .pearls. But,

103

Tales &P Legends of the Serbians

woe to thee if thou reachest not the veela ! Both thy
eyes shall I tear out ; thy four legs shall I break ; and I
shall abandon thee here and thou shalt for ever creep from
one fir-tree to another, exactly as I should do if I lost my
dear brother Milosh ! "

Then Marko sprang upon Sharatz, and rode swiftly after
the veela. Raviyoyla was already flying over the moun-
tain top, and when Sharatz caught sight of her he bounded
fiercely forward, leaping to the height of three lances in
the air, and covering the length of four lances at each
bound. In a few moments Sharatz came up with the
veela, who, greatly affrighted, flew upward to the clouds.
But Marko pitilessly hurled his far-reaching club and
struck her between the white shoulders, and she fell
instantly to the earth. Marko struck her several times
as she lay on the earth, exclaiming: "O Veela! May
God requite thee ! Why didst thou pierce my dear pobra-
tim's throat and heart ? Thou hadst better give him
healing herbs, else thou shalt not carry thy head much
longer upon thy shoulders 1 "

The veela implored Marko to forgive her, and to become
her brother-in-God. " For God's sake, O my brother
Marko, and by the memory of St. John," she cried,
" spare my life, and I will go through the mountain and
gather herbs to heal thy pobratim's wounds ! "
Marko was very easily moved by the mention of the
divine's name, and he released the veela, who went at
once, but never out of hearing and answering to Marko's
frequent calls.

When the veela had collected herbs she brought them to
Milosh and healed his wounds; his voice was not only
quite restored, but it was finer than before and his heart
was sounder. Then the brothers-in-God rode straight to
104

Prince Marko ^f the Turkish Huntsmen

the district of Poretch, where they crossed the River
Timok, and soon arrived at the town of Bregovo, whence,
after tarrying awhile, they departed to the district of Vidin.
When the veela rejoined her sisters she admonished them,
saying : " Hark, ye veelas, my sisters ! Do not shoot
any heroes in the mountains with your bows and arrows,
so long as the Royal Prince Marko and his Sharatz are
alive. Oh, what I, much to be pitied, have suffered at
his hands to-day ! I marvel, indeed, that I still live ! "

PRINCE MARKO AND THE kS~/Jr

TURKISH HUNTSMEN

Amouradh, the grand Vizir once arranged a hunting
party of twelve Turkish warriors to which he also invited
Prince Marko. They hunted for three days and found
nothing in the mountain-forest. But, behold ! they
suddenly discovered a green-bosomed lake upon which a
team of wild ducks was swimming ! The Vizir let loose
his falcon and bade him pounce upon a gold- winged duck,
but the duck did not even allow the falcon to see it, so .
swiftly it flew toward the clouds ; as for the falcon it fell
on the branches of a fir-tree.

Then Prince Marko spoke thus to the Vizir : " Am I per-
mitted, O Vizir Amouradh, to release my falcon and try
to secure the gold-winged duck ? " "Surely you may,
Prince Marko," answered the Vizir. Then the princely
Marko let loose his falcon, and the bird ascended to the
clouds, sprang upon the gold-winged prey, and bore it
down to the foot of the green fir-tree.
When Amouradh's falcon saw this it became greatly ex-
cited and, according to its natural habit of seizing others'
spoil, it turned violently upon its rival and tried to pluck
the duck from its claws.

105

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

But Marko's falcon was exceedingly valiant, worthy of its
master, and would yield its well-earned trophy to none but
its master. So it turned sharply on Amouradh's falcon
and vehemently tore at its proud feathers.
When the Vizir saw this, he too became excited and in
great rage rushed to the combatants and flung Prince
Marko's falcon fiercely against a fir-tree so that its right
wing was broken. He then took horse with his followers
and fled from the scene of his violence.
The noble falcon, as it lay upon the ground, wailed in its
pain and Prince Marko ran quickly and caught it to his
breast, for he loved it very dearly. Then very tenderly
he bound its wounded pinion and addressed the bird with
emotion : " Woe to me and to thee, my falcon, that ever
we went hunting with the Turk without our dear Serbians,
for the Turk must ever violate the rights of others ! "
After having bound his falcon's wing, Marko sprang upon
Sharatz and sped through the forest swift as a veela.
Soon he left the mountain behind and he observed the
fleeing Turks in front of him. The Vizir turned in his
saddle and saw Marko in the distance, wherefore he
spoke thus to his twelve valiant companions : " Ye, my
children, ye twelve valiant heroes ! See ye yonder moun-
tain-mist approaching, and in it the Royal Prince Marko ?
Hark ! how fiercely he enrages his Sharatz ! God alone
knows, what will befall us I "

The Vengeance of Marko

He had barely uttered these words when Prince Marko
came up flourishing his bright sabre. Instantly the twelve
Turks dispersed like a flock of sparrows startled by a
vulture. Marko made for the Vizir and with one thrust
of his sabre cleft his head asunder. Next he pursued
1 06

The Vengeance of Marko

the twelve Turkish warriors, each of whom he cut in two,
striking them through their Turkish sashes. Then he
stood for a while in doubt : " Oh, what am I to do now ?
Ought I to go to the Sultan at Yedrenet or had I perhaps
better return to my white castle at Prilip ? " After long
thought he decided that it would be far better to go to
the Sultan and give an account of what had happened
than to give an opportunity to his foes to calumniate him
to the Padishah.

When Prince Marko arrived at Yedrenet he was at once
received in divan by the Sultan.

A poet describes Marko's eyes as being as bright and
fierce as those of a hungry wolf ; and the Sultan was
terrified by the lightning flashing from his eyes. He
deemed it well to temporize and so spoke gently to the
hero : " O my dear son Marko, why art thou so enraged
to-day ? Art thou, perchance, short of gold ? "
Prince Marko narrated to the Sultan what had happened
to his Vizir Amouradh, not omitting to mention one single
incident. When he had heard the tale, the Sultan, con-
vulsed with laughter, comforted Prince Marko: "May
Blessings fall upon thee, my dearest son Marko ! " said
he. " If thou hadst not behaved thus, I would no longer
call thee a son of mine ; any Turk may become Vizir, but
there is no hero to equal Marko ! " With these words
the Sultan plunged his hand in his silk-lined pocket, drew
out a purse containing one thousand ducats and proffered
it to Prince Marko, exclaiming : " Accept this as a gift
from me, O my dearest son Marko, take some wine and
go in peace ! " Marko, nothing loth, accepted the purse
and left the divan.

The Sultan, however, was not moved to this seeming
generosity by friendliness to Marko ; on the contrary he

107

Tales &P Legends of the Serbians

feared him exceedingly and was anxious only for his
speedy departure.

PRINCE MARKO AND MOUSSA
KESSEDJIYA *

" Moussa Arbanass 2 was one day drinking wine in a
white tavern in Istamboul. Presently, when he had
drunk a good deal he began to talk thus : * It is just
about nine years since I entered the service of the Sultan
at Istamboul, yet he has never given me a horse, or arms,
or even a velvet cloak ! By my faith, I shall rebel ! I
shall go down to the coast, seize the harbours and all the
roads leading to them : and then build myself a koula,
around which I shall erect gibbets with iron hooks and
hang his hodjas (priests) and hadjis (pilgrims) upon
them.'"

The threats the Albanian made in his drunkenness he
actually carried out when he became possessed of his
senses. He turned rebel, seized the sea-ports and the
main roads, captured and robbed the rich merchants, and
hanged the Sultan's hodjas and hadjis. When the Sultan
heard of all these misdeeds, he sent the Grand Vizir
Tyouprilitch with three thousand men to undertake a
campaign against Moussa. But, alas ! no sooner had the
Turkish army reached the sea-coast than Moussa dis-
persed it and took the Grand Vizir prisoner. Next he

1 Kessedjiya means 'fighter' or 'bully,' and is the nickname of an
Albanian chevalier-brigand Moussa, who defied for years the distant
power of the Sultan. The incident described in the poem here referred to
recounts — according to some Serbian historians — an event which actually
took place in the beginning of the fourteenth century. There is hardly
any inn or tavern in the villages of the Southern Slavs on the front wall
of which one cannot see a rough fresco illustrating the duel between
Marko and Moussa.

2 Arbanass is another appellation for Albanian.

108

Marko is Sent for

bound the Vizir hand and foot and sent him back thus
ignominiously to his master at Istamboul.
Now the Sultan, in despair, published a proclamation all
over his vast empire, promising untold riches to any
knight who would vanquish the rebel. And many a
brave knight went to fight the rebel, but, alas ! not one
ever returned to Istamboul to claim the promised gold !
This humiliation threw the Sultan into unspeakable
distress and anxiety.

At length the Grand Vizir Tyouprilitch came to him and
said : " Sire, thou Glorious Sultan 1 If only we had now
with us the Royal Prince Marko! He would surely
overcome Moussa the Bully 1 "

The Sultan cast at his Vizir a reproachful glance, and,
with tears in his eyes, said : " Oh, torture not my soul,
by speaking of the princely knight Marko! His very
bones must have rotted long before this day, for at least
three years have flown since I threw him into my darkest
dungeon, the door of which has remained fast bolted."
Thereupon the Vizir asked : " Gracious master, what
wouldst thou give to the man who could bring Marko
into thy presence alive?" And the mighty Sultan
answered : " I would give him the vizirate of Bosnia,
with power there to remain for nine years without recall,
and I would not demand from him even a dinar of the
revenues and taxes which he might collect."

Marko is Sent for

Hearing this, the cunning Vizir hastened to the prison,
opened the door of the dungeon, brought out the Royal
Prince Marko and led him before the Sultan. Marko's
hair had grown to the ground, one-half of it he had used
to sleep upon, and with the other part he covered himself

109

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

at night ; his nails were so long that he could plough with
them ; the dampness and dirt in the dungeon had changed
him so that he was as black as a black stone.
When the Sultan saw him, he exclaimed : " Dost thou
still live, Marko?" "Yea, I am still alive, but hardly
can I move my limbs," the hero answered.
And the Sultan went on to tell Marko about the evil
doings of Moussa, and asked him : " Couldst thou under-
take, O Marko, to go to the sea-coast and kill Moussa •
Kessedjiya? If thou wouldst do this, I would gladly
give thee as much gold as thou canst desire."
Thereupon Prince Marko answered : " Alas, O Sire ! The
dampness of the stone dungeon has ruined my bones and
much hurt my eyes. How could I venture to fight a duel
with Moussa? But, if thou wishest me to try that feat,
place me in a good inn somewhere, supply me with plenty
of wine and brandy, fat mutton and good white bread,
that I may perhaps regain my strength. I shall then tell
thee as soon as I feel myself able to fight a duel."
Hearing this, the Sultan summoned attendants to wash
Marko, to cut his hair, to shave him and to trim his nails.
Then he had him conducted with honour to the New Inn,
where there was abundance of everything to satisfy
his needs.

Marko remained in the inn for three months, zealously
eating and drinking, and he had thus considerably re-
stored his strength, when the Sultan asked him : " Dost
thou yet feel thyself able to go and overcome Moussa, for
my poor subjects are incessantly sending me complaints
against that accursed brigand ? " And Marko answered
the Sultan thus : " Let a piece of perfectly dry wood of a
medlar-tree, which has been cut off nine years be brought
to me, that I may test my strength ! " When the piece of
no

Marko orders a Sword

wood was brought, Marko took it in his right hand and
squeezed it so hard that it broke in three. " By my faith,
Sire, it is not yet time for me to venture a duel with such
a dangerous adversary as Moussa ! "
So Marko remained in the New Inn for another month,
eating, drinking, and resting, till he felt a little stronger.
Then he asked again for a dry stick from a medlar-tree.
When the wood was brought to him, he squeezed it with
kis rigkt kaad till it broke in pieces, and this time two
drops *f water came from it. Then Marko said to the
Sultan : " Sire, now I am ready to fight the duel."

Marko orders a Sword

From the palace Marko went straight to Novak, the
famous maker of swords. " Make me a finer sword than
any thou hast ever made before, O Novak 1 " said Marko,
and he gave the smith thirty ducats and went back to the
inn. There he stayed to drink red wine for the next few
days, and then went again to the smith's. " Hast thou
finished my sword, O Novak?" And the swordsmith
brought forth the blade and gave it to Marko, who asked :
"Is it good?" "There is the sword and here is the
anvil ; thou canst try on it the quality of thy sword ! "
answered Novak timidly. Thereupon Marko lifted his
sword and struck the anvil with it so hard that he cut
right through it. " O Novak, the swordsmith, tell me
now, truthfully — and may God help thee — hast thou ever
made a better sword ? " And Novak answered : " Since
thou didst call upon the name of the true God, I must tell
thee truthfully that I did once make a better sword ; yea,
and it was for a better warrior. When Moussa turned
rebel and went to the sea-coast, he ordered me to make
him a sword, with which he cut right through the anvil

in

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

as thou hast done, and through the trunk of an oak-tree
upon which it was standing, as well."
This enraged Marko. " Hold out thy hand, Novak, that
I may pay thee for my sword ! " No sooner had the man
stretched forth his right arm, than Marko by a swift stroke
cut it off from the shoulder. " Now, O Novak, from this
day thou shalt not make either a better or a worse sword
than mine 1 And take these hundred ducats as thy
reward ! "

Marko meets Moussa

Then Marko mounted his Sharatz and rode off to the sea,
seeking and inquiring all the way for Moussa. One
morning early he rode up the defile Katchanik, when
suddenly he saw Moussa Kessedjiya, calmly seated on his
black steed with his legs crossed, throwing his mace to
the clouds and catching it again in his right hand. When
the two knights met, Marko said to Moussa : " Knightly
Moussa, move aside and leave the path free for my
Sharatz to pass ! Move aside or bow before me ! "
To this Moussa answered : " Pass on quietly, Marko, do
not start a quarrel. Better still, let us dismount and take
refreshment together. I shall never move aside to make
way for thee. I know well that thou wert born of a queen
in a palace, and wert laid upon silken cushions. Doubt-
less thy mother wrapped thee in pure silk, and fastened
the silk with golden thread, and gave thee honey and
sugar ; my mother was a poor, wild Albanian, and I was
born on the cold rocks near the sheep she was tending,
and she wrapped me in a rough, black cloth, tying it on to
me with bramble twigs ; she fed me on oatmeal — but
above all things she always made me swear that I should
never move aside for anybody."
112

There is the suwrd atid here if the anvil '

Marko meets Moussa

Hearing this, Marko of Prilip aimed his lance at Moussa's
breast, but the fierce Albanian received it on his warrior-
mace, and it glanced off, whizzing high above his head.
Then Moussa threw his own lance, aiming at Marko's
breast, but the princely hero received it on his club and it
broke in three. They next unsheathed their swords and
attacked each other at close quarters. Marko gave a
great stroke, but Moussa interposed his mace and the
sword was shattered. Instantly Moussa raised his own
sword to strike his adversary, but Marko, in the like
manner, received it upon his club and the weapon snapped
in two near its hilt. Then they began labouring each
other with their maces until these broke too. They next
dismounted and seized each other fiercely. The famous
heroes were equally matched for once, the knightly
Moussa against the princely Marko. Moussa could
neither throw Marko down, nor could Marko overcome
Moussa. For a whole summer's morning did they
wrestle together. At about noon, white foam rose on
Moussa's lips, and Marko's lips were covered with blood
and foam. Then Moussa exclaimed : " Do throw me
down, O Marko ! or, if you cannot do it, let me throw you
down ! " Marko did all he could, but his attempts were
vain. Seeing this, Moussa exerted his last remnants of
strength and, lifting Marko from the ground, he threw him
on to the grass and pressed his knees on his breast.
Marko, in great danger, exclaimed : " Where art thou
now, my sister-in-God, thou Veela ? Where art thou
to-day, mayst thou live no longer ! Now I see thine oath
was false when thou didst sware to me that whenever I
should be in distress, thou wouldst help me ! "
The veela appeared from behind the clouds, saying: "O
my brother, Royal Prince Marko ! Hast thou forgotten my

H 113

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

words : That thou shouldst never fight on Sunday ? I
cannot help thee, for it would not be fair that two should
fight against one. Where are thy secret poniards ? "
Moussa cast a glance to the clouds to see where the voice
came from, and this was his undoing, for Marko seized the
moment, drew out a secret blade, and with a sudden fierce
stroke cut Moussa so that his body was opened from his
waist to his neck.

Marko disengaged himself with difficulty from the em-
braces of the horrible Moussa, and as the body lay upon
its back the Prince discovered through the gaping wound
that his adversary had three rows of ribs and three hearts.
One of the hearts had collapsed ; another was still beating
excitedly; on the third a serpent was just awaking,
and as it saw Marko it hissed: "Praise God, O Royal
Prince Marko, that I still slept while Moussa was alive —
for a three hundred fold misfortune would surely otherwise
have befallen thee ! "

When Marko heard this, tears poured down his cheeks
and he lamented : " Alas ! Gracious God forgive me, I
have killed a better knight than I am ! "
Then he struck off Moussa's head with his sword, put
it into Sharatz's nose-bag and returned triumphantly to
Istamboul. When he flung the head of Moussa before
the Sultan the monarch was so horrified that he sprang to
his feet. " Do not fear the dead, O gracious Sultan ! If
thou art frightened by the sight of Moussa's head, what
wouldst thou have done if thou hadst met him alive ? "
The Sultan gave three tovars of gold to Marko, who
returned to his castle at Prilip.

As for Moussa the Bully, he remained on the top of
Katchanik Mountain.

114

The Death of Prince Marko

THE DEA TH OF PRINCE MARKO
In the early dawn of a Sabbath morning Prince Marko
paced the sea-shore. Soon he came to a bridle path that
led up the slopes of the Ourvinian mountain, and as he got
near to the mountain top, his faithful Sharatz suddenly
stumbled and began to shed tears. His moans fell sadly
upon Marko's heart and he addressed his favourite thus :
" Alas ! dear Sharo, my most precious treasure ! Lo ! we
have dwelt happily together these many summers as
beloved companions ; till now thou hast never stumbled,
and to-day for the first time thine eyes do weep : God
alone knows what fate awaits us, but I can see that my
life or thine is in great peril and that one of us is surely
doomed to die."

When Marko had spoken to his Sharatz thus, the veela
from the Ourvinian mountain called to him : " My dear
brother-in-God ! O Royal Prince Marko ! Knowest thou
not, brother, why thy horse is stumbling? Thy Sharatz
is grieving for thee, his master. Know that ere long ye
must be divided ! "

Marko answered : " O thou white veela ! May thy throat
cause thee pain for speaking thus: How in this world
could I ever part from Sharatz, who through many a land
and many a city hath borne me from dawn till sunset ;
better steed never trod our earth than Sharatz, and
Marko never better hero. While my head is on my
shoulders, never will I be severed from my beloved
steed!"

And the veela called again : " O my brother, Royal Prince
Marko, there is no force which can tear thy Sharatz from
thee; thou canst not die from any hero's shining sabre,
or battle-club, or lance of warrior ; thou fearest no hero

"5

Tales ^f Legends of the Serbians

on earth — but, alas ! thou must die, O Marko ! Death,
the ancient slayer, will smite thee. If thou wilt not believe
me, hasten to the summit of the mountain, look to the
right and to the left, and thou wilt presently see two tall
fir-trees covered with fresh green leaves and towering
high above the other trees of the forest. Between those
fir-trees there is a spring; there alight, and bind thy
Sharatz to one of the fir-trees ; then bend thee down and
the water will mirror thy face. Look and thou shalt see
when death awaits thee ! "

Marko learns his Fate

Marko followed the veela's instruction, and when he
arrived upon the mountain top, he looked to the right
and to the left, and truly, he saw the two tall straight
fir-trees just as she described them, and he did everything
she had counselled him to do. When he looked into the
spring he saw his face reflected in the water, and lo ! his
fate was written on its surface 1 . . .
Then he shed many bitter tears, and spoke in this wise :
" O thou treacherous world, once my fairy flower ! Thou
wert lovely — but I sojourned for too short a time with
thee : yea for about three hundred years ! The hour has
come for me to depart ! " Then he drew his sabre and
hastened to Sharatz; with one stroke he smote off his
head. Never should he be mounted by the Turk ; never
should a Turkish burden be placed upon his proud
shoulders ; never should he carry the dyugoom * from the
well for the hated Moslem !

Marko now dug a grave for his faithful Sharatz and in-
terred him with more honour than he had buried Andreas,
his own brother. Then he broke his sabre in four that it
1 Dyugoom, a water vessel made of copper and enamelled inside.
116

He lamented loudly the fate of Marko

116

The Finding of Marko

might not fall into the hands of a Moslem, and that the
Turk might not brandish it with something of his own
power, lest the curse of Christendom should fall upon
him. Marko next broke his lance in seven pieces throw-
ing the fragments into the branches of the fir-tree. Then
he took his terrible club in his right hand, and swiftly
flung it from the Ourvinian mountain far into the dark
sapphire sea, with the words : " When my club returns
from the depths of the ocean, then shall come a hero as
great as Marko ! " When he had scattered thus all his
weapons, he drew from his belt a golden tablet upon
which he inscribed this message: "To him who passes
over this mountain, and to him who seeks the spring by
the fir-trees and finds Marko's body : know that Marko
is dead. There are here three purses filled with golden
ducats. One shall be Marko's gift to him who digs his
grave : the second shall be used to adorn churches ; the
gold in the third shall be distributed among the blind
and maimed, that they may wander in peace through the
land and with hymns laud Marko's deeds and feats of
glory!"

When Marko had thus written he bound the tablet to a
branch that it might be seen by the passers-by. He spread
his cloak on the grass beneath the fir-trees, made the sign
of the holy cross, drew over his eyes his fur cap and laid
himself down. . . .

The Finding of Marko

The body of Marko lay beside the spring day after day
till a whole week had passed. Meanwhile many a traveller
passed over the broad path and saw the knightly Marko,
but one and all believed him to be slumbering and kept a
safe distance, fearing to disturb or awake the sleeping hero.

117

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

Fortune is the leader of misfortune, as misfortune often
leads to fortune : and it befell that Vasso the igouman
(abbot) of Mount Athos, rode that way from the white
church Vilindar attended by the youthful Issaya his deacon.
When the igouman noticed Marko, he beckoned to Issaya.
" O my son," he said, " be cautious, lest thou wake the
hero, for Marko is furious when disturbed and may
destroy us both." Then he looked anxiously round and
saw the inscription which Marko had fixed above his
head. He drew near cautiously and read the message.
Then he dismounted hastily from his horse and seized
Marko's hand — but the hero moved not ! Tears rushed
from the eyes of Vasso, and he lamented loudly the fate
of Marko. After a time he took the three purses from
the hero's girdle and hid them beneath his belt. Long
he pondered as to where he should entomb Marko; at
length he placed the hero's body on his horse and brought
it to the shore. In due course he arrived safely with it
at the white church Vilindar, and having sung the
customary hymns and performed those rites which are
fitting he interred Marko's body beneath the centre of the
church.

There the aged igouman buried Marko but he raised no
monument over the tomb, lest foes should learn the where-
abouts of the hero's grave and take vengeance on the
dead.

118

CHAPTER V : BANOVITCH
STRAHINYA

Historical Data

THE ballad relating to Banovitch Strahinya is one
of the finest and most famous which the anonymous
Serbian bards composed during the Middle Ages.
The author was probably a dependent of the descendants of
Banovitch, and utilized a few historical and biographical
data, which he must have found among the manuscripts
and other records belonging to his lord or in the other
castles he visited from time to time.

Prince Ourosh (of the Nemanya dynasty) married Helen,
a French princess of the house de Courtenay, and
through her he kept up friendly relations with the French
Court of Charles of Anjou in Naples, and he endeavoured
to negotiate an alliance between Serbs and French for the
otherthrow and partition of the Byzantine Empire.
Some Serbian historians believe that Banovitch Strahinya
was really the glorious Strashimir Balshitch-Nemanyitch
(who reigned conjointly with his two brothers from 1360-
1370 in Skadar, the capital of Northern Albania) and a
descendant of the old Proven^arfamily of des Baux.
In early local records the name Baux is latinized Balcius,
and members of the family who attended the Court at
Naples changed the name, in Italian fashion, into Balza.
And it is supposed that these Italianized Seigneurs des
Baux, who were permitted to marry into the Royal House
of Nemanyitch, and who settled in Serbian lands, then
further changed their patronymic to Balsha or Balshitch —
itch> or ich^ or ic being the characteristic termination of
most Serbian family names.

It may here be stated that Skadar was at that time still

119

Tales ^f Legends of the Serbians

the capital of Zeta (the Montenegro of modern times).
The valiant Nicholas I Petrovitch, the present King of
Montenegro, and an indirect descendant out of Bal-
shitch, was obliged by the Great Powers to evacuate
the town after he had obtained possession of it by the
heroism of his troops, and Serbian bards throughout the
kingdom are now improvising ballads, in which they may
transmit to future generations the story of the sad events
of the present time, just as their ancestors recorded the
exploits of Strahinya. BuFTer^its^^turn to the story of
Banovitch as it was given in the old balla<

The Falcon Banovitch

In the opening verses the bard describes the hero and
eulogizes him as " a falcon without equal." He tells of
the orders given by Banovitch to his servants and pages
relative to the preparations to be made for himself, Dyojyp
his faithful steed, and the greyhound Caraman. his in-
separable companion. He is not going to the hunt,
however; he intends to visit the aged ^oug^jiogdan, and
is clad in pure silk and velvet embroiderecl with fine gold.
Bogdan, his beloved father-in-law, resides at his sumptuous
castle in Kroushevatz. The old man rejoiced to see him,
and his nine sons and their wives, as well as Bogdan's
sons-in-law, of whom one was a direct descendant of King
Nemanya, greeted him warmly.

As they were feasting, a letter was brought from Bano-
vitch's mother, telling him that innumerable hordes of
Turks had encamped on the field of Kossovo. Strahinya
seized the letter and read in horror his mother's male-
diction : " Woe to thee and thy feasting in the accursed
castle of thy wife's father ! " The letter went on to say
that a certain chieftain named Vlah-Ali, proud, haughty,
120

Banovitch seeks the Turk

and independent not only of Mehmed, the Grand Vizir, but
of Sultan Amourath himself, had attacked, conquered,
and pillaged his castle, captured his servants, and taken
his wife away to his tent on a mountain near the field of
Kossovo, where she was seemingly quite content to remain.
Youg Bogdan, observing Strahinya's grief, asked him in
alarm what was amiss, if he lacked anything in his castle,
or if any one of his family had offended him. Banovitch
thanked his father-in-law, and assured him that other
misfortunes were troubling him, and he read the letter
aloud. Banovitch then begged Youg Bogdan to allow his
sons to accompany him to the field of Kossovo, as he had
resolved to rescue his wife from the hands of the foe.
But Youg Bogdan, thinking that it would be foolish for
so few to go and face the many thousands of bloodthirsty
Turks, disapproved altogether of this, and strongly advised
Banovitch to abandon the idea. He even promised to
find him a bride fairer and more worthy of him than his
own faithless daughter. But Strahinya remained unshaken
in his resolution, and convinced of his father-in-law's lack
of chivalry, ran hurriedly to the stables, refusing in
scorn the help of Bogdan's servants, saddled Dyogo, and
indignant and sorrowful mounted forthwith. As he was
riding out of the courtyard he suddenly remembered
Caraman, so he whistled, and instantly Caraman ran to
his master and comforted him.

Banovitch seeks the Turk

So over fields and over mountains, straight to Kossovo,
Banovitch rode forth with courage and gladness, for his
dog was even dearer to him than his steed. At Kossovo
he saw the plain crowded with tents and soldiers, and as
he looked he felt something like dread within him ;

121

Tales Sf Legends of the Serbians

nevertheless, he called on the name of the true God and
taking the precaution of disguising himself as a Turk, he
rode over the plain. For several days he sought, but
alas! in vain, the tent of Vlah-Ali. At last from the
banks of Sitnitza, he beheld a spacious green tent upon the
pole of which a golden apple shone ; before the entrance
stood an Arab steed stamping sharply with his forefeet upon
the ground. Strahinya thought that this must surely be
the tent of Vlah-Ali, and he fiercely spurred on his Dyogo.
Reaching the tent in a moment, spear in hand, he boldly
drew aside the silken curtain which veiled the entrance.
To his disappointment he saw that the only occupant
of the pavilion was an old dervish with a white beard
reaching to his knees. The old man was drinking wine,
a thing forbidden to him by the laws of his order, and he
returned the greeting of Strahinya, who spoke good
Turkish, with a profound salaam. Then, to Strahinya's
astonishment, the dervish said : " Hail ! O Banovitch
Strahinya, Lord of Little Banyska near Kossovo ! "
Banovitch was taken aback, but he tried to put a good
face upon it and asked in apparent surprise : " Who is the
man thou hast called Banovitch Strahinya ? " The half-
drunken dervish laughed aloud. "Thou canst not
deceive me," said he, " I would instantly recognize thee,
yea, even wert thou on the top of the mountain Goletch."
Then he told Banovitch how that he had been a captive
in his castle a few years previously, and had been treated
most humanely, even receiving a daily measure of wine.
Finally Banovitch had let him go to his estates to collect
his ransom. Upon reaching his home he discovered that
his estates had been appropriated by the Sultan, and his
house and other possessions had been given to Pashas'
daughters as dowries. All was dreariness and desolation ;

122

Banovitch seeks the Turk

he had lost his fortune — and, he added bitterly, con-
sequently all his friends — so he was reduced to ride to
Yedrenet l to offer his services to the Sultan. The Vizir,
he continued, told the Sultan that he looked as if he might
quite likely be of use as a soldier, whereupon the Sultan
had given him good clothes and better weapons and the
Vizir added his name to the roll of warriors sworn to
fight for the Sultan. "Now," he concluded, "I do not
possess so much as even a dinar, give me, I pray thee, time
for my fortunes to improve."

Strahinya was deeply touched by the dervish's misfortunes
and, alighting from his steed, he embraced him and spoke
to him in the following friendly manner: "Thou art my
brother-in-God ! I forgive thee gladly thy ransom, neither
shall I ever ask even a dinar from thee, but thou canst
repay me ! I am now seeking the haughty Vlah-Ali, who
demolished my castle and robbed me of my wife. Tell me, O
aged dervish 1 Where shall I find my foe ? I beseech thee
as my brother-in-God, not to let the Turks know of my
presence here, and not to suffer them to take me by guile."
The dervish was glad to become brother-in-God of such
a valiant hero as Strahinya, and he pledged his unalter-
able faith that, even if Strahinya should destroy half of
the Sultan's army, he would never betray him ; but at the
same time, he tried to persuade Banovitch to give up all
intention of attacking such an unconquerable and terrible
foe, whose mere name was enough to strike terror into
the heart of the best and bravest. He went on to
describe the warlike character of the invincible rebel
of the Padishah, and finished by assuring Banovitch that
neither his sharp sword, nor his poisoned spear, nor his
steed would avail to protect him, for the terrible Vlah-Ali
1 Adrianople.

123

Tales $»? Legends of the Serbians

would surely seize him alive in his iron grasp, break his

limbs to pieces and pluck out his eyes.

Strahinya laughed aloud when he heard all this ; " O

my brother," said he, " thou aged dervish ! Thou

needest not warn me against one warrior, only do not bring

upon me the Sultan's whole army ! Since thou goest to

water thy horses every evening and every morning at the

River Sitnitza, thou must know where the fords are, and

thou couldst save me from riding my steed into muddy

depths ! "

At this the dervish repeated his oath, and exclaimed :

Strahni-Bane, ti sokole Srpski !
Tvome Dyogu i tvome junashtvu
Svud su brodi, dyegody dodyesh vodi ! 1

Banovitch crossed the river, and rode without haste to
mount Goletch. He was still at the foot of the mountain
when the morning sun shone out upon the field of Kossovo,
making the tents and the soldiers' armour gleam.

The Faithless Wife

What was the mighty Vlah-Ali doing when dawn came ?
The Turk's custom was to seek slumber only at sunrise.
" How very dear to him was his new slave, Strahinya's
wife," recites the bard, "may be understood when I tell
that he had closed his eyes with his head on her ivory
shoulder." The faithless woman was not sleeping;
through the door of the tent she gazed over the sleeping
camp. Suddenly she roused her new lord and pointed in

1 The lines are considered to be the finest composed by any Serbian
bard, and may be freely translated : " O Lord Strahinya, thou Serbian
glorious falcon ! Depending ever upon thy true steed Dyogo and
upon thine own courage, wherever thou goest, there thou shalt find a
way free of all danger."
I24

The Combat

terror to the figure of an advancing horseman in whom
she had recognized her true husband.
At first the Turk laughed at her fears and said that it was
only an ambassador from the Sultan. " Verily," said he,
composing himself again to rest, " Strahinya will not dare
to come near the tent ! "

Presently his companion again roused Vlah-Ali and told
him that the horseman was no messenger from Amouradh,
but her own husband, Banovitch Strahinya himself, and
she warned Vlah-Ali that he was in peril of his life.
Upon this, the mighty Vlah-Ali leapt to his feet, girded
on a long silken sash, fastened in it a sharp gleaming
yataghan, quickly belted on his shining sabre, and was
soon firmly seated in his saddle.

The Combat

A moment later Banovitch came up, and a fearful contest
began between the two champions — heroes of almost equal
renown, though not equal in strength. Strahinya ad-
dressed his opponent with reproachful and taunting words,
and Vlah-Ali replied in equally offensive terms. But they
did not fight only with words. Banovitch spurred Dyogo
and furiously cast his spear, which the mighty Turk,
stretching out his hands, caught and broke into pieces.
"O Strahinya," he shouted derisively, "thou callest me a
poltroon, indeed 1 Dost thou know to whom thou didst
speak ? Here is no woman of thy Serbian land whom thy
threats might alarm ; thou hast here to deal with the
mighty Vlah-Ali who fears neither the Sultan nor his
Grand Vizir, yea, not even the countless horde which they
command ! One and all, they are to me but a swarm of
ants ! " Speaking thus, he alertly reined in his sturdy
horse and sent his spear whistling through the air. So

125

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

straight it went to Strahinya's breast that he surely would
have been stricken had the just God not helped him.
Dyogo, accustomed to duels, knelt swiftly in the nick of
time, so that the Turk's weapon flew over Banovitch's
head and struck against a rock behind him, breaking into
three pieces. Their spears being thus destroyed, the
fierce warriors next grasped their heavy clubs, and
rushed to close quarters. Their blows fell thick and
fast until Vlah-Ali struck Strahinya so violently that he
was stunned and fell forward upon Dyogo's neck. Again
the true God stood by Strahinya ; his beloved grey steed,
trained for such a struggle, moved his head and his neck
so cleverly that he threw his master back into the saddle.
Strahinya, in his turn, now struck his adversary's shoulder
with great force, but the mighty Turk sat unshaken,
although by this time his horse's legs were sunk in the
black earth up to the knees.

And so the battle went on until the combatants broke
each other's clubs, when they took to their sharp sabres,
hoping to decide the combat very soon. But lo 1 Bano-
vitch's sabre was not a common one; two strong smiths
had spent a week in shaping it and in smelting the finest
of fine steel for its blade. The Turk made a swift slash
at his foe, but Strahinya caught the gleaming §teel on his
own blade, and the sabre was instantly severed above the
hilt. This pleased Banovitch greatly, and, fiercely pressing
the Turk, he now tried to hack off his adversary's arms.
But the heroes were well matched ; Vlah-Ali guarded his
head most deftly with the remaining stump of his sabre,
and, bit by bit, he broke away his adversary's weapon,
until once more the two were on equal terms. They now
dismounted, and grasping each other firmly, they heaved
and wrestled with all their strength.
126

The Combat

Finally Strahinya, feeling that he was almost spent, called
upon his wife to take the other part of the Turk's sabre
and to settle the contest by striking either his head or
that of Vlah-Ali. Thereupon Vlah-Ali called out : " My
darling ! O thou wife of Strahinya ! Strike me not, but
rather strike Banovitch as thou canst never again be dear
to him ; he will blame and scorn thee for ever and ever.
But thou shalt be always most dear to me. I will escort
thee to Yedrenet, thirty maids shall there be to wait upon
thee : to carry thy robes and wide sleeves. With sweet-
meats will I feed thee and will cover thee with golden
ducats from head to foot ! "

Women may easily be misled by fair words : and so the
wife of Strahinya sprang forward and picked up a piece
of the sharp blade, wrapping it carefully in fine silk, for
she feared it might wound her hand. Then she ran
swiftly to the fighting heroes, and taking all care not to
hurt AH, she violently struck the head of Banovitch, and
cut through the golden crest and the white helmet. The
blade but slightly gashed Strahinya's head, but down
rushed the blood over his face fast and thick and all but
blinded him.

At this bitter moment, Strahinya thought of his faithful
Caraman and called to him twice. The dog rushed
furiously at the faithless woman and held her fast,1
whereupon she was much terrified and screaming loudly,
she threw the blade afar and seized the dog by its ears.
The Turk, alarmed and distracted, turned round to see
what had happened. So encouraged was Strahinya at
this new proof of his dog's intelligence and faithfulness,
that new strength came to him and seizing the opportunity

1 Here the bard in his naive meditations on the psychology of women,
states that the fair sex is always alarmed by true dogs.

127

Tales ^f Legends of the Serbians

he threw his adversary on the ground and slew him with
his teeth " as wolves slaughter lambs." Then he carried
away his wife (whom the intelligent Caraman had left
unhurt) to her father's castle.

The return of the Falcon

When Youg Bogdan and his sons saw Strahinya covered
with blood, they were greatly astonished that there
should be a Turk valiant enough to wound a hero such as
Strahinya. But Strahinya narrated to them the shameful
conduct of his wife, and the story made Youg Bogdan so
incensed that he commanded his sons to pierce their
sister with their swords. But the ever chivalrous
Strahinya protested, exclaiming : " O my brothers-in-law,
ye nine Yougovitch ! Why, O brothers would ye cover
yourselves with shame to-day ? On whom would ye draw
your blades ? Since ye are, O brothers, so blood-thirsty
and so courageous, where were all your knives and your
bright sabres when I went to the field of Kossovo ? Why
did ye not accompany me then, and exhibit your bravery
before the fierce Turks ? Why did ye not then prove
yourselves to be my friends ? I will not let ye kill your
sister ; without your help I could have slain her myself.
She is but a frail and easily misguided woman ! But I
shall not kill her : on the contrary she will henceforth be
dear to me as ever."
The bard ends his poem :

Pomalo ye takiyeh younaka,

Ka' shto beshe Strahinyityou Bane !

(" Few are the heroes fit to be compared with Banovitch
Strahinya!")

128

CHAPTER VI : THE TSARINA
MILITZA AND THE ZMAY1 ,
OF YASTREBATZ

Militza tells the Tsar

OTHOU one and indivisible God 1 Mayest
thou be glorified 1 " . . . Tsar Lazar sat at
supper, and with him sat the Tsarina Militza,
sorrowful and depressed. This unusual aspect of his
beloved consort alarmed the Tsar, and he asked her
tenderly : " O Militza, thou my Tsarina ! If I put a ques-
tion to thee, wouldst thou answer me with the truth ?
Why art thou so gloomy, so sorrowful and pale to-night ?
Is anything thou desirest lacking in our castle?" The
Tsarina replied : " O Tsar Lazar, thou Serbian golden
crown ! Verily whensoever thou speakest to me I answer
but the truth. Nothing is lacking in our palace ; but
truly a great misfortune has befallen me, for the Zmay of
Yastrebatz is accustomed, ever since last year to come to
my tower each night to embrace me." Tsar Lazar,
astounded, said : " Listen to me, O Tsarina Militza !
When thou hast retired to thine apartment in the white
tower to-night and thy magic lover hath come, ask him if
there be any besides God whom he fears, and if there is
to be found on this earth a hero whom he deems superior
to himself!"

Soon after supper the Tsar went to his narrow and many-
storied tchardack? and the Tsarina retired to her tower.
And it was seen how the mountain Yastrebatz glowed

1 Zmay is the Serbian word for ' dragon,' but in this poem it is employed
metaphorically to suggest the superhuman attributes supposed to be
possessed by the heroes.

2 Tchardack is a Turkish word and signifies : a tower provided with
balconies.

I 129

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

suddenly as if on fire, and how out of the flames flew
the Zmay straight over the level plain of Kroushevo to
the Tsarina's tower.

When he entered the Tsarina's apartment he took off his
fairy garment and looked tenderly upon the fair woman.
The Tsarina affected to welcome her lover, and after a time
she said : " I pray thee, O Zmay of Yastrebatz, since thou
comest so daringly to my tower, tell me is there any besides
God whom thou dreadest ? and lives there in the whole
world any hero whom thou deemest superior to thyself?"
Thereupon the Zmay answered in surprise : " Keep silent,

0 Militza ! (or mayest thou remain speechless for ever !)
Surely thou askest me this question because thou hast
been instructed by Lazar ! "

But Militza swore to him, saying : " No, not so ! May I
perish if I speak not the truth ! I ask thee because I see
thou art such an excellent hero."

When the Zmay heard this he trusted to the false oath
(less dangerous it would have been for him if a viper had
bitten him !) and spoke in this wise : " O Militza, dearest
Tsarina ! Since thou askest me truly, truly shall I answer
thee. On the whole of this earth I dread none but God ;
neither is there hero whom I fear, save only that on a plain
called Sirmia there is a village known as Koopinovo, and
in that village lives a Zmay- Despot Vook ; him I fear, for

1 have known him ever since our foolish childhood. We
often used to play together on the summit of the high
mountain Yastrebatz, and Vook would always get the
better of me in our contests. It is Vook only whom I
dread, for he is the champion Zmay on this earth."

As the Zmay pronounced the last of these words, Danitza
— the morning star — appeared on the horizon and the
Zmay instantly took flight to his castle.
130

Vook as Champion

The Tsarina hastened to Lazar's tchardack and informed
him of what she had learnt from the Zmay. Hearing
the story the Tsar decided to write in ' slender characters '
a message to Zmay-Despot Vook telling what he had
learned beseeching him to come to Kroushevatz and kill
his detested enemy the Zmay of Yastrebatz. For rendering
that service Vook should receive three tovars of ducats
and the kingdom of Sirmia to be his for life.

Vook as Champion

The message duly reached the hands of Zmay-Despot
Vook, and, having perused it he considered for a
while as to what he should do. He loved the friend of
his childhood, but he could not condone his shameful
conduct. Finally he decided to battle with the Zmay
of Yastrebatz, so he saddled his black steed, presented
to him by the veela, and that very night he reached the
plain of Kroushevo ; there he alighted ; spread his tent
in the wheat-fields of Lazar and drank cool wine.
Meantime the sun rose and as the Tsar slowly paced
his balcony, he suddenly noticed a tent in his fields, and
a strange and very wonderful knight within it. He
immediately called the Tsarina and pointed out to her
what he saw. Militza exclaimed that this must be none
other than Zmay-Despot Vook, for he much resembled her
magic lover the Zmay of Yastrebatz.
The Tsar immediately sent a messenger to the stranger
bidding him come at once to the palace, where a noble
feast awaited him. But Vook sent word that he desired
to remain in his tent and he requested that the Tsarina
should not close fast the doors of her apartments that
night but should quietly await the coming of the Zmay of
Yastrebatz and leave the issue to her new protector.

Tales &f Legends of the Serbians

Upon receiving Vook's reply the Tsar ordered a fine
repast to be prepared and taken to his tent, not omitting
a large quantity of red wine.

The day passed uneventfully, and when night came the
fair Militza retired. As usual Mount Yastrebatz burst
into its customary light, and its lord flew from the flames
straight to the Tsarina's tower and stole into her chamber,
where he doffed his magic garment. Suddenly he heard
the voice of Z may-Despot Vook saying : " Thou who hath
presumed to embracejthe Serbian Tsarina, come forth this
instant from the white tower ! "

Greatly alarmed, the Zmay of Yastrebatz cursed the
Tsarina thus : " Lo, Militza, may God destroy thee ! Thou
hast betrayed me to Lazar! "

Saying this he donned his magic garment and made haste
to depart. Instead of as usual, directing his flight to his
castle on Yastrebatz, he ascended straight into the clouds.
Vook pursued him very closely and coming up with him
at an extreme height, he struck him violently with his
heavy club and broke both his wings. Down fell .the
Zmay of Yastrebatz, swift as a stone to the earth, where
he lay writhing like a snake and moaning piteously —
" May a similar misfortune befall every hero who entrusts
his mistress with his secrets ! " He had not a long time
in which to indulge his bitter reflections for Vook was
following and the instant he alighted he struck off the
head of the Zmay. Then he went to Lazar and threw
the head upon the ground before him. The Tsar was
so terrified at the mere sight of the ghastly object that
he was seized suddenly by a severe fever. But he gave
the promised gold to Vook as well as an imperial
decree empowering him to rule independently over Sirmia
for the remainder of his life. Moreover, he promised
132

Vook as Champion

that should Vook ever be without gold, he need but
apply to the Tsar, and he should have his needs supplied.
The bard ends: "And they long lived happily, always
helping each other, as fellow-countrymen should do ; and
the glory of the hero became a tradition; we now re-
member the anniversary of the slaying of the Zmay of
Yastrebatz as the happiest day in the year 1 "

133

CHAPTER VII : THE MARRIAGE
OF MAXIMUS TZRNOYEVITCH

The Ballad

THIS ballad from which the King of Montenegro —
Nicholas Petrovitch — drew inspiration for his
drama The Empress of the Balkans is un-
doubtedly the finest Serbian national poem ever composed
and chanted in Montenegro. To render it satisfactorily
in its poetic form into another language, compact as it
is of intensely national characteristics, metaphors and
other figures of speech, religious conceptions, customs and
superstitions, would be impossible for even the greatest
of our poets.

A French proverb says quand on n'a pas ce que Pon aime,
ou aime ce que Pon a, and the hope may here be expressed
that the philosophic English reader will make the best of
the following prose version, such as it is, of a most
interesting national poem.

The Story

Ivan Tzrnoyevitch 1 sailed across the Adriatic to Venice,
in order to pay a visit to the doge and to ask his
daughter in marriage for his son Maximus. He re-
mained there three years, during which he spent three
tovars of gold and upon his departure at the end of
this period he arranged to return the following year with
his son and with one thousand, or more, guests for the
marriage festivities. The doge and his two sons, as well
as a hundred of the doge's high dignitaries, accompanied
Ivan to his galley and the Montenegrin prince repeated

1 Ruler of Zetta and Montenegro, which were separate states at the
beginning of the fifteenth century.

134

The Story

his promise to come again the next year with his guests
and with his son, than whom, he averred, no finer hero
or handsomer youth could be found in any gathering of
one thousand Montenegrins or one thousand Venetians.
The doge, exceedingly pleased to have for his son-in-law
such a fine hero, embraced Ivan, saying : " I thank thee,
my friend, for such words 1 How happy I am to have
gained such a dear son-in-law, whose equal should in vain
be sought among thousands 1 I shall love him more than
the sight of my eyes ; and shall prepare precious gifts for
him : horses and falcons, helmets with golden crests and
round him cloaks to wrap such as he may be proud to
wear. But if he be not as handsome as thou hast said ;
woe to thee ! "

After this Ivan sailed for Zablak. As he neared his
castle he felt very happy and urged on his steed Zdral
the sooner to reach home. His faithful consort perceived
him from afar, and at once gave orders to the servants
to make the necessary preparations for the arrival
of their lord. She judged from the gay appearance
of her husband that he must have succeeded in his
mission.

When Ivan arrived in the courtyard of his castle, some
of his servants helped him to alight from his steed, others
took off his armour and arms, and his son Maximus
brought him a silver settle that he might be seated and
rest. Ivan turned to thank his son, but behold ! A
misfortune had befallen him 1 During his father's absence
Maximus had been stricken with small-pox — that terrible
scourge I — and his once handsome face was so pitted and
seamed that it was now horrible to look upon. The bard
assures us that it was hardly possible to find an uglier
fellow than Maximus had become.

'35

Tales ^f Legends of the Serbians

The prince immediately recollected his boast to the doge,
that there could not be found amongst thousands a
handsomer youth than his son, and he felt very sad ; his
long moustache drooped down on to his shoulders,1 and,
with eyes fixed on the ground he sat silent and gloomy.
His consort saw with concern her husband's despondency
and she endeavoured to raise his spirits. Gathering up
the folds of her flowing robe and the ends of her long
sleeves, she came close and, bending, kissed his hand.
" Pray, my lord," she said, " why art thou so sad ? Hast
thou, perhaps, not been successful in thy mission ? Hast
thou not betrothed the doge's daughter to our son ? Is
she perhaps not fair enough to become thy daughter-in-
law? Dost thou regret the three tovars of gold which
thou hast spent?"

Thereupon Ivan roused himself and replied that it was
quite another misfortune which was troubling him. He
told how he had successfully betrothed the doge's
daughter, and that she was so beautiful that even the
veele could not be compared with her; that it was not
the thought of the gold he had spent that tormented him
— for his castle was heaped up with treasure, and the
abstraction of three tovars of ducats had hardly affected
the size of the store. No, the real cause of his misfortune
was that he had promised the doge to give him for his
son-in-law a youth who was the handsomest to be found
amongst thousands, and that if he were to present his son
Maximus as he now was, the doge would surely be angry
and a war would ensue.

When the princess heard this, she reproached Ivan with
having gone so far away for a bride, when he could have

1 This expression occurs in several of the poems and implies the most
deeply felt depression of spirits, and disappointment,

136

The Message from the Doge

found in Montenegro itself a much finer maiden whose
family would be worthy of an alliance with his own.
Prince Ivan was persuaded that he had acted unwisely,
and he decided to abandon the betrothal, and forbade his
friends to congratulate him.

The Message from the Doge

Nine years elapsed, and it seemed that the betrothal had
been forgotten by all, and that the doge's daughter,
having heard nothing from Ivan, had surely wedded
another prince. But one day a message from the doge
arrived, in which he reproached the Montenegrin prince
with having allowed nine years to pass without sending a
word to his daughter — who, "from only a bud, had de-
veloped into a beauteous rose." He further requested
Ivan to write to his still patient daughter, and to tell her
plainly what he had decided with regard to the proposed
marriage; for if he did not now deem his son worthy of
such a precious maiden, he must at once tell her so, that
a prince deserving of her might be found.
The prince was seized with great grief as he read the
doge's message. What could he say or do? After
pondering long he sought his princely consort and ad-
dressed her in this wise : " O my sweet-eyed darling ! I
pray you counsel me now what to do ! Shall I despatch a
message to the maiden and tell her that she is at liberty
to seek another in marriage, or how otherwise shall I
write?"

The princess was a wise woman, and she advised her
husband prudently : 1 " O my lord, thou Tzrnoyevitch

1 In this verse the troubadour expresses the opinion — not at all com-
plimentary to women, but universally prevailing in the Balkans — that
"women have long hair and short brains " (Dooge kossc a pamcti kratkt).

137

Tales §P Legends of the Serbians

Ivo ! Has ever any man been counselled by a wife ?
This has never been and never shall be. For we women
have long hair, but little brains. But as thou hast asked
for my opinion, I will venture to say that it would be a sin
before God, and before the world a shame, to deprive a
maiden of happiness by releasing her from a suitably
arranged betrothal. Listen to me, dear lord ! What an
insignificant reason alarms thee! If the small-pox has
damaged thy son's visage, thy distant friends should
make allowance for such misfortune resulting from illness
— for who is exempt? Furthermore, if thou dreadest a
conflict when thou comest to Venice, I would remind thee
that thou hast dungeons full of pure golden ducats ; in thy
cellars there is old wine in abundance ; thy granaries are
overfilled with wheat and other grain ; consequently thou
art well able to gather a great number of svats. Thou
hast promised the doge to go thither with one thousand
svats, but why shouldest thou not take two thousand
chosen heroes and equerries with thee? When the
Venetians see with how great a force thou journeyest,
they will not dare to attack thee, even if thy son were
blind. Therefore, gather the svats, and hasten to bring
the bride. O my lord, lose no more time in vain musing."
At these bold words, the prince expressed his great satis-
faction in a burst of laughter. He immediately inscribed
a missive and despatched it by a speedy courier. Its
contents ran thus : " O my friend, thou Doge of Venice !
Thou could'st hear, if thou didst but listen, the roaring of my
thirty cannons, which I am about to fire from my fortress !
O friend, do not lose a single moment, but send at once
galleys to meet me, my son and all our svats. Farewell ! "
Ivan then sent to Milosh Obrenbegovitch, inviting him to
be the stari-svat and to attend with as many chosen heroes

138

A tower had struck Maxinws without doing him serious hurt

138

The Message from the Doge

as he could possibly find within the provinces of Antivari
and Dulzigno. He wrote also to his cousin, Captain
Yovan, inviting him to come to the wedding with as
many of his friends as possible. Couriers were sent to
other friends, who received Ivan's invitation gladly, and
before long the plain of Zablak was studded with their
innumerable tents. One morning Ivan noticed Captain
Yovan, the bride's leader, pacing sadly the ramparts of
the castle, and casting frequent glances at the spearmen,
equerries and standards in the encampment below. Prince
Ivan would not suffer anybody to be unhappy in the midst
of his festive preparations, and so asked Captain Yovan
the cause of his gloom. Yovan said, that if he might
speak of what was lying upon his heart, he would counsel
the prince to prepare a great feast for those numberless
Montenegrins encamped before his castle, after which
couriers should be sent throughout the camp telling all to
return home that their fields should not be ruined by
neglect. Thus the land would not be deprived of
defenders against their persistent foe, the Turk, who
might attack the country at any moment while they were
away. Then Yovan went on to relate to the prince how the
previous night he had seen in a dream the sky suddenly
covered with dark clouds ; from those clouds a thunder-
bolt had fallen upon his princely castle and razed every
single stone of it to the ground ; a fire had then broken
out and consumed the beautiful capital Zablak. When the
castle fell a tower had struck Maximus but without doing
him serious hurt. "Nevertheless," continued Yovan, "if
there be any truth in dreams, Maximus would either
perish or be severely wounded in Venice, and if I should
be offended by a Venetian, all my followers, five hundred
men of Podgoritza, would die in my defence."

139

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

Prince Ivan laughed heartily when Yovan had ended, and
said that his good friend owed his bad dreams to the
fact that his pillows were either too high or too low.
Then saying, "dreams are false, but God is true," he
turned away to give orders to fire thirty guns from the
fortress as the signal for departure.

When the cannon roared, especially the two famous guns
Krgno and Zelenko^ the whole valley quaked, the black
mountains resounded and the water of Zetina was stirred
to its depths. Some equerries were shaken from their
steeds and those standing fell on their knees on the grass,
for it is no light matter when siege-guns roar !

The Wedding Procession sets out
The svats started on the journey in the best of spirits;
some urged and raced their coursers, others were drinking
and singing gay wedding songs as they marched. In
their midst rode Prince Ivan on his courser Zdral, with
two proud falcons on his shoulders; on his right rode
Maximus, and on his left Milosh Obrenbegovitch. Prince
Ivan glanced often at his companions, and involuntarily
drew a comparison between the two. All at once he
ordered a halt and spake aloud, saying : " Listen, O my
brothers, ye glorious svats! I have a plan to propose,
and hope that you will think it good. We are on the
point of embarking, O brothers, and will soon arrive in
Venice. But look upon my son Maximus, how much
spoilt is his appearance by horrible disease; he is
unquestionably the ugliest of us all ! Alas ! when I was
in Venice nine years ago I praised him as the handsomest
youth to be found amongst one thousand Montenegrins;
yea, even amongst one thousand Venetians. Therefore,
O brothers, I am very sad this morning, and have no
140

The Wedding Procession sets out

pleasure in the thought of meeting the doge. Hear that
the Venetians may attack us, so great will be their dis-
appointment. But behold ! O ye my valiant svats ! We
have here with us a hero whose equal in manly beauty
must be vainly sought amongst us, as also amongst the
proud Venetians. I speak of Voivode Milosh Obren-
begovitch. Let us, then, take off the plumed helmet
from the head of my son and place it upon Milosh's head,
and thus make him the bridegroom for the time being, until
we have peacefully gained possession of the maiden 1 "
The svats were greatly impressed by Ivan's scheme, but
they hesitated to speak, fearing to hurt the feelings of
Maximus, who was a spirited youth and might resent the
proposal. But Voivode Milosh said graciously: " O Ivan,
our lord ! Why dost thou make vain appeal to the svats ?
Rather give me thy hand as a sign of firm faith that the
plan does not in any way offend thy noble son. Swear to
me by the true God that thou hast suggested this after an
understanding with thy son, and I will in return pledge my
honour that I shall obtain the bride for Maximus without
a fight. You shall consent, however, to cede to me as my
reward for playing a false part all the presents that may be
given to me as the bridegroom, and I shall not be expected
to divide them with anybody, but shall retain them all for
myself 1"

Ivan burst into laughter, and exclaimed : " O Milosh,
thou Serbian Voivode ! As to the presents thou namest,
I give thee my faith, firmer and harder than stone itself,
that nobody shall seek to have a share in them with thee !
Only secure the bride and honourably escort her till we
reach our city of Zablak, and I promise to give thee
two bootfuls of golden ducats, a golden cup to hold
nine litres of wine, a mare ' Bedevia,' the mother of

141

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

studs like my Zdral, and I shall girdle on thee a sabre worth
thirty purses of golden ducats."

So they all agreed, and having placed the distinctive hat
and ornaments of the bridegroom on the head of Voivode
Milosh they resumed their journey, and after some tossing
upon the waters of the Adriatic they reached Venice without
misadventure.

There came large numbers of people curious to see the
Montenegrins and especially to discover for themselves if
Maximus was really the fine and handsome prince that
they had heard he was.

When the Venetian princes heard from their servants that
their future brother-in-law was really as handsome as
his father had described him nine years earlier, they
came eagerly with outstretched arms to embrace and
welcome him. They showed him the apartments in their
palace which had been prepared for the princely guests,
and all were lodged in comfort.

The wedding festivities lasted for three days and then
came the hour of departure. At the sound of cannon the
svats assembled in the great courtyard awaiting the
commands of Prince Ivan, and his noble son. They felt
uneasy when they saw the gate of the palace closed, and
on each side of it two Moorish and two Venetian soldiers
standing with drawn swords the blades of which, and even
their own arms, were covered with blood. Their uneasiness
became alarm when after some time they saw no sign of
their prince and the bride and bridegroom. They were
beginning to murmur loudly when suddenly they heard
the sound of horses' hoofs on the marble pavement and
they saw Voivode Milosh trying to curb his destrier with
his bit as he spurred him gently in order to make him
bound and prance.
142

The Wedding Gifts

The Wedding Gifts

Behind Milosh rode his two brothers-in-law bringing gifts.
The elder of them led a black steed without a single
blemish, bearing a silver saddle adorned with heavy gold,
upon which sat the fair bride holding a grey falcon.
"Accept, O my dear and noble Maximus," said the prince,
" this fair maiden, together with her black steed and her
grey falcon as a token of our love, for thou art in truth the
pride of thy brothers ! "

Milosh bowed deeply over his horse's neck as he thanked
the prince for his gracious words and accepted the bride
with the gifts which she brought. The second brother
now bestowed upon the bridegroom a sabre in a golden
scabbard, saying : " Wear this, O brother, and be proud
of it!" Next came the father of the bride. What a
beautiful present he placed in his hands! A helmet in
the crest of which shone a precious stone dazzling like the
sun so that one could not look at it long. But the gift
which was given to him by the mother of the bride was
more magnificent than all ! This gift was a shirt of pure
gold, which was neither woven nor twined, but had been
made entirely with fingers ; in its collar, representing a
viper (' and a viper will finally bite him ') there was fixed
a brilliant diamond shedding forth such a blaze of light
that he would never need a candle when he went to visit
his bride in her bed-chamber. All the svats were
astonished at the magnificence of the present.
Now came the aged brother of the doge, Yesdimir, with
his beard reaching to his waist, walking slowly and
supporting himself with a golden staff. Bitter tears
streamed from his eyes. He wept, it is true, with good
reason. Seven wives he had had in turn during his long

Tales ®* Legends of the Serbians

life, but no sons or daughters had been born to him.
Therefore he bestowed all his affections upon his niece,
whom he looked upon as a daughter, and who took in his
heart the place of the children he had once hoped to be
blessed with, and now that the beloved maiden was to
depart to a far-away land he was greatly grieved. He had
some ' wonder ' folded under his arm, and as he approached
the svats, he called the bridegroom by name. The latter
appeared at once and the venerable lord laid upon the
young man's shoulders a magnificent cloak which reached
from his shoulders down to the grass. Indeed when
Milosh remounted his horse, the cloak concealed not only
himself, but also his steed down to its very hoofs. How
precious it was ! and oh I that it might never be the cause
of anything but happiness to the hero ! It was said that
thirty purses of gold had been spent on its lining alone,
and what a sum of money the cloth itself must have cost !
Prince Maximus watched and saw with envious eyes how
Voivode Milosh received the presents which were intended
for him, the real bridegroom. When the large gateways
of the courtyard were opened, the svats, passing out in
procession, received from the doge's servants each a piece
of precious silk and a box containing various presents, and
then they sailed away in galleys.

Soon they arrived on the field of Zablak, where they had
met on starting out for their journey, and where they were
now to separate. Prince Maximus had ridden a little
ahead with his ten brothers-in-arms in order to hasten and
communicate the joyful news to his mother and Voivode
Milosh, being aware that Prince Maximus was out of sight,
spurred forward his courser and coming up with the bride
and the dever, he boldly took the hand of the noble maiden.
The bride, thinking in her innocence that he was Prince
144

The Princess learns of the Deception

Maximus, removed her veil and stretched out her hands to
the pretended bridegroom.

The Princess learns of the Deception
Those who were near feigned not to have noticed the
incident, but Prince Ivan himself happened to see what had
occurred and it troubled him, and he rode up and addressed
the bride thus : " Touch him not with thy hands, O my
dear daughter-in-law ! or may they be struck with a palsy !
Veil thine eyes ! or may thy sight for ever fail thee ! How
canst thou act so in the presence of all the svats ? Dost
thou see that hero riding his black steed, and holding his
lance? Dost thou see his shining shield and his face
disfigured by small-pox ? That is my son Maximus, whom
I praised to thy father — when I asked your hand for him —
saying that there was no handsomer youth than he to be
found amongst thousands. But I was afraid to present my
son with his ugly face to you and to your father, and so
we had recourse to a stratagem and made Voivode your
groom temporarily in order to succeed in bringing thee
away in peace. For acting so Milosh is entitled to all the
presents which were assigned to the bridegroom ! "
To the noble maiden her father-in-law's words came as a
thunderbolt. She halted her horse and refused to go any
farther, saying : " O my dear father-in-law, thou Prince
Ivan ! Thou hast caused thine own son's misfortune by
having made Milosh the alleged bridegroom. Why hast
thou done so ? May the true God give thee thy deserts
for that ! What matters it if his face is pitted ? All are
subject to disease, and might have to suffer even worse
consequences. ~ If his face is damaged, his eyes are
certainly bright and his heart is as sound as ever. If
thou hadst considered thy son to be still too young to be

K 145

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

my husband, thou shouldest have told me so, and I would
have waited in my father's palace for another nine years —
but even then I would certainly never have caused you to
blush with shame before your own nobles in Zablak.
Now thou hadst better give up the presents to their
rightful owner, thy son Maximus, else I shall not go a
step further, even if thou shouldest threaten to put out
my eyes."

Hearing this firm speech, Prince Ivan was greatly dis-
turbed, and he called friends and Voivodes to counsel him
as to what he should do. But none of them dared say
one word, for they well remembered the arrangement
made before sailing across the sea.

MilosKs Offer \

Voivode Milosh saw that no one would speak, and he
spurred his steed and addressed Prince Ivan in this wise :
" O Ivan, thou our lord ! Where is thy firm faith ? If it
fails now, may you yourself live to be betrayed ! Hast
thou not given me thy word that the wedding gifts should
be mine intact ? But now you frame a plan to break thy
faith ! Since thou art so little to be depended on, I agree
— for the sake of peace among our brothers and svats — to
give up the first two presents: I return to your son the
fair bride and her steed with all its gold and silver
trappings. In justice, and according to impartial
judgment, I should be fully entitled even to marry the
fair maiden — for she was presented to me by all, her
parents and her brothers — but I shall say no more about
that, and simply cede to you these two presents, together
with the grey falcon. Here! I return to your son even
the golden scabbard and the bright sabre, but I shall
never consent to yield the helmet, the cloak, and the
146

Milosh's Ofter

golden shirt ; for I am determined to carry them to my
own land, and show them to my friends and brothers,
who, I am certain, will be proud of them. I swear by my
faith in the true God that I shall not give up these three
presents. "

All the svats, moved by Milosh's fairness, agreed to the
offer, and thanked him for his noble sacrifice for the sake
of peace, but they were strongly opposed by the bride,
who could not reconcile herself to the loss of the precious
gifts, and especially the golden shirt. So she called aloud
for Prince Maximus. This alarmed Prince Ivan very
much, and he tried to quieten the maiden in these words :
" O my sweet daughter-in-law, thou Venetian maiden 1
Do not call my son, for we have done him great injustice.
Prince Maximus has a high sense of honour and is a brave
man. I dread a fight above everything, and our festivities
may so easily turn into mourning. I possess in Zablak a
dungeon full of golden treasure, which I shall present to
thee, and thou canst do with it whatever pleases thee ! "
But the maiden was not easy to persuade, and she once
more called Prince Maximus, who came with all speed to
the scene. "O Maximus, thou only son of thy mother 1 "
began his bride, "may she lose thee ! May the warriors
make a handbier of thy lance and with thy shield may
they cover thy tomb ! May thy visage blush with shame
on the day of judgment, as it does to-day at the contest
with Voivode Milosh ! Why didst thou agree to yield to
another the presents which rightly belong to the bride-
groom ? I care nothing for all the other presents, let
Milosh take them away, and may a torrent take him away
with them ! but I cannot suffer the loss of the golden
shirt, which I made for thee myself, and which took me
three years to make, with three maidens assisting me. I

H7

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

nearly lost my sight before I finished working at this
shirt, and all the time I was thinking of thee. Thou
hadst better recover the shirt from Voi'vode Milosh at
once, for I swear by the name of the true God that
otherwise I will not take a step forward ; but I shall rein
back my steed, and, when I reach the sea-coast, I shall
pluck a leaf of aloe and shall scratch my face with its
thorns till blood flows; then I shall write and send a
message by my falcon to my aged father, beseeching him
to call to arms all his force, to come and conquer and
pillage thy Zablak and repay thee thus with mourning for
thy shameful conduct I "

The Violence of Maximus

The moment Prince Maximus heard this, he reined back
his black courser, spurred it so vehemently that the skin
of his courser's stifle-joint burst and blood besprinkled its
hoofs. The frantic animal sprang the height of three
lances in the air and the length of four lances forward, so
that he sped like lightning. Milosh burst into laughter,
saying : " God be praised ! What was suddenly the
matter with that boy ! " But his mirth was short-lived,
for Prince Maximus now turned his horse straight toward
Milosh furiously throwing his lance at his head.1 He struck
Milosh so vigorously that both his eyes burst and he fell
from his steed. Maximus rushed in and cleft his head
asunder; then he took his bride from her leader and sped
into the castle.2
When Voi'vode Milosh's warriors saw their chief fall, they

1 Other renderings ot this ballad have it that Maximus challenged
Milosh to a duel in which the prince was victorious.
* Others state that Maximus did not flee but remained and fought till
he was nearly exhausted by his numberless wounds, and that then he
made a superhuman effort and succeeded in rescuing his bride.

Maximus becomes a Turk

fiercely attacked the followers of Prince Maximus, and a
fight ensued from which but very few returned home.

Maximus becomes a Turk

Prince Maximus, it is said, was so disgusted with what
had occurred that he wrote to the doge, inviting him
to invade Zablak with a large force and to conquer
Montenegro ; as for him, he would go to Istamboul and
embrace Islamism. This he did.

Now a brother of Milosh, namely, Yovan Obrenbegovitch,
suspecting that Maximus's intention was to obtain from
the Sultan a great force with which to conquer Monte-
negro, decided to go to the Sultan for the same pur-
pose. But it was his intention, should he also succeed in
obtaining an army from the Sultan, to use it, not against
his fatherland, Montenegro, but against Prince Maximus.
On their way to Istamboul the two men met and they
appeared together before the Sultan, who, knowing well
who they were and deeming that they could be usefully
employed in his service against the Christians, like many
other malcontents from Christian courts, received them
most kindly. They adopted the Mohammedan religion and
were given Turkish names : Voivod Yovan was called
Mehmed-Bey Obrenbegovitch, and Prince Maximus,
Scander-beg Ivanbegovitch. Having served as faithful
Turks for nine years, the Sultan, pleased with their
conduct, granted them both vizi rates : to Mehmed-bey
Obrenbegovitch he gave as fief the plain of Ducadyin, and
Scander-beg (Prince Ivan's son) he granted Scutari on
the River Boyana.

149

CHAPTER VIII : THE MARRIAGE OF
TSAR DOUSHAN THE MIGHTY

Doushan sends Theodor to Ledyen

KING MICHAEL of Ledyen had a beautiful daughter,
Roksanda, and when Tsar Doushan asked her hand
in marriage the king immediately consented. The
betrothal was arranged by means of couriers, and Doushan
had not seen the princess ; he therefore summoned Theodor,
his counsellor of State : " Listen to me, my trusty Theo-
dor! " said he, "thou shalt go to the white city Ledyen to
King Michael, and thou shalt ask him to fix the date for the
wedding festivities. Thou shalt also settle with him other
customary preliminaries and satisfy thyself that the peer-
less Roksanda is a fitting tsarina for our Serbian lands."
Theodor promised to fulfil his mission faithfully and,
having made the necessary preparations, he set out for
the Venetian province. When he arrived at the white
city Ledyen the king welcomed him courteously and
lavished hospitality upon him for a full week.
Then Theodor spoke to the king in this wise: "O my
master's friend, thou gallant King Michael ! My tsar has
not sent me here only that I should drink thy wine ; he desires
that I should arrange his marriage ; tell me, when shall
my master come ? what time of the year will suit you best
to receive him ? how many svats shall he bring with him
when he comes to take from thee the beautiful maiden
Roksanda? My master also instructed me that I should
desire of thee to be permitted the happiness of seeing the
fair princess."

To this the king answered : " O my friend, Theodor !
take my greetings to the tsar and tell him that he is at
liberty to bring with him as many svats as he may please ;

The rays shone upon the maiden

150

The Princess Roksanda

also tell him that he may come for the maiden whenever
he may choose; but request him in my name that under
no circumstances shall he bring with him his nephews the
two Voinovitchs, Voukashin and Petrashin, for indeed I
have heard that they are very quarrelsome when in their
cups, and I fear that they may disturb the harmony of our
festivities. As to the princess, she shall come to thee at
due time and receive at thy hands the ring of thy master,
as is the well-established custom."

The Princess Roksanda

At nightfall Theodor was conducted into an unlighted
room and while he wondered when the candles would be
brought, lo ! the princess stood before him, shrouded in
the thick gloom. Theodor was grieved at the trick
played upon him, but he did not despair. He had with
him the magnificent ring of his august master ; it was so
richly studded with precious stones that as he produced it
the whole room was lighted up and the rays shone upon
the maiden, who seemed to the ambassador more beautiful
than the white veela herself. Theodor presented the
betrothal ring and gave the princess also one thousand
ducats; her brothers then conducted her back to her
apartments.

Next morning Theodor took leave of the king and set out
upon his homeward journey ; when he arrived at Prisrend
the tsar asked eagerly : " O my trusty Theodor ! Didst
thou see the maiden Roksanda and didst thou give her
my ring? What greetings dost thou bring me from King
Michael?"

And Theodor answered: "Yea, my Lord, I saw thy bride
and presented her with thy ring ; but words fail me to
describe the enchanting beauty of the Princess Roksanda !

Tales &P Legends of the Serbians

Vain would it be to search for her equal throughout
Serbia ! And fair and well spoke King Michael : Thou
canst go for the maiden whensoever thou choosest, and
thou mayest take as many svats as thou pleasest. But the
king prays this one thing of thee : that thou shouldest
under no circumstances take with thee, the Voinovitchs,
thy two nephews, for they are lovers of the wine-cup and
are quick to take offence ; they may enter into drunken
quarrels, and it may be difficult to settle their disputes in
a peaceable manner."

When he heard this the tsar struck his knee with his right
hand, and exclaimed: "Alas! May God help me! Has
the ill fame of my nephews spread as far as that I By
my unshakable faith, I shall, immediately after the
wedding festivities, have them both hung on the gates of
their castle Voutchitrn that they may not any longer bring
shame to my name throughout the world."

The Procession Starts

Soon afterward the tsar proceeded to call his svats
together and when they had all assembled they presented
a brilliant spectacle. The wedding procession rode on its
way through the field of Kossovo and as it passed by
the walls of the castle Voutchitrn, the two youthful
Voinovitchs looked upon the cavalcade and spoke sadly
to each other thus : " Our uncle must be angry with us,
otherwise he would surely have invited us also to join his
wedding party ? Some churl must have uttered ill words
against us. May a hundred evils befall him who has
done so ! Our tsar is going to the Venetian land and has
not a single hero in his train, neither has he any close
relative who might be depended upon in case of dire
misfortune. The Venetians are known from ancient times
152

The Procession Starts

to be very cunning and sly and they may kill our glorious
tsar ! And yet to accompany him uninvited is more than
we dare do."

Thereupon their aged mother spoke thus : " O my children,
ye two Voinovitchs 1 Ye have a brother in the mountains,
Milosh-the-shepherd ; though the youngest, he is the
greatest hero of ye all and will find some way to uphold
the honour of our name. The tsar has never heard about
him. I counsel you to send him a message and bid him
come to the castle Voutchitrn, mention not the true reason
but tell him that his mother, being aged, may die at any
moment and that she wishes to give him her blessings.
Tell him to make haste if he would find his mother
alive 1"

This advice seemed good to the two brothers. They
wrote a missive and dispatched it with haste to the
mountain Shar where Milosh-the-shepherd tarried with
his flocks.

As Milosh read the message his countenance changed
and he shed bitter tears. His grief was observed by
thirty shepherds who were around him : " O Milosh, our
valiant chieftain !" they exclaimed, "Many messages
have reached thee, but never yet have we seen thee shed
tears when thou didst read them. Whence came this
letter and what evil tidings does it bring? Tell us quickly,
we beseech thee 1 "

Milosh sprang to his feet and addressed his shepherds in
this wise : " Hearken, O shepherds, my dearest brethren !
This message comes from the castle : my mother is on
her death-bed and she summons me that she may give
me her blessing, that damnation should not fall upon my
soul. I must hasten to her side and while I am absent
from the mountain I charge ye to watch well the sheep."

153

Tales SP Legends of the Serbians

When Milosh came near to his white castle, his brothers

saw him from a tower and sallied out to meet him ; their

aged mother also followed. Milosh was astonished to

see her and said reproachfully : " Why, O brothers dear,

do ye make misfortune when there is no reason, and when

all is well with ye ! May the Almighty forgive your

deception ! " And his brothers answered : " Come within,

dear brother, there is nevertheless great misfortune I "

The young men embraced each other and Milosh kissed

his mother's hand. Then his brothers related the story of

their uncle's betrothal and how he was proceeding to the

Venetian land without having invited his two nephews to

ride in the wedding procession, and they besought him in

this wise : " O, our dear brother Milosh ! Go thou with

the tsar, yea, although thou art not invited. Misfortune

may befall, and haply thou shalt succour your uncle. Thou

canst go and come back again without making thyself

known to anyone ! "

Milosh was no less eager than his brothers, and he
answered gladly : " I will go, O my brothers ! Indeed
how could I do otherwise? If I were not willing to help
our dear uncle, whom else should I be willing to aid ? "
Thereupon his brothers began to make all the necessary
preparations. Peter went to the stables to saddle his steed
Koulash, while Vankashin remained to see that Milosh
was fittingly attired. He first put on him a fine shirt
which was embroidered with gold from the neck to the
waist ; downward from the waist it was woven of white
silk. Over the shirt he placed three thin, elegant
ribbons; then a waistcoat adorned with thirty golden
buttons ; then a golden cuirasse weighing some fifteen
pounds. And in all details he attired him with garments
worthy of a prince. Finally he hung upon his broad
154

-

Milosh Joins the Procession

shoulders a coarse Bulgar shepherd's cloak, which
entirely enveloped him, and placed on his head a Bulgarian
fur-cap with high point, thus making him look so like a
black Bulgar that his own mother would not have recog-
nized him. The brothers now fetched a warrior's lance
and mace and the trusty sword of their old father VoYn.
Then Peter brought forward Koulash, upon whom he had
fastened a bear's skin in order that the tsar might not
recognize the well-known steed.

Milosh Joins the Procession

Milosh was now ready to set out, and as he took leave of
his brothers they counselled him thus : "When thou comest
up with the wedding-guests they will ask thee who thou
art and whence thou comest. Thou shalt answer that thou
art coming from the Karavallahian land, where thou hast
been serving a Turkish lord, Radoul-bey, who would not
pay thee thy wages, wherefore thou art looking for a more
generous master. Say, moreover, that having received
chance tidings of the tsar's wedding, thou has ridden to
join thyself to the servants of the party, not for any wages,
for thou wilt gladly serve for a piece of bread and a glass
of red wine. Thou must, meantime, hold firmly the reins
of thy steed, for Koulash is accustomed to go in the line
with the tsar's own chargers, and he may betray thee ! "
When the brothers had made an end of their counsel
Milosh took leave of them and of his mother and turned
his steed in the directon of the wedding party, and he came
up with them in the mountain Zagorye". Upon seeing the
stranger the svats hailed him: "Whence are thou coming,
little young Bulgar ? " And Milosh answered from afar
as his brothers had counselled. Then the svats welcomed
him readily, saying : " Mayest thou be happy with us,

155

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

little young Bulgar! We are always glad to have one
more in our company ! "

The princely company, all aglow with the brilliant colours
of the resplendent uniforms, their lances and cuirasses
gleaming in the sun, rode on until they came to a valley.
Now Milosh had a bad habit, acquired in the mountain
Shar while watching his sheep, to slumber toward mid-day,
and as his Koulash stepped proudly on he fell into a deep
sleep and his hand suddenly relaxed on the rein. No sooner
did Koulash feel the curb loosen than he arched his neck
and flew like an arrow from a bow through the ranks of
the cavalcade, overturning horses and riders, till he reached
the horses of the tsar, when he ranged himself in line with
them and fell into the same slow, measured pace.
By this time the whole procession had fallen into disorder,
and a crowd of Lale1 would have fallen upon the innocent
cause of the commotion, had not Doushan intervened to
protect him, saying, " Do not strike this youthful Bulgarian,
he is a shepherd, and shepherds have a habit of dozing
toward noon while watching their sheep ; do not be violent,
but awaken him gently." Thereupon the svats awakened
Milosh, shouting: "Rise, O foolish young Bulgarian!
May the Almighty spare thy old mother who could not give
thee a better understanding but thou must needs venture
to join the company of the tsar ! "

The Leap of Koulash

Milosh awoke with a start, and saw the tsar looking upon
him with his deep black eyes, and lo ! his Koulash was in
the royal line ! Not a moment did he pause, but, gather-
ing the reins firmly in his hand, he spurred his steed

1 This is the popular appellation of Serbians living in Batchka and
Banat, which provinces are now under Austro- Hungarian rule.

156

The Leap of Koulash

sharply. Koulash for one brief instant quivered from
head to heel, then with a frantic bound he sprang into the
air the height of three lances; for the length of four
lances sideways did he spring, and as for the number of
lengths covered by his leap onward, no one could number
them ! Fire issued from his mouth and tongues of blue
flame came out from his nostrils ! Twelve thousand svats
beheld with awe and admiration the wonderful leap of the
Bulgar' s steed, and exclaimed as one man : " Father of
Mercies, what a mighty wonder 1 " Then some said to
others : " O that so good a horse should be possessed by
such a fellow ! We have never before seen such a marvel."
Others said : " There was, indeed, one charger like this in
the stables of our tsar's son-in-law and now is possessed by
his nephews the brothers Voinovitchs."
Among the heroes who admired the steed were Voutchd
of Dyakovitza, Yanko of Nestopolye" and a youth from
Priepolye" ; these spake one to another thus : " What a
beautiful steed that Bulgar has I There is not its equal to
be found in this wedding cavalcade, not even our own tsar
has one like it. Let us fall behind and seek an oppor-
tunity to deprive him of it."

As they reached Klissoura the three horsemen were far
behind the other svats, and Milosh was also riding alone
in that place. Then the heroes came near to him and
addressed him in seeming courtesy : " Listen to us, thou
youthful Bulgar ! Wilt thou exchange thy horse for a
better one ? We shall give thee also one hundred ducats
as a bargain-gift, and moreover we shall give thee a
plough and a pair of oxen that thou mayest plough thy
fields and feed thyself in peace for the rest of thy days ! "
But Milosh answered: "Leave me alone, O ye three
mighty horsemen 1 I do not wish for a better horse than

157

Tales £fc? Legends of the Serbians

the one I have already ; for did ye not see that I cannot
keep even this one quiet ? As to your bargain-gift, what
should I do with so many ducats ? I do not know how
to weigh them, neither am I able to count as high as one
hundred. What should I do with your plough and your
oxen? My father has never used a plough on his fields
and yet his children have never known hunger ! "

The Fight for Koulash

At this answer the three horsemen said angrily: "Thou
hadst better consider our proposal, O haughty Bulgar, lest
we take thy horse by force ! " To this menace Milosh
answered : " Truly, by force men take lands and cities,
and much more easily can three men by force take from
me my steed ! Therefore I prefer to exchange it, for I am
unable to travel on foot/' Saying this, Milosh made a
pretence to give up his Koulash peaceably, and inserted
his right hand under his coarse cloak. They thought he
intended to take off his spurs, but they were greatly
mistaken, for in a flash out came his six-angled club, and
before they had gathered their wits Milosh gave Voutch6
a gentle tap that tumbled him over and over three times
in succession. Milosh then addressed him ironically :
" May thy vineyards in thy peaceful estate of Dyakovitza
be as fertile as thou art brave ! "

Seeing what had befallen his companion, Yanko was in full
flight, but it took scarce a moment for Koulash to reach the
flying steed, and Milosh let fall upon the shoulders of his
rider such a blow that he, too, was hurled to the ground,
where he turned over four times ere finding anchorage.
" Hold on ! O Yanko 1 " scoffed Milosh, " May the apple-
trees in thy peaceful estate bear as abundant fruit as thou
art brave to-day!"
158

The Fight for Koulash

There now only remained the young man from Priepoly6,
who by now had fled to some distance. But his horse's
speed could not avail against the swiftness of Koulash,
and Milosh soon reached him and with his warrior club
gave him a tap that tumbled him over and over no less
than seven times. Whether he could hear or not Milosh
called aloud : " Hold fast, O young man from Priepolye" !
And when thou goest back to thy Priepolye", I give thee
leave to boast before the fair maidens there of how thou
hast to-day taken away by force a Bulgar' s steed ! "
This done, Milosh turned his charger and soon reached
the wedding cavalcade. In due course the procession
arrived at the white city of Ledyen, and the Serbians put
up their white tents beneath its walls. The equerries gave
the horses barley, but none did they give to Koulash.
When Milosh saw this he took in his left hand a nose-bag
and went from horse to horse, taking with his right hand
from each a handful until he had filled the bag of his
trusty Koulash. Next he went to the principal wine-
keeper and prayed that he would give him a glass of
wine. But the keeper of the wine refused, saying : " Go
away, thou black Bulgar ! If thou hadst brought thy
rough Bulgarian wooden cup, I might perhaps have
poured in it a draught ; but these golden cups are not for
thee ! " Milosh turned on the churlish wine-keeper a
dark look and followed it with a tender blow on his cheek
that sent three sound teeth into his throat. Then the
man, thoroughly cowed, besought Milosh thus : " Stay
thy hand, O mighty Bulgar ! There is wine in abundance
for thee, even if our tsar should thereby go short." But
Milosh paid no attention to the fellow, and proceeded to
help himself. Then, as his spirits mounted with the
generous wine, day dawned and the sun began to shine.

Tales SF Legends of the Serbians

The First Test

As Milosh stood drinking in the fresh beauty of the early
morning a page of King Michael called loudly from a
tower of the royal castle: "Listen, O Serbian Tsar
Doushan ! Behold, in the valley beneath the walls of the
city is the champion of our king ! Thou must fight a
duel with him, either thyself or by a substitute. If thou
dost not overcome him thou shalt not go from this place
safely, neither shalt thou take back with thee so much as
one of thy wedding-guests ! Still less shalt thou take with
thee the princess Roksanda ! ";

Doushan heard the haughty message and sent a strong-
voiced crier among the wedding-guests. Here and there
he stood shouting loudly the tsar's message : " Has any
mother given birth to a fearless hero who will take up the
challenge in our tsar's stead ? To him who is brave
enough to fight the champion the tsar will grant nobility."
But alas ! when the crier had gone through the camp no
hero had come forward to claim the honour of doing
battle for the tsar.

When Doushan heard this, he struck his knee with his
right hand, exclaiming : " Woe is me ! O mighty Creator !
If I had now my darling nephews, the two Voinovitchs,
I should not lack a champion." The tsar had hardly
ended his lamentation when Milosh, leading his steed, ap-
peared before the tsar's tent. " O my Lord, thou mighty
tsar! " said he, "have I thy leave to fight this duel? J'
The tsar answered : " Thou art welcome, O youthful
Bulgar! But, alas, there is slender likelihood that thou
canst overpower the haughty hector of the king. If,
however, thou dost succeed, verily I will ennoble thee ! "
Milosh leaped to his saddle, and as he turned his fiery
1 60

The First Test

Koulash from the tsar's tent, he carelessly threw his lance
on his shoulder with its point turned backward. Seeing
this, Doushan called to him : " Do not carry, O my son,
thy lance so ! Turn the point forward, lest the proud
Venetians laugh at thee ! " But Milosh answered :
" Attend, O my tsar, unto thine own dignity, and be not
anxious concerning mine ! If need arise I shall easily turn
my lance correctly; if not, I may just as well bring it
back in this wrong wise ! "

As Milosh rode on through the field of Ledyen, the ladies
and maidens of Ledyen looked upon him, and, laughing,
they exclaimed : " Saints in heaven ! a marvel ! What a
substitute for a Serbian emperor ! The young man has
even no decent clothes upon him ! Be merry, thou hector
of the king, for hardly shalt thou need to unsheath thy
sword!"

Meantime Milosh reached the tent in which sat the cham-
pion of the Venetian king. Before the entrance he had
stuck his lance deep into the ground, and to this he had
tethered his grey steed. Milosh addressed the hector
thus : " Rise up ! thou little white Venetian gentleman,
we will fight together for the honour of our masters!"
But the hector answered angrily : " Away with thee, thou
ugly black Bulgar ! My sword is not for such as thee !
I would not soil my steel on such a ragged fellow I "
This remark made Milosh very angry, and he ex-
claimed : " Rise up, haughty Venetian ! Thou hast
indeed richer attire; I shall take it from thee, and then
who will have the finer feathers ? "

At this the hector sprang to his feet and mounted his grey
charger, which he caused to prance and curvet across the
field. Milosh stood quietly looking on until suddenly the
Venetian fiercely hurled his lance straight to the breast of

L 161

Tales ^P Legends of the Serbians

Milosh. The wary Serbian received it on his golden-
headed club and jerked the weapon over his head, break-
ing it into three pieces as he did so. This sleight-of-
hand alarmed the hector and he exclaimed : |" Wait a
minute, thou ugly black Bulgar ! My lance was faulty,
wait till I get a better one ! " With this he put spurs to
his steed, but Milosh shouted after him : " Stop, thou
white Venetian ! Thou shalt not escape me 1 " And with
this he spured his Koulash after the cowardly hector and
pursued close to the gates of Ledyen. Alas for the
fugitive, the gates were closed ! For a moment the
hector paused irresolute and this moment was his last.
Milosh let loose his unerring lance; it whistled though
the morning air and the hector was transfixed to the gate.
Then Milosh alighted from his steed, struck off the
Venetian's head and threw it in Koulash's nose-bag.
Next he caught the grey steed and rode with him to the
tsar. " Here, O mighty tsar," said he, " is the head of
the king's hector ! "

Doushan was overjoyed at his prowess and gave him
much gold. " Go, my son," said he, kindly, "drink some
good wine, and presently I shall make thee noble ! "

The Second Test

Milosh had hardly seated himself at his wine when a page

again called loudly from the royal castle: "Behold, O

Serbian tsar ! In the meadow below thou mayest see

three fiery horses saddled, on the back of each there is

fastened a flaming sword with point upward. If thou

wouldst go in peace from here taking with thee the king's

daughter, thou must thyself or by deputy leap over these

flaming swords."

Again the tsar sent a crier throughout his camp. "O

162

The Second Test

Serbians," he cried, " has not any mother given birth to a
hero who will venture to leap over the three horses and
and the flaming swords fixed on their backs ? "
Again he traversed the entire camp, taking care that his
words should come to the ear of every svat, but again no
hero came forward to offer himself. Then as the tsar was
anxiously meditating on the problem he looked up and,
lo ! Milosh again stood before him. " O glorious tsar ! "
said he, " Have I thy permission to essay this feat ? " And
the tsar readily answered : " Thou mayest surely go, my
dear son ! But first take off this clumsy Bulgarian cloak !
(may God punish the stupid tailor who made it so !) " But
Milosh said : " Sit in peace, O mighty tsar, and drink thy
cool wine! Do not be anxious concerning my coarse
cloak. If there be a heart in the hero his cloak will not
be in his way : if a sheep finds her wool too heavy for her
there is no sheep in her nor any wool ! "
So saying he rode down to the meadow of Ledyen where
stood the three steeds tethered side by side fiercely pawing
the ground. The young man dismounted from his Koulash
and stationed him several paces from the third steed, by
his side, then patting Koulash gently on his proud neck, he
said : " Thou shalt stay here quietly until I come again to
the saddle ! " He passed over to the first steed and went
on a little distance, then turned, and dancing first on one
foot then on the other, he ran like a swift deer and,
leaping high, jumped over the three steeds, over the
flaming swords, and alighted safely on the saddle of his
own Koulash. This done he gathered the reins of the
three chargers and rode with them in triumph to the
Serbian tsar.

Tales SP Legends of the Serbians

The Third Test

Very soon the page of the Venetian king came again to
the tower of the royal castle and proclaimed : " Hearken,
thou tsar of the Serbs ! Under the topmost tower of this
castle is a slender lance whereon a golden apple is stuck ;
twelve paces distant is set a ring: thou must shoot an
arrow through the ring and transfix the apple — thou or
thy deputy ! "

This time Milosh would not wait for the crier to
do his errand, but straightway went to the tsar and
obtained his permission to essay the task. Then, taking
his golden bow and arrow, he went to the place indicated,
fixed his arrow on the bow string, and the shaft sped
straight through the ring to the heart of the apple which
he caught in his hand as it fell. Again the tsar bestowed
upon him golden ducats beyond number.

The Fourth Test

No sooner was this wonderful exploit completed than the
royal page again proclaimed from the castle turret:
" Behold, O tsar of the Serbs 1 The two royal princes have
brought out in front of the king's palace three beautiful
maidens, all exactly alike and attired in similar robes.
The king bids thee guess which of the three is the princess
Roksanda. Woe to thee if thou touchest other maiden but
Roksanda! Thou shalt not have the princess for thy
bride ; neither shalt thou go out with thy head upon thy
shoulders ; still less shall thy guests leave this place ! "
When Doushan heard the message he summoned imme-
diately his councillor Theodor and commanded : " Go,
Theodor, and tell which is Roksanda!" But Theodor
declared that he had seen her but for so brief a time that
164

The Fourth Test

it would be impossible that he should be able to choose
between three maidens all exactly like the one he had seen
by the light from his master's ring.

Hearing this the tsar, in despair, struck his knee with his
hand, exclaiming : " Alas ! alas ! After performing many
wonderful exploits, must we return without the bride and
be the shame of our people ? " Just then Milosh, who had
become aware of the tsar's difficulty, entered into the
imperial presence and spake thus : " Have I thy leave, O
tsar, to try to guess which of the maidens is the princess
Roksanda?" And the tsar answered joyfully: "Indeed
thou hast, O darling son of mine ! But slender is the
hope that thou shalt guess rightly, since thou hast never
seen the princess before ! "

Thereupon Milosh answered : " Be not fearful, my glorious
Lord! When I was a shepherd in the mountain Shar
watching twelve thousand sheep, there have been born in
a night three hundred lambs and I have been able to
recognize and tell which sheep was dam to each lamb.
How much easier will it be to choose Roksanda by her
resemblance to her brothers ! "

" Go, go then, my darling son ! May God help thee to
guess rightly ! If thou art successful I shall grant thee
the whole land of Skender that thou be its lord for thy
lifetime!"

Milosh went forth through the wide field until he came to
the place where the three maidens stood waiting. With a
swift and sudden motion he swept the coarse fur-cap from
his head and threw from off his shoulder his heavy cloak,
revealing the scarlet velvet and the golden cuirasse which
had been hidden underneath. Truly he shone in the
verdant field like the setting sun behind a forest ! Milosh
now spread his cloak on the grass and cast upon it rings,

'65

Tales @f Legends of the Serbians

pearls, and precious stones. Then he unsheathed his
finely-tempered sword and addressed the three fair
maidens thus: "Let her who is the princess Roksanda
gather her train and sleeves together and collect these
rings, pearls, and precious stones ! If any but Roksanda
should dare to touch these beautiful things, I swear by
my firm faith that I shall instantly cut off her two hands,
yea, even as far as her elbows ! "

The three beautiful maidens were terrified, and two of
them looked meaningly at their companion who stood in
the middle. This was the princess, and after a moment's
hesitation Roksanda gathered her silky train and sleeves
and began to collect the rings, pearls, and precious stones.
The two other maidens were about to flee, but Milosh took
them gently by their hands and escorted all three to the
presence of the tsar, to whom he presented princess Rok-
sanda together with one of her companions who might be
her lady-in-waiting ; the third maiden, however, he retained
for himself. The tsar kissed Milosh between his fiery eyes,
still not knowing who he was or whence he came.

The Departure of the Serbians

The masters of the ceremonies now called aloud : " Get
ready, all ye svats! It is high time we should hurry
homeward ! " And the svats made ready for the journey,
and soon they set out, taking with them the beautiful
princess Roksanda.

As they departed from the gates of the city, Milosh
approached the tsar and said : " O my lord, thou Serbian
Tsar Doushan, listen to me ! There is in the city of
Ledyen a terrible hero named Balatchko the Voivode;
I know him and he knows me. Balatchko has three
heads : from one of them issues a blue flame, from
166

Two of them looked meaningly at their compajiioji 166

The Departure of the Serbians

another rushes a freezing wind. Woe to him against
whom these are directed ! But if a hero withstands them
it is not difficult to slay Balatchko when his wind and
flame have left him. The Venetian king has been
training him these seven years, for it has been his inten-
tion to make use of him to annihilate the royal wedding-
party and to i rescue princess Roksanda, supposing that
thou shouldst succeed in obtaining possession of her.
Now it is certain that he will send him to pursue us. Go
thou thy way and I will remain behind with three hundred
well-chosen heroes, to stop the monster from pursuing thee."
Therefore, while the svats went on with the beautiful Prin-
cess Roksanda, Milosh, with his three hundred comrades,
remained in the verdant forest.

The svats had hardly struck their tents when King
Michael summoned Voivode Balatchko. " O Balatchko,
my trusty servant," said he, "canst thou rely upon thy
valour and go out against the tsar's svats to bring back
my daughter Roksanda ? "

And Balatchko replied : " My lord, thou King of Ledyen !
First tell me, who was that valorous hero who achieved
the great feats to which thou didst challenge the Serbian
tsar ? " The king of Ledyen answered him : " O Balatchko,
our trusty servant ! He is no hero ; he is only a youthful
black Bulgarian." And Balatchko replied : " Nay, thou
art mistaken ; no black Bulgar is he. I know him well ;
he is the Prince Milosh Voinovitch himself, whom not
even the Serbian tsar was able to recognize through his
shepherd's disguise. Truly he is no ordinary hero, and
not to be lightly esteemed by any warrior, however fear-
less." Nevertheless the king insisted : " Go thou against
the svats, O Voivode Balatchko ! If thou dost regain the
princess, I will give her to thee for wife 1 "

Tales ^1? Legends of the Serbians

The Contest with Balatchko

Hearing this promise, Balatchko saddled his mare Bedevia
and went in pursuit of the svats, accompanied by six
hundred Venetian cuirassiers. When they reached the
forest they saw Koulash standing in the middle of the
main road and Milosh on foot behind him. Balatchko
addressed the prince, saying : " O Milosh, evidently thou
hast waited for me ! " With this he loosed his blue flame,
which, however, only singed Milosh's furs; whereupon,
seeing that he had not greatly harmed the hero, he
breathed his freezing wind upon him. Koulash tumbled
over and over in the dust three times, but the wind did
not affect his master. Exclaiming : " There is something
thou didst not expect ! " Milosh hurled his six-cornered
mace and it gave Balatchko a gentle knock that tumbled
him out of his saddle. Then Milosh threw his lance and
transfixed the fellow to the ground, after which he cut off
all three of his heads and threw them in Koulash's bag.
This done, he mounted his steed and led his three hundred
Serbians against the Venetian cuirassiers and cleft three
hundred heads, the survivors being put to flight. He
then hurried on and soon came up with the tsar, at whose
feet he cast the three grim heads of Balatchko. The tsar
rejoiced to hear of his victory and gave him one thousand
ducats ; then the procession resumed its march to Prisrend.
In the middle of the plain Kossovo, Milosh's way to the
fortress of Voutchitrn lay to the right, and he came to the
tsar to take leave of him. " May God be with thee, my
dear uncle ! " said he. Only then did the tsar come to
know that the seeming Bulgarian was none else than his
nephew Prince Milosh Voinovitch! Overwhelmed with
joy he exclaimed : " Is it thou, my dear Milosh ? Is it
168

The Contest with Balatchko

thou, my dearest nephew? Happy is the mother who
gave thee birth and happy the uncle who has such a valiant
nephew ! Why didst thou not reveal thyself before ? verily
I should not have excluded thee from my company."
Woe to him who overlooks his own relatives !

169

CHAPTER IX : TSAR LAZARUS
AND THE TSARINA MILITZA

The Tsarina's Forebodings

AS they sat at supper together one evening the
Tsarina Militza spoke thus unto Tsar Lazarus :
" O Lazarus, thou Serbian Golden Crown 1 Thou
art to go to-morrow to the battlefield of Kossovo
together with thy dukes and servants, but, alas ! thou wilt
leave in the palace none who can carry to thee my
missives and bring thine from Kossovo to me. Thou
takest also with thee my nine brothers Yougovitchs ;
I pray thee, leave me at least one of my brothers that
I may swear1 by him ! "

And the tsar returned answer : " O my lady, thou Tsarina
Militza! Which one of thy brothers wouldst thou best
like me to leave at home." Thereupon the tsaritza said:
" Leave me, I pray, Boshko Yougovitch ! "
To this the tsar assented : " O my lady, Tsarina Militza !
When the morrow dawns and the sun begins to rise
and the gates of the fortress are opened, thou mayest
walk out to the main gate whence the whole army will
defile with the ensigns — all cavaliers with warrior-lances,
headed by Boshko Yougovitch, who will be carrying the
flag adorned with a golden cross. Greet him in my name
and tell him that I give him leave to remain with thee at
our white castle and to yield his flag to whomsoever
he may choose ! "

Accordingly, when the morrow dawned and the sun shone,
the fortress-gates opened and Tsarina Militza appeared

1 The love of a sister for her brother in Serbia is proverbial. Entire
ballads are devoted to beautiful examples of such love. There is no
greater and more solemn oath for a sister in Serbia than that sworn by
the name of her brother.

170

The Tsarina's Forebodings

at the main gate of the city, and lo 1 the mighty army was
preparing to defile with, in the van, the glorious cavaliers
headed by Boshko Yougovitch. Boshko was in the act of
mounting his brown horse, a splendid creature, capari-
soned with golden trappings; the dropping folds of the
flag fell upon his shoulders and over his steed's back.
Upon the flag pole was fixed a golden apple and from the
great cross hung golden thustles which were knocking
gently against Boshko's shoulders.

Tsarina Militza approached her brother and flinging her
tender arms around his neck addressed him in her sweet
voice thus : " O my darling brother, our tsar has presented
thee to me, and desires that thou shalt not go to Kossovo
in the war. His charge to thee is : that thou shalt give thy
flag to whom thou choosest and remain at Krousharatz
that I may have a brother to swear by 1 "
But Boshko Yougovitch answered : " Go back, O sister
dear, to thy white castle ! I would not return, neither
would I give up from my hands this flag for the price of
Kroushevatz.1 How could I suffer my comrades to say:
' Look at the coward Boshko Yougovitch ! He dares not
go to Kossovo, to shed his blood in the cause of the Holy
Cross and his orthodox faith ! ' " Saying this he disen-
gaged himself from his sister's embraces and leapt into
his saddle.

Lo 1 there now comes the aged Youg-Bogdan at the head
of a line of his seven other sons ! The tsarina endea-
voured to stop each one in turn, but in vain. Voin
Yougovitch, the eighth brother, was last in the line; he
like the rest of his brothers would not listen, and as he

1 Kroushavatz was the capital of the vast Serbian empire during the
reign of Tsar Lazarus Hrebelianovitch at the time of the famous battle
of Kossovo (A.D. 1389).

171

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

passed on, the poor tsarina fell down at the feet of the
horses and swooned. The glorious Lazarus saw his
loving consort fall, and understanding the cause of her
grief, he shed tears. Glancing quickly right and left he
beheld Golouban, his trusty servant, and called to him :
" O Golouban, my faithful servant ! Dismount from thy
charger, and take the tsarina gently in thy heroic arms
to her slender tower. God and I will hold thee excused
from service in the war, do thou remain at our white
castle near the tsarina ! "

Hearing this Golouban turned pale, and tears poured
down his cheeks as he dismounted from his Laboud.1 He
took the tsarina in his arms and carried her into her
slender high tower as the tsar had commanded ; but this
done he could not resist the desire of his heart to go to
Kossovo, so he hurried back to his charger and spurred
him swiftly on after his comrades.

News of Battle

Next day, when morning dawned, lo! two ill-omened

ravens from the battlefield of Kossovo alighted upon the

white tower of the glorious Tsar Lazarus. One spake to

the other : " Is this the home of the famed prince, Lazarus ?

Is there no living soul in the castle ? "

One only within the castle heard this. Tsarina Militza

walked out upon the balcony of her tower and besought

the two black ravens thus : " For the sake of all that ye

hold dear, O ye two dark ravens ! Whence do ye come?

Do ye not fly from the field of Kossovo? Saw ye there

two mighty armies ? O tell me ! Have they met together ?

Which of them is victorious ? "

Thereupon the two ravens answered : " Evil overtake us

1 Laboud means white swkn in Serbian.

172

The Trusty Miloutin

if we do not speak truth to thee, O fair empress Militza !
We fly indeed from the level plain of Kossovo ! Yea !
There we did see two mighty armies; there did we see
two tsars perish I1 Of the Turkish horde but few remain
in life; of the Serbs, those who live are covered with
wounds and blood ! "

The Trusty Miloutin

The ravens had hardly spoken when the tsarina perceived

a horseman approaching whom she recognized. His left

arm hung helpless ; he was covered with seventeen

wounds ; blood ran over his steed. The tsarina called to

him in accents of terror : " Alas, alas ! Is it thou, my

trusty Miloutin ? Hast thou then betrayed thy tsar on

Kossovo the level field?"

But Miloutin answered slowly and with pain : " Help me,

0 my lady, to alight from my brave steed ! Bathe my
face with cooling water and refresh me with rosy wine, for
heavy wounds have overwhelmed me ! "

And the tsarina went to him and helped him to dismount
from his bloody steed, bathed his face with some cooling
water and brought wine unto his dried lips. When she
had thus restored him somewhat, she spake again : " What
dreadful thing has happened, O thou trusty servant, in
Kossovo that level field? Where perished the glorious
Prince Lazarus ? Where perished the aged Youg Bogdan ?
Where perished the nine Yougovitchs ? Where perished
Voivode Milosh? Where perished Vouk Brankovitch?
Where perished Ban Strahiyna ? "
Thereat the warrior groaned heavily : " All remain on

1 The Turkish sultan, Amourath I, perished by the hand of Voivode
Milosh. That great Serbian hero stabbed him with his secret poniard
when conducted as an alleged traitor to the sultan's presence.

173

Tales Sf Legends of the Serbians

Kossovo, O my lady ! Where the glorious Prince Lazarus
perished, there were broken many, many lances, both
Turkish and Serbian, but more Serbian than Turkish :
defending, O my lady, their beloved lord, their lord the
glorious Prince Lazarus. And thy father, O lady, perished
in the first onset. Thy nine brothers perished too — faith-
ful did they abide to one another. Till all perished, there
mightest thou have seen the valiant Boshko, his flag
fluttering in the breeze as he rushed hither and thither,
scattering the Turks like a falcon amongst timid doves.
There, by the streamlet Sitnitza, where blood was running
above a hero's knees, perished Ban Strahiyna.
" But our heroes did not die alone ! Twelve thousand
Turks lie prone upon the plain. Sultan Mourat1 was
slain by Voivode Milosh. May God forgive all his sins !
The hero has bequeathed to the Serbian race a memory of
noble deeds that shall be recounted by the bards as long
as men live and Kossovo stays. As for the traitor Vouk,
accursed be she who gave him birth ! He betrayed our
tsar on Kossovo, leading astray, O my lady! twelve
thousand fierce cuirassiers of our people ! Accursed for
ever be his progeny ! "

Historical Note

The bards invariably throw all responsibility for the great
calamity to the Serbian arms, inflicted upon them in that
celebrated battle on Kossovo, upon Vouk Brankovitch,
who was one of the sons-in-law of Tsar Lazarus. Some
of our historians are convinced that there is a great deal
of truth in this licencia poetica, and they point to the fact
that the mediaeval history of Serbia contains many in-
stances of such malcontents as Vouk Brankovitch who,
1 Corrupted form of Amourad or Amourath.
174

Historical Note

seduced by fair promises from cunning Turkish statesmen,
went to Stamboul to become useful tools in the hands of
Ottoman generals, who were thereby aided in their
conquests of the Slavs of the Balkans. But the truth is
that our calamity was due mainly to the disobedience of
the Serbian Lords who ruled almost independently over
Bosnia and Herzegovina. These lords failed to comply
with Tsar Lazarus' mobilisation proclamation, and it was
due to this that the Serbian army was considerably
smaller than the Turkish. .

Be this as it may, the defeat which the Serbians sustained
in that memorable battle left a very deep impression
upon the nation, and Serbians have believed ever since
that it was solely due to this disaster that the Serbian
empire was crushed by the Turk. This feeling persisted
in the hearts of the oppressed Serbians through four
centuries and was manifested in repeated insurrections
against their oppressors in the beginning of the last
century under the leadership of two Serbian princes,
George Petrovitch, grandfather of the present King
Peter I Karageorgevitch, in the year 1804, and Milosh
Obrenovitch in 1815. But another century had to pass
ere the opportunity came for a decisive battle by which
satisfaction could be obtained for the battle on Kossovo.
This opportunity offered on the famous field of Kou-
manovo in 1913, where perished more Turks than did
Serbians five centuries ago. Only then was Serbia happy !
The present writer went through the Balkan Campaigns of
1912-1913, and was a witness of glorious deeds and feats
of arms by his countrymen which, relatively speaking, by
no means yield to those of their mediaeval ancestors led
by Milosh Obilitch, Marko Kralyevitch, Ban Strahiyna,
and others. It was an imposing sight when the victorious

175

Tales Sf Legends of the Serbians

o

Serbian army returned to Belgrade at the conclusion of
the war. The soldiers entered through numberless
triumphal gates, over some of which were huge in-
scriptions : " For Kossovo : Koumanovo " and " For
Slivnitza : Bregalnitza."

The untiring Serbian bards have now turned their
attention to the exploits of modern heroes at Monastir,
Koumanovo, Perlep (Prilip), Scutari (Skadar), &c., and
they will thus immortalize for the delight of future
generations the final triumph of the Serb over the
oppressor of his race, from whom he has wrested the
empire of his valiant ancestors — if not in its entirety as
under the rule of Tsar Doushan the Powerful, yet as it
was in extent in the time of Tsar Lazarus.
What Tsar Lazarus lost, therefore, has now been virtually
regained by his brave countrymen under the wise leader-
ship of our present King Peter I.

CHAPTER X : THE CAPTIVITY
AND MARRIAGE OF STEPH
YAKSHITCH i

The Veelds Warning

DAWN had not appeared, neither had Danitza 2 yet
shown her face when from the heights of the
mountain Avala by Belgrade a veela called
aloud upon Demitrius and Stephan, the two brothers
Yakshitchs: "O ye brothers Yakshitchs ! Ill fate hath
this morn brought to ye ! See ye not that the mighty
Turk has made ready to assail the glorious town Belgrade
from three sides ? Hearken ! I will tell ye the pashas by
name. The Vizier of Tyoopria is come with forty thou-
sand troops ; the Pasha of Vidin leads an army of thirty
thousand ; and the Pasha of Novi Bazar has brought with
him twenty thousand fierce Yanissaries ! If ye will not
believe, climb ye to the top of your towers and look over
upon the broad field of Belgrade 1 "

Hearing this adjuration Demitrius looked out, and saw,
indeed, all that the veela had said. If rain had fallen
from the skies, no drop would have fallen on the ground,
so thick was the multitude of Turks and their horses !
He was seized with terror at the sight, and, without
pausing a moment, he ran to his stable, saddled his steed,

1 A ballad of Montenegro, county Byelopavlitch.

2 Danitza is the Morning Star. The Serbian bards often begin
their poems with a reference to the dawn and " Danitza." Several
well-known ballads begin thus : "The Moon scolds the star Danitza:
Where hast thou been? Wherefore hast thou wasted much time?"
And Danitza in order to exonerate herself, invariably relates to the
Moon something she has seen in the night during her absence ; usually
some wrongful deed by a Turk or dishonourable conduct on the part
of a young man to his brother or other relatives, such as an unjust
division of patrimony, &c.

M 177

Tales &P Legends of the Serbians

and, unlocking the main gates of the fortress, rushed out,
leaving the keys in the gate. He did not slacken rein
until he reached a great forest, and by this time the sun
was already high in the heavens. Dismounting from the
saddle he seated himself on the banks of the cooling river
Yahorika, and soliloquized thus : " Alas, Demitrius,
mayst thou perish ! To whose care hast thou left thy
only brother Stephan?"

Overcome with remorse for his cowardice he would have
returned to Belgrade, but it was too late. The Turks had
already entered the city through the open gates. There
was none to oppose them, and after indulging in outrage
and pillage they had carried away many captives, among
whom was Stephan Yakshitch. Him they did not behead
because of his unusual beauty, and because they were well
acquainted with his heroism, the fame of which was
known far and near. They brought Stephan to the
presence of the Vizier of Tyoopria, who was so pleased to
see him that he ordered his hands to be freed, and gave
him back his horse and arms. He also held a great feast
and accompanied it with the firing of innumerable cannon.
After this the Vizier of Tyoopria returned with the whole
army in triumph to Stamboul, where he brought his dis-
tinguished prisoner into the sultan's presence.

Stephan and the Sultan

The mighty Padishah was seated on his sidjadeV and after
presenting Stephan the vizier took a seat near by. Stephan
made a profound obeisance and kissed the slipper and the
knee of the sultan. The sultan then invited him to a seat
near to him and spake thus : " O heroic Stephan Yak-
shitch ! If thou wilt become a Turk ! (may Allah favour
1 Sidjadt, a divan.

178

Stephan at Tyoopria

thee !) I will make thee my Grand Vizier of Bosnia in the
City of Travnik ! Thou shalt have seven other viziers to
obey thy orders; I will give thee in marriage my only
daughter, and will care for thee as for my own son ! "
To this Stephan answered firmly : " O Great Padishah !
Thou mighty ruler of the world ! I shall never turn Turk
and renounce the Holy Cross. Yea, even if thou offered
me thy own throne ! I am ready to give my life for the
holy Christian faith ! "

At these bold words the sultan was very angry, and gave
orders that Stephan should be executed. But Stephan
had a good friend in the Vizier of Tyoopria, who at this
juncture prayed the sultan not to give way to his wrath.
"Do not, in the name of Allah, O my Padishah," said
he, " have so valorous a young man beheaded ! I have
given him my word of honour that thou, O Sultan, will
not take his life ! Deliver him to me for ransom ! I
will give thee as many golden ducats as he weighs on thy
balance, and will keep him safely in my castle at Tyoopria
where, I give thee my firm faith, I will make him love the
creed of Mohammed."

The sultan graciously acceded to his vizier's request and
Stephan departed with the Turk to his province.

Stephan at Tyoopria

When the vizier came to Tyoopria he invited Stephan to
participate in all the luxury of his castle, and during one
whole year he endeavoured by courtesy and kindness
to convert the Serbian prince to the Mussulman faith.
Then, as all his efforts had failed, he called together his
hodjas1 and kadis,2 as well as all the noblemen of his

a,) a Mussulman priest.
2 Kadi, an Ottoman judge.

179

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

district, and these men spoke to Stephan thus : " O
Stephan, the vizier has ordered us to convert thee unto
the true faith ; if thou wilt submit to us in this thing he
will give thee in marriage his only daughter — she is more
beautiful than the white veela herself — and he will have
thee to be appointed the Grand Vizier of Novi Bazar.
But if thou refused to become a Turk, his djelat1 will
cleave thy head asunder."

Thereupon Stephan answered : "I thank ye, venerable
hodgas and kadis ! But I would rather lose my life for
the sake of our holy faith and the law of our Lord Jhesu,
than live to become a Turk ! "

The vizier turned sadly away and ordered his djelat to
behead Prince Stephan. But again Stephan's good for-
tune befriended him. The Grand Vizier of Novi Bazar
came to the Vizier of Tyoopria and implored him not
to behead the young man. " Dost thou not remember,"
said he, " that thou didst promise that his life should not
be taken from him? 'Twere better to deliver him to
me on ransom : I will give twice his weight in golden
ducats, and I declare solemnly that when I have him in
my province of Novi Bazar, I shall not fail to induce him
to embrace Islam ! "

The Vizier of Tyoopria agreed to his friend's offer and
Stephan was thus a second time delivered from death.

Stephan at Novi Bazar

Arriving at Novi Bazar the vizier summoned his servant
Hoossein. " Listen, Hoossein, my trusty servant ! " said
he. " Take thou this dearly bought prisoner, and conduct
him through the donjons, until thou comest to the
twelfth; there leave him and shut the twelve doors
1 Djela^ an executioner.
1 80

Stephan & the Vizier's Daughter

r o

behind thee carefully, so that he shall see neither the sun
nor the moon. Methinks he will soon be willing to adopt
our Mussulman faith 1 "

Hoossein did as he was commanded, and Stephan re-
mained a prisoner for half a year, when the vizier took
pity on him. Summoning his only daughter Haykoona,
he said to her : " My darling daughter, my pure gold !
Hearken to thy father's words ! Go back to thy tower,
open thy golden cupboards, and adorn thyself with thy
richest apparel. Put on thy prettiest dress of rosy silk
adorned with velvet ribbons and golden threads, and cover
all with thy gold-woven cloak. In thy right hand take a
golden apple and under thy arm take this bottle ; in it is
a beverage prepared from forest plants and flowerets. It
is called ' water of oblivion ' ; I have been told that he
who washes his face with it and drinks of it must hate his
relatives and his religion. Take ye these to the lowest
serais and open the twelve doors, closing carefully
each of them in turn after thee. When thou comest
to Prince Stephan give him this wonderful bottle. He
will surely bathe his face with its contents and drink:
then he will forget his faith, embrace Islam and marry
thee!"

The Turkish maiden could have wished for no greater
good fortune, for ever since she first saw the handsome
Serbian prince she had felt strange pains. In her dreams
she saw nobody but him, and in the daytime she was
consumed with fevers.

Stephan and the Vizier s Daughter
Therefore she complied with her father's wish with
alacrity, and when she reached Stephan she greeted him
tenderly : " Hail, O Serbian Hero ! May God be with

181

Tales SP Legends of the Serbians

thee ! " And the chivalrous prince returned the greeting :
" May God help thee, O peerless Haykoona ! "
The beautiful maiden then said : " O Prince Stephan, I
value thee more than my black eyes ! I sorrow to see thy
face thus darkened and thy life so miserable in the prison-
donjons of my father. Take this bottle of cooling water;
bathe thy heroic visage with the liquid and drink a little
of it!"

The hero took the bottle from those beauteous hands ; but
he was wise ! Without hesitation he shattered it against
the stony wall, taking great care that not a drop of the
liquid should besprinkle him. The Turkish maiden
flushed with anger, but a moment later she composed her-
self, and casting upon the prince a tender glance, she said
to him sweetly : " Do, I pray thee, become a Turk and
marry me ! I love thee more than my black eyes/'
But Stephan answered : " I beseech thee, in thy Allah's
name, speak not so, O Princess Haykoona. I shall never
turn Turk and forget my Christian faith ! Yea, I am
ready always to give my life for it ! "
The beauteous lady turned aside impatiently, but her
anger soon passed, and again looking tenderly at the
young prince, she exclaimed with sudden passion, " Kiss
me, O my beloved ! "

But Stephan was proof against temptation, and he
answered sternly : " O Turkish lady, may misfortune
attend thee ! Thou knowest that my faith forbids that a
Christian should kiss a Turk! The skies above would
burst asunder and stones would fall upon our heads ! "
The vizier's daughter really loved the prince, and although
it was not easy for her haughty spirit to brook such a
refusal of her advances, she presently spake again in this
wise : " O Prince Stephan, truly I love thee more than my
182

Stephan & the Vizier's Daughter

own eyes I I would not for the entire wealth of this
world be baptized, but if thou wilt promise me thy love
and wilt marry me I will even embrace the Christian
faith ! Let us take much gold from my father's treasury
and flee together to thy glorious Belgrade."
Hearing this, the young prince sprang joyfully to his
feet and opened his arms to the beauteous maiden. He
was by no means insensible to her charms, and he
exclaimed with fervour : " Thou hast my princely promise
that I shall love thee and be faithful to thee — as it is the
duty of a true knight so to be. May the Lord Jhesu in
Heaven be my witness ! "

Then the vizier's daughter opened the twelve doors one
after the other and the young couple soon stood in the
glorious fresh air under the sky, which was bespangled
with silver stars, and radiant with the light of the moon.
From the vizier's treasury they took three tovars of gold,
and from his stables his two best horses. And the maiden
gave Stephan a sabre studded with large diamonds — it
was worth half of Novi Bazar — saying: "Take this
sword, my darling lord : that thou mayest not be com-
pelled to give way to inferior heroes, if we should be
molested on our way 1 "

Then they mounted the horses and urged them swiftly away:
in one night they put a distance between them and the
vizier's castle which a caravan could not cover in less than
three days and three nights. At dawn of the next day they
reached Belgrade, and Prince Stephan immediately sum-
moned twelve monks, who baptized the fair Turkish
maiden, after which the young couple were happily
united.

183

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

The Ending of the Ballad

The bard finishes his ballad with the following stereo-
typed ending very usual with Montenegrins :
" This happened once upon a time ; let us, O brethren,
pray of God to grant our holy Vladika1 good health !
Amen, O God, to whom we always pray ! "
Serbian bards did not as a rule end in this manner, but
contented themselves with wishing good health to their
audiences.

Historical Note

During the long course of the imposition of Ottoman
dominion upon the suffering Christian races of the Balkans
there were always at the courts of the Christian princes
malcontents whom the cunning Turkish statesmen easily
seduced from their allegiance to their rightful lords, and
to whom they extended hospitality in Constantinople,
often overwhelming them with riches and honours. In
return they have rendered most important services to the
sultans in their many campaigns, being, of course, well
acquainted with the strategic dispositions of their country-
men, and often with important state secrets. Sometimes
such traitorous men have served the Turk in their own
country by sowing the seed of dissatisfaction with their
rulers among the peasantry, assuring them that they would
be better off under Ottoman rule. The influence of such
renegades prevailed upon the peasantry in Bosnia and
Herzegovina, at the time of the Battle of Kossovo (1389),

1 Vladika means in Serbian ' Bishop.' In Montenegro members of the
Petrovitch-Niegosh family were bishops as well as political rulers. It
was Vladika Danilo Petrovitch, uncle of the present king of Montenegro,
who first assumed the title of prince as an hereditary one.

184

Historical Note

to rise against their rulers, and they did not participate in
that memorable battle.

Very few instances of such treachery, however, occurred
in Montenegro, which has been from the earliest times the
home of the noblest of Serbian aristocrats and heroes, and
where the adoption of the faith of Islam, no matter for
what reason, or from what motive, was considered as the
greatest cowardice of which a Christian could be guilty.

185

CHAPTER XI : THE MARRIAGE
OF KING VOUKASHIN

The Message to l^idossava

KING Voukashin1 of Skadar on Boyana 2 wrote a
book 3 and dispatched it to Herzegovina, to the
white city of Pirlitor 4 opposite the mountain
Dourmitor. He wrote it secretly, and secretly he dis-
patched it to the hands of beauteous Vidossava, the lonely
consort of Voivode Momtchilo. These were the words
in the book :

" Hail Vidossava, Momtchilo's consort ! Why dost thou
dwell in the midst of ice and snow ? When thou lookest
up from thy castle walls thou seest Mount Dourmitor
adorned with ice and snow, yea, even in summer as in
mid-winter ; when thou lookest down, lo ! thither rushes
thy turbulent River Tarra carrying on its waves wood and
stones. There are no fords, neither are there bridges to
span it; around it are only pine-trees and fragments of
rock. Why shouldst thou not give poison to thy husband
or betray him unto me? Then mightest thou fly to me on
this level sea-coast in my white city on Boyana. I will
gladly espouse thee and thou shalt become my queen.
Thou shalt spin silk upon a golden spindle, sit upon silk
cushions and wear velvet embroidered with gold. And
how glorious is this city of Skadar on Boyana ! When
thou lookest upon the fertile slopes above the walls thou
wilt see innumerable fig-trees and olive-trees, and vine-

1 King Voukashin, the father of Prince Marko, was a vassal king to the
Emperor Doushan the Powerful.

2 Boyana is the river upon the banks of which Scutari is built.

8 The Serbian bards of the fourteenth century invariably use the word
" book " when speaking of a letter.

4 Or, according to some bards, Piritor. It is said that the walls of the
castle still exist in Herzegovina.

1 86

Vidossava's Treachery

yards full of grapes ; when thou lookest beneath, behold 1
the plain will be white with nodding wheat, and green
with the verdure of the meadows. Through the meadows
green-limpid Boyana is flowing; in its stream are all
kinds of fish which thou wilt have served fresh at table
when thou dost so desire."

Vidossava's Treachery

When Vidossava had read the book she wrote a reply in
fine characters : " My Lord, thou King Voukashin ! It is
not an easy task to betray Voivode Momtchilo, still less is
it easy to poison him. Momtchilo has a sister, by name
Yevrossima, who prepares his dishes and partakes of each
before him. He has nine brothers and twelve first cousins
who pour wine into his golden cup; they always drink
before him of each draught. Also, O king! Voivode
Momtchilo possesses a steed named Yaboutchilo; it has
wings and can fly any distance its master wishes. Nor is
this all ! My spouse has a sword adorned with diamonds
as big as a maiden's eyes ; with this, he fears no one but
God. But attend to me, O King Voukashin! Gather a
numberless army together ; bring thy heroes to the lake, and
hide there in the woods. It is Momtchilo's custom to hunt
each Sunday morning; he rides out with his nine brothers
and his twelve cousins, and attended by forty guards from
his castle. On the eve of next Sunday I will burn off
Yaboutchilo's wings ; the jewelled sword I will dip in
salted blood that Momtchilo may not be able to unsheath
it : thus thou shalt be able to vanquish him."
When this book reached King Voukashin's hands, his
heart rejoiced and he assembled a large force and marched
to Herzegovina. He marched to the lake by Momtchilo's
castle, where he hid in the neighbouring woods.

Tales &f Legends of the Serbians

On the eve of Sunday, Momtchilo retired to his bed-
chamber to rest upon the silken cushions, when lo! his
consort came to him. She did not lay on the cushions, but
stood by her spouse and her tears fell upon his head.
Feeling the warm tears upon his knightly cheeks, the
Voivode looked up and said : " O Vidossava, my faithful
consort! What great trouble afflicts thee, that thou
shouldst shed tears upon my head?"
And Vidossava answered : " My Lord, thou Voivode
Momtchilo ! I have no trouble but for thee ! I have
heard tell of a marvel which I have not seen with my own
eyes. It is said that thou hast a wondrous winged steed
but I cannot believe the story. It is some evil portent,
and I fear thou wilt perish ! "

The Winged Horse

Momtchilo was usually cautious, but this time he fell into
the trap. " Vidossava, my dear consort," said he,
tenderly, " if that be all thy trouble I will easily console
thee. Thou shalt see the wings of my steed Tchile : 1 when
the first cocks crow go down to the new stables, Tchile
will then unfold his wings, as thou wilt see."
Saying this, he composed himself once more to slumber.
But not so Vidossava. She watched to hear the first
rooster's crow, and at the sound she sprang to her feet,
lit a lantern and a candle, took some fat of mutton and
some tar, and hurried to the stables. And behold ! she
saw Yaboutchilo unfold a pair of wings which reached
down to his hoofs. Vidossava anointed the pinions with
the fat and tar and set fire to them with the flame of her
candle. What did not burn she bound tightly under the
belt of the steed. This done, she, the youthful one, went
1 Tchile, diminutive of Yaboutchilo, the full name of the steed,
188

The Ambuscade

to the armoury and dipped Momtchilo's favourite sword
into salted blood. Then she returned to her consort's
chamber.

Momtchilds Dream

At daybreak Momtchilo awoke and spake thus to
Vidossava : " Vidossava, my beloved spouse ! I have had
this night a strange dream : there appeared suddenly a
cloud of fog from the accursed land of Vassoye and
wrapped itself round Dourmitor. I rode through the
cloud with my nine darling brothers and twelve first-
cousins, together with my forty guards. In that fog,
O my darling Vidossava ! we lost sight of each other,
never to meet again ! God alone knows what this dream
means, but I have a presentiment that some evil will befall
us soon ! "

Vidossava endeavoured to reassure her lord. "Do not
fear, my darling lord ! " she said; "dreams are false, God
is true ! "

The Ambuscade

Momtchilo attired himself for hunting and walked out
from his white tower to the courtyard, where his nine
brothers, twelve cousins, and forty guards awaited him.
His spouse led to him his Yaboutchilo ; he sprang to the
saddle, and without more ado rode with his followers to
the hunt. All unsuspecting, they reached the lake, when
suddenly a great force surrounded them. Momtchilo
grasped his sword, but, alas ! he was unable to unsheathe
it. Then he exclaimed bitterly: "Hark, my beloved
brethren ! My consort Vidossava has betrayed me ; give
me a sword ! "

Speedily his brothers obeyed; they gave him the best

189

Tales SP Legends of the Serbians

sword they had. Then Momtchilo said again : " Listen,
my beloved brothers : ye shall attack the wings of the
army and I will storm it in the centre."
God adored, what a mighty wonder! * Would that
some from among ye, brethren,^ could have been there
to see : how Voivode Momtchilo wielded his sword and
cleared his way through the press of his foes ! ' Howbeit,
more were crushed by Yaboutchilo than by the hero's
sword! But, alas! a sad misfortune had befallen him:
when he had gained clear of the foe his brothers' nine
black steeds followed after him ; but their saddles were
empty !

When Momtchilo saw this his heroic heart burst from great
sorrow for the loss of his nine beloved brothers : his
sword-arm dropped limp at his side, and knowing that he
could fight no more, he spurred Yaboutchilo, intending
that he should unfold his wings and fly to his castle.
But, alas ! for the first time his charger did not respond
to the spur. Then Momtchilo spake reproachfully thus :
" O Yaboutchilo, may wolves devour thee ! Many
times hast thou flown from here merely in pastime, and
now when I am in sore straits thou wilt not fly ! "
And the steed answered, neighing: "My Lord, mighty
Voivode Momtchilo ! Do not curse me, nor try to force
me further. To-day I cannot fly ! May God punish thy
Vidossava ! Last night she burnt the pinions of my two
wings. What did not burn she tied tightly under my belt.

0 my beloved master ! thou hadst better escape as thou
mayest. I cannot help thee ! "

When Momtchilo heard this, tears fell down his heroic

1 It must be remembered that these ballads are recited by bards before
great gatherings of people of all ages and both sexes, hence such direct
addresses.

IQO

Brother &P Sister

visage. He alighted heavily from his well-loved Yabou-
tchilo; after a last caress he gathered himself together,
and in three leaps he found himself before the portals of
his castle. And lo ! the massive gates were closed and
locked.

Brother and Sister

Seeing this, Momtchilo called aloud upon his sister : " O
Yevrossima, my darling sister I Stretch down to me a
roll of linen that I may climb the castle wall and escape
ere my pursuers come up with me ! "
Yevrossima heard the appeal and answered through
copious tears : " Alas, my darling brother, thou Voivode
Momtchilo ! How can I drop down to thee a length of
white linen, seeing that my sister-in-law, thine own faith-
less Vidossava, hath bound my hair to a beam ? "
But sisters have soft hearts for their brothers,1 and
Yevrossima, for the sake of her only brother, jerked her
head with such force that she left her hair on the beam ;
then she seized a length of linen, made one end fast, and
threw the other end over the wall from the rampart.
Momtchilo seized the linen and quickly climbed almost to
the top of the rampart. He was on the point of springing
into the fortress when his faithless spouse ran thither
swiftly and, with a sharp sword, cut the linen above
Momtchilo's hands.

By this time the forces of Voukashin had come up, and
Momtchilo was precipitated upon their swords and lances.
Seeing the hero fall, the king hastened to the spot, and
with a fierce thrust ran him through the heart. So fiercely
did he lunge that the end of the sword penetrated the wall.

1 This is one more instance of the intensity of sisterly love to which we
have previously referred.

Tales ^f Legends of the Serbians

The Death of Momtchilo

Voivode Momtchilo was a rare hero, and he was able to
speak these last words to King Voukashin : " My last
request to thee, O King Voukashin, is that thou shouldst
not marry my faithless Vidossava, for she will betray thee
also. To-day she hath betrayed me to thee ; to-morrow
she will deal with thee in like manner ! Far better would
it be to marry my dear sister Yevrossima, the loveliest of
maidens. She will always be faithful to thee and will
bear thee a hero like unto myself."

This spake Voivode Momtchilo, struggling with pale
death : this he said and his soul flew heavenward.
The gates of the castle were now opened, and the faithless
Vidossava came out to welcome King Voukashin. After
she had greeted him she led the way to her white tower
and gave him a seat at her golden table. She offered
him fine wines and many lordly dishes. Then she went
to the armoury and brought Momtchilo's armour and
weapons. But, marvellous to relate ! Momtchilo's helmet,
which fitted him closely, fell down to King Voukashin's
shoulders. One of Momtchilo's top-boots was big
enough for King Voukashin's two feet. Momtchilo's
golden rings were too large for three of King Vouka-
shin's fingers together. Momtchilo's sabre was one
whole yard too long when King Voukashin tried it on
his belt!

The Punishment of Vidossava

Seeing all this, King Voukashin exclaimed : " Alas !

Woe is me! May God forgive me! What a faithless

monster this youthful Vidossava must be to betray such a

hero, whose equal would be vainly sought throughout the

192

Historical Note

whole world ! How could I, the wretched one, expect
such a woman to be faithful to me ? "
So saying, he called loudly to his servants, who took
Vidossava and bound her fair limbs to the tails of four
horses and drove them from the castle Pirlitor. Thus,
dreadful fate ! she was torn to pieces alive.
Then the king pillaged Voivode Momtchilo's castle and
led away Yevrossima to his palace at Skadar on Boyana.
Later, he deserved her love and married her, and she
bore unto him Marko and Andrias. Truly Marko in-
herited the heroism of Voivode Momtchilo, and thus his
uncle's prediction was fulfilled.

Historical Note

Primitive ac may>>p the customs illustrated in this ballad
of the fourteenth century, it is undoubtedly worthy of a
place in my collection. It was taken down by Vouk St.
Karadgitch from the lips of the Serbian bard, and I cannot
sufficiently express my regret for my inability to convey
in English the beautiful and audacious similes and the
eloquent figures of speech which adorn the original.
The French mediaeval troubadour rarely chose as his
theme the fajthjegs^psi_pf wnfnpn J probably because
incidents like the one described in our ballad were either
unknown or too common to be considered interesting.
But if the Serbian bards did not, excepting in this rare
instance, sing of the fickleness and treachery of the weaker
sex, it was that Serbian public opinion could not suffer the
contemplation of faithlessness on the part of either husband
or wife. No doubt the bard, wandering from one monas-
tery to another, found in some chronicle a few facts con-
cerning the marriage of King Voukashin which he
elaborated much as did the French troubadour who dealt

N 193

Tales &f Legends of the Serbians

similarly with the slender historic fact relative to the
battle at Ronceval. The public opinion of the epoch is
reflected in the barbarous punishment which the bard
moved by his austerity, inflicts upon Vidossava. It is
interesting to note that in my researches I have not found
one ballad in which faithlessness on the part of a husband
occurs.

In the ballads concerning the royal Prince Marko we see
that he was always chivalrous toward women, especially
toward widows and oppressed maidens, irrespective of
their social position or their religion. He is willing to
succour Turkish maidens, for whom he is ready to
jeopardize his life. In the ballad entitled " The Cap-
tivity and Marriage of Stephan Yakshitch " the bard tells
of advances made to Stephan by a passionate Turkish
maiden, which he repels with indignation at the mere idea
of an alliance between a Christian and a Mussulman woman.
King Voukashin might have corresponded with Voivode
Momtchilo's wife previous to her marriage, but if so it
must have been rather a political attachment than an
affair of the heart.

194

CHAPTER XII : THE SAINTS
DIVIDE THE TREASURES1

The Bard begins !

MERCIFUL Creator! Does it thunder, or is the
earth quaking ? Or can it be the tempestuous
ocean hurling its waves against the shore?2
Nay ! It is not thunder, neither is the earth quaking, nor
is the stormy ocean beating upon the shore !
Lo ! the saints are dividing among themselves the
treasures of Heaven, of Earth and of Sea : Saint Peter
and St. Nicolas, St. John and St. Elias ; with them, too,
is St. Panthelias.

Suddenly there comes Beata Maria, tears streaming down
her white face.

" Dear sister ours," spake St. Elias, " thou Beata Maria !
What great misfortune hath befallen thee that thou shouldst
shed tears down thy cheeks?"

Thereupon, amid her sobs, Beata Maria said : " O my
dear brother, thou Thunderer Elias ! How could I refrain
from shedding tears, since I am just come from India —
from India, that accursed country? In that degraded
land there is utter lawlessness : the common people do
not respect their superiors ; children do not obey their
parents ; parents crush their own children under their
feet (may their cheeks blush at the divan3 before

1 This ballad is in all probability a remnant of the mythologic traces of
a great prehistoric catastrophe, and it illustrates more than any other
ancient memorial of the poetic Serbian people, the striking similarity in
the beliefs of nations.

2 This opening might perplex many readers if it were not explained
that the commotion is not caused by the saints, but is due to the
device, familiar to a Serbian audience, whereby the bard gives his ballad
an effective start, and obtains the close attention of his peasant hearers.

3 Divan means in Serbian any state gathering. * In this passage i
means the Supreme Judgment.

195

V

Tales @f Legends of the Serbians

the very God of truth !) A koom prosecutes a brother
koom before the judge and bears false witness against
him — thus losing his own soul, and damaging one
who has acted as a witness at his wedding or baptism;
brother challenges brother to duels ; a bride is not to be
entrusted with safety to the care of a dever, and, alas !
even more dreadful things have I seen ! '
The Thunderer Elias returned answer : " O sister dear,
thou Beata Maria! Wipe those tears from thy tender
face ! When we have divided these treasures we will go
to the divan unto our Almighty creator. Him we will
pray, the Truthful One, that He may, in His Infinite
Grace, grant us the Keys of the Seven Heavens, with
which we may lock them. I will seal the clouds that
no drop of rain may fall therefrom, neither abundant rain
nor soft dew. Also, the silvery moonbeams shall not
shine at night. Thus for three full years there shall be a
heavy drought, and neither wheat nor wine shall grow,
yea, not as much as is needful for the Holy Mass."
Beata Maria was comforted, and wiped away the tears
from her milk-white face. And the saints turned again to
the division of the treasures : Peter chose wine and wheat
and the Keys of the Heavenly Empire ; Elias chose the
lightning and thunder; Panthelias, great heats ; John
chose brotherhood and koomhood as well as the Holy
Cros* Nicolas chose the seas with the galleys upon them.

The Wrath of God

Then one and all went to divan with the Almighty, to

Whom for three white days and three obscure nights they

prayed incessantly. They prayed and, indeed, their

prayers were heard : God gave them the Keys of the

Heavens.

196

The Wrath of God

They locked the Seven Heavens ; they affixed seals upon
the clouds and lo, for full three years, there fell no drop
of rain, neither rain nor silent dew ! Neither shone the
silvery moonlight, nor did wine grow or wheat spring
up from the parched ground, — not even as much as is
requisite for the needs of Holy Church.
Behold ! The black earth cracked ; the living dropped
in it. God sent an awful plague which smote both old
and young, severing those who were dear to each other.
The small remnant who remained alive bitterly repented
and turned to the Lord God in whom they truly believed ,
and who now blessed them.

And God's benediction which He gave to those people
yet remains : there should be winter and summer once in
each year!
As it was long ago, so it is nowadays.

" God Adored, may our thanks reach Thee !
What has been, may it never happen again ! "

CHAPTER XIII : THREE
SERBIAN BALLADS

/. THE BUILDING OF SKADAR
(SCUTARI) i

THE following poems are reprinted here from Sir
John Bowring's Servian Popular Poetry , London,
1827. These translations will serve to give to
English readers some idea of the form of the national
decasyllabic verse from which the matter of the greater

part of this book is taken.

^ ^ — <-' — u

Brothers three combined to build a fortress,
Brothers three, the brothers Mrnyavtchevitch,
Kraly Vukashin 2 was the eldest brother;
And the second was Uglesha-Voivode ;
And the third, the youngest brother Goiko.
Full three years they labour'd at the fortress,
Skadra's fortress on Boyana's river ;
Full three years three hundred workmen labour'd.
Vain th' attempt to fix the wall's foundation.
Vainer still to elevate the fortress :
Whatsoe'er at eve had raised the workmen
Did the veela raze ere dawn of morning.
When the fourth year had begun its labours,
Lo ! the veela from the forest-mountain
Call'd — " Thou King Vukashin ! vain thine efforts !
Vain thine efforts — all thy treasures wasting !
Never, never, wilt thou build the fortress,
If thou find not two same-titled beings,
If thou find not Stoyan and Stoyana :

1 Skadar or Skadra, derived from the Italian appellation Scodra, other-
wise Scutari, the present capital of Albania. Scutari has belonged from
time immemorial to the Serbians.

2 Kraly means King.

198

The Building of Skadar

And these two — these two young twins so loving,

They must be immured in the foundation.

Thus alone will the foundations serve thee :

Thus alone can ye erect your fortress."

When Vukashin heard the veela's language,

Soon he caird to Dessimir, his servant :

" Listen, Dessimir, my trusty servant !

Thou hast been my trusty servant ever ;

Thou shalt be my son from this day onward.

Fasten thou my coursers to my chariot :

Load it with six lasts of golden treasures :

Travel through the whole wide world, and bring me,

Bring me back those two same-titled beings :

Bring me back that pair of twins so loving :

Bring me hither Stoyan and Stoyana:

Steal them, if with gold thou canst not buy them.

Bring them here to Skadar on Boyana 1

We'll inter them in the wall's foundation :

So the wall's foundations will be strengthened :

So we shall build up our Skadra's fortress."

Dessimir obey'd his master's mandate ;

Fasten'd, straight, the horses to the chariot ;

FilPd it with six lasts of golden treasures ;

Through the whole wide world the trusty servant

Wander'd — asking for these same-named beings —

For the twins — for Stoyan and Stoyana ;

Full three years he sought them, — sought them vainly :

Nowhere could he find these same-named beings :

Nowhere found he Stoyan and Stoyana.

Then he hasten'd homeward to his master;

Gave the king his horses and his chariot ;

1 Boyana is the name of the river washing the wall of Skadar

199

Tales SP Legends of the Serbians

Gave him his six lasts of golden treasures:
" Here, my sov'reign, are thy steeds and chariot :
Here thou hast thy lasts of golden treasures : '
Nowhere could I find those same-named beings :
Nowhere found I Stoyan and Stoyana."

When Vukashin had dismiss'd his servant,

Straight he calPd his builder master Rado.

Rado call'd on his three hundred workmen ;

And they built up Skadar on Boyana ;

But, at even did the veela raze it :

Vainly did they raise the wall's foundation ;

Vainly seek to build up Skadra's fortress.

And the veela, from the mountain-forest,

Cried, " Vukashin, listen ! listen to me !

Thou dost spill thy wealth, and waste thy labour :

Vainly seek'st to fix the wall's foundations ;

Vainly seek'st to elevate the fortress.

Listen now to me ! Ye are three brothers :

Each a faithful wife at home possesses : —

Her who comes to-morrow to Boyana,

Her who brings the rations to the workmen —

Her immure deep, down, in the wall's foundations : —

So shall the foundations fix them firmly :

So shall thou erect Boyana's fortress."

When the king Vukashin heard the veela,

Both his brothers speedily he summon'd :

" Hear my words, now hear my words, my brothers !

From the forest-hill the veela told me,

That we should no longer waste our treasures

In the vain attempt to raise the fortress

On a shifting, insecure foundation.

200

The veela razing the walls of Skadar

The Building of Skadar

Said the veela of the forest-mountain,

Each of you a faithful wife possesses ;

Each a faithful bride that keeps your dwellings :

Her who to the fortress comes to-morrow,

Her who brings their rations to the workmen —

Her immure within the wall's foundations;

So will the foundations bear the fortress :

So Boyana' s fortress be erected.

Now then, brothers ! in God's holy presence

Let each swear to keep the awful secret ;

Leave to chance whose fate 'twill be to-morrow

First to wend her way to Skadar's river."

And each brother swore, in God's high presence,

From his wife to keep the awful secret.

When the night had on the earth descended,
Each one hastened to his own white dwelling;
Each one shared the sweet repast of evening ;
Each one sought his bed of quiet slumber.

Lo ! there happen'd then a wond'rous marvel !

First, Vukashin on his oath he trampled,

Whisp'ring to his wife the awful secret :

" Shelter thee ! my faithful wife ! be shelter'd !

Go not thou to-morrow to Boyana !

Bring not to the workmen food to-morrow !

Else, my fair ! thy early life 'twill cost thee :

And beneath the walls they will immure thee ! "

On his oath, too, did Uglesha trample !
And he gave his wife this early warning :
" Be not thou betray'd, sweet love ! to danger !
Go not thou to-morrow to Boyana !

20 1

Tales SP Legends of the Serbians

Carry not their rations to the workmen !

Else in earliest youth thy friend might lose thee !

Thou might be immured in the foundation ! "

Faithful to his oath, young Goiko whisper' d
Not a breath to warn his lovely consort.

When the morning dawn'd upon the morrow,
All the brothers roused them at the day- break,
And each sped, as wont, to the Boyana.
Now, behold ! two young and noble women;
They — half-sisters — they, the eldest sisters —
One is bringing up her snow-bleach'd linen,
Yet once more in summer sun to bleach it.
See ! she comes on to the bleaching meadows ;
There she stops — she comes not one step further.
Lo ! the second, with a red-clay pitcher ;
Lo ! she comes — she fills it at the streamlet ;
There she talks with other women — lingers —
Yes I she lingers — comes not one step farther.

Goiko's youthful wife at home is tarrying,

For she has an infant in the cradle

Not a full moon old ; the little nursling :

But the moment of repast approaches ;

And her aged mother then bestirs her ;

Fain would call the serving-maid, and bid her

Take the noon-tide meal to the Boyana.

" Nay, not so 1 " said the young wife of Goiko ;

"Stay, sit down in peace, I pray thee, mother!

Rock the little infant in his cradle :

I myself will bear the food to Skadra.

In the sight of God it were a scandal,

202

The Building of Skadar

An affront and shame among all people,
If, of three, no one were found to bear it."

So she staid at home, the aged mother,
And she rock'd the nursling in the cradle.
Then arose the youthful wife of Goiko ;
Gave them the repast, and bade them forward.
CalPd around her all the serving maidens ;
When they reach'd Boyana's flowing river,
They were seen by Mrnyavtchevitch Goiko,
On his youthful wife, heart-rent, he threw him ;
Flung his strong right arm around her body ;
Kiss'd a thousand times her snowy forehead :
Burning tears stream'd swiftly from his eyelids,
And he spoke in melancholy language :

" O my wife, my own ! my full heart's-sorrow !
Didst thou never dream that thou must perish ?
Why hast thou our little one abandoned ?
Who will bathe our little one, thou absent?
Who will bare the breast to feed the nursling ? "
More, and more, and more, he fain would utter ;
But the king allow'd it not. Vukashin,
By her white hand seizes her, and summons
Master Rado, — he the master-builder ;
And he summons his three hundred workmen.

But the young espoused one smiles, and dreams it
All a laughing jest, — no fear o'ercame her.
Gathering round her, the three hundred workmen
Pile the stones and pile the beams about her.
They have now immured her to the girdle.

203

Tales SP Legends of the Serbians

Higher rose the walls and beams, and higher ;
Then the wretch first saw the fate prepared her,
And she shriek'd aloud in her despair;
In her woe implored her husband's brothers :
" Can ye think of God ? — have ye no pity ?
Can ye thus immure me, young and healthful ? "
But in vain, in vain were her entreaties ;
And her brothers left her thus imploring.

Shame and fear succeeded then to censure,

And she piteously invoked her husband :

" Can it, can it be, my lord and husband,

That so young, thou, reckless, would'st immure me ?

Let us go and seek my aged mother :

Let us go — my mother she is wealthy :

She will buy a slave, — a man or woman,

To be buried in the wall's foundations."

When the mother-wife — the wife and mother,

Found her earnest plaints and prayers neglected,

She address'd herself to Neimar Rado : l

" In God's name, my brother, Neimar Rado,

Leave a window for this snowy bosom.

Let this snowy bosom heave it freely ;

When my voiceless Yovo shall come near me,

When he comes, O let him drain my bosom ! "

Rado bade the workmen all obey her,

Leave a window for that snowy bosom,

Let that snowy bosom heave it freely

When her voiceless Yovo shall come near her,

When he comes, he'll drink from out her bosom.

1 Nei mar means 'architect.'
204

The Building of Skadar

Once again she cried to Neimar Rado,
" Neimar Rado ! In God's name, my brother !
Leave for these mine eyes a little window,
That these eyes may see our own white dwelling,
When my Yovo shall be brought toward me,
When my Yovo shall be carried homeward."
Rado bade the workmen all obey her,
Leave for those bright eyes a little window,
That her eyes may see her own white dwelling,
When they bring her infant Yovo to her,
When they take the infant Yovo homeward.

So they built the heavy wall about her,
And then brought the infant in his cradle,
Which a long, long while his mother suckled.
Then her voice grew feeble — then was silent :
Still the stream flow'd forth and nursed the infant :
Full a year he hung upon her bosom ;
Still the stream flow'd forth — and still it floweth.1
Women, when the life-stream dries within them,
Thither come — the place retains its virtue —
Thither come, to still their crying infants !

1 Sir John Bowring, writing in 1827, states that a small stream of liquid
carbonate of lime is shown on the walls of Scutari as evidence of the
truth of this story. Vouk St. Karadjitch, says that the Serbian people
even to-day believe that no great building can be successfully erected
without the immuring of some human being. Therefore they avoid the
neighbourhood of such buildings while they are being erected, for it is
said that even the spirit of such an unfortunate being can be immured,
whereby a speedy death would ensue. Srpskc Narodne Pyesme, Vienna,
l875> vol. ii. p. 124, footnote 20.

205

Tales SP Legends of the Serbians

//. THE STEPSISTERS
Near each other grew two verdant larches,
And, between, a high and slender fir-tree :
Not two larches were they — not two larches,
Not a high and slender fir between them —
They were brothers, children of one mother.
One was Paul ; the other brother, Radool,
And, between them, Yelitza, their sister.
Cordial was the love her brothers bore her;
Many a token of affection gave her,
Many a splendid gift and many a trifle,
And at last a knife, in silver hafted,
And adorn'd with gold, they gave their sister.

When the youthful wife of Paul had heard it,

Jealousy swell'd up within her bosom :

And she call'd, enraged, to RadooPs lady :

" Sister mine ! thou in the Lord my sister,

Dost thou know some plant of demon-virtue,

Which may bring our sister to perdition ? "

Radool's wife her sister swiftly answered :

" In the name of God, what mean'st thou, sister ?

Of such cursed weeds I know not. — Did I,

Never would I tell thee of them, never ;

For my brothers love me ; yes ! they love me —

To their love full many a gift bears witness."

When Paul's youthful wife had heard her sister,
To the steed she hastened in the meadow,
Gave the steed a mortal wound, and hurried
To her husband, whom she thus accosted : —
" Evil is the love thou bear'st thy sister,
206

The Stepsisters

And thy gifts are worse than wasted to her ;

She has stabb'd thy courser in the meadow."

Paul inquired of Yelitza, his sister,

"Why this deed, as God shall recompense thee ? "

High and loudly, then the maid protested :

" By my life, it was not I, my brother;

By my life and by thy life, I swear it I "

And the brother doubted not his sister.

Which when Paul's young wife perceived, at even

To the garden secretly she hastened,

Wrung the neck of Paul's grey noble falcon, —

To her husband sped she then and told him :

" Evil is the love thou bear'st thy sister,

And thy gifts to her are worse than wasted ;

Lo ! she has destroy'd thy favourite falcon."

Paul inquired of Yelitza, his sister,

" Tell me why, and so may God reward thee ! "

But his sister swore both high and loudly :

" 'Twas not I, upon my life, my brother ;

On my life and thine, I did not do it ! "

And the brother still believed his sister.

When the youthful bride of Paul discover'd

This, she slunk at evening, — evening's meal-time,

Stole the golden knife, and with it murder'd,

Murder'd her poor infant in the cradle !

And when morning's dawning brought the morning,

She aroused her husband by her screaming

Shrieking woe ; she tore her cheeks, exclaiming :

" Evil is the love thou bear'st thy sister,

And thy gifts to her are worst than wasted ;

She has stabb'd our infant in the cradle !

207

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

Will thine incredulity now doubt me ?
Lo ! the knife is in thy sister's girdle."

Up sprang Paul, like one possess'd by madness ;

To the upper floor he hastened wildly ;

There his sister on her mats was sleeping,

And the golden knife beneath her pillow

Swift he seized the golden knife, — and drew it —

Drew it, panting, from its silver scabbard ;—

It was damp with blood — 'twas red and gory !

When the noble Paul saw this, he seized her,—

Seized her by her own bright hand and cursed her

" Let the curse of God be on thee, sister !

Thou didst murder, too, my favourite courser ;

Thou didst murder, too, my noble falcon ;

But thou should'st have spared the helpless baby."

Higher yet his sister swore, and louder—
" Twas not I, upon my life, my brother ;
On my life and on thy life, I swear it !
But if thou wilt disregard my swearing,
Take me to the open fields — the desert ;
Bind thy sister to the tails of horses ;
Let four horses tear my limbs asunder."
But the brother trusted not his sister:
Furiously he seized her white hand — bore her
To the distant fields — the open desert :
To the tails of four fierce steeds he bound her,
And he drove them forth across the desert ; —
But, where'er a drop of blood fell from her,
There a flower sprang up, — a fragrant flow'ret ;
Where her body fell when dead and mangled,
There a church arose from out the desert.
208

She wrung the neck of Paul's grey falcon

The Stepsisters

Little time was spent, ere fatal sickness

Fell upon Paul's youthful wife ; — the sickness

Nine long years lay on her, — heavy sickness !

'Midst her bones the matted dog-grass sprouted,

And amidst it nestled angry serpents,

Which, though hidden, drank her eyelight's brightness.

Then she mourn'd her misery — mourn'd despairing ;

Thus she spoke unto her lord and husband :

" O convey me, Paul, my lord and husband !

To thy sister's church convey me swiftly ;

For that church, perchance, may heal and save me."

So, when Paul had heard his wife's petition,
To his sister's church he swiftly bore her.
Hardly had they reach'd the church's portal,
When a most mysterious voice address' d them :
" Come not here, young woman ! come not hither I
For this church can neither heal nor save thee."
Bitter was her anguish when she heard it ;
And her lord the woman thus entreated :
"In the name of God ! my lord ! my husband !
Never, never bear me to our dwelling.
Bind me to the wild steeds' tails, and drive them ;
Drive them in the immeasurable desert ;
Let them tear my wretched limbs asunder."

Paul then listened to his wife's entreaties :
To the tails of four wild steeds he bound her ;
Drove them forth across the mighty desert.
Wheresoe'er a drop of blood fell from her,
There sprang up the rankest thorns and nettles.
Where her body fell, when dead, the waters
Rush'd and formed a lake both still and stagnant.

o 209

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

O'er the lake there swam a small black courser :
By his side a golden cradle floated :
On the cradle sat a young grey falcon :
In the cradle, slumbering, lay an infant :
On its throat the white hand of its mother :
And that hand a golden knife was holding.

///. THE ABDUCTION OF THE

BEAUTIFUL ICONIA

Golden wine drinks Theodore of Stalatch l

In his Castle Stalatch, on Morava ;

Pours him out the wine his aged mother.

While the wine-fumes to his head were rising,

Thus his mother spoke unto the hero :

" Son of mine ! thou Theodore of Stalatch !

Tell me, wherefore hast thou not espoused thee ?

Thou art in thy youthful days of beauty :

In thy dwelling now thine aged mother

Fain would see thy children play around her."

And he answer' d — Theodore of Stalatch —

" God is witness, O my aged mother !

I have roamed through many a land and city,

But I never found the sought-for maiden ;

Or, when found the maiden, found I never

Friendly feelings in thy mind towards her ;

And where thou hast shown thy friendly feeling,

There I found the maiden false and faithless.

But, as yesterday, at hour of sunset,

I was wandering near Ressava's river,

1 A ruined fortress on the banks of the River Morava. The same name
is borne by a city in Central Serbia, situated not far from the castle of
Theodore.

210

The Abduction of the Beautiful Iconia

Lo 1 I glanced on thirty lovely maidens

On its banks their yarn and linen bleaching :

'Midst them was the beauteous Iconia,

Fairest daughter of the Prince Miloutin,

He the princely sovereign of Resseva.

She, indeed, would be a bride to cherish ;

She, indeed, were worthy of thy friendship :

But that maiden is betrothed already ;

She is promised unto George Irene —

To Irene, for Sredoi, his kinsman.

But I'll win that maiden — I will win her,

Or will perish in the deed, my mother ! "

But his mother counseled him and warn'd him —

" Say not so, my son ! the maid is promised ;

Tis no jest ! she is of monarchs' kindred."

But the hero cared not for his mother :

Loud he called to Dobrivoy, his servant —

" Dobrivoy 1 come hither, trusty servant !

Bring my brown steed forth, and make him ready —

Make him ready with the silver saddle ;

Rein him with the gold-embroider'd bridle."

When the steed was ready, forth he hasten'd,

Flung him on his back, and spurr'd him onward

To the gentle river of Morava,

Flowing through Ressava's quiet levels.

And he reach' d Ressava's gentle river :

There again he saw the thirty maidens —

There he saw the beauteous Iconia.

Then the hero feign'd a sudden sickness ;

Ask'd for help ; and sped her courteous greeting —

" God above be with thee, lovely maiden ! "

211

Tales Sf Legends of the Serbians

And the loveliest to his words made answer,

" And with thee be bliss, thou stranger- warrior 1 "

" Lovely maiden ! for the love of heaven,
Wilt thou give me one cup of cooling water ?
For a fiery fever glows within me ;
\ From my steed I dare not rise, fair maiden !
For my steed, he hath a trick of evil —
Twice he will not let his rider mount him."

Warm and earnest was the maiden's pity,
And, with gentle voice, she thus addressed him :
" Nay! not so — not so, thou unknown warrior!
Harsh and heavy is Ressava's water ;
Harsh and heavy e'en for healthful warriors ;
How much worse for fever-sickening tired ones !
Wait, and I a cup of wine will bring thee."

Swiftly tripp'd the maiden to her dwelling ;
With a golden cup of wine return'd she,
Which she reach'd to Theodore of Stalatch.
Out he stretch'd his hand ; but not the wine cup,
But the maiden's hand, he seized, and flung her,
Flung her on his chestnut steed behind him :
Thrice he girt her with his leathern girdle,
And the fourth time with his sword-belt bound her ;
And he bore her to his own white dwelling.

312

4

CHAPTER XIV : FOLK LORE

I. THE RAM WITH THE GOLDEN FLEECE

ONCE upon a time when a certain hunter went
to the mountains to hunt, there came toward
him a ram with golden fleece. The hunter took
his rifle to shoot it, but the ram rushed at him and, before
he could fire, pierced him with its horns and he fell dead.
A few days later some of his friends found his body ;
they knew not who had killed him and they took the
body home and interred it. The hunter's wife hung up
the rifle on the wall in her cottage, and when her son
grew up he begged his mother to let him take it and go
hunting. She, however, would not consent, saying : " You
must never ask me again to give you that rifle ! It did
not save your father's life, and do you wish that it should
be the cause of your death ? "

One day, however, the youth took the rifle secretly and
went out into the forest to hunt. Very soon the same
ram rushed out of a thicket and said: "I killed your
father ; now it is your turn ! " This frightened the youth,
and ejaculating : " God help me ! " he pressed the trigger
of his rifle and, lo ! the ram fell dead.
The youth was exceedingly glad to have killed the golden-
fleeced ram, for there was not another like it throughout
the land. He took off its skin and carried the fleece
home, feeling very proud of his prowess. By and by the
news spread over the country till it reached the Court,
and the king ordered the young hunter to bring him the
ram's skin, so that he might see what kind of beasts were
to be found in his forests. When the youth brought the
skin to the king, the latter said to him : " Ask whatever
you like for this skin, and I will give you what you ask ! "

213

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

But the youth answered : " I would not sell it for any-
thing."

It happened that the prime minister was an uncle of the
young hunter, but he was not his friend ; on the contrary,
he was his greatest enemy. So he said to the king : " As
he does not wish to sell you the skin, set him something
to do which is surely impossible ! " The king called the
youth back and ordered him to plant a vineyard and to
bring him, in seven days' time, some new wine from it.
The youth began to weep and implored that he might be
excused from such an impossible task ; but the king
insisted, saying: "If you do not obey me within seven
days, your head shall be cut off! "

The Youth finds a Friend

Still weeping, the youth went home and told his mother
all about his audience with the king, and she answered :
" Did I not tell you, my son, that that rifle would cost
you your life ? " In deep sorrow and bewilderment the
youth went out of the village and walked a long way into
the wood. Suddenly a girl appeared before him and
asked: "Why do you weep, my brother?" And he
answered, somewhat angrily : " Go your way ! You cannot
help me ! " He then went on, but the maiden followed
him, and again begged him to tell her the reason of his
tears, " for perhaps," she added, " I may, after all, be
able to help you." Then he stopped and said : " I will
tell you, but I know that God alone can help me." And
then he told her all that had happened to him, and about
the task he had been set to do. When she heard the
story, she said : " Do not fear, my brother, but go and
ask the king to say exactly where he would like the
vineyard planted, and then have it dug in perfectly
214

Why do you weep, my brother

214

The Second Task

straight lines. Next you must go and take a bag with a
sprig of basil in it, and lie down to sleep in the place
where the vineyard is to be, and in seven days you will
see that there are ripe grapes."

He returned home and told his mother how he had met
a maiden who had told him to do a ridiculous thing.
His mother, however, said earnestly: "Go, go, my son,
do as the maiden bade; you cannot be in a worse case
anyhow." So he went to the king as the girl had directed
him, and the king gratified his wish. However, he was
still very sad when he went to lie down in the indicated
place with his sprig of basil.

When he awoke next morning he saw that the vines were
already planted ; on the second morning they were clothed
with leaves ; and, by the seventh day, they bore ripe grapes.
Notwithstanding the girl's promise the youth was surprised
to find ripe grapes at a time of year when they were no-
where to be found ; but he gathered them, made wine, and
taking a basketful of the ripe fruit with him, went to the king.

Second Task
When he reached the palace, the king and the whole court
were amazed. The prime minister said: "We must order
him to do something absolutely impossible ! " and advised
the king to command the youth to build a castle of
elephants' tusks.

Upon hearing this cruel order the youth went home weeping
and told his mother what had transpired, adding : " This,
my mother, is utterly impossible ! " But the mother again
advised him, and said : " Go, my son, beyond the village ;
may be you will again meet that maiden ! "
The youth obeyed, and, indeed, as soon as he came to the
place where he had found the girl before, she appeared

215

Tales Sf Legends of the Serbians

before him and said : " You are again sad and tearful,
my brother ! " And he began to complain of the second
impossible task which the king had set him to perform.
Hearing this, the girl said : a This will also be easy ; but
first go to the king and ask him to give you a ship with
three hundred barrels of wine and as many kegs of brandy,
and also twenty carpenters. Then, when you arrive at
such and such a place, which you will find between two
mountains, dam the water there, and pour into it all the
wine and brandy. Elephants will come down to that spot
to drink water, and will get drunk and fall on the ground.
Then your carpenters must at once cut off their tusks, and
carry them to the place where the king wishes his castle
to be built. There you may all lie down to sleep, and
within seven days the castle will be ready."
When the youth heard this, he hurried home, and told his
mother all about the plan of the maiden. The mother
was quite confident, and counselled her son to do every-
thing as directed by the maiden. So he went to the king
and asked him for the ship, the three hundred barrels of
wine and brandy, as well as the twenty carpenters; and
the king gave him all he wanted. Next he went where
the girl had told him, and did everything she had advised.
Indeed, the elephants came as was expected, drank, and
then duly fell down intoxicated. The carpenters cut off
the innumerable tusks, took them to the chosen place, and
began building, and in seven days the castle was ready.
When the king saw this, he was again amazed, and said
to his prime minister : "Now what shall I do with him ?
He is not an ordinary youth ! God alone knows who he
is ! " Thereupon the officer answered : " Give him one
more order, and if he executes it successfully, he will prove
that he is a supernatural being."
216

The Third Task

The Third Task

Thus he again advised the king, who called the youth and
said to him : " I command you to go and bring me the
princess of a certain kingdom, who is living in such and
such a castle. If you do not bring her to me, you will
surely lose your life ! " When the youth heard this, he
went straight to his mother and told her of this new task ;
whereupon the mother advised him to seek his girl friend
once more. He hurried to where beyond the village he had
met the girl before, and as he came to the spot she re-
appeared. She listened intently to the youth's account of
his last visit to the court, and then said : " Go and ask the
king to give you a galley; in the galley there must be
made twenty shops with different merchandise in each ;
in each shop there must, also, be a handsome youth to sell
the wares. On your voyage you will meet a man who
carries an eagle ; you must buy his eagle and pay for it
whatever price he may ask. Then you will meet a second
man, in a boat carrying in his net a carp with golden
scales ; you must buy the carp at any cost. The third man
whom you will meet, will be carrying a dove, which you
must also buy. Then you must take a feather from the
eagle's tail, a scale from the carp, and a feather from the
left wing of the dove, and give the creatures their freedom."
When you reach that distant kingdom and are near the
castle in which the princess resides, you must open all
shops and order each youth to stand at his door. And the
girls who come down to the shore to fetch water are sure
to say that no one ever saw a ship loaded with such wonder-
ful and beautiful things in their town before ; and then they
will go and spread the news all over the place. The
news will reach the ears of the princess, who will at once

217

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

ask her father's permission to go and visit the galley.
When she comes on board with her ladies-in-waiting, you
must lead the party from one shop to another, and bring
out and exhibit before her all the finest merchandise you
have ; thus divert her and keep her on board your galley
until evening, then you must suddenly set sail ; for by that
time it will be so dark that your departure will be un-
noticed. The princess will have a favourite bird on her
shoulder, and, when she perceives that the galley is sailing
off, she will turn the bird loose and it will fly to the palace
with a message to her father of what has befallen her.
When you see that the bird has flown you must burn the
eagle's feather ; the eagle will appear, and, when you
command it to catch the bird, it will instantly do so.
Next, the princess will throw a pebble into the sea, and
the galley will immediately be still. Upon this you must
burn the scale of the carp at once ; the carp will come to
you and you must instruct it to find the pebble and swallow
it. As soon as this is done, the galley will sail on again.
Then you will proceed in peace for a while ; but, when
you reach a certain spot between two mountains, your
galley will be suddenly petrified and you will be greatly
alarmed. The princess will then order you to bring her
some water of life, whereupon you must burn the feather
of the dove, and when the bird appears you must give it
a small flask in which it will bring you the elixir, after
which your galley will sail on again and you will arrive
home with the princess without further adventure."
The youth returned to his mother and she advised him to
do as the girl counselled him. So he went to the king and
asked for all that was necessary for his undertaking, and
the king again gave him all he asked for.
On his voyage everything was accomplished as the girl
218

The elephants came as was expected

The Third Task

had foretold, and he succeeded in bringing home the
princess in triumph. The king and his prime minister
from the balcony of the palace saw the galley returning,
and the prime minister said : " Now you really must have
him killed as soon as he lands ; otherwise you will never
be able to get rid of him ! "

When the galley reached the port, the princess first came
ashore with her ladies-in-waiting ; then the handsome
young men who had sold the wares, and finally the youth
himself. The king had ordered an executioner to be in
readiness, and as soon as the youth stepped on shore
he was seized by the king's servants and his head was
chopped off.

It was the king's intention to espouse the beautiful princess,
and, as soon as he saw her, he approached her with com-
pliments and flattery. But the princess would not listen
to his honeyed words ; she turned away and asked :
"Where is my captor, who did so much for me?" And,
when she saw that his head had been cut off, she imme-
diately took the small flask and poured some of its contents
over the body and, lo ! the youth arose in perfect health.
When the king and his minister saw this marvellous thing,
the latter said : " This young man must now be wiser than
ever, for was he not dead, and has he not returned to life ? "
Whereupon the king, desirous of knowing if it were true
that one who has been dead knows all things .when he
returns to life, ordered the executioner to chop off his
head, that the princess might bring him to life again by
the power of her wonderful water of life.
But, when the king's head was off, the princess would
not hear of restoring him to life, but immediately wrote
to her father, telling him of her love for the youth and
declaring her wish to marry him, and described to her

219

Tales &f Legends of the Serbians

father all that had happened. Her father replied, saying
that he approved of his daughter's choice, and he issued
a proclamation which stated that, unless the people would
elect the youth to be their ruler, he would declare war
against them. The men of that country immediately
recognized that this would be only just, and so the youth
became king, wedded the fair princess, and gave large
estates and titles to all the handsome youths who had
helped him on his expedition.

//. A PA VI LION NEITHER IN THE
SKY NOR ON THE EARTH*
Once upon a time there lived a tsar, who had three sons
and one daughter. The latter was kept in a cage by her
father, for he loved her as he loved his own eyes. When
the girl grew up she begged her father's permission to go
out one evening with her brothers, and the tsar granted
her wish. No sooner had she left the palace than a dragon
flew down, seized the princess and, despite her brothers,
disappeared with her into the clouds. The princes
hastened to tell their father what had happened, and they
implored him to let them go in search of their sister.
Thereupon their unhappy father gave each of them a horse
and other necessary equipment for a long journey, and
they started out upon their quest. After journeying a long
way, they sighted in the distance a pavilion, which was
neither in the sky nor on the earth, but was hanging mid-
way between. When they came underneath this it
occurred to them that their sister might be hidden in it,
and they began to consider how best they might reach it.

1 This legend was written and contributed to Vouk St. Karadgitch by
Prince Michel Obrenovitch III, who had heard it in his childhood
from the lips of his nurse.

22O

TheJPrince slays the Dragon

Finally they decided that one of them must kill his horse,
cut its hide into strips, make a thong, and, fastening one
end to an arrow, shoot it from the bow so strongly that it
should strike deeply into the framework of the pavilion,
thus making a way up which they could climb.
The two younger brothers proposed to the eldest that he
should kill his horse, but he refused. Neither would the
second brother consent to do so ; then the youngest
brother, seeing that it could not be helped, killed his
horse, made its hide into a lengthy thong, fixed one end
to his arrow, and shot straight up to the pavilion, where
the arrow stuck firmly.

Next they had to discuss who should climb up the thong ;
again the two elder brothers refused, so it fell to the
youngest to perform this exploit. Being very agile, he
soon reached the pavilion ; wandering from one room to
another, he finally came to an apartment where, to his great
joy, he saw his sister sitting with the sleeping dragon's
head on her knee. When the princess beheld her brother,
she feared exceedingly for his life, and implored him to
escape before the dragon awoke.

The Prince slays the Dragon

The courageous youth, however, would not obey his sister,
but seized his mace and struck the dragon on the head.
The monster pointed with one of his claws to the place
where he had been struck and said to the maiden : " Some-
thing bit me here ! " Again the prince raised his mace
and delivered a blow upon the monster's head ; but the
dragon apparently did not mind, for he pointed again
indifferently to the place, saying : " Again something has
bitten me 1 "
The young prince was on the point of striking the third

221

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

time, when his sister pointed to a spot where only the
dragon might receive a mortal wound, and directing his
blow upon the place indicated, the dragon instantly
succumbed. The princess at once freed herself of the
dragon's head, ran swiftly to kiss her brother, and then
was eager to show him the different rooms.
First, she took him into a room in which stood a black
steed fastened to a stall and decked with a saddle and
harness adorned with pure silver. Next she led him into
a second room, where they found a white horse, also ready
to be mounted, but its harness was of pure gold. Then
she took him into a third room, where was a beautiful
Arab steed whose saddle, stirrups and bridle were studded
with precious stones.

The princess next conducted her brother to a chamber in
which a maiden was sitting at a golden tambourette
engaged in embroidering with golden threads. From
thence she led him into a second apartment where a girl
was spinning gold threads. At last they entered a third
room in which a maiden sat threading pearls, and before
her, upon a golden plate, was a golden hen with its
chickens, sorting the pearls.

Having satisfied his curiosity, the prince returned to the
room where he had left the dead dragon, and threw the
carcass down to earth ; and at the mere sight of the
dragon's body the two brothers were terrified out of their
wits. Next the prince slowly let down his sister, and,
after her, the three maidens, together with their work.
While he was thus engaged he shouted to his brothers
and made gestures indicating to whom each of the girls
should belong. He reserved for himself the one who had
been threading pearls, not forgetting the golden hen and
the chickens.
222

Sitting with the sleeping dragon's head on her knee 222

The Perfidy of the Brothers

The Perfidy of the Brothers

His brothers, envying the heroism of the young prince
and jealous of his successful exploits, were now guilty of a
dastardly trick ; they cut the thong in order that he might
not be able to reach the earth, and taking their sister with
all the booty they hurriedly decamped.
On the way home the princes met a shepherd watching his
sheep, and they prevailed upon him to disguise himself
and to impersonate their youngest brother, ordering their
sister and the three maidens to keep strictly their secret.
Some time elapsed, and one day the youngest prince had
tidings that his brothers and the disguised shepherd were
on the point of marrying the three maidens. This informa-
tion seems to have been singularly complete, for on the
day of his eldest brother's wedding, mounted on the black
steed, he flew down and alighted in front of the church.
There he awaited the moment for the procession to come
out, and, as his brother was preparing to mount his horse,
he approached him swiftly, raised his club and struck him
a heavy blow so that he fell instantly. The young prince
then remounted the black horse and was instantly trans-
ported to the mysterious pavilion.

On the wedding-day of his second brother the feat, this
time on the white horse, was repeated, none guessing who
the strange aggressor was.

Next came the turn of the shepherd. On the day of his
wedding with the third maiden, the young prince, mounted
on the Arab, alighted in the churchyard just at the moment
when the wedding procession started to return. This time
he struck the bridegroom on the head so heavily that he
fell dead. The guests hurriedly alighted from their horses
and surrounded the prince, who made no attempt to escape,

223

Tales ^2? Legends of the Serbians

but revealed himself as the third son of their tsar. He
told them that the pretended prince, whom he had just sent
to the other world, was but a common shepherd, and that
his brothers, out of envy, had caused him to remain in the
magic pavilion where he had discovered his sister and
killed the dragon. All that he said was immediately con-
firmed by his sister and the three maidens. When the tsar
heard this he was very angry with his two elder sons,
and drove them for ever from his palace. But as for
his valiant youngest son, he united him to the third
maiden and left him the crown and all he possessed when
he died.

///. PEPELYOUGA

On a high pasture land, near by an immense precipice,
some maidens were occupied in spinning and attending to
their grazing cattle, when an old strange-looking man
with a white beard reaching down to his girdle
approached, and said : " O fair maidens, beware of the
abyss, for if one of you should drop her spindle down the
cliff, her mother would be turned into a cow that very
moment ! "

So saying the aged man disappeared, and the girls,
bewildered by his words, and discussing the strange
incident, approached near to the ravine which had
suddenly become interesting to them. They peered
curiously over the edge, as though expecting to see some
unaccustomed sight, when suddenly the most beautiful of
the maidens let her spindle drop from her hand, and ere
she could recover it, it was bounding from rock to rock
into the depths beneath. When she returned home that
evening she found her worst fears realized, for her mother
stood before the door transformed into a cow.
224

Pepelyouga

A short time later her father married again. His new
wife was a widow, and brought a daughter of her own
into her new home. This girl was not particularly
well-favoured, and her mother immediately began to hate
her stepdaughter because of the latter's good looks. She
forebade her henceforth to wash her face, to comb her
hair or to change her' clothes, and in every way she
could think of she sought to make her miserable.
One morning she gave her a bag filled with hemp, saying :
"If you do not spin this and make a fine top of it
by to-night, you need not return home, for I intend to kill
you."

The poor girl, deeply dejected, walked behind the cattle,
industriously spinning as she went, but by noon when the
cattle lay down in the shade to rest, she observed that she
had made but little progress and she began to weep
bitterly.

Now, her mother was driven daily to pasture with the
other cows, and seeing her daughter's tears she drew near
and asked why she wept, whereupon the maiden told her
all. Then the cow comforted her daughter, saying : " My
darling child, be consoled ! Let me take the hemp into
my mouth and chew it; through my ear a thread will
come out. You must take the end of this and wind it
into a top." So this was done ; the hemp was soon spun,
and when the girl gave it to her stepmother that evening,
she was greatly surprised.

Next morning the woman roughly ordered the maiden to
spin a still larger bag of hemp, and as the girl, thanks to
her mother, spun and wound it all her stepmother, on the
following day, gave her twice the quantity to spin.
Nevertheless, the girl brought home at night even that
unusually large quantity well spun, and her stepmother

p 225

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

concluded that the poor girl was not spinning alone, but
that other maidens, her friends, were giving her help.
Therefore she, next morning, sent her own daughter to
spy upon the poor girl and to report what she saw. The
girl soon noticed that the cow helped the poor orphan by
chewing the hemp, while she drew the thread and wound
it on a top, and she ran back home and informed her
mother of what she had seen. Upon this, the stepmother
insisted that her husband should order that particular cow
to be slaughtered. Her husband at first hesitated, but as
his wife urged him more and more, he finally decided to
do as she wished.

The Promise

On learning what had been decided, the stepdaughter
wept more than ever, and when her mother asked what
was the matter, she told her tearfully all that had been
arranged. Thereupon the cow said to her daughter:
" Wipe away your tears, and do not cry any more. When
they slaughter me, you must take great care not to eat
any of the meat, but after the repast, carefully collect my
bones and inter them behind the house under a certain
stone; then, should you ever be in need of help, come
to my grave and there you will find it."
The cow was killed, and when the meat was served the
poor girl declined to eat of it, pretending that she had
no appetite; after the meal she gathered with great care
all the bones and buried them on the spot indicated by her
mother.

Now, the name of the maiden was * Marra,' but, as she
had to do the roughest work of the house, such as
carrying water, washing and sweeping, she was called by
her stepmother and stepsister 'Pepelyouga' (Cinderella).
226

Marra goes to Church

One Sunday, when the stepmother and her daughter
had dressed themselves for church, the woman spread
about the house the contents of a basketful of millet, and
said : " Listen, Pepelyouga ; if you do not gather up all
this millet and have dinner ready by the time we return
from church, I will kill you 1 "

When they had gone, the poor girl began to weep, reflect-
ing, " As to the dinner I can easily prepare it, but how can
I possibly gather up all this millet?" But that very
moment she recalled the words of the cow, that, if she
ever should be struck by misfortune, she need but walk to
the grave behind the house, when she would find instant
help there. Immediately she ran out, and, when she
approached the grave, lo ! a chest was lying on the grave
wide open, and inside were beautiful dresses and every-
thing necessary for a lady's toilet. Two doves were
sitting on the lid of the chest, and as the girl drew near,
they said to her : " Marra, take from the chest the dress
you like the best, clothe yourself and go to church ; as to
the millet and other work, we ourselves will attend to
that and see that everything is in good order ! ",

Marra goes to Church

Marra needed no second invitation; she took the first
silk dress she touched, made her toilet and went to
church, where her entrance created quite a sensation.
Everybody, men and women, greatly admired her beauty
and her costly attire, but they were puzzled as to who
she was, and whence she came. A prince happened to be
in the church on that day, and he, too, admired the
beautiful maiden.

Just before the service ended, the girl stole from the
church, went hurriedly home, took off her beautiful

227

Tales ftf Legends of the Serbians

clothes and placed them back in the chest, which in-
stantly shut and became invisible. She then rushed to
the kitchen, where she discovered that the dinner was
quite ready, and that the millet was gathered into the
basket. Soon the stepmother came back with her
daughter and they were astounded to find the millet
gathered up, dinner prepared, and everything else in
order. A desire to learn the secret now began to tor-
ment the stepmother mightily.

Next Sunday everything happened as before, except that
the girl found in the chest a silver dress, and that the
prince felt a greater admiration for her, so much so that
he was unable, even for a moment, to take his eyes from her.
On the third Sunday, the mother and daughter again pre-
pared to go to church, and, having scattered the millet as
before, she repeated her previous threats. As soon as
they disappeared, the girl ran straight to her mother's
grave, where she found, as on the previous occasions, the
open chest and the same two doves. This time she found
a dress made of gold lace, and she hastily clad herself in
it and went to church, where she was admired by all, even
more than before. As for the tsar's son, he had come
with the intention not to let her this time out of his sight,
but to follow and see whither she went. Accordingly, as
the service drew near to its close, and the maiden with-
drew quietly as before, the enamoured prince followed
after her. Marra hurried along, for she had none too
much time, and, as she went, one of her golden slippers
came off, and she was too agitated to stop and pick it up.
The prince, however, who had lost sight of the maiden,
saw the slipper and put it in his pocket. Reaching home,
Marra took off her golden dress, laid it in the chest, and
rushed back to the house.
228

Marra took off her golden dress

The Prince's Quest

The Princes Quest

The prince now resolved to go from house to house
throughout his father's realm in search of the owner of
the slipper, inviting all fair maidens to try on the golden
slipper. But, alas! his efforts seemed to be doomed to
failure ; for some girls the slipper was too long, for others
too short, for others, again, too narrow. There was no
one whom it would fit.

Wandering from door to door, the sad prince at length
came to the house of Marra's father. The stepmother
was expecting him, and she had hidden her stepdaughter
under a large trough in the courtyard. When the prince
asked whether she had any daughters, the stepmother
answered that she had but one, and she presented the girl
to him. The prince requested the girl to try on the
slipper, but, squeeze as she would, there was not room in
it even for her toes 1 Thereupon the prince asked whether
it was true that there were no other girls in the house, and
the stepmother replied that indeed it was quite true.
That very moment a cock flew on to the trough and
crowed out lustily: " Kook-oo-ryeh-koooo I Here she is
under this very trough ! "

The stepmother, enraged, exclaimed : " Sh ! Go away j

May an eagle seize you and fly off with you!" The
curiosity of the prince was aroused; he approached the
trough, lifted it up, and, to his great surprise, there was
the maiden whom he had seen thrice in church, clad in
the very same golden dress she had last worn, and having
only one golden slipper.

When the prince recognized the maiden he was overcome
with joy. Quickly he tried the slipper on her dainty foot;
it not only fitted her admirably, but it exactly matched

229

Tales SP Legends of the Serbians

the one she already wore on her left foot. He lifted her
up tenderly and escorted her to his palace. Later he won
her love, and they were happily married.

IV. ANIMALS' LANGUAGE
The universality of folk-lore is curiously illustrated in the
following tale which is strikingly like a story native to
the negroes of Western Africa. In this the hero is
granted, as a boon by the King of the Animals, the gift
of understanding animal language; he is warned that if
he divulges to any that he possesses this gift he will die on
the instant; he is made rich by the possession of it; he
laughs at a conversation between animals which he
overhears ; his wife demands to know the cause of his
laughter. To this point the two stories are identical, but
in the West African tale the man divulges the secret and
pays the penalty with his life, whereas the Serbian
conclusion is very much less tame, as will be seen.
A wealthy peasant had a shepherd, who served him for
a great number of years most honestly and faithfully.
One day, as he drove his sheep through a forest to the
pasture, he heard a hissing sound, and wondered what it
could be. Listening carefully he went nearer and nearer
to the spot whence the sound came, and he saw that the
forest was on fire and that the hissing proceeded from a
snake that was surrounded by flames. The shepherd
watched to see what the poor creature would do in its
trouble : and when the snake saw the shepherd, it
exclaimed from the midst of the flames : " O shepherd,
I pray of you, save me from this fire ! " Then the
shepherd reached out his crook and the snake entwined
itself swiftly round the stick, round his arm, on to his
shoulders and round his neck.
230

Animals' Language

When the shepherd realized what was happening he was
seized with horror, and cried out : " What are you about
to do, ungrateful creature ! Did I save your life only to
lose my own?" And the snake answered him: "Have
no fear, my saviour ! But take me to my father's house !
My father is the king of the snake- world."
The shepherd endeavoured to move the snake to pity and
prayed it to excuse him, for he could not leave his sheep.
Thereupon the snake said to him : " Be comforted, my
friend ! Do not trouble about your sheep ; nothing amiss
will happen to them, but now do hasten to my father's
house ! " So the shepherd went with the snake round his
neck through the forest, till he came at length to a door-
way constructed entirely of serpents. When they came
near the gate, the shepherd's guide hissed to its servants,
whereupon all the snakes instantly untwined themselves,
leaving a way open for the shepherd, who passed through
unmolested. Then the snake said to its preserver :
" When we come before my father he will surely give
you, as reward for your kindness to me, whatever you
may wish: gold, silver and precious stones; but you
should not accept anything of that kind. I would advise
you to ask for the language of animals. He will un-
doubtedly be opposed to your wish, but finally he will
yield."

They now entered the apartments of the king, who, with
evident relief, inquired : " My son, where have you been
all this time ? " The reptile then told all about the fire
in the forest and of the kindness of the shepherd, who
had saved his life. At this the snake-king turned with
emotion to the shepherd : " What reward can I give you
for having saved the life of my son ? " he said. The
shepherd answered : " I desire nothing but the power of

231

Tales ®f Legends of the Serbians

understanding and speaking the language of animals."
But the monarch said : "That is not for you, for if I give
you that power, and you should impart the secret to
another, you will instantly die. Therefore choose some
other gift." But the shepherd insisted : " If you wish to
reward me, give me the language of animals : if you do
not care to gratify my wish, no more need be said ; I bid
you farewell!" And indeed he turned to go, but the
king, seeing his determination, stopped him, exclaiming :
" Come here, my friend ! Since you so strongly desire
the language of animals, the gift shall not be withheld ;
open your mouth 1 " The shepherd ' obeyed, and the
snake-king blew into his mouth, and said : " Now, blow
into my mouth ! " The shepherd did as he was told, and
the snake-king blew a second time in the shepherd's
mouth, and then said : " Now you have the language of
animals. Go in peace ; but be sure not to impart your
secret to another, else you will die that very moment 1 "
The shepherd took leave of his friends and as he returned
through the woods he heard and understood everything
the birds, plants and other living creatures were saying
to each other. When he reached his flock and found all
his sheep safe as had been promised, he lay on the grass
to rest.

The Buried Treasure

Hardly had he settled himself, than two ravens alighted

on a tree near by and began to converse: "If this

shepherd knew what is under the spot where that black

lamb is lying, he would surely dig in the earth ; he would

discover a cave full of silver and gold."

The shepherd at once went to his master and told him of

the buried treasure. The latter drove a cart to the place

232

entwined itself swiftly rjund his arm 232

The Buried Treasure

indicated, dug deeply in the earth and lo ! he found a
cave full of silver and gold, the contents of which he
placed in his cart and carried home. This master was an
honest and generous man, and he gave the entire treasure
to his shepherd, saying : " Take this, my son ; it was to
you that God gave it ! I would advise you to build a
house, to marry and start some good business with this
gold."

The shepherd did as his kindly master advised him, and,
little by little he multiplied his wealth and became the
richest man, not only in his village, but in the whole
district. He now hired his own shepherds, cattle-drivers
and swineherds to keep his great property in good order.
One day, just before Christmas, he said to his wife:
" Prepare wine and food, for to-morrow we will go to our
farms and feast our servants." His wife did as he bade,
and the next morning they went to their farms, and the
master said to his men : " Now come one and all, eat and
drink together ; as for the sheep I will myself watch them
to-night."

So the kind man went to guard his sheep. About mid-
night, wolves began to howl and his dogs barked a defiance.
Said the wolves in their own language to the dogs : " Can
we come and kill the sheep ? There will be enough for you
also." Thereupon the dogs answered in their own tongue :
"O come by all means, we also would like to have a
feast 1 " But amongst the dogs there was a very old one
who had only two teeth left. That faithful animal barked
furiously at the wolves : " To the devil with you all ! So
long as I have these two teeth, you shall not touch my
master's sheep ! " And the master heard and understood
every word they uttered. Next morning he ordered his
servants to kill all his dogs, except the old one. The

233

Tales SP Legends of the Serbians

servants began to implore their master, saying : " Dear
master, it is a pity to kill them ! " But the master would
not suffer any remonstrance, and sternly ordered : " Do as
I bid you ! " Then he and his wife mounted their horses
and started for home, he on a horse and she on a mare.
As they journeyed, the horse left the mare a little behind
and he neighed, saying : " Hurry up, why do you dawdle
behind? " And the mare answered : " Eh, it is not hard
for you — you are carrying only your master, and I am
carrying a despotic woman whose rules are a burden to
the whole household."

The Importunate Wife

Hearing this, the master turned his head and burst into
laughter. His wife noticing his sudden mirth, spurred on
her mare, and when she reached her husband she asked
him why he had laughed. He answered : " There is no
reason, I just laughed." But the woman was not satisfied
with this reply and would not give her husband any peace.
He endeavoured in vain to excuse himself, saying : " Don't
keep on asking me ; if I tell you the true reason why I
laughed, I shall instantly die! " But she did not believe
her husband, and the more he refused to tell her, the more
she insisted that he should do so, until at last the poor
man v/as worn out by her persistence.
Directly they arrived home, therefore, the man ordered a
coffin to be made, and, when it was ready and he had it
placed in front of the house-door, he said to his wife :
" I shall lie down in this coffin, for the moment I tell you
why I laughed, I shall die." So he laid himself in the
coffin, and as he took a last look around, he saw his
faithful old dog, coming from the fields. The poor animal
approached his master's coffin and sat near his head howl-
234

The Stepmother and her Stepdaughter

ing with grief. When the master saw this, he requested
his wife to give it food. The woman brought bread and
gave it to the dog, who would not even look at it, still less
eat it. The piece of bread attracted a cock, which came
forward and began to peck at it; the dog reproached him
saying: "You insatiable creature ! You think of nothing
but food, and you fail to see that our dear master is about
to die!"

To this reprimand the cock retorted : " Let him die, since
he is such a foolish man ! I have a hundred wives, and I
gather them all round a grain of corn, which I happen to
find; and then, when they have all assembled, I swallow
it myself ! If any of them should protest, I just peck at
them ; but he, the fool, is not able to rule a single wife."
At this the man jumped out of the coffin, took a stick and
called to his wife : " Come in the house, wife, and I shall
tell you why I laughed ! "

Seeing the obvious intention of her husband, the woman
begged him to desist, and promised that nevermore would
she be curious, or try to pry into his affairs. ^_^. /*— ^

V. THE STEPMOTHER AND HER*^
STEPDA UGHTER

Once upon a time there was a girl who lived with her
stepmother. The woman hated her stepdaughter ex-
ceedingly, because she was more beautiful than her own
daughter, whom she had brought with her to the house.
She did her utmost to turn the poor girl's own father
against her, and with such success that he soon began to
scold and even to hate his own child.
One day the woman said to her husband: "We must
send your daughter away. She must go into the world to
seek her fortune ! " And he answered : " How can we

235

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

send the poor girl away? Where could she go alone?"
But the wicked stepmother replied : " To-morrow you
must take her far into the woods, leave her there and
hurry home, or I will no longer live with you."
The unfortunate father at length gave way, and said : " At
least prepare the girl something for her journey, that she
may not die of hunger." The stepmother therefore made
a cake, and gave it to the girl next morning as she was
leaving the house. The man and his daughter trudged on
until they were right in the depth of the woods, and then
the father stole away and returned home.
The girl, alone in the woods, wandered all the rest of that
day in search of a path, but could not find one. Mean-
while it grew darker and darker, and at length she climbed
a tree, fearing lest some wild beast should devour her if
she remained through the night on the ground. And
indeed, all night long the wolves howled under the tree
so ravenously that the poor girl, in her nervous terror,
could hardly keep from falling.

Next morning she descended the tree and wandered on
again in search of some way out, but the more she walked
the denser grew the forest, and there seemed to be no end
to it. When it grew dark again, she looked about for
another suitable tree in the branches of which she might
safely pass the night, but suddenly she noticed something
shining through the darkness. She thought it might,
perhaps, be a dwelling, and she went toward it. And
indeed, she came soon to a large fine house, the doors of
which were open. She entered, and saw many elegant
rooms, in one of which was a large table with lights
burning on it. She thought this must be the dwelling of
brigands, but she had no fear at all, for she reasoned with
herself : " Only rich people need fear robbers ; I, a poor
236

A Strange Dwelling

simple girl, have nothing to be afraid of ; I shall tell
them that I am ready to work for them gladly if they will
give me something to eat."

A Strange Dwelling

Then she took the cake from her bag, made the sign of
the cross1 and began her meal. No sooner had she
begun to eat than a cock appeared and flew near her as if
begging for a share. The good girl crumbled a piece of
her cake and fed him. Shortly afterward a little dog
came and began in his own way to express friendly
feeling toward her. The girl broke another piece of her
cake, gently took the little dog in her lap, and began
feeding and caressing it. After that a cat came in too,
and she did the same with her.

Suddenly she heard a loud growling, and she was terrified
to see a lion coming toward her. The great beast waved
his tail in such a friendly manner, and looked so very
kind, however, that her courage revived, and she gave
him a piece of her cake, which the lion ate ; and then he
began to lick her hand. This proof of gratitude reassured
the girl completely, and she stroked the lion gently, and
gave him more of the cake.

All at once the girl heard a great clashing of weapons,
and nearly swooned as a creature in a bear-skin entered
the room. The cock, the dog, the cat and the lion all ran
to meet it, and frisked about it affectionately, showing
many signs of pleasure and rejoicing. She, poor creature,
did not think this strange being could be anything but
cruel, and expected it would spring upon her and devour
her. But the seeming monster threw the bear-skin from

1 The Christians of the Balkans usually make the sign of the cross
before and after every meal.

237

Tales SP Legends of the Serbians

its head and shoulders, and at once the whole room
gleamed with the magnificence of its golden garments.
The girl almost lost her senses when she saw before her a
handsome man of noble appearance. He approached her
and said : " Do not fear ! I am not a lawless man, I am
the tsar's son; and when I wish to hunt, I usually come
here, disguised in this bear-skin, lest the people should
recognize me. Save you, no one knows that I am a man ;
people think I am an apparition, and flee from me. No
one dares to pass near this house, still less to enter it, for
it is known that I dwell in it. You are the first who has
ventured to come in ; probably you knew that I was not
a ghost ? "

Thereupon the girl told the prince all about her wicked
stepmother, and declared that she knew nothing of this
dwelling or who lived in it. When the young prince
heard her story, moved with indignation and pity, he
said : " Your stepmother hated you, but God loved you.
I love you very much, too, and if you feel you could
return my love, I would like to marry you — will you be
my wife? " " Yes," replied the maiden.
Next morning the prince took the girl to his father's
palace and they were married. After some time the
prince's bride begged to be allowed to go and pay a visit
to her father. The prince gladly allowed her to do as
she wished, and donning a fine robe embroidered with
gold she went to her old home. Her father happened to
be absent, and her stepmother, seeing her coming, feared
that she had come to revenge herself; therefore she
hurried out to meet her, saying : " You see now that I
sent you on the road of happiness?" The stepdaughter
embraced the woman and kissed her ; she also embraced
her stepsister. Then she sat down to await her father's

238

The Envy of the Stepmother

return, but at length, as he did not come, she was compelled
reluctantly to leave without seeing him. On going away
she gave much money to her stepmother, nevertheless
when she had got some distance from the house, the un-
grateful woman steathily shook her fist at her, muttering :
" Wait a little, you accursed creature, you shall certainly
not be the only one so elegantly dressed; to-morrow I
shall send my own daughter the same way! "

The Envy of the Stepmother

The husband did not return until late in the evening,
when his wife met him, saying: "Listen, husband! I
propose that my own daughter should be sent out into
the world that she may also seek her fortune ; for your
girl came back to visit us to-day and lo ! she was glitter-
ing in gold." The man sighed and agreed.
Next morning the woman prepared for her daughter
several cakes and some roast meat and sent her with the
father into the forest. The unfortunate man guided her
as he had led his own daughter, into the heart of the
forest, and then stole off leaving her alone. When the
girl saw that her father had disappeared she walked
on slowly through the woods, till she came to the
gates of the same house in which her stepsister had
found happiness. She entered, closed the door and re-
solved not to open it for anybody. Then she took a
cake out of her bag and began her meal. Meanwhile the
cock, the dog and the cat came in, and began to frisk
about her playfully expecting that she would give them
something to eat, but she exclaimed angrily : " Get away,
you ugly creatures 1 I have hardly enough for myself ;
I will not give you any ! " Then she began to beat them ;
whereat the dog howled, and the lion, hearing his friend's

239

Tales SP Legends of the Serbians

lamentation, rushed in furiously and killed the unkind
girl.

Next morning the prince rode out with his wife to hunt.
They came to the house, and saw what had happened,
and when the princess recognized her stepsister's dress,
she gathered up the torn garment and carried it to her
father's house. This time she found her father at home,
and he was indeed very happy to learn that his dear
daughter was married to a handsome prince. When,
however, he heard what had befallen his wife's daughter
he was sad indeed, and exclaimed : " Her mother has
deserved this punishment from the hand of God, because
she hated you without reason. She is at the well, I will
go and tell her the sad news."

When his wife heard what had happened, she said:
" O husband ! I cannot bear the sight of your daughter;
let us kill both her and the tsar's son ! Do this thing or
I will jump at once into the well." The man indignantly
answered : " Well then, jump ! I shall not murder my
own child ! "

And the wicked woman said : " If you cannot kill her, I
cannot bear to look at her ! " Thereupon she jumped
into the well and was killed.

VI. JUSTICE AND INJUSTICE
There was a king who had two sons, one of whom
was cunning and unjust, and the other good and just. In
due time the king died, and the unjust son said to his
brother : "As you are younger than I, you cannot expect
me to share the throne with you, so you had better go
away from the palace. Take these three hundred
tzechins l and a horse to ride : this is to be your share of

1 A golden coin worth about IQS.
240

Justice SP Injustice

the inheritance." The younger brother took the gold and
his horse, and reflecting he said : " God be praised 1
How much of the entire kingdom has fallen to me ! "
Some time later the two brothers met by chance on a
road, and the younger saluted the elder thus : " God help
you, brother ! " And the elder answered : " May God send
you a misfortune! Why do you for ever mention the
name of God to me? Injustice is better than justice."
Thereupon the good brother said : " I wager that injustice
is not better than justice ! "

So they laid as a wager one hundred tzechins and agreed
to accept the decision of the first passer-by whom they
should happen to meet. Riding on a little farther they
met Satan, who had disguised himself as a monk, and
they requested him to decide their contest. Satan im-
mediately answered that injustice is better than justice;
so the just brother lost one hundred tzechins. Then they
made another wager in the same sum, and again a third ;
and each time the Devil — differently disguised on each
occasion — pronounced for injustice. Finally the good
brother lost even his horse : but he was quite unconvinced
and he reflected : " Ah, well ! I have lost all my tzechins.
it is true, but I have still my eyes, and I shall wager my
eyes this time." So they made the bet once more, but the
unjust brother did not even wait anybody's arbitration, he
took out his poniard and pierced his brother's eyes, saying :
" Now, let justice help you, when you have no eyes ! "
The poor youth said to his cruel brother : " I have lost
my eyes for the sake of God's justice, but I pray you, my
brother, give me a little water in a vessel that I may
wash my wounds and take me under the pine-tree, near
the spring 1 " The unjust brother did as he was asked
and then departed.

Q 241

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

The Healing Water

The unfortunate youth sat without moving until late in
the night, when some veele came to the spring to bathe,
and he heard one of them say to her sisters : " Do you
know, O sisters, that the royal princess suffers from
leprosy, and the king, her father, has consulted all the
famous physicians, but no one can cure her ? But if the
king knew the healing qualities of this water, he would
surely take a little and bathe his daughter with it, and she
would recover perfect health." When the cocks began to
crow, the veele disappeared and the prince crept to the
spring to test its wonderful properties. He bathed his
eyes, and lo ! his sight was instantly restored ; then he
filled his vessel with the water, and hurried to the king,
whose daughter was suffering from leprosy. Arriving at
the palace he told the officers on guard that he could cure
the princess in a day and a night. The officers informed
the king, who at once allowed him to try his method and the
suffering princess was restored. This pleased the king so
much that he gave the young prince half of his kingdom,
as well as his daughter for his wife. So the just brother
became the king's son-in-law, and a Councillor of State.
The tidings of this great event spread all over the king-
dom, and finally came to the ears of the unjust prince.
He thought that his brother must have found his good
fortune under the pine-tree, so he went there himself to
try his luck. Arrived there, he pierced his own eyes.
Late in the night, the veele came to bathe, and the prince
heard them discuss with astonishment the recovery of the
royal princess. "Some one must have spied upon us,"
said one of them, " when we discussed about the qualities
which this water possesses ; perhaps somebody is watching
242

The veele came to the spring to bathe

242

He who asks Little receives Much

us even now. Let us look around us 1 " When they
came under the pine-tree, they found there the young man
who had come seeking good fortune, and they immedi-
ately tore him into four.

And thus was the wicked prince recompensed for his
injustice.

VII. HE WHO ASKS LITTLE
RECEIVES MUCH

Once upon a time there lived three brothers, who instead
of much property had only a pear-tree. Each would watch
that tree in turn, whilst the other two went away from
home to work for hire. One night God sent His angel
to see how the brothers lived, and, should they be in
misery, to improve their position. The angel came dis-
guised as a beggar, and when he found one of the brothers
watching the tree, he went forward and asked him for a
pear. The youth plucked some of the fruit from his own
part of the tree, handed them to the beggar, and said :
" Accept these pears from my share of the tree, but I cannot
give you those belonging to my brothers." The angel took
the fruit, thanked the youth, and disappeared.
The next day it was the turn of the second brother to
watch the fruit, and the angel, again in the semblance of a
beggar, came and asked for a pear. This brother likewise
gave from his own part of the tree, saying : " Take these,
they are my own ; but of those belonging to my brothers
I dare not offer you." The angel took the fruit gratefully
and departed.

The third brother had a similar experience.
When the fourth day came, the angel disguised himself as
a monk, and came very early so that he could find all three
brothers at home, and he said to the youths : "Come with

243

Tales ^f Legends of the Serbians

me, I shall improve your state of life," whereupon they
obeyed without question.

Soon they arrived at a river where the water was flowing
in torrents, and the angel asked the eldest brother : " What
would you like to have ? " He answered : " I should like
all this water to be changed into wine and to belong to
me." The angel made the sign of the cross with his
stick, and lo ! wine was flowing instead of water, and that
very moment there appeared on the banks of the streamlet
many barrels, and men filling them with wine ; in one word,
there was a whole village. Then the angel turned again
to the young man and said : " Here is what you wished ;
farewell ! " and he continued his journey with the others.
The three went on till they came to a field where they
saw numbers of doves, and the angel asked the second
brother : " Now, what is it that you would like ? " And he
answered : "I should like all these doves to be changed
into sheep, and to be mine ! " The angel again made the
sign of the cross in the air, and lo ! sheep instead of doves
covered the field. Suddenly there appeared many dairies ;
maidens were busy milking the sheep, others pouring out
the milk, others again making cream. There was also a
slaughter-house, and men busy, some cutting the meat
into joints, others weighing it, others again selling the
meat and receiving the money for it. Then the angel
said : " Here is all you wished for ; farewell ! "
The angel now proceeded with the youngest brother, and
having crossed the field he asked him what he would like
to have. The young man answered : " I should consider
myself the happiest of men if God were graciously pleased
to grant me a wife of pure Christian blood ! " Thereupon
the angel replied : " Oh, that is rather difficult to find ; in
the whole world there are but three such women, two of
244

The Angel Returns

whom are married. The youngest is a maid, it is true,
but she is already sought in marriage by two wooers."
Journeying on, they came to a city where a mighty tsar
dwelt with his daughter. She, indeed, was of pure
Christian blood. The travellers entered the palace and
found two princes already there with their wedding apples1
laid upon a table. Then the young man also placed his
apple on the table. When the tsar saw the newcomers he
said to those around him: "What shall we do now?
Those are imperial princes, and these men look like
beggars 1 " Thereupon the angel said : "Let the contest
be decided thus : the princess shall plant three vines in
the garden, dedicating one to each of the three wooers ;
and he on whose vine grapes are found next morning, is to
be the one whom the princess shall marry ! " This plan
was agreed to by all, and the princess accordingly planted
three vines.

When the next morning dawned, lo! grapes hung in
clusters on the vine dedicated to the poor man. So the
tsar could not refuse his daughter to the youngest brother.
After the marriage, the angel led the young couple to the
forest, where he left them for a full year.

The Angel Returns

Then God sent again His angel, saying: "Go down to
earth and see how those poor ones are living now : if they
are in misery, it may be you will be able to improve their
condition ! " The angel obeyed immediately, and disguising
himself again as a beggar, he went first to the eldest brother
and asked him for a glass of wine. But the rich man refused,
saying : " If I were to give every one a glass of wine, there

1 The apple is a symbolic gift, which a wooer offers to the maiden of
his choice.

245

Tales &f Legends of the Serbians

would be none left for myself!" Upon this the angel
made the sign of the cross with his stick, and the stream
began instantly to flow with water as before. Then he
turned to the man and said: "This was not for you; go
back under the pear-tree and continue to guard it ! "
Then the angel went on to the second brother, whose fields
were covered with sheep, and asked him for a slice of
cheese ; but the rich man refused, saying : " If I were to
give everybody a slice of cheese, there would be none left
for myself 1 " Again the angel made the sign of the cross
with his stick, and lo ! all the sheep turned instantly into
doves, who flew away. Then he said to the second brother :
" Of a surety that was not for you, go under the pear-tree
and watch it I "

Finally the angel went to the youngest brother in order to
see how he was living, and found him with his wife in the
forest, dwelling as a poor man in a hut. He begged to
be admitted into their hut, and to pass the night there.
They welcomed him very cordially, but they explained that
they could not entertain him as well as they would like to
do. "We are," they added, "very poor people." To
which the angel answered : " Do not speak so, I shall be
quite content with what you have ! " They wondered then
what to do, for there was no corn in their hut to make real
bread ; they usually ground the bark of certain trees and
made bread from it. Such bread the wife now made
for their guest, and placed it in the oven to bake. When
she came later to inspect her baking, she was pleasantly
surprised to find a fine loaf of real bread.
When the couple saw this wonder they lifted their hands
toward heaven and gave thanks : " We thank thee, O
God ! that we are now able to entertain our guest ! " After
they had placed the bread before their guest, they brought
246

; • 5' * '•'• » :•

•„« : : % . ••

,'* ••»>•>"•'»•;

•.,. ,' ;' '• ?K1I»*'S«

¥

instantly rose a beautiful palace

246

Bash Tchelik or Real Steel

a vessel of water, and lo ! when they came to drink, they
found it was wine.

Then the angel once more made the sign of the cross with
his stick over the hut, and on that spot instantly rose a
beautiful palace, containing an abundance of everything.
Then the angel blessed the couple and disappeared. The
modest and pious man and woman lived there happily
ever after.

VIII. BASH TCHELIK OR REAL STEEL
There lived once a tsar who had three sons and three
daughters. When old age overtook him and the hour
came for him to die he called his children to him, and
desired his sons to give their sisters to the first wooers
who might ask them in marriage. " Do as I tell you,"
added the dying tsar, " or dread my curse ! "
Shortly after the tsar had passed away there came one
night a fearful knocking at the palace gate, so that the
whole building shook, and a great roaring, screaming,
and blowing was heard ; it seemed as if the palace was
assailed by some awful tempest. All the courtiers were
seized with unspeakable fear, and suddenly a voice from
outside was heard : " O princes, open the door 1 " There-
upon the eldest brother exclaimed : " Do not open ! "
The second brother added : " Do not open for anything ! "
But the youngest brother said : " I must open the door ! "
and he sprang to the door and flung it open. As he did so
something came in, but the brothers could see only a bright
light, out of which proceeded these urgent words : " I have
come to ask your eldest sister in marriage, and to take her
away this moment ; for I have no time to lose, neither shall
I come a second time to demand her ! Answer quickly,
Will you give her or not ? That is what I must know/'

247

Tales Sf Legends of the Serbians

The eldest brother answered : " I will not give her. I cannot
see you, and do not know who you are or even whence you
came. To-night is the first time I have heard your voice,
and you insist upon taking my sister away at once. Should
I not know where I could visit my sister sometimes?"
The second brother also said : " I will not consent that
my sister should be taken away to night ! "
But the youngest brother protested, saying : "If you will
not give her, I will. Do you not remember our father's
words ? " Thereupon he took his sister by the hand,1 and
presented her to the invisible wooer, saying : " May she be
a loyal and dutiful wife ! "

The moment the princess passed over the threshold every
one in the palace fell to the ground in terror, so fearsome
was the lightning and so loud the peals of thunder. The
whole building shook as if about to fall. The storm,
however, passed and daybreak came. That morning close
search was made to see if any trace could be found of the
strange visitant or the way it had gone; but, alas ! all their
efforts were vain.

The second night, about the same time, a similar noise
was heard again round the palace, and a voice at the door
exclaimed : " O princes, open the door ! "
Seized with fear they dared not disobey. Then the pitiless
voice spake again : " Give me your second sister ; I have
come to ask her in marriage ! "

The eldest brother protested : " I will not consent ! "
The second brother said : " I will not give away our
sister ! " But the youngest brother was willing. " I will
give her ! " said he ; " have you already forgotten what our
father commanded at the hour of his death ? "

1 It is the custom with Serbians, for one of her brothers to present the
bride to her wooer.

248

The Princes set Out

Thereupon the youngest prince took his sister by the hand
and presented her to the unseen visitor, saying: "Take
her, may she be loyal and dutiful to you ! " So the visitant
departed with the princess, and next morning no trace of
him could be found.

The third night at the same hour the earth quaked and the
palace rocked on its foundations, so mighty was the tumult
around it. And again a mysterious voice was heard from
without. The princes opened the door, and the unseen
presence entered and said : " I come to ask your youngest
sister in marriage ! " The two elder brothers exclaimed
simultaneously : " We will not give our sister by night ; we
must know to whom we are giving her, so that we may
visit her when we wish to do so ! " But once more the
youngest brother exclaimed : " I will give her, if you will
not ! Have you, then, forgotten what our father told us ?
It is not so very long ago!" So saying, he took the
maiden and presented her to the invisible power, saying :
" Take her with you ! And may she bring you joy and
happiness 1 "

The Princes set Out

Next morning the brothers debated the fate of their sisters,
and sorrow filled their hearts. " Great Heaven ! " they
said, " what a mighty wonder ! We know not what has
befallen our sisters ; neither do we know where they have
gone nor whom they have married!" At length they
decided to go in search of their beloved sisters, and making
the necessary preparations for their journey they set out on
the quest.

They journeyed for some time and then lost their way in
a dense forest, in which they wandered for a whole day.
When darkness fell, they agreed that they must pass the

249

Tales 5f Legends of the Serbians

night at some place where they could find water, so when
they came to a lake, they decided to pass the night there,
and sat down to eat. When they were ready to compose
themselves to sleep, the eldest proposed to his brothers
that they should sleep while he kept guard. So the two
younger brothers went to sleep, and the eldest watched.
About midnight the lake became agitated, and the watcher
was seized with horror when he saw in the middle of it
something moving straight toward him. As it came
nearer, he saw clearly that it was a monstrous alligator
with two huge ears. The monster attacked the prince
with all its strength, but the gallant young man received it
on the point of his sword and swiftly cleft its head asunder.
Then he cut off the ears, placed them in his bag, but threw
the carcass back into the lake. Soon after this, morning
broke ; but the two younger brothers slept quietly on,
unconscious of their brother's exploit.
In due time the prince awakened the young men and,
without mentioning what had happened, he recommended
that they should continue their journey. They travelled
the whole day long and, having again lost their way in
another dense forest, they decided to pass the coming
night by a small lake, and they quickly made a fire. After
they had eaten, the second brother said : " To-night you
two sleep, and I shall watch." And so the eldest and the
youngest brothers slept, while the second kept guard.
Suddenly the water of the lake began to stir, and lo ! an
alligator with two heads appeared and rushed furiously
upon the three brothers. But the second brother was no
coward ; he gave the monster a fearful blow with his
gleaming sabre and the alligator fell dead. Then the
prince cut off its four ears, placed them in his bag, and
threw the horrible carcass into the lake. The two sleeping
250

The Princes set Out

brothers knew nothing of all this and slept till sun-rise.
Then the gallant prince exclaimed : " Get up, my brothers,
it is high time 1 " And they instantly arose, and prepared
to continue their journey, without knowing whither they
should go.

A great fear seized their hearts when they found them-
selves in a horrible desert; they wandered in this for
three long days, and, as their food was consumed, they
feared now lest they should die of hunger in this strange
land, which seemed to have no end. Then they addressed
their fervent prayers to the Almighty that He might be
pleased to afford them some guidance, and lo ! they saw
at length a large sheet of water. Great was now their joy,
and they took counsel with each other and agreed to pass
the night on the shores of that lake.
Having quenched their thirst, they made a bright fire, and
when the hour for sleep approached, the youngest brother
proposed : " To-night it is my turn ; you two go to sleep
and I shall watch ! " So the two elder brothers went to
sleep, and the youngest brother kept awake, looking sharply
about him, often casting his eyes over the lake. Toward
midnight he noticed a disturbance in the water, and as he
looked in wonder the lake grew so agitated that a wave
overflowed the shore and nearly extinguished the fire.
The next moment a horrible alligator with three heads
appeared and rushed furiously on the brothers, obviously
intending to devour them. But the youngest prince was
no less brave than his two brothers ; he unsheathed his
sword, and as the monster came on with jaws wide agape,
he gave it three fearful blows in rapid succession, slashing
off its three heads. Then he cut off the six ears and
placed them in his bag, and threw the body and the heads
back into the lake.

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

The Nine Giants

Meantime the fire had smouldered out, and having no
materials with which to make a fresh fire, and not wishing
to awake his brothers, the prince went a short distance
into the desert in the hope of finding some fuel, but with-
out success. He climbed upon a rock, and looking around
he saw at length the glare of a fire. As it seemed that
the fire was not very far off, he decided to go and get
brands with which to relight his own fire. So he descended
from the rock and hastening for some time through the
desert, he came at last to a cave in which he saw nine
giants sitting round a big fire and roasting on spits two
men, one on each side. Upon the fire there stood a
caldron full of the limbs of men.

When the prince saw all this, he was seized with horror,
and would readily have gone back, but it was too late.
So he saluted the giants thus : " Good evening, my
comrades, I have been in search of you for a long time ! "
They welcomed him in a friendly manner and returned
the greeting, saying : " May God favour you, since you
are one of us! " The wily prince added : "Why, I shall
remain one of your faithful friends for ever, and would
give my life for your sake ! " " Eh ! " exclaimed the
giants, "since you intend to join us, no doubt you are
ready to eat man's flesh, and to join our company when
we go in search of prey ? " Thereupon the tsar's son
answered : " Most decidedly ! I shall do willingly every-
thing that you, yourselves, do." Hearing this the giants
retorted : " That is well for you then ! Come and sit
here with us ! " Then the whole company, sitting round
the fire, and taking the meat out of the caldron, began to
eat. The tsar's son pretended to eat, but he deceived
252

The Nine Giants

them cleverly, for instead of eating he threw the meat
behind him.

After supper the giants exclaimed: "Now let us go to
hunt, for we must have something to eat to-morrow ! "
So they started out, all nine of them, the prince being the
tenth of the party. " Come with us," said the giants to
the prince, " we will go to a neighbouring city in which
lives a tsar : for from that city we have been supplying
ourselves with food for many years! " When they arrived
at that place, the giants uprooted two fir-trees, and,
reaching the walls of the city, they placed one tree against
it and ordered the prince : " Go up to thei top of the wall,
and we will hand you the second tree, which you will fix
on the other side of the wall, so that we can climb down
the stem of it into the city." The prince obeyed, and,
when he was on the top of the wall, he said : " I do not
know how to do it, I am not familiar with this place, and
I cannot manage to throw the tree over the wall ; please
come up, one of you, and show me how to do it ! "
Thereupon one of the giants climbed up, took the top
of the tree and threw the stem over the wall, holding fast
the highest branch in his hands. The prince utilised this
opportunity to draw his sword, and, unseen by those
below, with one stroke he cut off the giant's head, and
pushed his body over the wall. Then he said to the
others : " Now come up one by one, so that I can let you
down into the city as I did our first comrade." The
giants, suspecting nothing, climbed up one after the
other; and the prince cut off their heads till he had
killed the whole nine. Then he slowly descended the
pine-tree and reached the ground within the city walls.
Walking through the streets he was surprised to see
no living soul there, and the whole city seemed to be
t 253

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

deserted! So he reasoned to himself: "Those ugly
giants must have annihilated all the inhabitants of this
city ! "

The Sleeping Princess

He continued wandering about till he saw at length a very
tall tower, through one of the vent-holes of which shone
a light. He opened the door and went straight to the
room from which he judged the light to have come. It
was magnificently decorated with gold and velvet, and
lying on a resplendent couch, was a maiden sleeping.
The girl was exceedingly beautiful, and as the prince
devoured her with his eyes he was horrified to see a snake
on the wall ; it poised its hideous head with the obvious
intention of striking the girl on her forehead between the
eyes, but the prince rushed swiftly forward with drawn
poniard and pierced the serpent's head so that it was
nailed to the wall, exclaiming as he did so : " May God grant
that my poniard cannot be drawn out of the wall by any hand
but mine ! " He then hurried away, climbing the city wall
by the same way as he had come. When he arrived at
the giants' cave, he took a brand from the fire, and
hastened to the place where he had left his brothers, and
found them still sleeping. He made a fresh fire, and, as
meantime the sun had risen, he now awoke his brothers
and they immediately continued their journey. That
same day they came to a road which led to the city of
which we have heard. It was the custom of the tsar who
lived in that city to walk abroad every morning and to
lament the great destruction of his people by the giants.
His greatest anxiety was lest his only daughter would
one day be their prey. On this particular morning he
walked unusually early through the streets, which were
254

He was horrified to see a snake on the wall

254

The Sleeping Princess

all empty. After a time, he came to a part of the city
wall against which the tall pine-tree of the giants leaned.
He approached closely and found the bodies of the nine
giants, the terrible enemies of his people, lying upon the
ground with their heads cut off. When the tsar saw this
wonder he rejoiced exceedingly, and the people soon
gathered around him and prayed that God might grant
happiness and long life to the hero who had killed the
giants. At that very moment servants came hurriedly
from the palace and informed the tsar that a snake had
very nearly caused the death of his daughter. Hearing
this the tsar ran to his daughter, and entering her room
he was amazed to see a large, hideous serpent nailed to
the wall. He tried at once to pluck out the poniard, but
was not able to do so.

Then the tsar issued a proclamation throughout his vast
empire to the effect that if the hero who had killed the
nine giants and pierced the snake would come to court
he should receive great gifts and the hand of the tsar's
daughter in marriage. This proclamation spread quickly
all over the land, and by the tsar's orders, in every inn
on the principal roads an official was stationed whose duty
it was to ask every traveller if he had heard of the hero
who had killed the nine giants. If any man should know
anything about the matter, he was at once to come before
the tsar and tell what he knew, and was to be rewarded.
And the tsar's commands were strictly carried out.
After some time the three princes in search of their sisters
came to pass the night at one of the inns of that country, and,
after supper, they began an animated conversation with the
inn-keeper, in the course of which the witty host boasted
of his exploits, and at length asked the princes : " Tell me
now, what heroic deeds have you young men performed?"

255

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

Thereupon the eldest brother started thus : " When my
brothers and I set out on our expedition in search of our
sisters, we decided to pass the first night on the shores of
a lake in the midst of a deserted forest. There I pro-
posed that my brothers should go to sleep while I re-
mained to keep watch. As soon as they fell asleep, a
terrible alligator rose from the lake to devour my brothers,
but I received it on the point of my sword and cleft its
hideous head asunder: if you do not believe, here are
the ears of the monster 1 " Saying this, the eldest brother
took out of his bag the ears of the alligator and placed
them on the table.

When the second brother heard this, he said : " And I
was on guard, my brothers, while you were sleeping the
second night; and from the lake appeared an alligator
with two heads. I rushed at it with my sword and cut
off both its heads : if you do not believe me, see ! here
are the four ears of the monster ! " Saying this, he pro-
duced the ears from his bag and placed them on the table
to the great astonishment of the listeners.

The Hero Found

But the youngest brother kept silent. And the inn-keeper
asked him : " By my faith, young man, your brothers are
veritable heroes, let us hear whether you have performed
any heroic exploit?" Then the youngest brother began
to relate : " I have also done a little. When we arrived
at the shores of a lake on the third night in that desert
to pass the night, you, my brothers, went to rest, and I
remained awake to keep watch. About midnight, the
lake was greatly agitated and an alligator with three heads
rushed out with the intention of swallowing you, but I
received it on the point of my sword and successfully
256

The Hero Found

cleft its three heads asunder : if you do not believe me,
see ! here are the six ears of the monster ! " This astounded
even his brothers, and the young man continued : " Mean-
time our fire was extinguished, and I went in search of fuel.
Wandering over the desert, I came across nine giants . . ."
and so he proceeded to relate to them all his surprising
deeds. When the story came to an end the inn-keeper
hurried off and told everything to the tsar, who gave
him money and ordered that the brothers should be brought
to him. When they appeared the tsar asked the youngest
prince : " Is it really you who have done all those wonders
in my city, and saved the life of my only daughter?"
" Yes, your Majesty ! " answered the prince. Thereupon
the tsar, moved with great joy and gratitude, gave his
daughter in marriage to the gallant prince and appointed
him his prime minister. As to his brothers, the tsar
said : " If you wish to remain with your brother, I shall find
you wives and shall order castles to be built for you ! "
But the two princes thanked his Majesty and declared that
they were already married and that they wished to con-
tinue their search for their lost sisters.
The tsar approved of this resolution, and having been
supplied with two mules loaded with gold the two brothers
said their farewells and departed. The youngest brother
soon began to think of his three sisters ; he would have
been sorry to leave his wife to go in search of them, and
in any case the tsar, his father-in-law, would not permit
him to leave the court. Nevertheless the prince wasted
away slowly in grief for his sisters.

One day the tsar went forth to hunt, and said to the
prince ! " Remain in the palace, and take these nine keys
and keep them in your pocket. You can open three or
four rooms with those keys, there you will find unbounded

R 257

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

gold, silver and precious stones. In fact, if you wish to
do so, you can open even the eight rooms, but do not
dare to open the ninth. Ill indeed will be your fate if
you do ! "

Bash Tchelik

As soon as the tsar had left the palace, the young prince
began to open the doors, one after the other, of all the
eight rooms, and truly he saw much gold, silver and other
precious things. At length he came to the ninth room,
and reasoned to himself : " I have survived many extra-
ordinary adventures, nothing ever surprised me; why
should I now be afraid to venture into this room?"
Saying this, he opened the door, and what do you think
he saw there ? In the middle of the room stood a strange
man, whose legs were bound in iron up to the knees and
his arms up to the elbows ; in the four corners of the room
there were chains fastened to thick beams, and all the
chains met in a ring round the man's neck, so that he
could not make the slightest movement. In front of
him was a fountain from which the water streamed through
a golden pipe into a golden basin. Near him stood a
golden mug, incrusted with precious stones. Despite
his longing to drink the water, the man could not move
to reach the mug. When the prince saw all this, he was
indeed astounded, and drew back, but the man groaned :
" For heaven's sake, come to me ! " The prince approached
him and the man said : " Do a good deed ! Give me
now a cup of water, and know for certain, that I will
reward you with another life ! "

The prince thought within himself : " Is there anything
better than to possess two lives ? J) So he took the mug,
filled it with water, and handed it to the man, who drank
258

Bash Tchelik

eagerly. Then the prince asked him: "Tell me now,
what is your name ? " The man answered : " My name
is Bash Tchelik (Real Steel)." The prince made a move-
ment toward the door, but the man again implored him :
" Give me another mug of water, and I shall give you a
second life ! " The prince thought : " Now, if he gives
me a second life, I shall have, together with my own,
three lives 1 This will be quite wonderful ! " So he
again filled the mug and handed it to the strange
prisoner, who emptied it greedily. The prince turned
toward the door, but the man exclaimed : " O hero, do
not go ! Come back a moment ! Since you have done
two good deeds, do yet a third, and I will give you a third
life as reward. Take this mug, fill it with water, and
pour it over my head 1 "

The prince had no desire to refuse ; he filled the cup with
water, and poured it over the man's head. No sooner
had he done this than Bash Tchelik broke the iron chains
around his neck, jumped up with the speed of lightning,
and, lo! he had wings. He rushed through the door
before the surprised prince could make a movement, and,
having snatched up the daughter of the tsar, the wife of
his deliverer, he flew into the air and disappeared.
When the tsar returned from the hunt, his son-in-law
told him all that had happened, and the tsar was indeed
greatly saddened, and exclaimed : " Why did you do this ?
Did I not tell you not to open the ninth room ? " The
prince humbly answered : " Do not be angry, I shall go in
search of Bash Tchelik, for I must fetch my wife." But
the tsar tried to dissuade him, saying : " Do not go, for
anything in the world 1 You do not yet know this man ;
it cost me many an army before I succeeded in taking
him prisoner. Remain in peace where you are, and I will

259

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

find for you a still better wife than my daughter was, and
rest assured that I shall continue to love you as my own
son ! " However, the young prince would not listen to his
father-in-law's advice, but took money for his travelling
expenses, saddled a horse and went in search of Bash
Tchelik.

The Prince finds his Sister

Some time later the young man came to a city. From
the window of a castle a girl cried out : " O prince,
alight from your charger and come into our courtyard 1 "
The prince did as he was invited ; the girl met him in
the courtyard, and he was greatly astonished to recognize
in her his eldest sister. They embraced and kissed each
other, and his sister said: "Come within, my brother."
When they were inside, the prince asked his sister who
her husband was, and she answered : "I have married the
king of dragons, and he has sworn that he will kill my
brothers the first time he comes across them. Therefore,
I will hide you, and shall ask him first what he would do
to you if you appeared. Should he declare that he would
do you no harm, I would tell him of your presence." So
she hid both her brother and his horse. Toward evening
the dragon flew home, and the whole castle shone. As
soon as he entered, he called his wife : " My dear, there is
a smell of human bones ! Tell me at once who is here ! "
She answered : " There is nobody ! " But the dragon
added: "That cannot be!" Then his wife asked him:
" Please answer truly, would you harm my brothers if one
of them should come here to see me ? " And the king of
dragons said : " Your eldest and your second brother I
would slaughter and roast, but your youngest brother I
would not harm." Then she said : " My youngest brother,
260

The Second Sister

and your brother-in-law, is here." Thereupon the king
said : " Let him come in." And when the prince appeared,
the king of dragons stretched forth his arms, embraced
his brother-in-law, and said: "Welcome, O brother!"
And the prince answered: "I hope you are well?"
Then they related to each other all their adventures from
beginning to end, and sat down to supper.
At length the prince told his brother-in-law that he was
searching for Bash Tchelik, and the dragon advised him,
saying, " Do not go any further ! I will tell you all about
him ; the very day when he escaped from his prison, I
met him with five thousand of my dragons, and, after a
severe battle, he escaped victorious. So you see, there is
slender hope for you, alone, to overpower him. There-
fore I advise you, as a friend, to abandon your plan, and
return home in peace ; and if you are in need of money I
will give you any amount of it." But the prince answered :
" I thank you very much for all your good wishes and ad-
vice, but I cannot do otherwise than go in search of Bash
Tchelik ! " And he thought : " Why should I not do so,
since I have three superfluous lives ? "
When the king of dragons saw that he could not dissuade
the prince, he handed a feather he was wearing to him, and
said : "Take this, and if you are ever in need of my help,
you have only to burn it, and I will come at once to your
aid with all my forces." The prince thankfully took the
feather and started once more in pursuit of Bash Tchelik.

The Second Sister

Wandering for some time he came at length to another
city, and, as he was riding under the tower of a magnificent
castle, a window opened and he heard a voice calling him :
"Alight from your steed, O prince, and come into our

261

Tales ^f Legends of the Serbians

courtyard 1 " The prince complied immediately, and when
he entered the courtyard, he was greatly surprised to see
his second sister, who threw herself into his arms, weeping
for joy. Then she showed her brother into her private
apartment, and he asked: "To whom are you married,
sister dear? " And she answered: " My husband is the
king of the eagles." When the king returned home his
loving wife welcomed him, but he exclaimed at once:
" Who is the daring man now in my castle ? Tell me
directly ! " She lied and said : " No one I " Then they
began their supper, and the princess asked her husband :
" Tell me truly, would you do any harm to my brothers if
one of them should dare to come here to see me ? " And
the eagle-king answered : " As to your eldest and your
second brother, I declare that I would kill them ; but your
third brother I would welcome and help as much as I
could." Then she took heart and told him : " Here is
my youngest brother, and your brother-in-law, who has
come to see us 1 " Then the king ordered his servants to
bring the prince before him, and when the servants obeyed
and the prince appeared, he stood up and embraced and
kissed his brother-in-law, saying : " Welcome, my dear
brother-in-law ! " And the prince, touched by his kind-
ness, answered most courteously: "Thank you, my
brother ! I hope you are well ! " The king at once bade
him be seated at table, and after supper the prince related
his wonderful adventures, and finished by telling them
about his search for Bash Tchelik. Hearing this, the
eagle-king counselled his brother-in-law most urgently to
give up his hazardous plan, adding : " Leave that fiend
alone, O dear brother-in-law ! I would advise you to
remain here; you will find everything you desire in my
castle." But the adventurous prince would not listen to
262

The Prince finds his Wife

this advice for a moment, and on the morrow he prepared
to resume his search for Bash Tchelik. Then the eagle-
king, seeing that the prince's resolution was unshakable,
plucked out of his garment a beautiful feather, handed it
to his brother-in-law, and said : " Take this feather,
O brother, and if you ever should need my help you will
have but to burn it, and I will at once come to your aid
with the whole of my army." The prince accepted the
feather most gratefully, took his leave, and went away in
pursuit of his enemy.

The Third Sister

After some time he came to a third city, in which he found
in the same manner his youngest sister. She was married
to the king of the falcons, who also welcomed him in a
friendly manner, and gave him a "feather to burn in case of
need.

The Prince finds his Wife

After wandering from one place to another, he finally found
his wife in a cave. When his wife saw him she exclaimed :
" How in the world did you come here, my dear husband ? ' '
And he told her all about his adventures and said : " Let
us flee together, my wife ! " But she replied : " How
could we flee, when Bash Tchelik will surely overtake us :
he would kill you, and he would take me back and punish
me." Nevertheless, the prince, knowing well that he
had three additional lives, persuaded his wife to go
with him. !

No sooner had they left the cavern than Bash Tchelik
heard of their departure and hurried after them. In a
short time he reached them, took back the princess, and
reproached the prince : " O prince, you have stolen your

263

Tales ^f Legends of the Serbians

wife ! This time I forgive you, because I recollect having
granted you three lives. So you can go, but if you dare
come again for your wife I shall kill you ! " Thereupon
Bash Tchelik disappeared with the princess, and her
husband remained to wonder what he should do next. At
length he decided to try his luck again, and when he was
near the cave he chose a moment when Bash Tchelik was
absent, and again took away his wife. But Bash Tchelik
again learnt of their departure quickly, and in a short time
reached them again. Now he drew his bow at the prince,
saying : " Do you prefer to be shot by this arrow, or to be
beheaded by my sabre ? " The prince asked to be pardoned
"again, and Bash Tchelik forgave him, saying: " I pardon
you this time also, but know surely that should you dare
come again to take away your wife I shall kill you without
mercy."

The prince tried his luck yet a third time, and, being again
, caught by Bash Tchelik, once more implored to be pardoned.
* Because he had given him of his own free will three
lives, Bash Tchelik listened to his plea, but said : " Be
warned ; do not risk losing the one life God gave you ! "
The prince, seeing that against such a power he could do
nothing, started homeward, pondering in his mind, how-
ever, how he could free his wife from Bash Tchelik.
Suddenly an idea came to him : he recalled what his
brothers-in-law had said when giving him a feather from
their garments. So he thought : " I must go once more
and try to rescue my wife ; if I come to any harm I will
burn the feathers and my brothers-in-law will come to my
aid."

Thereupon the prince returned to the cave of Bash Tchelik,
and his wife was greatly surprised to see him and ex-
claimed : " So, you are tired of life, since you have come
264

The Prince finds his Wife

back a fourth time for me 1 " But the prince showed his
wife the feathers and explained their uses, and prevailed
upon her to try once more to escape. No sooner had they
left the cavern, however, than Bash Tchelik rushed i after
them shouting : " Stop, prince ! You cannot escape me ! "
The prince, seeing that they were in imminent peril,
hastily burnt all three feathers, and when Bash Tchelik
came up with drawn sabre ready to kill him, oh ! what a
mighty wonder ! At the same moment came flying to the
'rescue the dragon-king with his host of dragons, the
eagle-king with all his fierce eagles, and the falcon-king
with all his falcons. One and all fell furiously upon Bash
Tchelik, but despite the shedding of much blood Bash
Tchelik seemed to be invincible, and at length he seized
the princess and fled.

After the battle the three brothers-in-law found the prince
dead, and immediately decided to recall him to life. They
asked three dragons which of them could bring, in the
shortest possible time, some water from the Jordan. The
first said : " I could bring it in half an hour ! " The
second declared : " I will bring it in ten minutes ! " The
third asserted : " I can bring it in nine seconds ! " There-
upon the king dispatched the third dragon, and, indeed,
he used all his fiery might and returned in nine seconds.
The king took the healing water, poured it upon the
gaping wounds of their brother-in-law, and, as they did so,
the wounds were healed up and the prince sprang to his
feet alive.

Then the kings counselled him: "Since you have been
saved from death go home in peace." But the prince
declared that he would once more try to regain his beloved
wife. The kings endeavoured to dissuade him, saying:
" Do not go, for you will be lost if you do 1 You know

265

Tales &? Legends of the Serbians

well that you have now only the one life which God gave
you." But the prince would not listen. Thereupon the
kings said : " Since it cannot be otherwise, then go 1 But
do not vainly think to flee with your wife ! Request your
wife to ask Bash Tchelik where his strength lies, and then
come and tell us, in order that we may help you to conquer
him."

The Secret of Strength

This time the prince went stealthily to the cavern and, as
counselled by the kings, told his wife to inquire from Bash
Tchelik wherein lay his strength. When Bash Tchelik
returned home that evening, the princess asked : " I pray
you, tell me where lies your strength ? " Bash Tchelik,
hearing this laughed and said: "My strength is in my
sabre I " The princess knelt before the sabre and began
to pray. Thereupon Bash Tchelik burst into louder
laughter, exclaiming : "O foolish woman! My strength
is not in my sabre, but in my bow and my arrows ? " Then
the princess knelt before the bow and the arrows, and Bash
Tchelik, shouting with laughter, said : " O foolish woman !
My strength is neither in my bow nor in my arrows ! But
tell me who instructed you to ask me where my force lies ?
If your husband were alive I could guess it was he who
demanded it!" But the princess protested that no one
urged her, and he believed what she said.
After some time the prince came, and when his wife told
him that she could not learn anything from Bash Tchelik,
he said : " Try again ! " and went away.
When Bash Tchelik returned home the princess began
again to ask him to tell the secret of his strength. Then
he answered : " Since you esteem my heroism so much, I
will tell you the truth about it." And he began : " Far
266

The Golden Apple-Tree

away from here is a high mountain, in that mountain there
lives a fox, in the fox is a heart, in that heart there lives
a bird: in that bird lies my whole strength. But it is
very hard to catch that fox, for it can turn itself into any-
thing!"

Next morning, when Bash Tchelik left the cave, the prince
came and learned the secret from his wife. Then he went
straight to his brothers-in-law who, upon hearing his tale,
went at once with him to find the mountain. This they
were not long in doing, and they loosed eagles to chase the
fox, whereat the fox quickly ran into a lake and there it
transformed itself into a six-winged duck. Then the
falcons flew to the duck and it mounted into the clouds.
Seeing this, the dragons pursued it; the duck changed
again into a fox ; the other eagles surrounded it, and at
length it was caught.

Then the three kings ordered the fox to be cut open and
its heart taken out. This done, they made a great fire
and from the fox's heart took a bird which they threw into
the fire, and it was burnt to death. So perished Bash
Tchelik, and thus did the prince finally regain his beloved
and loyal wife.

IX. THE GOLDEN APPLE-TREE AND
THE NINE PEAHENS

Once there was a king who had three sons. In the garden
of the palace grew a golden apple-tree, which, in one and
the same night would blossom and bear ripe fruit. But
during the night a thief would come and pluck the golden
apples, and none could detect him. One day the king
deliberating with his sons, said : " I would give much to
know what happens to the fruit of our apple-tree ! "
Thereupon the eldest son answered : " I will mount guard

267

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

to-night under the apple-tree, and we will see who gathers
the fruit."

When evening came, the prince laid himself under the
apple-tree to watch ; but as the apples ripened, he fell
asleep and did not wake until next morning, when the
apples had vanished. He told his father what had
happened, and his brother, the second son, then offered to
keep guard that night. But he had no more success than
his elder brother.

It was now the turn of the youngest son to try his luck,
and, when night came on, he placed a bed under the tree,
and lay down and went to sleep. About midnight he
awoke and glanced at the apple-tree. And lo ! the apples
were just ripening and the whole castle was lit up with
their shining. At that moment nine peahens flew to the
tree and settled on its branches, where eight remained to
pluck the fruit. The ninth, however, flew to the ground
and was instantly transformed into a maiden so beautiful
that one might in vain search for her equal throughout
the kingdom.

The prince immediately fell madly in love with his visitor
and the fair maiden was not at all unwilling to stay and
converse with the young man. An hour or two soon
passed but at last the maiden said that she might stay no
longer. She thanked the prince for the apples which her
sisters had plucked, but he asked that they would give
him at least one to carry home.

The maiden smiled sweetly and handed the young man
two apples, one for himself, the other for his father, the
king. She then turned again into a peahen, joined her
sisters and all flew away.

Next morning the prince carried the two apples to his
father. The king, very pleased, praised his son, and on
268

The pea-hen insta?ttly turned into a maiden 268

The Golden Apple-Tree

the following night, the happy prince placed himself under
the tree, as before, next morning again bringing two
apples to his father. After this had happened for several
nights, his two brothers grew envious, because they had
not been able to do what he had done. Then a wicked
old woman offered her services to the malcontent princes,
promising that she would reveal the secret to them. So
on the next evening the old woman stole softly under the
bed of the young prince and hid herself there. Soon after-
ward the prince came and at once went to sleep just as
before. When midnight came, lo I the peahens flew down
as usual ; eight of them settling on the branches of the
apple-tree, but the ninth, descending on the bed of the
prince, instantly turned into a maiden. The old woman,
seeing this strange metamorphosis, crept softly near and
cut off a lock of the maiden's hair, whereupon the girl
immediately arose, changed again into a peahen, and dis-
appeared together with her sisters. Then the young
prince jumped up and wondering what had been the reason
for the sudden departure of his beloved began to look
around. He then saw the old woman, dragged her from
under his bed, and ordered his servants to fasten her to
the tails of four horses and so to destroy her.
But the peahens never came again, to the great sorrow of
the prince, and for all that he mourned and wept.
Weeping will not move any mountain, and at length the
prince resolved to go through the wide world in search
of his sweetheart and not return home until he had found
her. As a good son, he asked leave of his father who
tried hard to make him give up such a hazardous scheme
and promised him a much more beautiful bride in his
own vast kingdom — for he was very sure that any maiden
would be glad to marry such a valiant prince.

269

Tales &f Legends of the Serbians

The Princes Quest

But all his fatherly advice was vain, so the king finally
allowed his son to do what his heart bade, and the
sorrowful prince departed with only one servant to seek
his love. Journeying on for a long time, he came at
length to the shore of a large lake, near which was a
magnificent castle in which there lived a very old woman,
a queen, with her only daughter. The prince implored
the aged queen, " I pray thee, grandmother, tell me what
you can about the nine golden peahens?" The queen
answered : " O, my son, I know those peahens well, for
they come every day at noon to this lake and bathe. But
had you not better forget the peahens, and rather consider
this beautiful girl, she is my daughter and will inherit my
wealth and treasures, and you can share all with her."
But the prince, impatient to find the peahens, did not even
listen to what the queen was saying. Seeing his indiffer-
ence, the old lady bribed his servant and gave him a pair
of bellows, saying : " Do you see this ? When you go
to-morrow to the lake, blow secretly behind your master's
neck, and he will fall asleep and will not be able to speak
to the peahens."

The faithless servant agreed to do exactly as the queen
bade, and when they went to the lake, he used the first
favourable occasion and blew with the bellows behind his
poor master's neck, whereupon the prince fell so soundly
asleep that he resembled a dead man. Soon after, the
eight peahens flew to the lake, and the ninth alighted on
the prince's horse and began to embrace him, saying:
" Arise, sweetheart ! Arise, beloved one ! Ah, do ! "
Alas ! the poor prince remained as if dead. Then after
the peahens had bathed, all disappeared.
270

The Prince's Quest

Shortly after their departure the prince woke up and
asked his servant : " What has happened ? Have they
been here ? " The servant answered that they had indeed
been there ; that eight of them bathed in the lake, while
the ninth caressed and kissed him, trying to arouse him
from slumber. Hearing this, the poor prince was so angry
that he was almost ready to kill himself.
Next morning the same thing happened. But on this
occasion the peahen bade the servant tell the prince that
she would come again the following day for the last time.
When the third day dawned the prince went again to the
lake, and fearing to fall asleep he decided to gallop along
the marge instead of pacing slowly as before. His
deceitful servant, however, pursuing him closely, again
found an opportunity for using the bellows, and yet again
the prince fell asleep.

Shortly afterward the peahens came ; eight of them went
as usual to bathe, and the ninth alighted on the prince's
horse and tried to awaken him. She embraced him and
spoke thus : " Awake, my darling ! Sweetheart, arise !
Ah, my soul ! " But her efforts were futile ; the prince
was sleeping as if he were dead. Then she said to the
servant : " When thy master awakes tell him to cut off
the head of the nail ; then only he may be able to find me
again."

Saying this the peahen disappeared with her sisters,
and they had hardly disappeared when the prince
awoke and asked his servant : " Have they been here ? "
And the malicious fellow answered : " Yes ; the one who
alighted on your horse ordered me to tell you that, if you
wish to find her again, you must first cut off the head of
the nail." Hearing this the prince unsheathed his sword
and struck off his faithless servant's head.

271

Tales ^f Legends of the Serbians

The Quest Resumed

The prince now resumed his pilgrimage alone, and after
long journeying he came to a mountain where he met a
hermit, who offered hospitality to him. In the course of
conversation the prince asked his host whether he knew
anything about the nine peahens ; the hermit replied :
" O my son, you are really fortunate ! God himself has
shown you the right way. From here to their dwelling is
but half a day's walk ; to-morrow I will point you the
way."

The prince rose very early the next morning, prepared
himself for the journey, thanked the hermit for giving him
shelter, and went on as he was directed. He came to a
large gate, and, passing through it, he turned to the right ;
toward noon he observed some white walls, the sight of
which rejoiced him very much. Arriving at this castle
he asked the way to the palace of the nine peahens, and
proceeding he soon came to it. He was, of course,
challenged by the guards, who asked his name and whence
he came. When the queen heard that he had arrived,
she was overwhelmed with joy, and turning into a maiden
she ran swiftly to the gate and led the prince into the
palace.

There was great feasting and rejoicing when, later, their
nuptials were solemnized, and after the wedding the prince
remained within the palace and lived in peace. j
Now one day the queen went for a walk in the palace
grounds accompanied by an attendant, the prince remain-
ing in the palace. Before starting the queen gave her
spouse the keys of twelve cellars, saying : " You may go
into the cellars, all but one ; do not on any account go
into the twelfth; you must not even open the door ! "
272

The Quest Resumed

The prince soon began to speculate upon what there could
possibly be in the twelfth cellar ; and having opened one
cellar after the other, he stood hesitatingly at the door of
the twelfth. He who hesitates is lost, and so the prince
finally inserted the key in the lock and the next moment
had passed into the forbidden place. In the middle of the
floor was a huge cask bound tightly round with three
strong iron hoops. The bung-hole was open and from
within the cask came a muffled voice which said : " I pray
thee, brother, give me a drink of water, else I shall die of
thirst ! " The prince took a glass of water and poured it
through the bung-hole ; immediately one hoop burst.
Then the voice spake again : " O brother give me more
water lest I should die of thirst ! " The good-hearted
prince emptied a second glass into the cask, and a second
hoop instantly came asunder. Again the voice implored :
" O brother, give me yet a third glass ! I am still con-
sumed by thirst ! " The prince made haste to gratify
the unseen speaker, and as he poured in the water the
third hoop burst, the cask fell in pieces, and a great
dragon struggled out from the wreck, rushed through the
door and flew into the open. Very soon he fell in with the
queen, who was on her way back to the palace, and carried
her off. Her attendant, affrighted, rushed to the prince
with the intelligence, and the news came as a thunder-
bolt.

For a time the prince was as one distraught, but then he
became more calm and he resolved to set out again in
search of his beloved queen. In his wanderings he came
to a river, and, walking along its bank, he noticed in a
little hole a small fish leaping and struggling. When the
fish saw the prince it began to beseech him piteously : " Be
my brother-in-God ! Throw me back into the stream ;

s 273

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

some day I may, perhaps, be useful to you ! But be sure
to take a scale from me, and when you are in need of help
rub it gently." The prince picked up the fish, took a
scale from it, and threw the poor creature into the water ;
then he carefully wrapped the scale in his handkerchief.
Continuing his wanderings, he came to a place where
he saw a fox caught in an iron trap, and the animal
addressed him, saying : " Be my brother-in-God ! Re-
lease me, I pray, from this cruel trap; and some day,
perhaps, I may be helpful to you. Only take a hair from
my brush, and, if you are in need, rub it gently ! " The
prince took a hair from the fox's tail and set him free.
Journeying on, he came upon a wolf caught in a trap.
And the wolf besought him in these words: "Be my
brother-in-God, and release me ! One day you may need
my help, therefore, take just one hair from my coat, and if
you should ever need my assistance, you will have but to
rub it a little ! " This likewise the prince did.
Some days elapsed and then, as the prince went wearily
on his way, he met a man in the mountains, to whom he
said : " O my brother-in-God I Can you direct me to
the castle of the king of the dragons?" Luckily the man
knew of this castle and was able to tell the way to it : he
also informed the prince exactly how long the journey
would take.

The Prince finds his Wife

The prince thanked the stranger and continued his journey
with fresh vigour until he came to where the king of the
dragons lived. He entered the castle boldly and found his
wife there ; after their first joy of meeting, they began to
consider how they could escape. Finally, they took swift
horses from the stables, but they had hardly set out
274

The Prince finds his Wife

before the dragon came back. When he found that the
queen had escaped, he took counsel with his courser :
" What do you advise? Shall we first eat and drink, or
shall we pursue at once!" The horse answered: "Let
us first refresh ourselves, for we shall surely catch them."
After the meal, the dragon mounted his horse and in
a very few minutes they reached the fugitives. Then he
seized the queen and said to the prince: "Go in peace!
I pardon you this time, because you released me from
that cellar : but do not venture to cross my path again,
for you will not be forgiven a second time."
The poor prince started sadly on his way, but he soon
found that he could not abandon his wife. Whatever
the cost he must make another attempt to rescue her, and
so he retraced his steps, and on the following day entered
the castle again and found his wife in tears. It was
evident that they must use guile if they were to elude the
magical powers of the dragon-king, and after they had
thought upon the matter, the prince said: "When the
dragon comes home to-night, ask where he got his horse ;
perchance I may be able to procure a steed that is equally
swift : only then could we hopefully make another attempt
to escape." Saying this he left his wife for a time.
When the dragon-king returned, the queen began to caress
him and to pleasantly converse ; at length she said :
" How I admire your fine horse ! Certainly he is of no
ordinary breed ! Where did you find such a swift
courser? " And the dragon-king replied : " Ah ! his like
is not to be got by every one! In a certain mountain
lives an old woman, who has in her stables twelve
wondrous horses; none could easily tell which is the
finest! But in a corner stands one that is apparently
leprous ; he is, in fact, the best of the stable, and whoever

275

Tales Sf Legends of the Serbians

becomes his master, may ride even higher than the
clouds. My steed is a brother of those horses, and if
anyone would get a horse from that old woman he must
serve her for three days. She has a mare and a foal,
and he who is her servant must tend them for three days
and three nights; if he succeeds in guarding them and
returns them to the old woman, he is entitled to choose a
horse from her stable. But, if the servant does not watch
well over the mare and its foal, he will indeed lose his
life."

The old Woman and her Horses
Next morning, when the dragon had left the castle, the
prince came and the queen told him what she had heard.
Hastily bidding his wife farewell, he went with all speed
to the mountain, and finding the old woman, he said
to her: "God help you, grandmother!" And she
returned the greeting : " May God help you also, my son !
What good wind brought you here, and what do you
wish ? " He answered : " I should like to serve you."
Thereupon the old woman said : " Very well, my son ! If
you successfully watch my mare and its foal for three
days, I shall reward you with a horse which you yourself
are at liberty to choose from my stable ; but if you do
not keep them safe, you must die."

Then she led the prince into her courtyard, where he saw
stakes all around placed close together, and on each save
one was stuck a human head. The one stake kept shout-
ing out to the old woman : " Give me a head, O grand-
mother ! Give me a head ! " The old woman said :
" All these are heads of those who once served me; they
did not succeed in keeping my mare and its foal safe, so
they had to pay with their heads ! " But the prince was
276

The old Woman and her Horses

not to be frightened at what he saw, and he readily
accepted the old woman's conditions.
When evening came, he mounted the mare and rode it to
pasture, the foal following. He remained seated on the
mare, but, toward midnight, he dozed a little and finally
fell fast asleep. When he awoke he saw, to his great
consternation, that he was sitting upon the trunk of a tree
holding the mare's bridle in his hand. He sprang down
and went immediately in search of the tricky animal.
Soon he came to a river, the sight of which reminded him
of the little fish, and taking the scale from his handker-
chief, he rubbed it gently between his fingers, when lo !
the fish instantly appeared and asked : " What is the
matter, my brother-in-God ? " The prince answered :
" My mare has fled, and I do not know where to look for
her ! " And the fish answered : " Here she is with us,
turned into a fish, and her foal into a small one ! Strike
once upon the water with the bridle and shout : " Doora !
Mare of the old woman ! "

The prince did as the fish told him ; at once the mare and
her foal came out of the water; he bridled the mare,
mounted and rode home ; the young foal trotting after.
The old woman brought the prince some food without a
word ; then she took the mare into the stable, beat her
with a poker, and said : " Did I not tell you to go down
among the fish?" The mare answered: "I have been
down to the fish, but the fish are his friends and they
betrayed me to him." Thereupon the old woman said :
" To-night you go among the foxes 1 "
When evening came, the prince mounted the mare again
and rode to the field, the foal following its mother. He
determined again to remain in the saddle and to keep
watch, but, toward midnight, he was again overcome by

277

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

drowsiness and became unconscious. When he awoke
next morning, lo ! he was seated on a tree-trunk holding
fast the bridle. This alarmed him greatly, and he looked
here and he looked there. But search as he would, he
could find no trace of the mare and her foal. Then he
remembered his friend the fox, and taking the hair from
the fox's tail out of his handkerchief, he rubbed it
gently between his fingers, and the fox instantly stood
before him. " What is the matter, my brother-in-God ? "
said he. The prince complained of his misfortune, saying
that he had hopelessly lost his mare. The fox soon
reassured him : " The mare is with us, changed to a fox,
and her foal into a cub ; just strike once with the bridle
on the earth, and shout out 'Doora, the old woman's
mare ! ' He did so, and sure enough the mare at once
appeared before him with the foal. So he bridled her and
mounted, and when he reached home the old woman gave
him food, and took the mare to the stable and beat her with
a poker, saying : " Why did you not turn into a fox, you
disobedient creature?" And the mare protested : " I did
turn into a fox; but the foxes are his friends, so they
betrayed me ! >! At this the old woman commanded :
" Next time you go to the wolves ! J>
When evening came the prince set out on the mare and
the same things befell as before. He found himself, the
next morning, sitting on a tree-trunk, and this time he
called the wolf, who said : " The mare of the old woman
is with us in the likeness of a she-wolf, and the foal of a
wolf's cub; strike the ground once with the bridle and
exclaim : ' Doora ! the mare of the old woman ! ' " The
prince did as the wolf counselled, and the mare reappeared
with her foal standing behind her.
He mounted once again and proceeded to the old woman's

278

The Prince's Choice

house, where, on his arrival, he found her preparing a
meal. Having set food before him, she took the mare to
the stable and beat her with a poker. " Did I not tell
you to go to the wolves, you wretched creature?" she
scolded. But the mare protested again, saying : " I did
go to the wolves, but they are also his friends and they
betrayed me ! " Then the old woman went back to the
house and the prince said to her : " Well, grandmother, I
think I have served you honestly; now I hope you will
give me what you promised me ! " The old woman
replied : " O my son, verily a promise must be fulfilled !
Come to the stable ; there are twelve horses ; you are at
liberty to choose whichever you like best ! "

The Princes Choice

Thereupon the prince said firmly : " Well, why should I
be particular? Give me the leprous horse, standing in
that corner." The old woman tried by all means in her
power to deter him from taking that ugly horse, saying :
"Why be so foolish as to take that leprous jade when you
can have a fine horse ? " But the prince kept to his
choice, and said : " Give me rather the one I selected, as
it was agreed between us ! "

The old woman, seeing that he would not yield, gave
way, and the prince took leave of her and led away his
choice. When they came to a forest he curried and groomed
the horse, and it shone as if its skin were of pure gold.
Then he mounted, and, the horse flying like a bird, they
reached the dragon-king's castle in a few seconds.
The prince immediately entered and greeted the queen
with : " Hasten, all is ready for our flight ! " The queen
was ready, and in a few seconds they were speeding away,
swift as the wind, on the back of the wonderful horse.

279

Tales ^f Legends of the Serbians

Shortly after they had gone, the dragon-king came home,
and finding that the queen had again disappeared, he
addressed the following words to his horse : "What shall
we do now? Shall we refresh ourselves, or shall we go
after the fugitives at once?" And his horse replied:
"We may do as you will, but we shall never reach
them ! "

Upon hearing this the dragon-king at once flung himself
upon his horse and they were gone in a flash. After a
time the prince looked behind him and saw the dragon-
king in the distance. He urged his horse, but it said :
" Be not afraid ! There is no need to run quicker." But
the dragon-king drew nearer, so close that his horse was
able to speak thus to its brother : " O brother dear, tarry,
I beseech you ! else I shall perish in running at this
speed!" But the prince's horse answered: "Nay, why
be so foolish as to carry that monster ? Fling up your
hoofs and throw him against a rock, then come with me ! "
At these words the dragon-king's horse shook its head,
curved its back, and kicked up its hoofs so furiously that
its rider was flung on to a rock and killed. Seeing this,
the prince's horse stood still, its brother trotted up, and
the queen mounted on it. So they arrived happily in her
own land, where they lived and ruled in great prosperity
ever after.

X. THE BIRD MAIDEN

There was once a king who had an only son, whom, when
he had grown up, he sent abroad to seek a suitable wife.
The prince set out on his journey, but, although he
travelled over the whole world, he did not succeed in
finding a bride. Finally, after having exhausted his
patience and his purse, he decided to die, and, that there
280

The Old Witch

should not remain any trace of him, he climbed a high

mountain, intending to throw himself from the summit.

He was on the point of jumping from the pinnacle, when

a voice uttered these mysterious words : " Stop ! Stop !

O man ! Do not kill yourself, for the sake of three

hundred and sixty-five which are in the year ! "

The prince endeavoured in vain to discover whence the

voice came, and, seeing no one, he asked : " Who are you

that speak to me ? Show yourself ! If you knew of my

troubles, you would surely not hinder me ! " Thereupon

an old man appeared, with hair as white as snow, and said

to the unfortunate prince : "I am well aware of all you

suffer ; but listen to me. Do you see yonder high hill ? "

The king's son answered : "Yes, indeed." " Very well,"

continued the old man, " seated day and night in the same

spot on the summit of that hill there is an old woman with

golden hair, and she holds a bird in her lap. He who

succeeds in securing that bird will be the happiest man in

the world. But if you wish to try your luck you must be

cautious ; you must approach the old woman quietly, and,

before she sees you, you must take her by the hair. Should

she see you before you seize her, you will be turned to

stone then and there, just as it has happened to many

young men whom you will see there in the form of blocks

of marble."

The Old Witch

When the prince heard these words, he reflected : " It is
all one to me ; I shall go, and, if I succeed in seizing her,
so much the better for me ; but if she should see me before
I catch her, I can but die, as I had already resolved to do."
So he thanked the old man, and went cheerfully to try his
luck. He soon climbed the other hill and saw the old

281

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

woman, whom he approached very warily from behind.
Fortunately the old woman was absorbed in playing with
the bird, and so the prince was able to get quite near
without being perceived. Then he sprang suddenly
forward and seized the old woman by her golden hair;
whereupon she screamed so loudly that the whole hill
shook as with an earthquake. But the courageous prince
held her fast. Then the old woman exclaimed : " Release
me, and ask whatever you wish ! " And the prince
answered : " I will do so if you let me have that bird,
and if you at once recall to life all these young men whom
you have bewitched." The old woman was forced to
consent, and she gave up the bird. Then from her lips
she breathed a blue wind toward the petrified figures, so
that instantly they became living men once more. The
noble prince expressed the joy in his heart by kissing the
bird in his hands, whereupon it was transformed into a
most beautiful girl, whom, it appeared, the enchantress
had bewitched in order to lure young men to a horrid fate.
The king's son was so pleased with his companion that he
promptly fell in love with her. On their way from that
place the maiden gave him a stick, and told him that it
would do everything he might wish. Presently the prince
wished that he had the wherewithal to travel as befitted a
prince and his bride ; he struck a rock with the stick, and
out poured a torrent of golden coins, from which they took
all they needed for their journey. When they came to a
river, the prince touched the water with his stick, and a
dry path appeared, upon which they crossed dryshod. A
little farther on they were attacked by a pack of wolves,
but the prince protected his bride with his stick, and one
by one the wolves were turned into ants.
And many other adventures they had, but in the end they
282

*

The old woman was absorbed in playing with the bird 282

Lying for a Wager

arrived safely at the prince's home. Then they married
and they lived happily ever after.

XL LYING FOR A WAGER

One day a father sent his boy to the mill with corn to be
ground, and, at the moment of his departure, he warned
him not to grind it in any mill where he should happen to
find a beardless man.1

When the boy came to a mill, he was therefore disappointed
to find that the miller was beardless.
" God bless you, Beardless ! " saluted the boy.
" May God help you ! " returned the miller.
"May I grind my corn here?" asked the boy.
"Yes, why not?" responded the beardless one, "my corn
will be soon ground ; you can then grind yours as long as
you please."

But the boy, remembering his father's warning, left this
mill and went to another up the brook. But Beardless
took some grain and, hurrying by a shorter way, reached
the second mill first and put some of his corn there to be
ground. When the boy arrived and saw that the miller
was again a beardless man, he hastened to a third mill ;
but again Beardless hurried by a short cut, and reached it
before the boy. He did the same at a fourth mill, so that
the boy concluded that all millers are beardless men. He
therefore put down his sack, and when the corn of Beard-
less was ground he took his turn at the mill. When all of
his grain had been ground Beardless proposed : " Listen,
my boy ! Let us make a loaf of your flour."
The boy had not forgotten his father's injunction to have
nothing to do with beardless millers, but as he saw no
way out of it, he accepted the proposal. So Beardless now
1 Beardless is used as the personification of craftiness and sharpness,

283

Tales Sf Legends of the Serbians

took all the flour, mixed it with water, which the boy

brought him, and thus made a very large loaf. Then

they fired the oven and baked the loaf, which, when finished,

they placed against the wall.

Then the miller proposed : " Listen, my boy ! If we were

now to divide this loaf between us, there would be little

enough for either of us, let us therefore tell each other

stories, and whoever tells the greatest lie shall have the

whole loaf for himself."

The boy reflected a little and, seeing no way of helping

himself, said: "Very well, but you must begin."

Then Beardless told various stories till he got quite tired.

Then the boy said : " Eh, my dear Beardless, it is a pity if you

do not know any more, for what you have said is really

nothing ; only listen, and I shall tell you now the real truth."

The Boys Story

" In my young days, when I was an old man, we possessed
many beehives, and I used to count the bees every morn-
ing ; I counted them easily enough, but I could never
contrive to count the beehives. Well, one morning, as I
was counting the bees, I was greatly surprised to find
that the best bee was missing, so I saddled a cock,
mounted it, and started in search of my bee. I traced it
to the sea-shore, and saw that it had gone over the sea,
so I decided to follow it. When I had crossed the water,
I discovered that a peasant had caught my bee; he
was ploughing his fields with it and was about to sow
millet. So I exclaimed : * That is my bee ! How did
you get it ? ' And the ploughman answered : « Brother,
if this is really your bee, come here and take it ! ' So I
went to him and he gave me back my bee, and a sack
full of millet on account of the services my bee had
284

The Boy's Story

rendered him. Then I put the sack on my back, and
moved the saddle from the cock to the bee. Then I
mounted, and led the cock behind me that it might rest
a little. As I was crossing the sea, one of the strings of
my sack burst, and all the millet poured into the water.
When I had got across, it was already night, so I alighted
and let the bee loose to graze ; as to the cock, I fastened
him near me, and gave him some hay. After that I laid
myself down to sleep. When I rose next morning, great
was my surprise to see that during the night, the wolves
had slaughtered and devoured my bee; and the honey
was spread about the valley,, knee-deep^ and ankle-deep
on the hills. Then I was puzzled to know in what vessel
I could gather up all the honey. Meantime I remembered
I had a little axe with me, so I went into the woods to
catch a beast, in order to make a bag of its skin. When
I reached the forest, I saw two deer dancing on one leg ;
so I threw my axe, broke their only leg and caught them
both. From those two deer I drew three skins and made
a bag of each, and in them gathered up all the honey.
Then I loaded the cock with the bags and hurried home-
ward. When I arrived home I found that my father had
just been born, and I was told to go to heaven to fetch
some holy water. I did not know how to get there, but as
I pondered the matter I remembered the millet which had
fallen into the sea. I went back to that place and found
that the grain had grown up quite to heaven, for the
place where it had fallen was rather damp, so I climbed
up by one of the stems. Upon reaching heaven I found
that the millet had ripened, and an angel had harvested
the grain and had made a loaf of it, and was eating it
with some warm milk. I greeted him, saying : ' God
bless you ! ' The angel responded : ' May God help

285

Tales Sf Legends of the Serbians

you ! ' and gave me some holy water. On my way back I
found that there had been a great rain, so that the sea had
risen so high that my millet was carried away ! I was
frightened as to how I should descend again to earth,
but at length I remembered that I had long hair — it is
so long that when I am standing upright it reaches down
to the ground, and when I sit it reaches to my ears.
Well, I took out my knife and cut off one hair after
another, tying them end to end as I descended on them.
Meantime darkness overtook me before I got to the
bottom, and so I decided to make a large knot and to
pass the night on it. But what was I to do without
a fire! The tinder-box I had with me, but I had no
wood. Suddenly I remembered that I had in my vest a
sewing needle, so I found it, split it and made a big fire,
which warmed me nicely ; then I laid myself down to
sleep. When I fell asleep, unfortunately a flame burnt
the hair through, and, head over heels, I fell to the
ground, and sank into the earth up to my girdle. I
moved about to see how I could get out, and, when I
found that I was tightly interred, I hurried home for a
spade and came back and dug myself out. As soon as I
was freed, I took the holy water and started for home.
When I arrived reapers were working in the field. It
was such a hot day, that I feared the poor men would
burn to death, and called to them : ' Why do you not
bring here our mare which is two days' journey long and
half a day broad, and on whose back large willows are
growing; she could make some shade where you are
working ? ' My father hearing this, quickly brought the
mare, and the reapers continued working in the shade.
Then I took a jug in which to fetch some water. When
I came to the well, I found the water was quite frozen, so
286

" The whole loaf is for thce, and Beardless is to get nothing! " 286

The Maiden Wiser than the Tsar

I took my head off and broke the ice with it ; then I
filled the jug and carried the water to the reapers. When
they saw me they asked me : * Where is your head ? ' I
lifted my hand, and, to my great surprise, my head was
not upon my shoulders, and then I remembered having
left it by the well. I went back at once, but found that
a fox was there before me, and was busy devouring my
head. I approached slowly and struck the beast fiercely
with my foot, so that in great fear, it dropped a little
book. This I picked up and on opening it, found written
in it these words : ' The whole loaf is for thee, and
Beardless is to get nothing ! ' "

Saying this, the boy took hold of the loaf and made off.
As for Beardless, he was speechless, and remained gazing
after the boy in astonishment.

XII. THE MAIDEN WISER THAN
THE TSAR

Long ago there lived an old man, who dwelt in a poor
cottage. He possessed one thing only in the world, and
that was a daughter who was so wise that she could teach
even her old father.

One day the man went to the tsar to beg, and the tsar,
astonished at his cultivated speech, asked him whence he
came and who had taught him to converse so well. He
told the tsar where he lived, and that it was his daughter
who had taught him to speak with eloquence.
«* And where was your daughter taught ? " asked the tsar.
" God and our poverty have made her wise," answered the
poor man.

Thereupon the tsar gave him thirty eggs and said : " Take
these to your daughter, and command her in my name
to bring forth chickens from them. If she does this

287

Tales ®P Legends of the Serbians

successfully I will give her rich presents, but if she fails
you shall be tortured."

The poor man, weeping, returned to his cottage and told
all this to his daughter. The maiden saw at once that
the eggs which the tsar had sent were boiled, and bade
her father rest while she considered what was to be done.
Then while the old man was sleeping the girl filled a pot
with water and boiled some beans.

Next morning she woke her father and begged him to take
a plough and oxen and plough near the road where the
tsar would pass. " When you see him coming," said
she, " take a handful of beans, and while you are sowing
them you must shout : ' Go on, my oxen, and may God
grant that the boiled beans may bear fruit ! ' Then," she
went on, " when the tsar asks you, ' How can you expect
boiled beans to bear fruit ? ' answer him : ' just as from
boiled eggs one can produce chicks ! '
The old man did as his daughter told him, and went forth
to plough. When he saw the tsar he took out a handful
of beans, and exclaimed : " Go on, my oxen ! And may
God grant that the boiled beans may bear fruit ! " Upon
hearing these words the tsar stopped his carriage, and
said to the man : " My poor fellow, how can you expect
boiled beans to bear fruit ? "

"Just as from boiled eggs one can produce chicks!"
answered the apparently simple old man.
The tsar laughed and passed on, but he had recognized
the old man, and guessed that his daughter had instructed
him to say this. He therefore sent officers to bring the
peasant into his presence. When the old man came, the
tsar gave him a bunch of flax, saying : " Take this, and
make out of it all the sails necessary for a ship ; if you do
not, you shall lose your life."
288

The Tsar Sends for the Girl

The poor man took the flax with great fear, and went home
in tears to tell his daughter of his new task. The wise
maiden soothed him, and said that if he would rest she
would contrive some plan. Next morning she gave her
father a small piece of wood, and bade him take it to the
tsar with the demand that from it should be made all the
necessary tools for spinning and weaving, that he should
thereby be enabled to execute his Majesty's order. The
old man obeyed, and when the tsar heard the extraordinary
request he was greatly astounded at the astuteness of the
girl, and, not to be outdone, he took a small glass, saying :
" Take this little glass to your daughter, and tell her she
must empty the sea with it, so that dry land shall be where
the ocean now is."

The old man went home heavily to tell this to his daughter.
But the girl again reassured him, and next morning she
gave him a pound of tow, saying : " Take this to the tsar
and say, that when with this tow he dams the sources of all
rivers and streams I will dry up the sea."

The Tsar Sends for the Girl

The father went back to the tsar and told him what
his daughter had said, and the tsar, seeing that the
girl was wiser than himself, ordered that she should be
brought before him. When she appeared the tsar asked
her: *'Can you guess what it is that can be heard at the
greatest distance?" and the girl answered: "Your
Majesty, there are two things : the thunder and the lie
can be heard at the greatest distance ! "
The astonished tsar grasped his beard, and, turning to
his attendants, exclaimed : " Guess what my beard is
worth ? " Some said so much, others again so much ; but
the maiden observed to the tsar that none of his courtiers

T 289

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

had guessed right. " His Majesty's beard is worth as much
as three summer rains," she said. The tsar, more astonished
than ever, said: "The maiden has guessed rightly!"
Then he asked her to become his wife, for " I love you,"
said he. The girl had become enamoured of the tsar,
and she bowed low before him and said : " Your glorious
Majesty ! Let it be as you wish ! But I pray that your
Majesty may be graciously pleased to write with your own
hand on a piece of parchment that should you or any of
your courtiers ever be displeased with me, and in con-
sequence banish me from the palace, I shall be allowed j
take with me any one thing which I like best."
The tsar gladly consented, wrote out this declaration and
affixed his signature.

Some years passed by happily but there came at last a
day when the tsar was offended with the tsarina and he
said angrily : " You shall be no longer my wife, I com-
mand you to leave my palace ! "

The tsarina answered dutifully: "O most glorious tsar,
I will obey ; permit me to pass but one night in the palace,
and to-morrow I will depart."
To this the tsar assented.

That evening, at supper, the tsarina mixed certain herbs
in wine and gave the cup to the tsar, saying : " Drink, O
most glorious tsar ! And be of good cheer ! I am to go
away, but, believe me, I shall be happier than when I first
met you ! "

The tsar, having drunk the potion fell asleep. Then the
tsarina who had a coach in readiness, placed the tsar in
it and carried him off to her father's cottage.
When his Majesty awoke next morning and saw that he
was in a cottage, he exclaimed : "Who brought me
here?"
290

He could ?wtfind a word to say

290

The First Voyage

" I did," answered the tsarina.

The tsar protested, saying : " How have you dared do

so? Did I not tell you that you are no longer my

wife?"

Instead of answering the tsarina produced the parchment

containing the tsar's promise and he could not find a

word to say.

Then the tsarina said : "As you see, you promised that

should I be banished from your palace I should be at

liberty to take with me that which I liked best ! "

Hearing this, the tsar's love for his spouse returned,

he took her in his arms, and they returned to the palace

together.

XI I L GOOD DEEDS NEVER PERISH
Once upon a time there lived a man and woman who had
one son. When the boy grew up his parents endeavoured
to give him a suitable education which would be useful in
his after life. He was a good, quiet boy, and above all
he feared God. After he had completed his studies, his
father intrusted him with a galley laden with various
goods, so that he might trade with distant countries, and
be the support of his parents' old age.

The First Voyage

On his first voyage he one day met with a Turkish ship,
in which he heard weeping. So he called to the sailors on
the Turkish vessel : " I pray you, tell me why there is such
sorrow on board your ship! " And they answered : "We
have many slaves whom we have captured in various parts
of the world, and those who are chained are weeping and
lamenting." Thereupon the young man said : " Pray, O
brethren, ask your captain if he will allow me to ransom

291

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

the slaves for a sum of money ? " The sailors gladly called
their captain, who was willing to bargain, and in the end
the young man gave his ship with all its cargo to the
Turk, in exchange for his vessel containing the slaves.
The young man asked each slave whence he came, and
gave to all their freedom, and said that each might return
to his own country.

Among the slaves was an old woman who held a most
beautiful maiden by the arm. When he asked whence
they came, the old woman answered through her tears :
" We come from a far-away country. This young girl is
the only daughter of the tsar, whom I have brought up
from her infancy. One unlucky day she was walking in
the palace gardens, and wandered to a lonely spot, where
those accursed Turks saw her and seized her. She began
to scream, and I, who happened to be near, ran to help
her, but alas ! I could not save her, and the Turks carried
us both on board this galley." Then the good nurse and
the beautiful girl, not knowing the way to their own
country, and having no means of returning thither, im-
plored the young man to take them with him. And this
he was quite willing to do ; indeed, he had immediately
fallen in love with the princess, and he now married the
poor homeless maiden, and, together with her and the old
woman, returned home.

On their arrival, his father asked where his galley and
its cargo were, and he told him how he had ransomed the
slaves and set them at liberty. " This girl," said he, "is
the daughter of a tsar, and this old woman is her
nurse; as they could not return to their country I took
them with me, and I have married the maiden." There-
upon his father grew very angry, and said : " O foolish
son, what have you done? Why did you dispose so
292

The Second Voyage

stupidly of my property without my permission ? " and he
drove him out of the house.

Fortunately for the young man, a good neighbour offered
him hospitality, and, with his wife and her old nurse, he
resided for a long time near by, endeavouring, through
the influence of his mother and friends, to persuade his
father to forgive him.

The Second Voyage

After some time the father relented, and received his son
again in his house, together with his young wife and her
nurse. Soon after, he purchased a second galley, larger
and finer than the first, and loaded it with merchandise
wherewith his son might trade to great profit, if so be
that he were wise.

The young man sailed in this new vessel, leaving his wife
and her nurse in the house of his parents, and soon came
to a certain city, where he beheld a sorrowful sight. He
saw soldiers busied in seizing poor peasants and throwing
them into prison, and he asked : "Why, brethren, are you
showing such cruelty to these unfortunate people ? "
And the soldiers replied : " Because they have not paid
the tsar's taxes." The young man at once went to
the officer and said : " I pray you, tell me how much
these poor people must pay." The officer told him the
amount due, and, without hesitation, the young man
sold his galley and the cargo, and discharged the debts
of all the prisoners. He now returned home, and,
falling at the feet of his father, he told him the story and
begged that he might be forgiven. But his father grew
exceedingly angry this time, and drove him away from
his house.

What could the unhappy son do in this fresh trouble?

293

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

How could he beg, he whose parents were so well-to-do ?
Old friends of the family again used their influence with
his father, urging that he should take pity on his son and
receive him back, " for," said they, " it is certain that
suffering has made him wiser, and that he will never
again act so foolishly." At length his father yielded, took
him again into his house, and prepared a third galley for
him, much larger and finer than the two former ones.

The Third Voyage

The young man was overjoyed at his good fortune, and he
had the portrait of his beloved wife painted on the helm,
and that of the old nurse on the stern. When all the
preparations for a new voyage were completed, he took
leave of his parents, his wife, and other members of the
family, and weighed anchor. After sailing for some time
he arrived at a great city, in which there lived a tsar, and,
dropping anchor, he fired his guns as a salute to the city.
Toward evening the tsar sent one of his ministers to learn
who the stranger was and whence he came, and to inform
him that his master would come at nine o'clock next
morning to visit the galley. The minister was astounded
to see on the helm the portrait of the imperial princess —
whom the tsar had promised to him in marriage when she
was still a child — and on the stern that of the old nurse ;
but he did not make any remark, nor did he tell anyone
at the palace what he had seen. At nine o'clock next
morning the tsar came on board the galley with his
ministers, and, as he paced the deck, conversing with the
captain, he also saw the portrait of the maiden painted on
the helm and that of the old woman on the stern, and he
recognized at once the features of his only daughter and
her nurse, whom the Turks had captured. At once he
294

The Third Voyage

conceived the hope that his beloved child was alive and well,
but he could not trust himself to speak, so great was his
emotion. Composing himself as best he could, he invited
the captain to come at two o'clock that afternoon to his
palace, intending to question him, hoping thus to confirm
the hopes of his heart.

Punctually at two o'clock the captain appeared at the
palace, and the tsar at once began to question him in a
roundabout manner as to the maiden whose portrait he
had seen on the helm of his galley. Was she one of his
relations, and, if so, in what degree? He was also
curious concerning the old woman whose likeness was
painted on the stern.

The young captain guessed at once that the tsar must
be his wife's father, and he related to him word by word all
his adventures, not omitting to say that, having found that
the young maiden and her nurse had forgotten the way
back to their country, he had taken pity on them and
later had espoused the maiden. Hearing this the tsar
exclaimed : " That girl is my only child and the old
woman is her nurse ; hasten and bring my daughter here
that I may see her once more before I die. Bring here
also your parents and all your family ; your father will be
my brother and your mother my sister, for you are my
son and the heir to my crown. Go and sell all your
property and come that we may live together in my
palace ! " Then he called the tsarina, his wife, and all
his ministers, that they might hear the joyful news, and
there was great joy in the court.

After this the tsar gave the captain a magnificent ship
requesting him to leave his own galley behind. The
young man was, of course, very grateful, but he said : " O
glorious tsar! My parents will not believe me, if you do

295

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

not send one of your ministers to accompany me."
Thereupon the tsar appointed as his companion for the
voyage, the very minister to whom he had formerly
promised his daughter in marriage.

The captain's father was greatly surprised to see his son
return so soon and in such a magnificent ship. Then
the young man related to his father and others all that
had happened, and the imperial minister confirmed all his
statements. When the princess saw the minister she ex-
claimed joyfully : " Yes, indeed, all that he has said is
true; this is my father's minister, who was to be my
betrothed." Then the man and his family sold all their
property and went on board the ship.

The Treacherous Minister

Now the minister was a wicked man, and he had formed a
design to kill the young husband of the princess that he
might espouse her and one day become tsar. Accord-
ingly during the voyage he called the young man on deck
one night to confer with him. The captain had a quiet
conscience and did not suspect evil, wherefore he was
entirely unprepared when the minister seized him and
threw him swiftly overboard. The ship was sailing fast ;
it was impossible that he could reach it, so he fell
gradually behind. By great good luck he was very near
to land and soon he was cast ashore by the waves. But,
alas ! this land was but a bare uninhabited rock.
Meantime the minister had stolen back to his cabin and
next morning when it was found that the captain had
disappeared, all began to weep and wail, thinking that he
had fallen overboard in the night and been drowned. His
family would not be consoled, more especially his wife,
who loved him so much. When they arrived at the tsar's
296

The Young Man's Return

palace and reported that the young man had been acci-
dentally drowned, the entire court mourned with them.
For fifteen days the tsar's unhappy son-in-law was con-
demned to a bare subsistence upon the scanty grass which
grew upon the rocky islet. His skin was tanned by the
hot sun and his garments became soiled and torn, so that
no one could have recognized him. On the morrow of
the fifteenth day, he had the good fortune to perceive an
old man on the shore, leaning on a stick, engaged in
fishing. He began at once to hail the old man and to
beseech him to help him off the rock. The old fisherman
said : " I will save you, if you will pay me ! " " How
can I pay you," answered the castaway, "when, as you
see, I have only these rags, and nothing more ?" " Oh,
as for that," replied the old man, "you can write and
sign a promise to give me a half of everything that you
may ever possess." The young man gladly made this
promise. Then the old man produced writing materials
and the young man signed the agreement, after which
they both sailed in the old man's fishing boat to the
mainland. After that the young man wandered from
house to house and from village to village, a barefoot
beggar, in rags, sunburnt, and hungry.

The Young Mans Return

After thirty days' journeying, good luck led him to the
city of the tsar and he sat him down, staff in hand, at
the gates of the palace, still wearing on his finger his
wedding-ring, on which was engraved his name and that
of his wife. The servants of the tsar, pitying his sad
plight, offered him shelter for the night in the palace and
gave him to eat fragments from their own dinner. Next
morning he went to the garden of the palace, but the

297

Tales SP Legends of the Serbians

gardener came and drove him away, saying that the tsar
and his family were soon coming by. He moved from
that spot and sat down in a corner on the grass, when
suddenly he saw the tsar walking with his own mother
and father, who had remained at the court as the
tsar's guests, and his beloved wife walking arm in arm
with his enemy, the minister. He did not yet wish to
reveal himself, but as the tsar and his train passed by
and gave him alms, he stretched out his hand to receive
it and the wedding-ring upon his finger caught the
princess's eye. She recognized it at once, but it was
incredible that the beggar could be her husband, and she
said to him : " Pray, give me your hand that I may see
your ring ! >J The minister protested, but the princess did
not pay any attention to him, and proceeded to examine
the ring, to find there her own name and that of her husband.
Her heart was greatly agitated at the sight, but she made
an effort to control her feelings and said nothing. Upon
her return to the palace she appeared before her father
and told him what she had seen. " Please send for him,"
said she, " and we may find out how the ring came into
his possession ! " The tsar immediately sent an attendant
to fetch the beggar. The order was executed at once,
and, when the stranger appeared the tsar asked him his
name, whence he came, and in what manner he obtained
the ring. The unfortunate young man could no longer
maintain his disguise, so telling the tsar who he was, he
went on to relate all his adventures since the minister
treacherously threw him into the sea. " Behold ! " said
he at last, " Our gracious Lord and my right-dealing has
brought me back to my parents and my wife." Almost
beside themselves for joy, the tsar called for the young
man's parents and imparted to them the good news. Who
298

i

ay^ give me your hand that 1 mav see vour ring I 298

The Young Man's Return

could express the joy of the aged couple when they
identified their son? Words fail, also, to describe ade-
quately the rejoicing which filled the hearts of the entire
court." The servants prepared perfumed baths for the
young man and brought him sumptuous new garments.
The tsar gave orders that he should be crowned as tsar,
and for several days there were wonderful festivities, in
which the whole city joined; everywhere was singing,
dancing and feasting. The old tsar summoned the wicked
minister to appear before his son-in-law, to be dealt with
according to his will. But the young tsar had a kind
heart, so he forgave him upon the condition that he should
leave the tsardom without delay, and never come back
during his reign.

The new tsar had hardly began to rule, when the old
fisherman who had saved him from the rocky isle came
and craved audience. The tsar at once received his
deliverer who produced the written promise. "Very
well, old man/' said the tsar ; " to-day I am ruler, but
I will as readily fulfil my word as if I were a beggar with
little to share ; so let us divide my possessions in two
equal parts." Then the tsar took the books and began
to divide the cities, saying : " This is for you — this is
for me." So he marked all on a map, till the whole
tsardom was divided between them, from the greatest
city to the poorest hut.

When the tsar had finished the old man said : "Take all
back ! I am not a man of this world ; I am an angel
from God, who sent me to save you on account of your
good deeds. Now reign and be happy, and may you live
long in complete prosperity ! " So saying, he vanished
suddenly, and the young tsar ruled in great happiness
ever after.

299

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

XIV. HE WHOM GOD HELPS
NO ONE CAN HARM

Once upon a time there lived a man and his wife, and
they were blessed with three sons. The youngest son was
the most handsome, and he possessed a better heart than
his brothers, who thought him a fool. When the three
brothers had arrived at man's estate, they came together
to their father, each of them asking permission to marry.
The father was embarrassed with this sudden wish of his
sons, and said he would first take counsel with his wife as
to his answer.

The First Quest

A few days later the man called his sons together and told
them to go to the neighbouring town and seek for employ-
ment. " He who brings me the finest rug will obtain my
permission to marry first," he said.

The brothers started off to the neighbouring town together.
On the way the two elder brothers began to make fun of
the youngest, mocking his simplicity, and finally they
forced him to take a different road.

Abandoned by his malicious brothers, the young man
prayed God to grant him good fortune. At length he
came to a lake, on the further shore of which was a
magnificent castle. The castle belonged to the daughter
of a tyrannous and cruel prince who had died long ago.
The young princess was uncommonly beautiful, and
many a suitor had come there to ask for her hand. The
suitors were always made very welcome, but when they
went to their rooms at night the late master of the castle
would invariably come as a vampire and suffocate them.
As the youngest brother stood upon the shore wondering
300

The First Quest

how to cross the lake, the princess noticed him from her
window and at once gave an order to the servants to take
a boat and bring the young man before her. When he
appeared he was a little confused, but the noble maiden
reassured him with some kind words — for he had, indeed,
made a good impression upon her and she liked him
at first sight. She asked him whence he came and where
he intended to go, and the young man told her all about
his father's command.

When the princess heard that, she said to the young man :
"You will remain here for the night, and to-morrow
morning we will see what we can do about your rug."
After they had supped, the princess conducted her gue.st
to a green room, and bidding him " good-night," said :
"This is your room. Do not be alarmed if during the
night anything unusual should appear to disturb you."
Being a simple youth, he could not even close his eyes, so
deep was the impression made by the beautiful things
which surrounded him, when suddenly, toward midnight,
there was a great noise. In the midst of the commotion
he heard distinctly a mysterious voice whisper: "This
youth will inherit the princely crown, no one can do him
harm ! " The young man took refuge in earnest prayer,
and, when day dawned, he arose safe and sound.
When the princess awoke, she sent a servant to summon
the young man to her presence, and he was greatly
astonished to find the young man alive ; so also was the
princess and every one in the castle.

After breakfast the princess gave her guest a rich rug,
saying: "Take this rug to your father, and if he desires
aught else you have only to come back." The young man
thanked his fair hostess and with a deep bow took his
leave of her.

301

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

When he arrived home he found his two brothers already
there ; they were showing their father the rugs they had
brought. When the youngest exhibited his they were
astounded, and exclaimed : " How did you get hold of
such a costly rug ? You must have stolen it ! "

The Second Quest

At length the father, in order to quieten them, said : " Go
once more into the world, and he who brings back a chain
long enough to encircle our house nine times shall have
my permission to marry first ! " Thus the father succeeded
in pacifying his sons. The two elder brothers went their
way, and the youngest hurried back to the princess.
When he appeared she asked him : " What has your
father ordered you to do now?" And he answered:
"That each of us should bring a chain long enough to
encircle our house nine times." The princess again made
him welcome and, after supper, she showed him into a
yellow room, saying : " Somebody will come again to
frighten you during the night, but you must not pay any
attention to him, and to-morrow we will see what we can
do about your chain."

And sure enough, about midnight there came many ghosts
dancing round his bed and making fearful noises, but he
followed the advice of the princess and remained calm and
quiet. Next morning a servant came once more to conduct
him to the princess, and, after breakfast, she gave him a
fine box, saying: "Take this to your father, and if he
should desire anything more, you have but to come to
me." The young man thanked her, and took his leave.
Again he found that his brothers had reached home first
with their chains, but these were not long enough to
encircle the house even once, and they were greatly
302

The. young man strove earnestly in prayer 302

The Third Quest

astonished when their youngest brother produced from the
box the princess had given an enormous gold chain of the
required length. Filled with envy, they exclaimed : " You
will ruin the reputation of our house, for you must have
stolen this chain ! "

The Third Quest

At length the father, tired of their jangling, sent them
away, saying : " Go ; bring each of you his sweetheart,
and I will give you permission to marry." Thereupon
the two elder brothers went joyfully to fetch the girls they
loved, and the youngest hurried away to the princess to
tell her what was now his father's desire. When she
heard, the princess said : " You must pass a third night
here, and then we shall see what we can do."
So, after supping together, she took him into a red room.
During the night he heard again a blood-curdling noise,
and from the darkness a mysterious voice said : " This
young man is about to take possession of my estates and
crown ! " He was assaulted by ghosts and vampires,
and was dragged from his bed ; but through all the young
man strove earnestly in prayer, and God saved him.
Next morning when he appeared before the princess, she
congratulated him on his bravery, and declared that he
had won her love. The young man was overwhelmed
with happiness, for although he would never have dared
to reveal the secret of his heart, he also loved the princess.
A barber was now summoned to attend upon the young
man, and a tailor to dress him like a prince. This done,
the couple went together to the castle chapel and were
wedded.

A few days later they drove to the young man's village,
and as they stopped outside his home they heard great

303

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

rejoicing and music, whereat they understood that his two
elder brothers were celebrating their marriage feasts. The
youngest brother knocked on the gate, and when his
father came he did not recognize his son in the richly
attired prince who stood before him. He was surprised
that such distinguished guests should pay him a visit,
and still more so when the prince said : " Good man, will
you give us your hospitality for to-night?" The father
answered : " Most gladly, but we are having festivities in
our house, and I fear that these common people will disturb
you with their singing and music." To this the young
prince said : " Oh, no ; it would please me to see the
peasants feasting, and my wife would like it even more
than I."

They now entered the house, and as the hostess curtsied
deeply before them the prince congratulated her, saying :
" How happy you must be to see your two sons wedded on
the same day! " The woman sighed. "Ah," said she,
" on one hand I have joy and on the other mourning : I
had a third son, who went out in the world, and who
knows what ill fate may have befallen him ? "
After a time the young prince found an opportunity to step
into his old room, and put on one of his old suits over his
costly attire. He then returned to the room where the
feast was spread and stood behind the door. Soon his two
brothers saw him, and they called out : " Come here,
father, and see your much-praised son, who went and stole
like a thief ! " The father turned, and seeing the young
man, he exclaimed : " Where have you been for so long,
and where is your sweetheart ? "

Then the youngest son said: " Do not reproach me; all
is well with me and with you ! " As he spake he took off
his old garments and stood revealed in his princely dress.
304

Animals as Friends & as Enemies

Then he told his story and introduced his wife to his
parents.

The brothers now expressed contrition for their conduct, and
received the prince's pardon, after which they all embraced ;
the feasting was renewed, and the festivities went on for
several days. Finally the young prince distributed
amongst his father and brothers large portions of his new
lands, and they all lived long and happily together.

XV. ANIMALS AS FRIENDS AND AS
ENEMIES *

Once upon a time, a long while ago, there lived in a very
far-off country, a young nobleman who was so exceedingly
poor that all his property was an old castle, a handsome
horse, a trusty hound, and a good rifle.
This nobleman spent all his time in hunting and shooting,
and lived entirely on the produce of the chase.
One day he mounted his well-kept horse and rode off to the
neighbouring forest, accompanied, as usual, by his faithful
hound. When he came to the forest he dismounted, fas-
tened his horse securely to a young tree, and then went deep
into the thicket in search of game. The hound ran on at a
distance before his master, and the horse remained all alone,
grazing quietly. Now it happened that a hungry fox came
by that way and, seeing how well-fed and well-trimmed the
horse was, stopped a while to admire him. By and by she
was so charmed with the handsome horse, that she lay down
in the grass near him to bear him company.
Some time afterward the young nobleman came back out
of the forest, carrying a stag that he had killed, and was

1 This and the remaining stories in this chapter are reprinted from
Serbian Folk-Lore^ by Madame C. Mijatovitch, by kind permission of
M. Chedo Miyatovich.

u 305

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

extremely surprised to see the fox lying so near his horse.
So he raised his rifle with the intention of shooting her ;
but the fox ran up to him quickly and said, " Do not kill
me ! Take me with you, and I will serve you faithfully. I will
take care of your fine horse whilst you are in the forest."
The fox spoke so pitifully that the nobleman was sorry for
her, and agreed to her proposal. Thereupon he mounted
his horse, placed the stag he had shot before him, and
rode back to his old castle, followed closely by his hound
and his new servant, the fox.

When the young nobleman prepared his supper, he did not
forget to give the fox a due share, and she congratulated
herself that she was never likely to be hungry again, at
least so long as she served so skilful a hunter.
The next morning the nobleman went out again to the
chase ; the fox also accompanied him. When the young
man dismounted and bound his horse, as usual, to a tree,
the fox lay down near it to keep it company.
Now, whilst the hunter was far off in the depth of the
forest looking for game, a hungry bear came by the place
where the horse was tied, and. seeing how invitingly fat it
looked, ran up to kill it. The fox hereupon sprang up
and begged the bear not to hurt the horse, telling him if
he was hungry he had only to wait patiently until her
master came back from the forest, and then she was quite
sure that the good nobleman would take him also to his
castle and feed him, and care for him, as he did for
his horse, his hound, and herself.

The bear pondered over the matter very wisely and deeply
for some time, and at length resolved to follow the fox's
advice. Accordingly he lay down quietly near the horse,
and waited for the return of the huntsman. When the
young noble came out of the forest he was greatly sur-

Animals as Friends & as Enemies

prised to see so large a bear near his horse, and, dropping
the stag he had shot from his shoulders, he raised his
trusty rifle and was about to shoot the beast. The fox,
however, ran up to the huntsman and entreated him to
spare the bear's life, and to take him, also, into his
service. This the nobleman agreed to do ; and, mounting
his horse, rode back to his castle, followed by the hound,
the fox, and the bear.

The next morning, when the young man had gone again
with his dog into the forest, and the fox and the bear lay
quietly near the horse, a hungry wolf, seeing the horse,
sprang out of a thicket to kill it. The fox and the bear,
however, jumped up quickly and begged him not to hurt
the animal, telling him to what a good master it belonged,
and that they were sure, if he would only wait, he also would
be taken into the same service, and would be well cared for.
Thereupon the wolf, hungry though he was, thought it best
to accept their counsel, and he also lay down with them
in the grass until their master come out of the forest.
You can imagine how surprised the young nobleman was
when he saw a great gaunt wolf lying so near his horse !
However, when the fox had explained the matter to him,
he consented to take the wolf also into his service.
Thus it happened that this day he rode home followed by
the dog, the fox, the bear, and the wolf. As they were all
hungry, the stag he had killed was not too large to furnish
their suppers that night, and their breakfasts next morning.
Not many days afterward a mouse was added to the
company, and after that a mole begged so hard for
admission that the good nobleman could not find in his
heart to refuse her. Last of all came the great bird, the
kumrekusha — so strong a bird that she can carry in her
claws a horse with his rider! Soon after a hare was

307

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

added to the company, and the nobleman took great care
of all his animals and fed them regularly and well, so that
they were all exceedingly fond of him.

The Animals' Council

One day the fox said to the bear, " My good Bruin, pray

run into the forest and bring me a nice large log, on

which I can sit whilst I preside at a very important

council we are going to hold."

Bruin, who had a great respect for the quick wit and good

management of the fox, went out at once to seek the log,

and soon came back bringing a heavy one, with which the

fox expressed herself quite satisfied. Then she called all the

animals about her, and, having mounted the log, addressed

them in these words :

"You know all of you, my friends, how very kind and

good a master we have. But, though he is very kind, he

is also very lonely. I propose, therefore, that we find a

fitting wife for him."

The assembly was evidently well pleased with this idea,

and responded unanimously, "Very good, indeed, if we

only knew any girl worthy to be the wife of our master ;

which, however, we do not."

Then the fox said, "/ know that the king has a most

beautiful daughter, and I think it will be a good thing to

take her for our lord ; and therefore I propose, further,

that our friend the kumrekusha should fly at once to the

king's palace, and hover about there until the princess

comes out to take her walk. Then she must catch her up

at once, and bring her here."

As the kumrekusha was glad to do anything for her

kind master, she flew away at once, without even waiting

to hear the decision of the assembly on this proposal.

308

The Magic Carpet

Just before evening set in, the princess came out to walk
before her father's palace: whereupon the great bird
seized her and placed her gently on her outspread wings,
and thus carried her off swiftly to the young nobleman's
castle.

The king was exceedingly grieved when he heard that his
daughter had been carried off, and sent out everywhere
proclamations promising rich rewards to any one who
should bring her back, or even tell him where he might
look for her. For a long time, however, all his promises
were of no avail, for no one in the kingdom knew
anything at all about the princess.

At last, however, when the king was well-nigh in despair,
an old gipsy woman came to the palace and asked the
king, " What will you give me if I bring back to you your
daughter, the princess ? "

The king answered quickly, " I will gladly give you
whatever you like to ask, if only you bring me back my
daughter ! "

Then the old gipsy went back to her hut in the forest, and
tried all her magical spells to find out where the princess
was. At last she found out that she was living in an old
castle, in a very distant country, with a young nobleman
who had married her.

The Magic Carpet

The gipsy was greatly pleased when she knew this, and
taking a whip in her hand seated herself at once in the
middle of a small carpet, and lashed it with her whip.
Then the carpet rose up from the ground and bore her
swiftly through the air, toward the far country where the
young nobleman lived, in his lonely old castle, with his
beautiful wife, and all his faithful company of beasts.

309

Tales @f Legends of the Serbians

When the gipsy came near the castle she made the carpet
descend on the grass among some tress, and leaving
it there went to look about until she could meet the
princess walking about the grounds. By and by the
beautiful young lady came out of the castle, and
immediately the ugly old woman went up to her, and
began to fawn on her and to tell her all kinds of strange
stories. Indeed, she was such a good story-teller that the
princess grew quite tired of walking before she was tired
of listening ; so, seeing the soft carpet lying nicely on the
green grass, she sat down on it to rest awhile. The
moment she was seated the cunning old gipsy sat down
by her, and, seizing her whip, lashed the carpet furiously.
In the next minute the princess found herself borne upon
the carpet far away from her husband's castle, and before
long the gipsy made it descend into the garden of the
king's palace.

You can easily guess how glad he was to see his lost
daughter, and how he generously gave the gipsy even
more than she asked as a reward. Then the king made
the princess live from that time in a very secluded tower
with only two waiting-women, so afraid was he lest she
would again be stolen from him.

Meanwhile the fox, seeing how miserable and melancholy
her young master appeared after his wife had so strangely
been taken from him, and having heard of the great
precautions which the king was using in order to prevent
the princess being carried off again, summoned once more
all the animals to a general council.

When all of them were gathered about her, the fox thus
began : " You know all of you, my dear friends, how
happily our kind master was married ; but you know, also,
that his wife has been unhappily stolen from him, and that
310

The Magic Carpet

he is now far worse off than he was before we found the
princess for him. Then he was lonely; now he is more
than lonely — he is desolate! This being the case, it is
clearly our duty, as his faithful servants, to try in some
way to bring her back to him. This, however, is not
a very easy matter, seeing that the king has placed his
daughter for safety in a strong tower. Nevertheless, I do
not despair, and my plan is this : I will turn myself into
a beautiful cat, and play about in the palace gardens under
the windows of the tower in which the princess lives. I
dare say she will long for me greatly the moment she sees
me, and will send her waiting-women down to catch me
and take me up to her. But I will take good care that
the maids do not catch me, so that, at last, the princess
will forget her father's orders not to leave the tower, and
will come down herself into the gardens to see if she may
not be more successful. I will then make believe to let
her catch me, and at this moment our friend, the kumre-
kusha, who must be hovering over about the palace, must
fly down quickly, seize the princess, and carry her off as
before. In this way, my dear friends, I hope we shall be
able to bring back to our kind master his beautiful wife.
Do you approve of my plan ? "

Of course, the assembly were only too glad to have such a
wise counsellor, and to be able to prove their gratitude to
their considerate master. So the fox ran up to the kumre-
kusha, who flew away with her under her wing, both being
equally eager to carry out the project, and thus to
bring back the old cheerful look to the face of their lord.
When the kumrekusha came to the tower wherein the
princess dwelt she set the fox down quietly among the
trees, where it at once changed into a most beautiful cat,
and commenced to play all sorts of graceful antics under

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

the window at which the princess sat. The cat was
striped all over the body with many different colours, and
before long the king's daughter noticed her, and sent down
her two women to catch her and bring her up in the
tower.

The two waiting-women came down into the garden, and
called, " Pussy ! pussy ! " in their sweetest voices ; they
offered her bread and milk, but they offered it all in vain.
The cat sprang merrily about the garden, and ran round
and round them, but would on no account consent to be
caught.

At length the princess, who stood watching them at one of
the windows of her tower, became impatient, and de-
scended herself into the garden, saying petulantly, " You
only frighten the cat ; let me try to catch her ! " As she
approached the cat, who seemed now willing to be caught,
the kumrekusha darted down quickly, seized the princess
by the waist, and carried her high up into the air.
The frightened waiting-women ran to report to the king
what had happened to the princess; whereupon the king
immediately let loose all his greyhounds to seize the cat
which had been the cause of his daughter's being carried
off a second time. The dogs followed the cat closely, and
were on the point of catching her, when she, just in the
nick of time, saw a cave with a very narrow entrance and
ran into it for shelter. There the dogs tried to follow
her, or to widen the mouth of the cave with their claws,
but all in vain; so, after barking a long time very
furiously, they at length grew weary, and stole back
ashamed and afraid to the king's stables.
When all the greyhounds were out of sight the cat changed
herself back into a fox, and ran off in a straight line
toward the castle, where she found her young master
312

The King makes War on the Animals

very joyful, for the kumrekusha had already brought back
to him his beautiful wife.

The King makes War on the Animals

Now the king was exceedingly angry to think that he had

again lost his daughter, and he was all the more angry to

think that such poor creatures as a bird and a cat had

succeeded in carrying her off after all his precautions.

So, in his great wrath, he resolved to make a general war

on the animals, and entirely exterminate them.

To this end he gathered together a very large army, and

determined to be himself their leader. The news of the

king's intention spread swiftly over the whole kingdom,

whereupon for the third time the fox called together all

her friends — the bear, the wolf, the kumrekusha, the mouse,

the mole, and the hare — to a general council.

When all were assembled the fox addressed them thus:

" My friends, the king has declared war against us, and

intends to destroy us all. Now it is our duty to defend

ourselves in the best way we can. Let us each see what

number of animals we are able to muster. How many of

your brother bears do you think you can bring to our help,

my good Bruin ? "

The bear got up as quickly as he could on his hind legs

and called out, " I am sure I can bring a hundred."

" And how many of your friends can you bring, my good

wolf?" asked the fox anxiously.

u I can bring at least five hundred wolves with me," said

the wolf with an air of importance.

The fox nodded her satisfaction and continued, " And

what can you do for us, dear master hare ? "

" Well, I think, I can bring about eight hundred," said the

hare cautiously.

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

" And what can you do, you dear little mouse? "
" Oh, / can certainly bring three thousand mice."
"Very well, indeed! — and you Mr. Mole ?"
" I am sure I can gather eight thousand."
" And now what number do you think you can bring
us, my great friend, kumrekusha ? "

" I fear not more than two or three hundred, at the very
best," said the kumrekusha sadly.

" Very good ; now all of you go at once and collect your
friends ; when you have brought all you can, we will
decide what is to be done," said the fox ; whereupon the
council broke up, and the animals dispersed in different
directions throughout the forest.

Not very long after, very unusual noises were heard in the
neighbourhood of the castle. There was a great shaking of
trees ; and the growling of bears and the short sharp barking
of wolves broke the usual quiet of the forest. The army of
animals was gathering from all sides at the appointed place.
When all were gathered together the fox explained to them
her plans in these words : " When the king's army stops on
its march to rest the first night, then you, bears and
wolves, must be prepared to attack and kill all the horses.
If, notwithstanding this, the army proceeds farther, you
mice must be ready to bite and destroy all the saddle-
straps and belts while the soldiers are resting the second
night, and you hares must gnaw through the ropes with
which the men draw the cannon. If the king still persists
in his march, you moles must go the third night and
dig out the earth under the road they will take the
next day, and must make a ditch full fifteen yards in
breadth and twenty yards in depth all round their camp.
Next morning, when the army begins to march over this
ground which has been hollowed out, you kumrekushas

The King makes War on the Animals

must throw down on them from above heavy stones while
the earth will give way under them."
The plan was approved, and all the animals went off
briskly to attend to their allotted duties.
When the king's army awoke, after their first night's rest
on their march, they beheld, to their great consternation,
that all the horses were killed. This sad news was reported
at once to the king ; but he only sent back for more horses,
and, when they came late in the day, pursued his march.
The second night the mice crept quietly into the camp,
and nibbled diligently at the horses' saddles and at the
soldiers' belts, while the hares as busily gnawed at the
ropes with which the men drew the cannon.
Next morning the soldiers were terrified, seeing the mis-
chief the animals had done. The king, however, reassured
them, and sent back to the city for new saddles and belts.
When they were at length brought he resolutely pursued
his march, only the more determined to revenge himself
on these presumptuous and despised enemies.
On the third night, while the soldiers were sleeping, the
moles worked incessantly in digging round the camp a
wide and deep trench underground. About midnight the
fox sent the bears to help the moles, and to carry away the
loads of earth.

Next morning the king's soldiers were delighted to find
that no harm seemed to have been done on the previous
night to their horses or straps, and started with new
courage on their march. But their march was quickly
arrested, for soon the heavy horsemen and artillery began
to fall through the hollow ground, and the king, when he
observed that, called out, " Let us turn back. I see God
himself is against us, since we have declared war against
the animals. I will give up my daughter."

315

Tales Sf Legends of the Serbians

Then the army turned back, amidst the rejoicings of the
soldiers. The men found, however, to their great surprise
and fear, that whichever way they turned, they fell through
the earth. To make their consternation yet more com-
plete, the kumrekushas now began to throw down heavy
stones on them, which crushed them completely. In this
way the king, as well as his whole army, perished.
Very soon afterward the young nobleman, who had
married the king's daughter, went to the enemy's capital
and took possession of the king's palace, taking with him
all his animals ; and there they all lived long and happily
together.

XVI. THE THREE SUITORS

In a very remote country there formerly lived a king who

had only one child — an exceedingly beautiful daughter.

The princess had a great number of suitors, and amongst

them were three young noblemen, whom the king loved

much. As, however, the king liked the three nobles

equally well, he could not decide to which of the three he

should give his daughter as wife. One day, therefore,

he called the three young noblemen to him, and said,

" Go, all of you, and travel about the world. The one of

you who brings home the most remarkable thing shall

be my son-in-law ! "

The three suitors started at once on their travels, each

of them taking opposite ways, and going in search of

remarkable things into far different countries.

A long time had not passed before one of the young

nobles found a wonderful carpet which would carry

rapidly through the air whoever sat upon it.

Another of them found a marvellous telescope, through

which he could see everybody and everything in the

316

The Three Suitors

world, and even the many-coloured sands at the bottom of
the great deep sea.

The third found a wonder-working ointment, which could
cure every disease in the world, and even bring dead
people back to life again.

Now the three noble travellers were far distant from each
other when they found these wonderful things. But when the
young man who had found the telescope looked through it,
he saw one of his former friends and present rivals walking
with a carpet on his shoulder, and so he set out to join
him. As he could always see, by means of his marvellous
telescope, where the other nobleman was, he had no great
difficulty in finding him, and when the two had met, they
sat side by side on the wonderful carpet, and it carried
them through the air until they had joined the third traveller.
One day, when each of them had been telling of the
remarkable things he had seen in his travels, one of them
exclaimed suddenly, " Now let us see what the beautiful
princess is doing, and where she is." Then the noble who
had found the telescope, looked through it and saw, to
his great surprise and dismay, that the king's daughter
was lying very sick and at the point of death. He told
this to his two friends and rivals, and they, too, were
thunderstruck at the bad news — until the one who had
found the wonder-working ointment, remembering it
suddenly, exclaimed, " I am sure I could cure her, if
I could only reach the palace soon enough ! " On hearing
this the noble who had found the wonderful carpet cried
out, " Let us sit down on my carpet, and it will quickly
carry us to the king's palace ! "

Thereupon the three nobles gently placed themselves in
the carpet, which rose instantly in the air, and carried
them direct to the king's palace.

317

Tales fif Legends of the Serbians

The king received them immediately ; but said very sadly,
" I am sorry for you : for all your travels have been in
vain. My daughter is just dying, so she can marry none
of you!"

But the nobleman who possessed the wonder-working
ointment said respectfully, " Do not fear, sire, the princess
will not die!" And on being permitted to enter the
apartment where she lay sick, he placed the ointment so
that she could smell it. In a few moments the princess
revived, and when her waiting-women had rubbed a little
of the ointment in her skin she recovered so quickly that
in a few days she was better than she had been before she
was taken ill.

The king was so glad to have his daughter given back to
him, as he thought, from the grave, that he declared that
she should marry no one but the young nobleman whose
wonderful ointment had cured her.

The Dispute

But now a great dispute arose between the three young
nobles : the one who possessed the ointment affirmed that
had he not found it the princess would have died, and
could not, therefore, have married any one; the noble
who owned the telescope declared that had he not found
the wonderful telescope they would never have known
that the princess was dying, and so his friend would not
have brought the ointment to cure her ; whilst the third
noble proved to them that had he not found the wonderful
carpet neither the finding of the ointment nor the telescope
would have helped the princess, since they could not have
travelled such a great distance in time to save her.
The king, overhearing this dispute, called the young
noblemen to him, and said to them, "My lords, from

318

The Dispute

what you have said, I see that I cannot, with justice, give
my daughter to any of you ; therefore, I pray you to give
up altogether the idea of marrying her, and that you
continue friends as you always were before you became
rivals."

The three young nobles saw that the king had decided
justly ; so they all left their native country, and went into
a far-off desert to live like hermits. And the king gave
the princess to another of his great nobles.
Many, many years had passed away since the marriage of
the princess, when her husband was sent by her father to
a distant country with which the king was waging war.
The nobleman took his wife, the princess, with him, as he
was uncertain how long he might be forced to remain
abroad. Now it happened that a violent storm arose just
as the vessel which carried the princess and her husband
was approaching a strange coast ; and in the height of the
great tempest the ship dashed on some rocks, and went to
pieces instantly. All the people on board perished in the
waves, excepting only the princess, who clung very fast to
a boat and was carried by the wind and the tide to the
shore. There she found what seemed to be an unin-
habited country, and, discovering a small cave in a rock,
she lived alone in it for three years, feeding on wild herbs
and fruits. She searched every day to find some way out
of the forest which surrounded her cave, but could find
none. One day, however, when she had wandered farther
than usual from the cave where she lived, she came
suddenly on another cave which, to her great astonish-
ment, had a small door. She tried over and over
again to open the door, thinking she would pass the
night in the cave ; but all her efforts were unavailing, it
was shut so fast. At length, however, a deep voice

319

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

from within the cave called out, "Who is at the
door?"

At this the princess was so surprised that she could not
answer for some moments; when, however, she had
recovered a little, she said, " Open me the door 1 "
Immediately the door was opened from within, and she
saw, with sudden terror, an old man with a thick grey
beard reaching below his waist and long white hair
flowing over his shoulders.

What frightened the princess the more was her finding a
man living here in the same desert where she had lived
herself three years without seeing a single soul.
The hermit and the princess looked at each long and
earnestly without saying a word. At length, however,
the old man said, "Tell me, are you an angel or a
daughter of this world?"

Then the princess answered, " Old man, let me rest a
moment, and then I will tell you all about myself, and
what brought me here." So the hermit brought out
some wild pears, and when the princess had taken some
of them, she began to tell him who she was, and how she
came in that desert. She said, " I am a king's daughter,
and once, many years ago, three young nobles of my
father's court asked the king for my hand in marriage.
Now the king had such an equal affection for all these
three young men that he was unwilling to give pain to any
of them, so he sent them to travel into distant countries,
and promised to decide between them when they returned.
" The three noblemen remained a long time away ; and
whilst they were still abroad somewhere, I fell danger-
ously ill. I was just at the point of death, when they all
three returned suddenly ; one of them bringing a wonder-
ful ointment, which cured me at once; the two others
320

The Recognition

brought each equally remarkable things — a carpet that
would carry whoever sat on it through the air, and a
telescope with which one could see everybody and every-
thing in the world, even to the sands at the bottom of the

sea."

The Recognition

The princess had gone on thus far with her story, when
the hermit suddenly interrupted her, saying : " All that
happened afterward I know as well as you can tell me.
Look at me, my daughter ! I am one of those noblemen
who sought to win your hand, and here is the wonderful
telescope." And the hermit brought out the instrument
from a recess in the side of his cave before he continued :
" My two friends and rivals came with me to this desert.
We parted, however, immediately, and have never met
since. I know not whether they are living or dead, but
I will look for them."

Then the hermit looked through his telescope, and saw
that the other two noblemen were living in caves like his,
in different parts of the same desert. Having found this
out, he took the princess by the hand, and led her on
until they found the other hermits. When all were
re-united, the princess related her adventures since the
foundering of the ship, in which her husband had gone
down, and from which she alone had been saved.
The three noble hermits were pleased to see her alive once
again, but at once decided that they ought to send her
back to the king, her father.

Then they made the princess a present of the wonderful
telescope, and the wonder-working ointment, and placed
her on the wonderful carpet, which carried her and her
treasures quickly and safely to her father's palace. As

x 321

Tales &f Legends of the Serbians

for the three noblemen, they remained, still living like
hermits, in the desert, only they visited each other now
and then, so that the years seemed no longer so tedious to
them. For they had many adventures to relate to each
other.

The king was exceedingly glad to receive his only child
back safely, and the princess lived with her father many
years ; but neither the king nor his daughter could entirely
forget the three noble friends who, for her sake, lived like
hermits in a wild desert in a far-off land.

XVII. THE DREAM OF THE KINGS SON

There was once a king who had three sons. One

evening, when the young princes were going to sleep, the

king ordered them to take good note of their dreams and

come and tell them to him next morning. So, the next

day the princes went to their father as soon as they

awoke, and the moment the king saw them he asked of

the eldest, " Well, what have you dreamt ? "

The prince answered, *• I dreamt that I should be the heir

to your throne."

And the second said, " And I dreamt that I should be the

first subject in the kingdom."

Then the youngest said, " / dreamt that I was going to

wash my hands, and that the princes, my brothers, held the

basin, whilst the queen, my mother, held fine towels

for me to dry my hands with, and your majesty's self

poured water over them from a golden ewer."

The king, hearing this last dream, became very angry, and

exclaimed, " What ! I — the king — pour water over the

hands of my own son ! Go away this instant out of

my palace, and out of my kingdom 1 You are no longer

my son."

322

The Dream of the King's Son

The poor young prince tried hard to make his peace with
his father, saying that he was really not to be blamed for
what he had only dreamed ; but the king grew more and
more furious, and at last actually thrust the prince out of
the palace.

So the young prince was obliged to wander up and down
in different countries, until one day, being in a large forest,
he saw a cave, and entered it to rest. There, to his great
surprise and joy, he found a large kettle full of Indian
corn, boiling over a fire : and, being exceedingly hungry,
began to help himself to the corn. In this way he went
until he was shocked to see he had nearly eaten up all the
maize, and then, being afraid some mischief would come
of it, he looked about for a place in which to hide himself.
At this moment, however, a great noise was heard at the
cave-mouth, and he had only time to hide himself in a
dark corner before a blind old man entered, riding on
a great goat and driving a number of goats before him.
The old man rode straight up to the kettle, but as soon as
he found that the corn was nearly all gone, he began
to suspect some one was there, and groped about the cave
until he caught hold of the prince.

" Who are you ? " asked he sharply ; and the prince an-
swered, " I am a poor, homeless wanderer about the world,
and have come now to beg you to be good enough to

receive me."

" Well," said the old man, " why not ? I shall at least have
some one to mind my corn whilst I am out with my goats
in the forest."

So they lived together for some time ; the prince remain-
ing in the cave to boil the maize, whilst the old man
drove out his goats every morning into the forest.
One day, however, the old man said to the prince, " I think

323

Tales £fef Legends of the Serbians

you shall take out the goats to-day, and I will stay at
home to mind the corn."

This the prince consented to very gladly, as he was tired
of living so long quietly in the cave. But the old man
added, " Mind only one thing ! There are nine different
mountains, and you can let the goats go freely over eight
of them, but you must on no account go on the ninth. The
veele live there, and they will certainly put out your eyes as
they have put out mine, if you venture on their mountain."
The prince thanked the old man for his warning, and then,
mounting the great goat, drove the rest of the goats before
him out of the cave.

Following the goats, he had passed over all the mountains
to the eighth, and from this he could see the ninth moun-
tain, and could not resist the temptation he felt to go upon
it. So he said to himself, " I will venture up, whatever
happens ! "

The Prince and the Veele

Hardly had he stepped on the ninth mountain before the
fairies surrounded him, and prepared to put out his eyes.
But, happily, a thought came into his head, and he ex-
claimed, quickly, " Dear veele, why take this sin on your
-heads ? Better let us make a bargain, that if you spring
over a tree that I will place ready to jump over, you shall
put out my eyes, and I will not blame you ! "
So the veele consented to this, and the prince went and
brought a large tree, which he cleft down the middle
almost to the root ; this done, he placed a wedge to keep
the two halves of the trunk open a little.
When it was fixed upright, he himself first jumped over it,
and then he said to the veele, " Now it is your turn. Let
us see if you can spring over the tree ! "

324

The Golden Horse

One veele attempted to spring over, but the same moment
the prince knocked the wedge out, and the trunk closing
at once held the veele fast. Then all the other fairies
were alarmed, and begged him to open the trunk and let
their sister free, promising, in return, to give him any-
he might ask. The prince said, " I want nothing except to
keep my own eyes, and to restore eyesight to that poor old
man." So the fairies gave him a certain herb, and told
him to lay it over the old man's eyes, and then he would
recover his sight. The prince took the herb, opened the
tree a little so as to let the fairy free, and then rode
back on the goat to the cave, driving the other goats
before him. When he arrived there he placed at once the
herb on the old man's eyes, and in a moment his eyesight
came back, to his exceeding surprise and joy.
Next morning the old man, before he drove out his goats,
gave the prince the keys of eight closets in the cave, but
warned him on no account to open the ninth closet,
although the key hung directly over the door. Then he
went out, telling the prince to take good care that the corn
was ready for their suppers.

Left alone in the cave, the young man began to wonder
what might be in the ninth closet, and at last he could not
resist the temptation to take down the key and open
the door to look in.

The Golden Horse

What was his surprise to see there a golden horse, with a
golden greyhound beside him, and near them a golden hen
and golden chickens were busy picking up golden millet-
seeds.

The young prince gazed at them for some time, admiring
their beauty, and then he spoke to the golden horse,

325

Tales ^f Legends of the Serbians

" Friend, I think we had better leave this place before the
old man comes back again."

" Very well," answered the golden horse, " I am quite
willing to go away, only you must take heed to what I am
going to tell. Go and find linen cloth enough to spread
over the stones at the mouth of the cave, for if the old
man hears the ring of my hoofs he will be certain to kill
you. Then you must take with you a little stone, a drop
of water, and a pair of scissors, and the moment I tell you
to throw them down you must obey me quickly, or you
are lost."

The prince did everything that the golden horse had
ordered him, and then, taking up the golden hen with her
chickens in a bag, he placed it under his arm, and
mounted the horse and rode quickly out of the cave,
leading with him, in a leash, the golden greyhound. But
the moment they were in the open air the old man,
although he was very far off, tending his goats on a
distant mountain, heard the clang of the golden hoofs, and
cried to his great goat, "They have run away. Let us
follow them at once."

In a wonderfully short time the old man on his great goat
came so near the prince on his golden horse, that the latter
shouted, " Throw now the little stone ! "
The moment the prince had thrown it down, a high rocky
mountain rose up between him and the old man, and
before the goat had climbed over it, the golden horse had
gained much ground. Very soon, however, the old man
was so nearly catching them that the horse shouted,
"Throw, now, the drop of water!" The prince obeyed
instantly, and immediately saw a broad river flowing
between him and his pursuer.

It took the old man on his goat so long to cross the river
326

The Golden Horse

that the prince on his golden horse was far away before
them ; but for all that it was not very long before the
horse heard the goat so near behind him that he shouted,
" Throw the scissors." The prince threw them, and the
goat, running over them, injured one of his fore legs very
badly. When the old man saw this, he exclaimed, " Now
I see I cannot catch you, so you may keep what you have
taken. But you will do wisely to listen to my counsel.
People will be sure to kill you for the sake of your golden
horse, so you had better buy at once a donkey, and take
the hide to cover your horse. And do the same with your
golden greyhound."

Having said this, the old man turned and rode back to his
cave ; and the prince lost no time in attending to his
advice, and covered with donkey-hide his golden horse
and his golden hound.

After travelling a long time the prince came unawares to
the kingdom of his father. There he heard that the king
had had a ditch dug, three hundred yards wide and four
hundred yards deep, and had proclaimed that whosoever
should leap his horse over it, should have the princess, his
daughter, for wife.

Almost a whole year had elapsed since the proclamation
was issued, but as yet no one had dared to risk the leap.
When the prince heard this, he said, " / will leap over it
with my donkey and my dog ! " and he leapt over it.
But the king was very angry when he heard that a poorly
dressed man, on a donkey, had dared to leap over the
great ditch which had frightened back his bravest knights ;
so he had the disguised prince thrown into one of his
deepest dungeons, together with his donkey and his dog.
Next morning the king sent some of his servants to see if
the man was still living, and these soon ran back to him,

327

Tales @P Legends of the Serbians

full of wonder, and told him that they had found in the
dungeon, instead of a poor man and his donkey, a young
man, beautifully dressed, a golden horse, a golden grey-
hound, and a golden hen, surrounded by golden chickens,
which were picking up golden millet-seeds from the ground.
Then the king said, " That must be some powerful prince."
So he ordered the queen, and the princes, his sons, to
prepare all things for the stranger to wash his hands.
Then he went down himself into the dungeon, and led the
prince up with much courtesy, desiring to make thus
amends for the past ill-treatment.

The king himself took a golden ewer full of water, and
poured some over the prince's hands, whilst the two
princes held the basin under them, and the queen held out
fine towels to dry them on.

This done, the young prince exclaimed, " Now, my dream
is fulfilled"; and they all at once recognized him, and
were very glad to see him once again amongst them.

XVIII. THE BITER BIT

Once upon a time there was an old man who, whenever he

heard anyone complain how many sons he had to care for,

always laughed and said, " I wish that it would please

God to give me a hundred sons ! "

This he said in jest ; as time went on, however, he had, in

reality, neither more nor less than a hundred sons.

He had trouble enough to find different trades for his

sons, but when they were once all started in life they

worked diligently and gained plenty of money. Now,

however, came a fresh difficulty. One day the eldest son

came in to his father and said, " My dear father, I think

it is quite time that I should marry."

Hardly had he said these words before the second son

328

The Biter Bit

came in, saying, " Dear father, I think it is already time
that you were looking out for a wife for me."
A moment later came in the third son, asking, " Dear
father, don't you think it is high time that you should find
me a wife ? " In like manner came the fourth and fifth,
until the whole hundred had made a similar request. All
of them wished to marry, and desired their father to find
wives for them as soon as he could.

The old man was not a little troubled at these requests ;
he said, however, to his sons, " Very well, my sons, / have
nothing to say against your marrying ; there is, however,
I foresee, one great difficulty in the way. There are one
hundred of you asking for wives, and I hardly think we
can find one hundred marriageable girls in all the fifteen
villages which are in our neigbourhood."
To this the sons, however, answered, " Don't be anxious
about that, but mount your horse and take in your sack
sufficient engagement-cakes. You must take, also, a
stick in your hand so that you can cut a notch in it for
every girl you see. It does not signify whether she be
handsome or ugly, or lame or blind, just cut a notch in
your stick for every one you meet with."
The old man said, " Very wisely spoken, my sons 1 I
will do exactly as you tell me."

Accordingly he mounted his horse, took a sack full of
cakes on his shoulder and a long stick in his hand, and
started off at once to beat up the neighbourhood for girls
to marry his sons.

The old man had travelled from village to village during
a whole month, and whenever he had seen a girl he cut a
notch in his stick. But he was getting pretty well tired,
and he began to count how many notches he had already
made. When he had counted them carefully over and

329

Tales &P Legends of the Serbians

over again, to be certain that he had counted all, he could
only make out seventy-four, so that still twenty-six were
wanting to complete the number required. He was,
however, so weary with his month's ride that he deter-
mined to return home. As he rode along, he saw a priest
driving oxen yoked to a plough, and seemingly very deep
in anxious thought about something. Now the old man
wondered a little to see the priest ploughing his own
corn-fields without even a boy to help him ; he therefore
shouted to ask him why he drove his oxen himself. The
priest, however, did not even turn his head to see who
called to him, so intent was he in urging on his oxen and
in guiding his plough.

The old man thought he had not spoken loud enough, so he
shouted out again as loud as he could, " Stop your oxen a
little, and tell me why you are ploughing yourself without
even a lad to help you, and this, too, on a holy-day 1 "
Now the priest — who was in a perspiration with his hard
work — answered testily, " I conjure you by your old age
leave me in peace! I cannot tell you my ill-luck."

The Hundred Daughters

At this answer, however, the old man was only the more

curious, and persisted all the more earnestly in asking

questions to find out why the priest ploughed on a saint's

day. At last the priest, tired with his importunity, sighed

deeply and said, " Well, if you will know : I am the

only man in my household, and God has blessed me with

a hundred daughters ! "

The old man was overjoyed at hearing this, and exclaimed

cheerfully, " That's very good ! It is just what I want,

for / have a hundred sons, and so, as you have a hundred

daughters, we can be friends ! "

330

The Hundred Daughters

The moment the priest heard this he became pleasant and
talkative, and invited the old man to pass the night in his
house. Then, leaving his plough in the field, he drove
the oxen back to the village. Just before reaching his
house, however, he said to the old man, " Go yourself into
the house whilst I tie up my oxen."
No sooner, however, had the old man entered the yard
than the wife of the priest rushed at him with a big stick,
crying out, "We have not bread enough for our hundred
daughters, and we want neither beggars nor visitors," and
with these words she drove him away.
Shortly afterwards the priest came out of the barn, and,
finding the old man sitting on the road before the gate,
asked him why he had not gone into the house as he had
told him to do. Whereupon the old man replied, " I went
in, but your wife drove me away ! "

Then the priest said, " Only wait here a moment till I
come back to fetch you." He then went quickly into his
house and scolded his wife right well, saying, "What
have you done ? What a fine chance you have spoiled !
The man who came in was going to be our friend, for he
has a hundred sons who would gladly have married our
hundred daughters 1 "

When the wife heard this she changed her dress hastily, and
arranged her hair and head-dress in a different fashion.
Then she smiled very sweetly, and welcomed with the
greatest possible politeness the old man, when her husband
led him into the house. In fact, she pretended that she knew
nothing at all of anyone having been driven away from
their door. And as the old man wanted much to find
wives for his sons, he also pretended that he did not know
that the smiling house-mistress and the woman who drove
him away with a stick were one and the selfsame person.

331

Tales ^f Legends of the Serbians

So the old man passed the night in the house, and next
morning asked the priest formally to give him his hundred
daughters for wives for his hundred sons. Thereupon the
priest answered that he was quite willing, and had already
spoken to his daughters about the matter, and that they,
too, were all quite willing. Then the old man took out
his " engagement-cakes," and put them on the table
beside him, and gave each of the girls a piece of money
to mark. Then each of the engaged girls sent a small
present by him to that one of his sons to whom she was
thus betrothed. These gifts the old man put in the bag
wherein he had carried the " engagement-cakes." He
then mounted his horse, and rode off merrily homewards.
There were great rejoicings in his household when he told
how successful he had been in his search, and that he
really had found a hundred girls ready and willing to be
married ; and these hundred, too, a priest's daughters.
The sons insisted that they should begin to make the
wedding preparations without delay, and commenced at
once to invite the guests who were to form part of the
wedding procession to go to the priest's house and bring
home the brides.

Here, however, another difficulty occurred. The old father
must find two hundred bride-leaders (two for each bride) ;
one hundred kooms ; one hundred starisvats ; one hundred
chaious (running footmen who go before the processions) ;
and three hundred vojvodes (standard-bearers) ; and, be-
sides these, a respectable number of other non-official guests.
To find all these persons the father had to hunt throughout
the neighbourhood for three years ; at last, however, they
were all found, and a day was appointed when they were
to meet at his house, and go thence in procession to the
house of the priest.
332

The Wedding Procession

The Wedding Procession

On the appointed day all the invited guests gathered at
the old man's house. With great noise and confusion,
after a fair amount of feasting, the wedding procession
was formed iproperly, and set out for the house of the
priest, where the hundred brides were already prepared for
their departure for their new home.

So great was the confusion, indeed, that the old man
quite forgot to take with him one of the hundred sons,
and never missed him in the greeting and talking and
drinking he was obliged, as father of the bridegrooms, to
go through. Now the young man had worked so long
and so hard in preparing for the wedding-day that he
never woke up till long after the procession had started ;
and every one had had, like his father, too much to do
and too many things to think of to miss him.
The wedding procession arrived in good order at the
priest's house, where a feast was already spread out for
them. Having done honour to the various good things,
and having gone through all the ceremonies usual on such
occasions, the hundred brides were given over to their
" leaders," and the procession started on its return to the
old man's house. But, as they did not set off until pretty
late in the afternoon, it was decided that the night should
be spent somewhere on the road. When they came, there-
fore, to a certain river named " Luckless," as it was
already dark, some of the men proposed that the party
should pass the night by the side of the water without
crossing over. However, some others of the chief of the
party so warmly advised the crossing the river and
encamping on the other bank, that this course was at
length, after a very lively discussion, determined on;

333

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

accordingly the procession began to move over the

bridge.

Just, however, as the wedding party were half-way across

the bridge its two sides began to draw nearer each other,

and pressed the people so close together that they had

hardly room to breathe — much less could they move

forwards or backwards.

The Black Giant

They were kept for some time in this position, some

shouting and scolding, others quiet because frightened,

until at length a black giant appeared, and shouted to

them in a terribly loud voice, "Who are you all ? Where

do you come from? Where are you going?"

Some of the bolder among them answered, "We are going

to our old friend's house, taking home the hundred brides

for his hundred sons ; but unluckily we ventured on this

bridge after nightfall, and it has pressed us so tightly

together that we cannot move one way or the other."

" And where is your old friend ? " inquired the black

giant.

Now all the wedding guests turned their eyes towards the

old man. Thereupon he turned towards the giant, who

instantly said to him, " Listen, old man ! Will you give

me what you have forgotten at home, if I let your friends

pass over the bridge ? "

The old man considered some time what it might be that

he had forgotten at home, but, at last, not being able to

recollect anything in particular that he had left, and

hearing on all sides the groans and moans of his guests,

he replied, " Well, I will give it you, if you will only let

the procession pass over."

Then the black giant said to the party, "You all hear

334

The Black Giant

what he has promised, and are all my witnesses to the

bargain. In three days I shall come to fetch what I have

bargained for."

Having said this, the black giant widened the bridge and

the whole procession passed on to the other bank in safety.

The people, however, no longer wished to spend the night

on the way, so they moved on as fast as they could, and

early in the morning reached the old man's house.

As everybody talked of the strange adventure they had

met with, the eldest son, who had been left at home, soon

began to understand how the matter stood, and went to

his father saying, " O my father ! you have sold me to the

black giant ! "

Then the old man was very sorry, and troubled ; but his

friends comforted him, saying, " Don't be frightened !

nothing will come of it."

The marriage ceremonies were celebrated with great

rejoicings. Just, however, as the festivities were at their

height, on the third day, the black giant appeared at

the gate and shouted, " Now, give me at once what you

have promised."

The old man, trembling all over, went forward and asked,

him, " What do you want? "

" Nothing but what you have promised me ! " returned the

black giant.

As he could not break his promise, the old man, very

distressed, was then obliged to deliver up his eldest son to

the giant, who thereupon said, " Now I shall take your son

with me, but after three years have passed you can come

to the Luckless River and take him away."

Having said this the black giant disappeared, taking with

him the young man, whom he carried off to his workshop

as an apprentice to the trade of witchcraft.

335

Tales SP Legends of the Serbians

From that time the poor old man had not a single moment
of happiness. He was always sad and anxious, and
counted every year, and month, and week, and even every
day, until the dawn of the last day of the three years.
Then he took a staff in his hand and hurried off to the
bank of the river Luckless. As soon as he reached the
river, he was met by the black giant, who asked him,
"Why are you come?" The old man answered that he
come to take home his son, according to his agreement.
Thereupon the giant brought out a tray on which stood
a sparrow, a turtle-dove, and a quail, and said to the old
man, " Now, if you can tell which of these is your son, you
may take him away.J)

The poor old father looked intently at the three birds,
one after the other, and over and over again, but at last
he was forced to own that he could not tell which of
them was his son. So he was obliged to go away by
himself, and was far more miserable than before. He
had hardly, however, got half-way home when he thought
he would go back to the river and take one of the birds
which remembered and looked at him intently.
When he reached the river Luckless he was again met by
the black giant, who brought out the tray again, and
placed on it this time a partridge, a tit-mouse, and a
thrush, saying, ' Now, my old man, find out which is your
son ! '

The anxious father again looked at one bird after the other,
but he felt more uncertain than before, and so, crying
bitterly, again went away.

The Old Woman

Just as the old man was going through a forest, which

was between the river Luckless and his house, an old

336

The Old Woman

woman met him, and said, " Stop a moment ! Where are
you hurrying to? And why are you in such trouble?"
Now, the old man was so deeply musing over his great
unhappiness that he did not at first attend to the old woman ;
but she followed him, calling after him, and repeating her
questions with more earnestness. So he stopped at last, and
told her what a terrible misfortune had fallen upon him.
When the old woman had listened to the whole story, she
said cheerfully, " Don't be cast down 1 Don't be afraid !
Go back again to the river, and, when the giant brings out
the three birds, look into their eyes sharply. When you
see that one of the birds has a tear in one of its eyes,
seize that bird and hold it fast, for it has a human soul."
The old man thanked her heartily for her advice, and
turned back, for the third time, towards the Luckless
River. Again the black giant appeared, and looked very
merry whilst he brought out his tray and put upon it a
sparrow, a dove, and a woodpecker, saying, " My old man !
find out which is your son!" Then the father looked
sharply into the eyes of the birds, and saw that from the
right eye of the dove a tear dropped slowly down. In a
moment he grasped the bird tightly, saying, " This is my
son ! " The next moment he found himself holding fast
his eldest son by the shoulder, and so, singing and shout-
ing in his great joy, took him quickly home, and gave him
over to his eldest daughter-in-law, the wife of his son.
Now, for some time they all lived together very happily.
One day, however, the young man said to his father,
"Whilst I was apprentice in the workshop of the black
giant, I learned a great many tricks of witchcraft. Now
I intend to change myself into a fine horse, and you shall
take me to market and sell me for a good sum of money.
But be sure not to give up the halter."

Y 337

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

The father did as the son had said. Next market day he
went to the city with a fine horse which he offered for sale.
Many buyers came round him, admiring the horse, and
bidding some sums for it, so that at last the old man was
able to sell it for two thousand ducats. When he received
the money, he took good care not to let go the halter,
and he returned home far richer than he ever dreamt of
being.

A few days later, the man who had bought the horse sent
his servant with it to the river to bathe, and, whilst in the
water, the horse got loose from the servant and galloped
off into the neighbouring forest. There he changed him-
self back into his real shape, and returned to his father's
house.

After some time had passed, the young man said one day
to his father, " Now I will change myself into an ox, and
you can take me to market to sell me ; but take care not
to give up the rope with which you lead me."
So next market-day the old man went to the city leading
a very fine ox, and soon found a buyer, who offered ten
times the usual price paid for an ox. The buyer asked
also for the rope to lead the animal home, but the old
man said, " What do you want with such an old thing ?
You had better buy a new one ! " and he went off taking
with him the rope.

That evening, whilst the servants of the buyer were driving
the ox to the field, he ran away into a wood near, and,
having taken there his human shape, returned home to his
father's house.

On the eve of the next market-day, the young man said to
his father : " Now I will change myself into a cow with
golden horns, and you can sell me as before, only take
care not to give up the string."
338

The Giant buys the Cow

Accordingly he changed himself next morning into a cow,
and the old man took it to the market-place, and asked for
it three hundred crowns.

But the black giant had learnt that his former apprentice
was making a great deal of money by practising the trade
he had taught him, and, being jealous at this, he deter-
mined to put an end to the young man's gains.

The Giant buys the Cow

Therefore, on the third day he came to the market himself
as a buyer, and the moment he saw the beautiful cow with
golden horns he knew that it could be no other than his
former apprentice. So he came up to the old man, and,
having outbid all the other would-be purchasers, paid at
once the price he had agreed on. Having done this, he
caught the string in his hand, and tried to wrench it from
the terrified old man, who called out, " I have not sold you
the string, but the cow ! " and held the string as fast as he
could with both hands.

" Oh, no ! " said the buyer, " I have the law and custom
on my side ! Whoever buys a cow, buys also the string
with which it is led ! " Some of the amused and
astonished lookers-on said that this was quite true,
therefore the old man was obliged to give up the string.
The black giant, well satisfied with his purchase, took the
cow with him to his castle, and, after having put iron
chains on her legs, fastened her in a cellar. Every
morning the giant gave the cow some water and hay, but
he never unchained her.

One evening, however, the cow, with incessant struggles,
managed to get free from the chains, and immediately
opened the cellar-door with her horns and ran away.
Next morning the black giant went as usual into the

339

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

cellar, carrying the hay and water for the cow ; but seeing
she had got free and run away, he threw the hay down,
and started off at once to pursue her.
When he came within sight of her, he turned himself into
a wolf and ran at her with great fury ; but his clever
apprentice changed himself instantly from a cow into a
bear, whereupon the giant turned himself from a wolf
into a lion ; the bear then turned into a tiger, and the lion
changed into a crocodile, whereupon the tiger turned into
a sparrow. Upon this the giant changed from the form
of a crocodile into a hawk, and the apprentice immediately
changed into a hare ; on seeing which the hawk became a
greyhound. Then the apprentice changed from a hare
into a falcon, and the greyhound into an eagle ; whereupon
the apprentice changed into a fish. The giant then turned
from an eagle into a mouse, and immediately the appren-
tice, as a cat, ran after him ; then the giant turned himself
into a heap of millet, and the apprentice transformed
himself into a hen and chickens, which very greedily
picked up all the millet except one single seed, in which
the master was, who changed himself into a squirrel ;
instantly, however, the apprentice became a hawk, and,
pouncing on the squirrel, killed it.

In this way the apprentice beat his master, the black
giant, and revenged himself for all the sufferings he had
endured whilst learning the trade of witchcraft. Having
killed the squirrel, the hawk took his proper shape again,
and the young man returned joyfully to his father, whom
he made immensely rich.

XIX. THE TRADE THAT NO ONE KNOWS
A long while ago there lived a poor old couple, who had
an only son. The old man and his wife worked very hard

340

The Trade that no one Knows

to nourish their child well and bring him up properly,
hoping that he, in return, would take care of them in their
old age.

When, however, the boy had grown up, he said to his
parents, " I am a man now, and I intend to marry, so I wish
you to go at once to the king and ask him to give me his
daughter for wife." The astonished parents rebuked
him, saying : " What can you be thinking of? We have
only this poor hut to shelter us, and hardly bread enough
to eat, and we dare not presume to go into the king's
presence, much less can we venture to ask for his daughter
to be your wife."

The son, however, insisted that they should do as he said,
threatening that if they did not comply with his wishes he
would leave them, and go away into the world. Seeing
that he was really in earnest in what he said, the unhappy
parents promised him they would go and ask for the
king's daughter. Then tlie old mother made a wedding
cake in her son's presence, and, when it was ready, she
put it in a bag, took her staff in her hand, and went
straight to the palace where the king lived. There the
king's servants bade her come in, and led her into the hall
where his Majesty was accustomed to receive the poor
people who came to ask alms or to present petitions.
The poor old woman stood in the hall, confused and
ashamed at her worn-out, shabby clothes, and looking as
if she were made of stone, until the king said to her
kindly : " What do you want from me, old mother ? "
She dared not, however, tell his Majesty why she had
come, so she stammered out in her confusion : " Nothing,
your Majesty."

Then the king smiled a little and said, "Perhaps you come
to ask alms?"

Tales @f Legends of the Serbians

Then the old woman, much abashed, replied : " Yes, your
Majesty, if you please ! "

Thereupon the king called his servants and ordered them
to give the old woman ten crowns, which they did.
Having received this money, she thanked his Majesty, and
returned home, saying to herself : " I dare say when my
son sees all this money he will not think any more of
going away from us."

In this thought, however, she was quite mistaken, for no
sooner had she entered the hut than the son came to her
and asked impatiently : " Well, mother, have you done as
I asked you ? "

At this she exclaimed : " Do give up, once for all, this
silly fancy, my son. How could you expect me to ask
the king for his daughter to be your wife ? That would
be a bold thing for a rich nobleman to do, how then can
we think of such a thing ? Anyhow, / dared not say one
word to the king about it. But only look what a lot of
money I have brought back. Now you can look for a
wife suitable for you, and then you will forget the king's
daughter."

When the young man heard his mother speak thus, he
grew very angry, and said to her : " What do I want with
the king's money ? I don't want his money, but I do want
his daughter ! I see you are only playing with me, so I
shall leave you. I will go away somewhere — anywhere —
wherever my eyes lead me."

Then the poor old parents prayed and begged him not to
go away from them, and leave them alone in their old
age ; but they could only quiet him by promising faith-
fully that the mother should go again next day to the
king, and this time really ask him to give his daughter to
her son for a wife.

342

The Trade that no one Knows

In the morning, therefore, the old woman went again to
the palace, and the servants showed her into the same
hall she had been in before. The king, seeing her stand
there, inquired : "What want you, my old woman, now? "
She was, however, so ashamed that she could hardly
stammer, " Nothing, please your Majesty."
The king, supposing that she came again to beg, ordered
his servants to give this time also ten crowns.
With this money the poor woman returned to her hut,
where her son met her, asking : " Well, mother, this time
I hope you have done what I asked you ? " But she re-
plied: "Now, my dear son, do leave the king's daughter
in peace. How can you really think of such a thing?
Even if she would marry you, where is the house to bring
her to ? So be quiet, and take this money which I have
brought you."

At these words the son was more angry than before, and
said sharply: "As I see you will not let me marry the
king's daughter, I will leave you this moment and never
come back again;" and, rushing out of the hut, he ran
away. His parents hurried after him, and at length pre-
vailed on him to return, by swearing to him that his
mother should go again to the king next morning, and
really and in truth ask his Majesty this time for his
daughter.

So the young man agreed to go back home and wait until
the next day.

On the morrow the old woman, with a heavy heart, went
to the palace, and was shown as before into the king's
presence. Seeing her there for the third time, his Majesty
asked her impatiently : " What do you want this time,
old woman ? " And she, trembling all over, said : " Please
your Majesty — nothing." Then the king exclaimed:

343

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

" But it cannot be nothing. Something you must want,
so tell me truth at once, if you value your life ! " There-
upon the old woman was forced to tell all the story to the
king ; how her son had a great desire to marry the princess,
and so had forced her to come and ask the king to give
her him to wife.

When the king had heard everything, he said : " Well,
after all, / shall say nothing against it if my daughter will
consent to it." He then told his servants to lead the
princess into his presence. When she came he told her
all about the affair, and asked her, " Are you willing to
marry the son of this old woman ? "

The Condition

The princess answered : " Why not ? If only he learns
first the trade that no one knows 1 " Thereupon the king
bade his attendants give money to the poor woman, who
now went back to her hut with a light heart.
The moment she entered her son asked her : " Have you
engaged her ? " And she returned : " Do let me get my
breath a little ! Well, now I have really asked the king :
but it is of no use, for the princess declares she will not
marry you until you have learnt the trade that no one
knows ! "

" Oh, that matters nothing ! " exclaimed the son. " Now
I only know the condition, it's all right!" The next
morning the young man set out on his travels through the
world in search of a man who could teach him the trade
that no one knows. He wandered about a long time
without being able to find out where he could learn such
a trade. At length one day, being quite tired out with
walking and very sad, he sat down on a fallen log by the
wayside. After he had sat thus a little while, an old
344

The Condition

woman came up to him, and asked : " Why art thou so
sad, my son? " And he answered : "What is the use of
your asking, when you cannot help me?" But she con-
tinued : " Only tell me what is the matter, and perhaps I
can help you." Then he said : " Well, if you must know,
the matter is this : I have been travelling about the world
a long time to find a master who can teach me the trade
that no one knows." "Oh, if it is only that," cried the
old woman, "just listen to me ! Don't be afraid, but go
straight into the forest which lies before you, and there
you will find what you want."

The young man was very glad to hear this, and got up
at once and went to the forest. When he had gone pretty
far in the wood he saw a large castle, and whilst he stood
looking at it and wondering what it was, four giants came
out of it and ran up to him, shouting : " Do you wish to
learn the trade that no one knows?" He said : "Yes;
that is just the reason why I come here." Whereupon
they took him into the castle.

Next morning the giants prepared to go out hunting, and,
before leaving, they said to him : " You must on no
account go into the first room by the dining-hall."
Hardly, however, were the giants well out of sight before
the young man began to reason thus with himself : " I see
very well that I have come into a place from which I
shall never go out alive with my head, so I may as well
see what is in the room, come what may afterwards." So
he went and opened the door a little and peeped in. There
stood a golden ass, bound to a golden manger. He looked
at it a little, and was just going to shut the door when the
ass said : " Come and take the halter from my head, and
keep it hidden about you. It will serve you well if you
only understand how to use it." So he took the halter,

345

Tales <^f Legends of the Serbians

and, after fastening the room-door, quickly concealed it
under his clothes. He had not sat very long before the
giants came home. They asked him at once if he had
been in the first room, and he, much frightened, replied :
" No, I have not been in." " But we know that you have
been ! " said the giants in great anger, and seizing some
large sticks they beat him so severely that he could hardly
stand on his feet. It was very lucky for him that he had
the halter wound round his body under his clothes, or else
he would certainly have been killed.
The next day the giants again prepared to go out hunting,
but before leaving him they ordered him on no account to
enter the second room.

Almost as soon as the giants had gone away he became
so very curious to see what might be in the second room,
that he could not resist going to the door. He stood
there a little, thinking within himself, "Well, I am already
more dead than alive, much worse cannot happen to me ! "
and so he opened the door and looked in. There he was
surprised to see a very beautiful girl, dressed all in gold
and silver, who sat combing her hair, and setting in every
tress a large diamond. He stood admiring her a little
while, and was just going to shut the door again, when
she spoke, " Wait a minute, young man. Come and take
this key, and mind you keep it safely. It will serve you
some time, if you only know how to use it." So he went
in and took the key from the girl, and then, going out,
fastened the door and went and sat down in the same
place he had sat before.

He had not remained there very long before the giants
came home from hunting. The moment they entered the
house they took up their large sticks to beat him, asking,
at the same time, whether he had been in the second room.
346

The Third Room

Shaking all over with fear, he answered them, " No, I
have not ! "

" But we know you have been," shouted the giants in great
anger, and they then beat him worse than on the first day.

The Third Room

The next morning, as the giants went out as usual to hunt,
they said to him : " Do not go into the third room, for
anything in the world; for if you do go in we shall not
forgive you as we did yesterday, and the day before ! We
shall kill you outright ! " No sooner, however, had the
giants gone out of sight, than the young man began to say
to himself, " Most likely they will kill me, whether I go
into the room or not. Besides, if they do not kill me,
they have beaten me so badly already that I am sure I
cannot live long, so, anyhow, I will go and see what is in
third room." Then he got up and went and opened the
door.

He was quite shocked, however, when he saw that the
room was full of human heads ! These heads belonged
to young men who had come, like himself, to learn the
trade that no one knows, and who, having obeyed faithfully
and strictly the orders of the giants, had been killed by
them.

The young man was turning quickly to go away when one
of the heads called out : " Don't be afraid, but come
in ! " Thereupon he went into the room. .Then the
head gave him an iron chain, and said : " Take care of
this chain, for it will serve you some time if you know
how to use it ! " So he took the chain, and going out
fastened the door.

He went and sat down in the usual place to wait for the
coming home of the giants, and, as he waited, he grew

347

Tales ^f Legends of the Serbians

quite frightened, for he fully expected that they would
really kill him this time.

The instant the giants came home they took up their
thick sticks and began to beat him without stopping to
ask anything. They beat him so terribly that he was all
but dead ; then they threw him out of the house, saying
to him : " Go away now, since you have learnt the trade
that no one knows ! " When he had lain a long time on
the ground where they had thrown him, feeling very sore
and miserable, at length he tried to move away, saying to
himself: "Well, if they really have taught me the trade
that no one knows^ for the sake of the king's daughter I
can suffer gladly all this pain, if I can only win her."
After travelling for a long time, the young man came at
last to the palace of the king whose daughter he wished
to marry. When he saw the palace, he was exceedingly
sad, and remembered the words of the princess ; for, after
all his wanderings and sufferings, he had learnt no trade,
and had never been able to find what trade it was " that
no one knows." Whilst considering what he had better
do, he suddenly recollected the halter, the key and the
iron chain, which he had carried concealed about him ever
since he left the castle of the four giants. He then said
to himself, " Let me see what these things can do ! " So
he took the halter and struck the earth with it, and
immediately a handsome horse, beautifully caparisoned,
stood before him. Then he struck the ground with the
iron chain, and instantly a hare and a greyhound appeared,
and the hare began to run quickly and the greyhound to
follow her. In a moment the young man hardly knew
himself, for he found himself in a fine hunting-dress, riding
on the horse after the hare, which took a path that passed
immediately under the windows of the king's palace.
348

The Son Returns

Now, it happened that the king stood at a window looking
out, and noticed at once the beautiful greyhound which
was chasing the hare, and the very handsome horse which
a huntsman in a splendid dress was mounted on. The
king was so pleased with the appearance of the horse and
the greyhound that he called instantly some of his servants,
and, sending them after the strange rider, bade them
invite him to come to the palace. The young man, how-
ever, hearing some people coming behind him calling and
shouting, rode quickly behind a thick bush, and shook a
little the halter and the iron chain. In a moment the
horse, the greyhound, and the hare had vanished, and he
found himself sitting on the ground under the trees dressed
in his old shabby clothes. By this time the king's
servants had come up, and, seeing him sit there, they
asked him whether he had seen a fine huntsman on a
beautiful horse pass that way. But he answered them
rudely : " No ! I have not seen any one pass, neither do I
care to look to see who passes ! "

Then the king's servants went on and searched the forest,
calling and shouting as loudly as they could, but it was all
in vain ; they could neither see nor hear anything of the
hunter. At length they went back to the king, and told
him that the horse the huntsman rode was so exceedingly
quick that they could not hear anything of him in the
forest.

The Son Returns

The young man now resolved to go to the hut where his
old parents lived ; and they were glad to see that he had
come back to them once more.

Next morning, the son said to his father : " Now, father,
I will show you what I have learned. I will change myself

349

Tales §P Legends ot the Serbians

into a beautiful horse, and you must lead me into the
city and sell me, but be very careful not to give away the
halter, or else I shall remain always a horse ! " Accord-
ingly, in a moment he changed himself into a horse of
extraordinary beauty, and the father took him to the
market-place to sell him. Very soon a great number of
people gathered round the horse, wondering at his unusual
beauty, and very high prices were offered for him ; the
old man, however, raised the price higher and higher at
every offer. The news spread quickly about the city that
a wonderfully handsome horse was for sale in the market-
place, and at length the king himself heard of it, and sent
some servants to bring the horse, that he might see it.
The old man led the horse at once before the palace, and the
king, after looking at it for some time with great admira-
tion, could not help exclaiming, " By my word, though I
am a king, I never yet saw, much less rode, so handsome
a horse!" Then he asked the old man if he would sell
it him. " I will sell it to your Majesty, very willingly,"
said the old man ; " but I will sell only the horse, and not
the halter." Thereupon the king laughed, saying : " What
should I want with your dirty halter ? For such a horse
I will have a halter of gold made ! " So the horse was
sold to the king for a very high price, and the old man
returned home with the money.

Next morning, however, there was a great stir and much
consternation in the royal stables, for the beautiful horse
had vanished somehow during the night. And at the
time when the horse disappeared, the young man returned
to his parents' hut.

A day or two afterwards the young man said to his
father : " Now I will turn myself into a fine church not
far from the king's palace, and if the king wishes to buy
350

The King Outbid

it you may sell it him, only be sure not to part with the
key or else I must remain always a church ! "
When the king got up that morning, and went to his
window to look out, he saw a beautiful church which he
had never noticed before. Then he sent his servants out
to see what it was, and soon after they came back saying,
that "the church belonged to an old pilgrim, who told
them that he was willing to sell it if the king wished to
buy it." Then the king sent to ask what price he would
sell it for, and the pilgrim replied : " It is worth a great
deal of money."

The King Outbid

Whilst the servants were bargaining with the father an
old woman came up. Now this was the same old woman
who had sent the young man to the castle of the four
giants, and she herself had been there and had learnt the
trade that no one knew. As she understood at once all
about the church, and had no mind to have a rival in the
trade, she resolved to put an end to the young man. For
this purpose she began to outbid the king, and offered,
at last, so very large a sum of ready money, that the old
man was quite astonished and confused at seeing the
money which she showed him. He accordingly accepted
her offer, but whilst he was counting the money, quite
forgot about the key. Before long, however, he recollected
what his son had said, and then, fearing some mischief,
he ran after old woman and demanded the key back.
But the woman could not be persuaded Jo give back the
key, and said it belonged to the church which she had
bought and paid for. Seeing she would not give up the
key, the old man grew more and more alarmed, lest some
ill should befall his son, so he took hold of the old woman

35*

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

by the neck and forced her to drop the key. She struggled
very hard to get it back again, and, whilst the old man
and she wrestled together, the key changed itself suddenly
into a dove and flew away high in the air over the palace
gardens.

When the old woman saw this, she changed herself into
a hawk, and chased the dove. Just, however, as the hawk
was about to pounce upon it, the dove turned itself into a
beautiful bouquet, and dropped down into the hand of the
king's daughter, who happened to be walking in the
garden. Then the hawk changed again into the old
woman, who went to the gate of the palace and begged
very hard that the princess would give that bouquet, or,
at least, one single flower from it.

But the princess said, " No ! not for anything in the
world ! These flowers fell to me from heaven ! " The
old woman, however, was determined to get one flower
from the bouquet, so, seeing the princess would not hear
her, she went straight to the king, and begged piteously
that he would order his daughter to give her one of the
flowers from her bouquet. The king, thinking the old
woman wanted one of the flowers to cure some disease,
called his daughter to him, and told her to give one to the
beggar.

But just as the king said this, the bouquet changed itself
into a heap of millet-seed and scattered itself all over the
ground. Then the old woman quickly changed herself
into a hen and chickens, and began greedily to pick up
the seeds. Suddenly, however, the millet vanished, and
In its place appeared a fox, which sprang on the hen and
killed her.

Then the fox changed into the young man, who explained
to the astonished king and princess that he it was who had
352

The Golden-Haired Twins

demanded the hand of the princess, and that, in order to
obtain it he had wandered all over the world in search of
some one who could teach him "the trade that no one
knows."

When the king and his daughter heard this, they gladly
fulfilled their part of the bargain, seeing how well the
young man had fulfilled his.

Then, shortly afterwards, the king's daughter married the
son of the poor old couple ; and the king built for the
princess and her husband a palace close to his own. There
they lived long and had plenty of children, and people say
that some of their descendants are living at present, and
that these go constantly to pray in the church, which is
always open because the key of it turned itself into a
young man who married the king's daughter, after he had
shown to her that he had done as she wished, and learnt,
for her sake, " the trade that no one knows."

XX. THE GOLDEN-HAIRED TWINS
Once upon a time, a long, long while ago, there lived a
young king who wished very much to marry, but could not
decide where he had better look for a wife.
One evening as he was walking disguised through the
streets of his capital, as it was his frequent custom to do,
he stopped to listen near an open window where he heard
three young girls chatting gaily together.
The girls were talking about a report which had been
lately spread through the city, that the king intended soon
to marry.

One of the girls exclaimed : "If the king would marry
me I would give him a son who should be the greatest
hero in the world."

The second girl said : "And if I were to be his wife I

z 353

Tales Sf Legends of the Serbians

would present him with two sons at once — the twins with
golden hair."

And the third girl declared that were the king to marry
her> she would give him a daughter so beautiful that there
should not be her equal in the whole wide world !
The young king listened to all this, and for some time
thought over their words, and tried to make up his mind
which of the three girls he should choose for a wife. At
last he decided that he would marry the one who had said
she would bring him twins with golden hair.
Having once settled this in his own mind, he ordered that
all preparations for his marriage should be made forthwith,
and shortly after, when all was ready, he married the
second girl of the three.

Several months after his marriage the young king, who
was at war with one of the neighbouring princes, received
tidings of the defeat of his army, and heard that his
presence was immediately required in the camp. He
accordingly left his capital and went to his army, leaving
the young queen in his palace to the care of his step-
mother.

Now the king's stepmother hated her daughter-in-law very
much indeed, so when the young queen was near her
confinement, the old queen told her that it was always
customary in the royal family for the heirs to the throne
to be born in a garret.

The young queen (who knew nothing about the customs in
royal families except what she had learnt from hearing or
seeing since her marriage to the king) believed implicitly
what her mother-in-law told her, although she thought it a
great pity to leave her splendid apartments and go up into
a miserable attic.

Now when the golden-haired twins were born, the old
354

The Plight of the Young Queen

queen contrived to steal them out of their cradle, and put
in their place two ugly little dogs. She then caused the
two beautiful golden-haired boys to be buried alive in an
out-of-the-way spot in the palace gardens, and then sent
word to the king that the young queen had given him two
little dogs instead of the heirs he was hoping for. The
wicked stepmother said in her letter to the king that she
herself was not surprised at this, though she was very
sorry for his disappointment. As to herself, she had a
long time suspected the young queen of having too great
a friendship for goblins and elves, and all kinds of evil
spirits.

When the king received this letter, he fell into a frightful
rage, because he had only married the young girl in order
to have the golden-haired twins she had promised him as
heirs to his throne.

So he sent word back to the old queen that his wife should
be put at once into the dampest dungeon in the castle, an
order which the wicked woman took good care to see
carried out without delay. Accordingly the poor young
queen was thrown into a miserably dark dungeon under
the palace, and kej$|f on bread and water.

The Plight of the Young Queen
Now there was only a very small hole in this prison —
hardly enough to let in light and air — yet the old queen
managed to cause a great many people to pass by this
hole, and whoever passed was ordered to spit at and
abuse the unhappy young queen, calling out to her, " Are
you really the queen ? Are you the girl who cheated the
king in order to be a queen ? Where are your golden-
haired twins? You cheated the king and your friends,
and now the witches have cheated you ! "

355

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

But the young king, though terribly angry and mortified
at his great disappointment, was, at the same time, too
sad and troubled to be willing to return to his palace.
So he remained away for fully nine years. When he at
last consented to return, the first thing he noticed in the
palace gardens were two fine young trees, exactly the same
size and the same shape.

These trees had both golden leaves and golden blossoms,
and had grown up of themselves from the very spot where
the stepmother of the king had buried the two golden-haired
boys she had stolen from their cradle.
The king admired these two trees exceedingly, and was
never weary of looking at them. This, however, did not
at all please the old queen, for she knew that the two
young princes were buried just where the trees grew, and
she always feared that by some means what she had done
would come to the king's ears. She therefore pretended
that she was very sick, and declared that she was sure
she should die unless her stepson, the king, ordered the
two golden-leaved trees to be cut down, and a bed made
for her out of their wood.

As the king was not willing to be the cause of her death,
he ordered that her wishes should be attended to, notwith-
standing he was exceedingly sorry to lose his favourite
trees.

A bed was soon made from the two trees, and the seem-
ingly sick old queen was laid on it as she desired. She
was quite delighted that the golden-leaved trees had dis-
appeared from the garden ; but when midnight came, she
could not sleep a bit, for it seemed to her that she heard
the boards of which her bed was made in conversation
with each other !
At last it seemed to her, that one board said, quite plainly,

356

The Plight of the Young Queen

"How are you, my brother?" And the other board
answered: "Thank you, I am very well; how are you?"
"Oh, I am all right," returned the first board; "but I
wonder how our poor mother is in her dark dungeon!
Perhaps she is hungry and thirsty ! "
The wicked old queen could not sleep a minute all night,
after hearing this conversation between the boards of her
new bed; so next morning she got up very early and
went to see the king. She thanked him for attending to
her wish, and said she already was much better, but she
felt quite sure she would never recover thoroughly unless
the boards of her new bed were cut up and thrown into a
fire. The king was sorry to lose entirely even the boards
made out of his two favourite trees, nevertheless he could
not refuse to use the means pointed out for his step-
mother's perfect recovery.

So the new bed was cut to pieces and thrown into the
fire. But whilst the boards were blazing and crackling,
two sparks from the fire flew into the courtyard, and in
the next moment two beautiful lambs with golden fleeces
and golden horns were seen gambolling about the yard.
The king admired them greatly, and made many inquiries
who had sent them there, and to whom they belonged.
He even sent the public crier many times through the
city, calling ort the owners of the golden-fleeced lambs to
appear and claim them ; but no one came, so at length he
thought he might fairly take them as his own property.
The king took very great care of these two beautiful
lambs, and every day directed that they should be well
fed and attended to ; this, however, did not at all please
his stepmother. She could not endure even to look on
the lambs with their golden fleeces and golden horns, for
they always reminded her of the golden-haired twins.

357

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

So, in a little while she pretended again to be dangerously
sick, and declared she felt sure that she should soon die
unless the two lambs were killed and cooked for her.
The king was even fonder of his golden-fleeced lambs than
he had been of the golden-leaved trees, but he could not
long resist the tears and prayers of the old queen, especially
as she seemed to be very ill. Accordingly, the lambs
were killed, and a servant was ordered to carry their
golden fleeces down to the river and to wash the blood
well out of them. But whilst the servant held them under
the water, they slipped, in some way or other, out of his
fingers, and floated down the stream, which just at that
place flowed very rapidly. Now it happened that a hunter
was passing near the river a little lower down, and, as he
chanced to look in the water, he saw something strange
in it. So he stepped into the stream, and soon fished out
a small box which he carried to his house, and there
opened it. To his unspeakably great surprise, he found
in the box two golden-haired boys. Now the hunter had
no children of his own ; he therefore adopted the twins
he had fished out of the river, and brought them up just
as if they had been his own sons. When the twins were
grown up into handsome young men, one of them said to
his foster-father, "Make us two suits of beggar's clothes,
and let us go and wander a little about the world ! " The
hunter, however, replied and said : " No, I will have a
fine suit made for each of you, such as is fitting for two
such noble-looking young men." But as the twins begged
hard that he should not spend his money uselessly in buy-
ing fine clothes, telling him that they wished to travel
about as beggars, the hunter — who always liked to do as
his two handsome foster-sons wished — did as they desired,
and ordered two suit of clothes, like those worn by beggars,

358

The King's Sons

to be prepared for them. The two sons then dressed
themselves up as beggars, and as well as they could hid
their beautiful golden locks, and then set out to see the
world. They took with them a goussle and cymbal, and
maintained themselves with their singing and playing.

The King's Sons

They had wandered about in this way some time when
one day they came to the king's palace. As the afternoon
was already pretty far advanced, the young musicians
begged to allowed to pass the night in one of the out-
buildings belonging to the court, as they were poor men,
and quite strangers in the city. The old queen, however,
who happened to be just then in the courtyard, saw them,
and hearing their request said sharply that beggars could
not be permitted to enter any part of the king's palace.
The two travellers said they had hoped to pay for their
night's lodging by their songs and music, as one of them
played and sung to the goussle, and the other to the
cymbal.

The old queen, however, was not moved by this, but
insisted on their going away at once. Happily for the
two brothers, the king himself came out into the court-
yard just as his stepmother angrily ordered them to go
away, and at once directed his servants to find a place for
the musicians to sleep in, and ordered them to provide
the brothers with a good supper. After they had supped,
the king commanded them to be brought before him that
he might judge of their skill as musicians, and that their
singing might help him to pass the time more pleasantly.
Accordingly, after the two young men had taken the
refreshment provided for them, the servants took them into
the king's presence, and they began to sing this ballad : —

359

Tales SP Legends of the Serbians

" The pretty bird, the swallow, built her nest with care in
the palace of the king. In the nest she reared up happily
two of her little ones. A black, ugly-looking bird, how-
ever came to the swallow's nest to mar her happiness and
to kill her two little ones. And the ugly black bird
succeeded in destroying the happiness of the poor little
swallow ; the little ones, however, although yet weak and
unfledged were saved, and, when they were grown up and
able to fly, they came to look at the palace where their
mother, the pretty swallow, had built her nest."
This strange song the two minstrels sung so very sweetly
that the king was quite charmed, and asked them the
meaning of the words.

Whereupon the two meanly dressed young men took off
their hats, so that the rich tresses of their golden hair fell
down over their shoulders, and the light glanced so
brightly upon it that the whole hall was illuminated by the
shining. They then stepped forward together, and told
the king all that had happened to them and to their mother,
and convinced him that they were really his own sons.
The king was exceedingly angry when he heard all the
cruel things his stepmother had done, and he gave orders
that she should be burnt to death. He then went with the
two golden-haired princes to the miserable dungeon wherein
his unfortunate wife had been confined so many years, and
brought her once more into her beautiful palace. There,
looking on her golden-haired sons, and seeing how much
the king, their father, loved them, she soon forgot all her
long years of misery. As to the king, he felt that he could
never do enough to make amends for all the misfortunes
his queen had lived through, and all the dangers to which
his twin sons had been exposed. He felt that he had too
easily believed the stories of the old queen, because he
360

The King's Sons

would not trouble himself to inquire more particularly into
the truth or falsehood of the strange things she had told
him.

After all this mortification, and trouble, and misery, every-
thing came right at last. So the king and his wife, with
their golden-haired twins, lived together long and happily.

361

CHAPTER XV : SOME SERBIAN
POPULAR ANECDOTES

St. Peter and the Sand

A TOWNSMAN went one day to the country to hunt
and came at noon to the house of a peasant whom he
knew. The man asked him to share his. dinner, and
while they were eating, the townsman lookecTaround him
and noticed that there was but little arable land to be seen.
There were rocks and stones in abundance, however. Sur-
prised at this, the townsman exclaimed : " In the name of
all that is good, my friend, how on earth can you good
people of this village exist without arable land ! and
whence these heaps of rocks and stones?" "It is,
indeed, a great misfortune ! " answered the peasant.
" People say that our ancestors heard from their fore-
fathers that when our Lord walked on this earth, St.
Peter accompanied Him carrying on his back a sack full
of sand. Occasionally our Lord would take a grain of
sand and throw it down to make a mountain, saying:
* May this grain multiply ! J When they arrived here St.
Peter's sack burst and halt of its contents poured out in
our village."

Why the Serbian People are Poor
The nations of the world met together one day on the
middle of the earth to divide between themselves the
good things in life. First they deliberated upon the
methods of procedure. Some recommended a lottery, but
the Christians, well knowing that they, as the cleverest,
would be able to obtain the most desirable gifts, and not
wishing to be at the mercy of fortune, suggested (and the
idea was instantly adopted by all) that each should ex-

362

The Gipsies and the Nobleman

press a wish for some good thing and it would be granted
to him. The men of Italy were allowed to express their
wish first, and they desired Wisdom. The Britons said :
"We will take the sea." The Turks: "And we will
take fields." The Russians: "We will take the forests
and mines." The French : " And we will have money
and war." "And what about you Serbians?" asked the
nations, " What do you wish for ? " " Wait till we make
up our mind ! " answered the Serbians ; and they have
not yet agreed upon their reply.

The Gipsies and the Nobleman

A very rich and powerful nobleman was one day driving
through his vast estates. From afar four Tzigans * noted
that he was alone, and greedily coveting his fine carriage
horses, determined to deprive him of them. As the
carriage approached, they rushed on to the road, respect-
fully took off their hats, knelt before him, and one of
them began to speak, saying : " O how happy we are to
have an opportunity of manifesting to you, O most
gracious lord, our deep gratitude for the noble deeds and
many acts of kindness with which your late and generous
father used to overwhelm us ! As we have no valuable
presents to offer you, allow us to harness ourselves to
your carriage and draw you home." The haughty noble-
man, proud of his father's good deeds, was pleased to
assent to this unusual form of courtesy. Two gipsies
thereupon detached the horses, harnessed themselves to
the carriage and drew it for some distance. Suddenly,
however, they cut themselves loose and ran back to the

1 Tzigans or Gipsies in Serbia, and indeed in the whole Balkan Penin-
sula, deal mostly with horses. Stealing and selling horses is their main
occupation.

363

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

two other rascals who by this time had got clear away
with the horses.

IVhy the Priest was drowned

A few peasants and a priest were once crossing a river.
Suddenly a tempest arose and overturned the boat. All
were good swimmers except the poor priest, and when the
peasants regained their boat and righted it, which they
did very soon, they approached the struggling preacher
and called to him to give them his hand that they might
save him ; but he hesitated and was drowned. The
peasants went to impart the sad news to the priest's
widow who, hearing it, exclaimed : " What a pity ! But
had you offered him your hands, he would surely have
accepted them, and thus his precious life would have been
saved — for it was ever his custom to receive"

The Era from the other
A Turk and his wife halted in the shadow of a tree. The
Turk went to the river to water his horse, and his wife
remained to await his return. Just then an Era passed
by and saluted the Turkish woman: "Allah help you,
noble lady ! " " May God aid you," she returned ;
" whence do you come ? " "I come from the Other
World, noble lady." "As you have been in the Other
World, have you not, perchance, seen there my son
Mouyo, who died a few months ago ? " " Oh, how could
I help seeing him ? He is my immediate neighbour."
"Happy me! How is he, then?" "He is well, may
God be praised ! But he could stand just a little more

1 Era is a name given to the peasants of the district of Ouzitze (Western
Serbia). They are supposed to be very witty and shrewd, and might be
called the Irishmen of Serbia.

364

He asked the Era where he had hidden the thief 364

The Era from the other World

tobacco and some more pocket-money to pay for black
coffee." " Are you going back again ? And if so, would
you be so kind as to deliver to him this purse with his
parent's greetings ? " The Era took the money protest-
ing that he would be only too glad to convey so pleasant
a surprise to the youth, and hurried away. Soon the
Turk came back, and his wife told him what had
transpired. He perceived at once that she had been
victimized and without stopping to reproach her, he
mounted his horse and galloped after the Era, who,
observing the pursuit, and guessing at once that the
horseman was the husband of the credulous woman,
made all the speed that he could. There was a mill near
by and making for it, the Era rushed in and addressed the
miller with : " For Goodness5 sake, brother, fly ! There
is a Turkish horseman coming with drawn sword ; he
will kill you. I heard him say so and have hurried to
warn you in time." The miller had no time to ask
for particulars ; he knew how cruel the Turks were, and
without a word he dashed out of the mill and fled up the
adjacent rocks.

Meantime the Era placed the miller's hat upon his own
head and sprinkled flour copiously over his clothes, that
he might look like a miller. No sooner was this done
than the Turk came up. Alighting from his horse, he
rushed into the mill and hurriedly asked the Era where
he had hidden the thief. The Era pointed indifferently
to the flying miller on the rock, whereupon the Turk
requested him to take care of his horse while he ran and
caught the swindler. When the Turk was gone some
distance up the hill our Era brushed his clothes, swiftly
mounted the horse and galloped away. The Turk caught
the real miller, and demanded: "Where is the money

365

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

you took from my wife, swindler ? " The poor miller made
the sign of the cross1 and said: " God forbid! I never
saw your noble lady, still less did I take her money."
After about half an hour of futile discussion, the Turk
was convinced of the miller's innocence, and returned to
where he had left his horse. But lo ! There was no sign
of a horse ! He walked sadly back to his wife, and she,
seeing that her husband had no horse, asked in surprise :
"Where did you go, and what became of your horse?"
The Turk replied : " You sent money to our darling son ;
so I thought I had better send him the horse that he need
not go on foot in the Other World ! "

A Trade before Everything

Once upon a time a king set out in his luxurious pleasure-
galley accompanied by his queen and a daughter. They
had proceeded a very little way from the shore when a
powerful wind drove the galley far out to sea, where at
last it was dashed upon a barren rock. Fortunately there
was a small boat upon the galley, and the king, being a
good sailor, was able to launch this frail bark, and he
rescued his wife and daughter from the waves. After
long tossing and drifting, good fortune smiled upon the
wanderers ; they began to see birds and floating leaves,
which indicated that they were approaching dry land.
And, indeed, they soon came in sight of shore, and, as the
sea was now calm, were able to land without further ad-
venture. But, alas, the king knew no trade, and had no
money upon his person. Consequently he was forced to
offer his services as a shepherd to a rich landowner, who
gave him a hut and a flock of sheep to tend.

1 When Serbians are greatly surprised at anything they involuntarily
make the sign of the cross.

366

The Condition

In these idyllic and simple conditions they lived con-
tentedly for several years, undisturbed by regrets for the
magnificence of their past circumstances.
One day the only son of the ruler of that strange country
lost his way while riding in the neighbourhood after a fox,
and presently he beheld the beautiful daughter of our
shepherd. No sooner did his eyes fall upon the maiden
than he fell violently in love with her, and she was not
unwilling to receive the protestations of undying affection
which he poured into her ears. They met again and
again, and the maiden consented to marry the prince,
provided her parents would approve the match.
The prince first declared his wish to his own parents, who,
of course, were greatly astonished at their son's apparently
foolish selection, and would not give their consent. But
the prince protested solemnly that his resolution was
unshakable; he would either marry the girl he loved or
remain single all his days. Finally his royal father took
pity on him, and sent his first adjutant to the shepherd
secretly to ask the hand of his daughter for the prince.

The Condition

When the adjutant came and communicated the royal
message, the shepherd asked him : " Is there any trade
with which the royal prince is familiar ? " The adjutant
was amazed at such a question. "Lord forbid, foolish
man!" he exclaimed, "how could you expect the heir-
apparent to know a trade ? People learn trades in order
to earn their daily bread ; princes possess lands and cities,
and so do not need to work."

But the shepherd persisted, saying: " If the prince knows
no trade, he cannot become my son-in-law."
The royal courier returned to the palace and reported to

367

Tales 5f Legends of the Serbians

the king his conversation with the shepherd, and great
was the astonishment throughout the palace when the
news became known, for all expected that the shepherd
would be highly flattered that the king had chosen his
daughter's hand for the prince in preference to the many
royal and imperial princesses who would have been willing
to marry him for the asking.

The king sent again to the shepherd, but the man remained
firm in his resolution. " As long as the prince," said he,
" does not know any trade, I shall not grant him the hand
of my daughter."

When this second official brought back to the palace the
same answer, the king informed his son of the shepherd's
condition, and the royal prince resolved to put himself in
the way of complying with it.

His first step was to go through the city from door to
door in order to select some simple and easy trade. As
he walked through the streets he beheld various craftsmen
at their work, but he did not stay until he came to the
workshop of a carpet-maker, and this trade appeared to him
both easy and lucrative. He therefore offered his services
to the master, who gladly undertook to teach him the trade.
In due time the prince obtained a certificate of efficiency,
and he went to the shepherd and showed it to him,
together with samples of his hand work. The shepherd
examined these and asked the prince : " How much could
you get for this carpet ? " The prince replied : " If it is
made of grass, I could sell it for threepence." "Why,
that is a splendid trade," answered the shepherd, " three-
pence to-day and another threepence to-morrow would
make sixpence, and in two other days you would have
earned a shilling ! If I only had known this trade a few
years ago I would not have been a shepherd."
368

The Condition

Thereupon he related to the prince and his suite the story
of his past life, and what ill fate had befallen him, to the
greatest surprise of all. You may be sure that the prince
rejoiced to learn that his beloved was highly born, and the
worthy mate of a king's son. As for his father, he was
especially glad that his son had fallen in love, not with the
daughter of a simple shepherd, but with a royal princess.
The marriage was now celebrated with great magnificence,
and when the festivities came to an end, the king gave the
shepherd a fine ship, together with a powerful escort, that
he might go back to his country and reassume possession
of his royal throne.

369

Tpgms^ylvaniaX

r<cfarl-»- . ^~) ( I

r7*^?r^ustchul<v

N^/IIIAofrTonia ^

vi ' Salonika ^^

W-,

s^\ , ~,

— ^ < — ^

* '^c-Lember^,,

THE BALKAN STATES

TO ILLUSTRATE

TALES &. LEGENDS OF THE SERBIANS

English Miles

U 50 100

200

300

GLOSSARY ftp INDEX

There are thirty characters in the Serbian alphabet for the thirty
corresponding sounds, of which five are vowels — all open sounds, vizt
a, e, u, o, y.

a as in " father "

e as in " met "

u as e in " be "

o as in " note "

y as oo in " boot."

ou is pronounced also as oo in " boot." Closed or semi-closed vowels
are unknown to the Serbian tongue.

The twenty-five consonants are pronounced as in English, with the
following exceptions :

h at the beginning of words or syllables is always aspirated.

r is always rolled. In a Serbian monosyllable it sometimes plays the
part of a vowel between two consonants, e.g. vrt (garden).

The combinations ts or tz, as in "tsar,"" tzarina," etc., are pronounced
like ts in " its."

y has been used in the English forms of Serbian names not as a vowel
but invariably as a consonant, as in " year." This consonantal y has
been used often after the consonants d, I, n, and t, and y is then merged
into the preceding consonant to form one sound. For example, dy becomes
very like the sound of j in " jaw," as in the word " Dyourady," which
is pronounced Joo-radg.

z in the names " Zdral " and " Zabylak " is pronounced like s in
" pleasure " ; elsewhere it is pronounced as in English.

The Serbian language being phonetic does not employ double consonants,
diphthongs or triphthongs. The thirty letters represent always the same
thirty sounds, and the position of the written symbol does not affect or
qualify its sound.

AGRAM (Zagreb). Croatians es-
tablish an episcopate at, in
eleventh century, 14

ALBANIA. Subdued by Doushan
the Powerful, 5 ; George Kas-
triotovitch-Skander-Beg fights
for liberty of, 8 ; Skadar the
capital of Northern, 1 1 p

ALBANIAN-S, THE. Driven by
Serbians toward the Adriatic
coast, i ; spirits of the wood
dreaded by, 19; A rbanass an
appellation for, 108

ALEXANDER. Unworthy son of
Milan ; ascends throne of Ser-
bia, 1 1 ; marries his former
mistress, Draga Mashin, but is
murdered, n

AMOURADH. A Turkish Grand
Vizir; Prince Marko and, 105-108

ADRIANOPLE. Equivalent, Yed-
renet, 123

ADRIATIC. Ivan Tzrnoyevitch
sails across, to Venice, 134, 142

ADRIATIC COAST. The Latins,
Illyrians, Thracians, Greeks,
and Albanians driven by the
Serbians toward the, i

AFRICA-N, WEST. A Serbian folk-
tale dealing with Animals'
Language ; similarity of, to a
story native to the negroes of,
230

AGES, MIDDLE. Banovitch Stra-
hinya, one of the finest and
most famous ballads composed
by Serbian bards of the, 1 1 9

37i

Tales ^§? Legends of the Serbians

AMOURATH, SULTAN (Mourat, cor-
rupted form). Defeats Knez
Lazar on field of Kossovo, 7 ;
Vlah-Ali independent of, 121 ;
slain by Serbian hero, Vo'ivode
Milosh, 173

ANECDOTES. Some Serbian popu-
lar, 362-369 ; "St. Peter and
the Sand," 362 ; " Why the
Serbian People are Poor," 362 ;
"The Gipsies and the Noble-
man," 363 ; " Why the Priest
was Drowned," 364 ; " The
Era from the other World,"
364; " A Trade before Every-
thing," 366

ANIMALS. The king makes war
on the ; described in the
Serbian folk-tale "Animals as
Friends and Enemies," 313-316

?' ANIMALS AS FRIENDS AND
ENEMIES." A Serbian folk-
tale, 305-316

ANIMALS' COUNCIL, THE. De-
scribed in the Serbian folk-tale
" Animals as Friends and
Enemies," 308, 309

ANIMALS, KING OF THE. Hero in
a Serbian folk-tale, 230

ANIMALS' LANGUAGE. A Serbian
folk-tale dealing with, 230-235

ANJOU, CHARLES OF. Prince
Ourosh maintains friendly re-
lations with French Court of,
119

ANTIVARI. Ivan Tzrnoyevitch in-
vites all heroes in the province
of, to his son's wedding, 139

APOSTLES. The Greek priests and
monks prepare the ground for
the great Slav, 29 ; Cyrillos and
Methodius, the two Slav, 29

APPLE. The, a symbolic gift,
which a Serbian wooer offers to
the maiden of his choice, 245

f APPLE-TREE, THE GOLDEN."
A Serbian folk-tale, 267-280

ARBANASS. Appellation for
Albanian, 108

ARCHANGEL MICHAEL. Death and,
31 ; Kolyivo not prepared for,

4i
ATHOS, MOUNT. Vasso, the abbot

of, finds Marko's dead body,

118
AUSTRIA. War between Serbia

and Bulgaria instigated by, u

372

AVAL A. A mountain by Belgrade,

177
Azov, SEA OF. Serbians lived to

the north-east of, i

"BADGNAK." The oak tree used
at Christmas by the Serbians, 47

" BADGNI DAN." Serbian equi-
valent for Christmas Eve, 46

BAJAZET. Son of Sultan Amou-
rath, 7

BALCIUS. Latinized form of
Baux, in early records, 119;
name changed at the Court at
Naples into Balza, 119

BALKAN PENINSULA. Incursion
of the Serbians into, I

BALKAN TERRITORIES. Kingdoms
embraced in, i

BALKAN WAR. Mrs. C. H.
Farnam's devotion to the
wounded during the, 57, 58; re-
ference to the feats of arms
performed by the Serbians
during the, 1 7 5

BALKANS. Hero tales of the,
express the ideals which have
inspired the Serbian race, 12 ;
explanation of the decay of the
ancient aristocracy throughout
the, 14

"BALKANS, THE EMPRESS OF THE."
Drama by King Nicholas I
Petrovitch of Montenegro, 134

BALLAD -s. Serbian bards im-
provise, to record deeds of
King Nicholas I Petrovitch of
Montenegro, 120 ; " The Mar-
riage of Maximus Tzrnoyevitch"
the finest and most famous
Serbian, 1 34 ; usual ending to
ballads by Serbian and Monte-
negrin bards, 1 84 ; historical
note on that of " King Vou-
kashin's Marriage," 193, 194 ;
observation regarding motif of
" The Captivity and Marriage
of Stephan Kakshitch," 194 ;
"The Saints Divide the
Treasures," 195-197 ; three
Serbian — (i) "The Building of
" Skadar " (Scutari), etc., 198 ;
(2) " The Stepsisters," 206 ;
and (3) "The Abduction of
the Beautiful Iconia," 210

Glossary ^§f Index

BALSHITCH. Nicholas I Petro-
vitch, King of Montenegro, and
an indirect descendant out of,
1 20

BALZA. Italianized form of
Balcius (Baux), 119

BAN. The original title of the
rulers of Bosnia, 6

BAN AT. One of the Serbian pro-
vinces in Austria-Hungary

BANOVITCH STRAHINYA. The bal-
lad relating to, one of the finest
composed by anonymous bards
of Middle Ages, 119 ; historical
data, 119, 120; some Serbian
historians believe identical with
the glorious Strashimir Bals-
hitch-Nemanyitch, 119; eulo-
gized as "a falcon without
equal," 120 ; Dyogo the faithful
steed of, 120 ; Caraman the
faithful greyhound of, 120 ;
visits Youg Bogdan, 120-121

BANYSKA (Lord of Little). Title
by which a dervish hails
Banovitch Strahinya, 122

BARDS, (i) Serbian. Attention
now turned to the exploits of
modern heroes at Monastir,
Koumanovo, Perlep (Prilip),
Scutari (Skadar), etc., 176;
usual ending to ballads of, 1 84 ;
word ' book ' invariably used
by those of fourteenth century
when speaking of a letter, 1 86.
(2) Montenegrin. Stereotyped
ending to ballads of, 1 84

BASH TCHELIK (Real Steel). A
Serbian folk-tale, 247-267 ; his
promise of three lives to the
Prince, and his abduction of his
deliverer's wife, 258-267

BASIL I, EMPEROR. The second
conversion of Southern Slavs to
Christianity was effected by, 28

BATCHKA. One of the Serbian
provinces in Austria-Hungary

BAUX, DES. Strashimir Balshitch-
Nemanyitch a descendant of
the old Provengal family of,
119 ; in early records the name
is latinized Balcius, 119; sup-
position that the Italianized
Seigneurs des Baux, who married
into royal house of Neman-
yitch and who settled in Serbian
lands, further changed their

patronymic to Balsha or
Balshitch, 119

BAUX, HUGHES DE. A French
knight ; reference to, 33

BAZAR, RELYA OF. A Serbian
knight ; Bogdan the Bully and,
87-89

BEARDLESS. A name used as
the personification of craftiness
and sharpness, applied to man
in Serbian folk-tale " Lying for
a Wager," 283

BEATA MARIA. St. Elias inquires
the reason of her great grief,
195 ; St. Elias comforts, 196

BEDEVIA. The Moorish chief-
tain's mare, 79 ; Sharatz and,
79, 80, 8 1 ; Bogdan the Bully's
mare, 87 ; name of mare given
by Ivan Tzrnoyevitch to Milosh
Obrenbegovitch, 141 ; Volvode
Balatchko's mare, 168

BELGRADE. Reference to the
triumphal return of the Serbian
army to, at the conclusion of
the Balkan campaigns, 1912-13,
176; a veela warns Stephan and
Demitrius Yakshitch of the
intention of the Turks to assail,
177 ; Stephan Yakshitch and
Haykoona escape to, 183

BELIEFS. Superstitions of Ser-
.bians, and national customs,

13-53

BERLIN. Famous Treaty of, ac-
knowledged the independence
of Serbia during rule of Milan,
ip, ii ; mention of a Veele
ring in Treaty of, 17

BERTRANDON DE LA BROQUIERB,
CHEVALIER. Told in 1433 that
Trajanople had been built by
the Emperor Trajan, 27

BIND. Illyrian god ; a reminder
of, in the tradition regarding
Prince Ivan Tzrnoyevitch, 25

" BIRD MAIDEN, THE." A Serbian
folk -tale, 280-283

" BITER BIT, THE." A Serbian
folk-tale, 328-340 ; the hun-
dred daughters in, 330 ; the
wedding procession, 333 ; the
Black Giant in, 334 ; the old
woman meets the old man in a
forest by the river Luckless,
336 ; the Black Giant buys
the cow, 339

373

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

BLIND. In Serbian Hungary there
are schools for, in which national
ballads are taught, 55, 56

"BocHTCHALUKS." Serbian equi-
valent for wedding presents, 32

BODIN, KING. Son of Michaylo ;
obtains title from Pope
Gregory VII, 3 ; restores the
Serbia of Tchaslav, and adds
Bosnia to his State, 3

BOGDAN THE BULLY. Marko and,
87-89

BOGDAN, YOUG. Aged father-in-
law of Banovitch, 120, 121 ;
castle in Kroushevatz the resi-
dence of, 1 20 ; one of his
sons-in-law a direct descendant
of King Nemanya, 120 ; Stra-
hinya returns to, after his
slaying of Vlah-Ali, 128

BOGOUMILS. Protestants of the
Greek Orthodox Church who
settled in Bosnia, 4

"BojiTCH." Equivalent, "the
little God." The Christmas
Day church service, 49

BOSHKO YOUGOVITCH. One of
Tsarina Militza's nine brothers,
170 ; refuses to remain with
her while Tsar Lazarus departs
to battlefield of Kossovo, 171

BOSHNYAKS. Serbians inhabiting
Bosnia; considered to be the
most typical Serbians, 13

BOSNIA. King Bodin adds to his
State, 3 ; Ban Koulin placed
on the throne of, 4 ; Stevan
Tomashevitch king of, 8 ; sub-
jugation of, complete by 1463,
8 ; the Padishah offers to
make Stephan Yakshitch Grand
Vizier of, if he will renounce
the Holy Cross, 179

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA. One
of the kingdoms in the Balkan
territories, i ; Serbian calamity
on Kossovo due mainly to the
disobedience of the Serbian
lords who ruled over, 175

BOWRING, SIR JOHN. Quotations
of three poems from his Servian
Popular Poetry, 198-212

BOYANA. River on which Ska-
dar's fortress stands, 186, 198

BRANKOVITCH, DYOURADY.
Nephew of Vook Brankovitch,
7 ; reference to death of, 8

374

BRANKOVITCH, VOOK (Wolf). The
treachery of, against Knez
Lazar, 7 ; his death, 7 ; Tsarina
Militza and death of, 173 ;
responsibility for great calamity
to the Serbian army on
Kossovo assigned by bards to,

174

BREGALNITZA. Reference to, as a
set-off to Slivnitza, 176

BREGOVO. Town of ; Marko and
Milosh at, 105

BRIDE. The custom with the
Serbians for one of her brothers
to present the bride to her
wooer, 248

BULGARIA. A province of Serbia
under Stevan Detchanski, 5 ;
war against, by Serbia, 1 1 ;
Shishman king of, 94

BULGARS. Serbians an easy prey
to attacks of, 2

BULLY, THE. Alternative for
Bogdan, 87-89 ; Albanian equi-
valent, Kessedjiya, 108 ; his
death on the top of Katchanik
mountain, 114

BYZANTINES. Serbians an easy
prey to attack of, 2 ; Chris-
tianity deeply rooted in the, 14 ;
Peroon, the Russian God of
Thunder.concluded with the, 1 5

BYZANTINE EMPIRE. Incorporates
Bulgaria and overpowers
Rashka, 3 ; Doushan the
Powerful subdues almost the
whole of the, 5 ; Prince Ourosh
endeavours to negotiate an
alliance between Serbs and
French for overthrow of, 119

CARAMAN. The greyhound of
Banovitch, 120, 121 ; assists
Banovitch against Vlah-Ali,
127

CARPET, THE MAGIC. Described
in the Serbian folk-tale " Ani-
mals as Friends and Enemies,"

309-313

CHARLES OF ANJOU. Prince
Ourosh through his wife Helen,
a French princess, maintains
friendly relations with French
Court of, 119

Glossary SP Index

CHRIST. Teachings of ; trans-
lated into Serb language by
Cyrillos and Methodius, 2

CHRISTIANITY. Conversion of
pagan Serbian tribes to, I ;
Paganism and, of Southern-
Slavonic races, 14-53; as early as
the eleventh century a number
of Croatians converted to, 14;
the new, sapped in Russia by
the Enchanters, 24 ; indicated
by the Cross, 26 ; the spread of,
28-32 ; Moravians converted
to, 29 ; superstition stronger in
the Balkans than, 30

CHRISTIANS. Reference to cam-
paigns between Turks and the,
6 ; miseries of, under Turkish
rule, 8, 9 ; evil spirits and, 19 ;
Prince Maximus and Yovan
Obrenbegovitch to be used in
service against, 149 ; historical
note re the cunning efforts of
Ottoman statesmen to seduce
malcontents from their allegi-
ance to their rightful lords, 184,

185

CHRISTMAS. Serbian customs at,
46-51

CHURCH. The Greek Christian,
to which all Serbians, including
the natives of Montenegro,
Macedonia, etc., belong, 30 ;
reference to the, in the Serbian
ballad " The Saints Divide the
Treasures," 197

CINDERELLA. See Pepelyouga
and Marra, 226-229

COCK, THE. Retort of, regarding
the man who had been granted
the gift of animals' language, 235

CONSTANTINOPLE. Vanquished by
crusaders, 4 ; dead bodies burnt
during siege of, 25 ; Cyrillos a
professor of philosophy in Uni-
versity of the Imperial Palace
of, 29 ; Turkish alternative
Istamboul, 72

COURTENAY, HOUSE DE. Helen,
wife of Ourosh, a French prin-
cess of the, 1 1 9

Cow. The Black Giant buys
the ; described in the Serbian
folk-tale " The Biter Bit," 339

CROATIA. One of the provinces
in Austria-Hungary, I

CROATIANS. A number of, con-

verted to Christianity as early
as the eleventh century, 14

CROSS, THE. Indicates the pre-
sence of Christianity, 26 ; the
Slava and the sign of, 42,
44 ; Christmas customs and
the sign of, 47, 48 ; Boshko
Yougovitch's devotion to, 171 ;
Stephan Yakshitch's devotion
to, 179 ; St. John chooses, 196 ;
Christians of the Balkans and
the sign of, before and after
every meal, 237 ; the Serbians
when greatly surprised at any-
thing, involuntarily make the
sign of, 366

CURSE OF CHRISTENDOM. Marko
takes steps to avoid the, 117

CUSTOMS, NATIONAL. The chief
of the Serbians, 31-53; mar-
riage, 32-40 ; Slava (or Krsno
I me), 40-49

CUSTOMS, SERBIAN. Superstitious
beliefs and, 13-53 ; a brother
to present a bride to her wooer,
248

CYRILLOS. Methodius and, the
so-called Slavonic apostles who
translated the teaching of
Christ into the ancient Slav
language, 2, 29

DAEDALUS. Confused in Serbian
legends with Emperor Trajan,
27

DALMATIANS. Sea -going men
who pray only to St. Nicholas,

5i

TRANCE RINGS (Vrzino kollo). The
Veele and their, 1 7 ; one on
Mount Kom in Montenegro
— -called Vilino Kollo, 17

DANITZA. The morning star ; its
appearance puts Zmay of Yas-
trebatz to flight, 1 30 ; reference
to, in " The Captivity and
Marriage of Stephan Yak-
shitch," 177

DANUBE. Allusion to Sharatz's
swim across the, 91 ; Marko
drowns part of Voutcha's army
in, 92

DAUGHTERS. The hundred, in the
Serbian folk-tale " The Biter
Bit," 330

375

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

DAYBOG (The Sun God). Russian
equivalent, Daszbog — literally
"Give, O God!" 16; to the
Serbians the personification of
sunshine, life and prosperity,
1 6 ; remains of idols represent-
ing, among Southern-Slavonic
nations, 16; Christmas festi-
vities and, 49

DEAD. Festival in honour of,
during Lent, 52

DEATH. The Archangel Michael
and, 31

" DEEDS, GOOD, NEVER PERISH."
The Serbian folk-tale, 291-299

DESSIMIR. King Vukashin's trusty
servant, 199

" DEVER." The leader of the
Serbian bride, 35

DEVIL-S (dyavo). Considered as
pagan gods, 19

DIASCEVASTES. The learned, of
Pisistrate's epoch, 54

DIOCLETIAN, EMPEROR. Refer-
ences in Southern - Slavonic
legends to, 27

•' DIVAN." Means, in Serbian, any
State gathering. As used in
the Serbian ballad " The Saints
Divide the Treasures " it means
the Supreme Judgment, 195

DJELAT (executioner). Stephan
Yakshitch threatened with the,
1 80

DOBRIVOY. Servant of Theodore
of Stalatch, 211

" DODA or DODOLA." The rite
connected with the favourite
goddess of Rain, 51, 52

DON, THE RIVER. Serbians lived
on banks of, i

DOURMITOR. The mountain, 186

DOUSHAN THE POWERFUL

(MIGHTY). Dethrones his
father Stevan Detchanski, 5 ;
vampires and the Code of,
21, 22, 24; Voukashin's bad
faith toward, 61 ; attended by
Archdeacon Nedelyko till
death, 66 ; the marriage of,
1 50-1 69 ; sends Theodor, Coun-
cillor of State, to King Michael
of Ledyen, 1 50 ; sues for the
hand of Princess Roksanda,
i 50, 151 ; the two Voi'novitchs,
Voukashin and Petrashin,
nephews of, 151 ; Milosh-the-

Shepherd joins the wedding
procession of, 153, 154; the
four tests undertaken by Milosh-
the-Shepherd on behalf of, in
order to win the Princess
Roksanda, 160-166; reference
to the wresting of the Empire
from the Turk by the Serb,
until it is in extent almost
equivalent to Empire under, 176

DRAGOMIR, Djoupan of Trebinye,
father of Stephen Voislav, 3

DRAGOUTIN. Son of Ourosh the
Great; deposes his father and
becomes king of Serbia, 4 ;
retires in favour of his brother
Miloutin, 4; assumes title of
King of Sirmia, 5 ; yields his
throne to Miloutin, 5

•' DREAM OF THE KING'S SON,
THE." A Serbian folk -tale,
322-328

DUCADYIN, PLAIN OF. Given as
fief to Mehmed-Bey Obren-
begovitch, 149

DULZIGNO. Ivan Tzrnoyevitch
invites all heroes in province of,
to his son's wedding, 134, 139

DYAKOVITZA. Voutche of, admires
Koulash the steed of Milosh-
the-Shepherd, 157

" DYAVO." See Devils.

DYOGO. Faithful steed of Bano-
vitch, 1 20, 121, 122 ; enables
Banovitch to escape Vlah-Ali's
spear, 126

EARTH. The Saints divide the
treasures of, 195-197

ELI AS, ST. (Elijah). Serbian
peasants believe that the god
Peroon still lives in person of,
1 5 ; Kolyivo not prepared for,
41 ; mention of, in Serbian
ballad " The Saints Divide the
Treasures," 195, 196 ; lightning
and thunder chosen By, 1 96

ENCHANTERS (tcharobnitzi). Cele-
brants of the various pagan
rites, 24

ENEMIES. " Animals as Friends
and," a Serbian folk-tale, 305-
316

ERA. The name given to the
peasants of the district of

376

Glossary ^f Index

Ouzitze (Western Serbia) ; they
are supposed to be very witty
and shrewd, and might be
called the Irishmen of Serbia,
364 ; " The Era from the Other
World," a Serbian popular
anecdote, 364-366
EUROPE. The Turk almost driven
from, during the golden rule of
King Peter I, 1 1

FALCON, THE. Banovitch eulo-
gized as, " without equal," 120

FARNAM, MRS. C. H. Her interest
in Vouk's book of Serbian
national poems, 57, 58

FEAST. The Slava, 45, 46

FOLK-LORE. Tales of Serbian,
213-328 ; " The Ram with the
Golden Fleece," 213-220 ; " A
Pavilion neither in the Sky nor
on the Earth," 220-224 ; " Pe-
pelyouga,"224-230; "Animals'
Language," 230-235 ; " Tho
Stepmother and her Step-
daughter," 235-240 ; " Justice
and Injustice," 240-243 ; " He
who asks Little receives Much,"
243-247 ; " Bash Tchelik "
(Real Steel), 247-267 ; " The
Golden Apple-tree and the
Nine Pea-hens," 267-280 ; "The
Bird Maiden," 280-283 ;
" Lying for a Wager," 283-287 ;
"The Maiden Wiser than the
Tsar," 287-291 ; " Good Deeds
never Perish," 291-299 ; " He
whom God helps no one can
harm," 300-305, etc. ; "Ani-
mals as Friends and Enemies,"
305-316; " The Three Suitors,"
316-322 ; "The Dream of the
King's Son," 322-328 ; " The
Biter Bit," 328-340; "The
Trade that no one Knows,"
340-353; "The Golden -haired
Twins," 353-361

FRANCS. Serbians an easy prey
to attacks of, 2

FRENCH. Princess ; Helen wife
of Ourosh a, 119; Court of
Charles of Anjou and Prince
Ourosh, 119; Ourosh nego-
tiates an alliance between Serbs
and the, 119

FRIENDS. " Animals as Enemies
and," a Serbian folk-tale, 305-
316

FUNERAL CUSTOMS. Description
of, among Slavs, Serbians, etc.,

G ALICIA. Serbians lived as a

patriarchal people in country

now known as, i
GEORGE'S DAY, ST. Serbian

equivalent, Dyourdyev Dan.

Strange sorceries practised on,

53

GIANTS. Serbian equivalent,
Djins : Turkish equivalent,
Div. Those in Bulgarian,
Croatian, etc., mythology, we
owe to the cycle of mediae-
val myths, 27 ; the nine, in
the Serbian folk-tale "Bash
Tchelik," 247, 252, 253, 254,
255; the Black, in the Serbian
folk-tale " The Biter Bit," 328 ;
the, in the Serbian folk-tale
" The Trade that no one
Knows," 345

GIPSIES. Serbian equivalent,
Tzigans, 363 ; " The Nobleman
and the," a Serbian popular
anecdote, 363 ; stealing and
selling horses their main occu-
pation, 363

GOD. The Veele believed in, and
St. John, 17 ; Keys of the
Heavens given to the Saints by,
196 ; the wrath of, 197 ; " He
whom God helps no one can
harm," a Serbian folk- tale, 300-
305, etc.

GOD-S. Peroon, the God of
Thunder, 1 5 ; Volos, the God
of Cattle, 1 5 ; Daybog, the Sun
god, 15, 1 6

GOETHE. One of Vouk's national
ballads was translated by, 55

GOLETCH. The mountain of,
the dervish declares he would
recognize Banovitch Strahinya
even on top of, 122 ; Banovitch
rides to Mount, 124

GOIKO. Youngest of three brothers
who built Skadar (Scutari), 198 ;
his young wife immured in the
foundation of Skadar, 198-205

377

Tales ^P Legends of the Serbians

GOLOUBAN. Tsar Lazarus' ser-
vant who succours Tsarina
Militza, 172

"Gooo DEEDS NEVER PERISH."
A Serbian folk-tale, 291-299

GOOSLAR. A Serbian national
bard, 50, 63

" GORSKY VlYENATZ " (The

Mountain Wreath). The

masterpiece of the Serbian
poet Peter Petrovitch, 56 ;
mention of the goussle in, 56

GOSPEL. The Slavonic translation
of, applies name tcharobnitzi
to the three Holy Kings, 24 ;
Cyrillos translates the, 29

" GOUSSLE." A primitive instru-
ment with a single string,
found in every Serbian home,
56 ; used during Balkans -
Turkish War, 1912-13, in recit-
ing poems relating to Marko, 63

GOYKO, VOIVODE. Inheritance of
the Empire disputed by, 65-71

GREAT POWERS, THE. King
Nicholas I Petrovitch of Monte-
negro obliged to evacuate Ska-
dar by, 120

GREEKS, THE. Driven by the
Serbians toward the Adriatic
coast, i

GREEK NYMPHS. The Veele com-
pared with, 17

GREGORY VII, POPE. Bestows
title of King upon Michaylo, 3

GUNS. Krgno and Zelenko, Ivan
Tzrnoyevitch's two famous, 1 40

H

"HADJIS." Turkish equivalent
for pilgrims, 108

" HAIDOOKS." Knight -brigands ;
exploits of, sung by professional
bards, 55

HAYKOONA. Daughter of the
vizier of Novi Bazar, 1 80 ;
Stephan Yakshitch declines the
' water of oblivion ' offered
by, 181, 182; confesses her real
love for Stephan Yakshitch
and enables him to escape, 182,
183

HEAVEN-S. The Saints divide
the treasures of, 195-197 ; the
keys of, given by God to the

Saints, 196; the Saints lock
the Seven, 197

HELEN. A French princess of
the house of Courtenay, wife of
Prince Ourosh, 119

HELEN, QUEEN. Serbian alterna-
tive, Yevrossima (Euphrosyne) ;
mother of the Royal Prince
Marko, 59

HERACLIUS, EMPEROR. Cedes
provinces to the Serbians, I ;
Serbians first adopt Christian
faith during reign of, 28

HEROES. Attention of Serbian
bards now turned to exploits
of modern, at Monastir, Kou-
manovo, Perlep (Prilip), Scutari
(Skadar), etc., 176

HERZEGOVINA. Subjugation com-
plete by 1482, 8 ; King Vouka-
shin dispatches book (letter) to,
186

HISTORICAL NOTE. On " Tsar
Lazarus and the Tsarina
Militza," 174-176; On "The
Captivity and Marriage of
Stephan Yakshitch," 184, 185 ;
on " The Marriage of King
Voukashin," 193, 194

HISTORICAL RETROSPECT. Of
the Serbians, 1-12

" HOD j AS." Turkish equivalent
for priest, 108, 179

HOMER. Reference to, 54

HOOSSEIN. The trusty servant of
the vizier of Novi Bazar, 180

KOREA MARGI. Capital of the
state which the Serbians failed
to form in ninth century, 2

HORSE-S. Sharatz, Prince Marko's
wonderful, 17, 57, 61-65, 68,
69, 76 ; Koulash, the steed of
Prince Voinovitch, 154, 155,
157-159; Bedevia, name of
the Moorish chieftain's, 79-81 ;
Dyogo, the name of the faithful
steed of Banovitch, 120, 121,
122, 126; Bedevia, name of
Milosh Obrenbegovitch's, 141 ;
Zdral, name of Ivan Tzrnoye-
vitch's steed, 135, 140, 142 ;
Bedevia, name of Voivode
Balatchko's, 168 ; the old
woman and her, in the Serbian
folk-tale " The Golden Apple-
tree and the Nine Pea-hens,"
276-280 ; the golden, in the

378

Glossary ^f Index

Serbian folk-tale " The Dream
of the King's Son," 325-328 a

HUMAN SACRIFICES. Legends
regarding, among Russians,
Slavs, Serbians, etc., 25 ^ j

HUNGARY. Thousands of Serbian
families emigrate to, through
tyrannous Turkish rule, 8

HUNTSMEN. Prince Marko and
the Turkish, 105-108

I

" ICH, ITCH, or Ic." The charac-
teristic termination of most
Serbian family names, 119

ICONIA. Daughter of Prince
Miloutin ; Theodore of Stalatch
abducts, 210-212 ; betrothed
to George Irene, for Sredoi,
211

" ICONIA, THE ABDUCTION OF
THE BEAUTIFUL." A Serbian
national ballad from Sir John
Bowling's Servian Popular
Poetry, 210-212

II.IAD. Reference to, 54

ILLYRIANS, THE. Driven by Ser-
bians toward Adriatic coast, i

IMMORTALITY. Serbians believe
in Predestination and, 18

INDIA. Beata Maria relates to
St. Elias her recent arrival
from, 195.

IRENE, GEORGE. Iconia betrothed
to, for Sredoi, 211

IRISHMEN. Of Serbia ; the pea-
sants of the district of Ouzitze
(Western Serbia) might be
termed the, 364

ISLAM. Remnant of Serbians
under Turkish rule forced to
embrace, 8 ; Maximus Tzrno-
yevitch threatens to embrace,
149 ; Stephan Yakshitch de-
clines to embrace faith of, 1 8 1 ,
182

ISSAYA. The deacon of Abbot
Vasso, 118

ISTAMBOUL. Turkish equivalent
for Constantinople, 72 ; Moorish
chieftain demands daughter of
Sultan at, 72-81 ; Moussa
Kessedjiya at, 108 ; Prince
Maximus threatens to go to, in
order to embrace Islam, 149

ISTRIA. One of the provinces in
Austria-Hungary, i

IVANBEGOVITCH, SCANDER-BEG.

Turkish alternative for Prince
Maximus Tzrnoyevitch, 149

IVAN KOSANTCHITCH. SeeKosan-
tchitch.

IVAN TZRNOYEVITCH (see Tzrno-
yevitch). Tradition regarding
the river of Tzrnoyevitch and,
24,25

JHESU, LORD. Stephan Yakshitch
prefers to lose his life for the
sake of, rather than become a
Turk, 1 8p ; Stephan Yakshitch
plights his troth to Haykoona
in the name of, 183

JOHN, ST. The Veele believed in,
17 ; the princess appeals to
Prince Marko in name of,
75» 76 ; the veela Raviyoyla
appeals to Marko by memory
of, 104; mention of, in Serbian
ballad " The Saints Divide the
Treasures," 195 ; brotherhood
and koomhood as well as the
Holy Cross, chosen by, 196

" JUSTICE AND INJUSTICE." A
Serbian folk-tale, 240-243

K

KADI. Equivalent, Ottoman
judge, 179

" KAMI " (or bileg). Term applied
in Middle Ages to gravestones
still found in large numbers in
Herzegovina, Dalmatia, etc.,
now known as stetyak or
mramor, 26, 27

KARADGITCH, VOUK STEPHANO-
VITCH. See Vouk Stephano-
vitch Karadgitch

KARAGEORGEVITCH, ALEXANDER.
Son of Karageorge Petrovitch,
10

KARAVALLAHIAN LAND. Milosh-
the-Shepherd instructed to de-
clare that he hails from the, 1 5 5

KASTRIOTOVITCH- SKANDERXJ3EG,
GEORGE. An Albanian chief
who fought successfully for t
liberty of Albania, 8

379

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

KATCHANJK. A defile up which
Prince Marko rides to meet
Moussa, 112; Moussa the
Bully's death on mountain of,
114

" KESSEDJIYA." Equivalent,

fighter or bully. The nickname
of an Albanian chevalier-
brigand, Moussa, who rebelled
against the Sultan, 108

KEYS. The, of the Heavenly
Empire, chosen by St. Peter,
196 ; the Keys of the Heavens
given by God to the Saints, 1 96

KEYSTUT. Brother of the Grand
Duke Olgerd ; his interment
the last recorded instance of a
pagan burial, 26

KLISSOURA. The wedding pro-
cession of Tsar Doushan reaches,
157 ; the fight for Koulash at,
158, 159

KNEZ. The title corresponding to
" Prince," 6

" KOLATCH." A special cake eaten
on Saints' days, 41

" KOLLO." The Serbian national
dances, 40, 52

KOLLO, VRZINO. Name applied to
the Veele rings, 17

" KOLYIVO." Lit. something
which has been killed with the
knife ; the Slava cake, 41

" KOOM." The principal witness
at Serbian weddings, 3 5 ; Beata
Maria complains of a brother
koom bearing false witness
against, 196

KOOPINOVO. A village on plain
of Sirmia, in wrhich Zmay-
Despot Vook lived, 1 30

KOSANTCHITCH, IVAN. General
Voutcha and, 89-94

Kossovo. Vouk's national poems
dwell on the glory of the
Serbian mediaeval Empire, lost
on fatal field of, 55 ; four
tabors meet on field of, disput-
ing over the inheritance of the
Empire, 65 ; the Sultana's
dream concerning, 74 ; Marko
and the maiden from, 82-86 .
Marko, Relya, and Milosh ride'
out from, 87 ; Banovitch hears
of encampment of hordes of
Turks on field of, 120 ; Bano-
vitch seeks and attacks the

380

Turks on field of, 120-128 ;
Tsar Doushan's wedding pro-
cession rides through field of,
152; Milosh takes farewell of
Tsar Doushan in middle of
plain of, 1 68 ; Tsar Lazarus
does battle on field of, 170-172 ;
death of Tsar Lazarus on field
of, 172-174 ; historical note on
battle of, 174-176; historical
note re Ottoman influence upon
the peasantry in Bosnia and
Herzegovina at the time (1389)
of the battle of, 184, 185

KOULASH. Steed of Petroshin
Vomovitch, ridden by Milosh -
the-Shepherd to join wedding
procession of Tsar Doushan,
1 54. 1 55 ; the wonderful leap of,
admired by Voutche of Dyako-
vitza, Yanko of Nestopolye
and others, 156, 157; the fight
for, at Klissoura, 157, 158, 159

KOULIN, BAN. Placed on throne
of Bosnia, 4

KOUMANOVO. Famous battlefield
on which in 1913 more Turks
perished than did Serbians five
centuries ago, 175 ; reference
to, as a set-off to Kossovo,
176

" KRALY." Serbian equivalent
for king, 198

" KRGNo"and"ZELENKO." Ivan
Tzrnoyevitch's two famous
guns, 140

KROUSHEVATZ. I. Castle in, the
residence of Youg Bogdan, 120 ;
II. Castle in, the residence of
Tsar Lazar, 129 ; Tsar Lazar
beseeches Zmay-Despot Vook to
come to, 131 ; III. The capital
of the vast Serbian Empire
. during the reign of Tsar Hrebe-
lianovitch at time of famous
battle of Kossovo (A.D. 1389),
171 ; Bosko Yougovitch de-
clares he would not forgo battle
of Kossovo for the price of,
171

KROUSHEVO. A plain, over which
Zmay of Yastrebatz flies toward
the Tsarina's tower, 1 30 ; Zmay-
Despot Vook reaches, 131

KUSTANDIL. Veele ring between
Vranya and, mentioned in the
Treaty of Berlin, 17

Glossary & Index

LALE. The popular appellation
of Serbians living in Batchka
and Banat, 1 56

LANGUAGE, ANIMALS'. A Serbian
folk-tale dealing with, 230-235

LATINS, THE. Driven by Serbians
toward Adriatic coast, i

LAZAR, KNEZ. Elected ruler of
Serbia, 6 ; makes an alliance
with Ban Tvrtko against the
Turks, 6, 7 ; slain by Sultan
Amourath, 7

LAZAR , TSAR . The Tsarina Militza
confesses to the embraces of
her magic lover, the Zmay of
Yastrebatz, 129-133 ; Zmay-
Despot Vook in the wheatfields
of, 131

LAZARUS. I. Of Bethany. Poems
recited on the resurrection of, 52.
II. Tsar. The Tsarina Militza
and, 170-176; his departure
to the battlefield of Kossovo,
170-172 ; his glorious death,
173, 174 ; historical note re-
garding, 174-176 ; reference to
Empire lost by, regained under
King Peter I, 176

LEDYEN. Tsar Doushan sends
Theodor to King Michael of,
1 50 ; Milosh-the-Shepherd pur-
sues champion of the Venetian
king to gates of, 162 ; Milosh
rides to perform the second test
in the meadow of, 163 ; Voi-
vode Balatchko ordered to
fight Milosh by the king of,
167

LEGENDS. Influence on Southern-
Slavonic peoples, of Graeco-
Oriental and Christian myths
and, 14 ; influence from Greeks
and Romans on Southern-
Slavonic, 27-30

LOVE. Lado, oy, Lado-deh, refrain
which is probably the name of
the ancient Slavonic Deity of
Love, 52

LOVE. The, of sister for her
brother is proverbial in Serbia,
170

LUCKLESS, THE RIVER. Mention
of, in the Serbian folk-tale ' ' The
Biter Bit," 336

" LYING FOR A WAGER." A Ser-
bian folk-tale, 283-287

M

MACEDONIA. One of the provinces
in the Balkan territories, i

MAGYAR-S. Prince Marko and,
92-94

" MAIDEN, THE BIRD-." A Serbian
folk-tale, 280-283

" MAIDEN WISER THAN THE TSAR,
THE." A Serbian folk-tale,
287-291

MARKO, KRAZYEVITCH. Pro-
claimed himself King of the
Serbians ; eldest son of King
Voukashin, 6, 59 ; aids Turks
against the Christians, 6 ; killed
in battle of Rovina, 6 ; en-
dowed with superhuman
strength, and presented with
a wonderful courser, Sharatz,
by a veela, 17 ; his guests on
his Slava day, 45 ; the goussle
and exploits of, 57 ; Queen
Helen- mother of, 59 ; tradi-
tional son of a veela and a
Zmay, 59 ; the most beloved of
Serbian Herpes, 59, 60 ; virtues

• of, 59 ; tradition extols him as
faithful defender- of Prince
Ourosh, 6 1 ; Serbian belief
that he will reappear to re-
establish the mediaeval Empire,
64 ; his supposed appearance
at the battle of Prilip (1912),
64, 65 ; tells whose the Empire
shall be, 65-71 ; cursed by his
father, 71 ; the Moor and, 72-
8 1 ; the Sultana's dream con-
cerning, 74 ; wedding tax
abolished by, 82-86 ; Bogdan
the Bully and, 87-89 ; General
Voutcha and, 89-94 ; wedding
procession of, 94-100 ; the
Moorish princess and, 100-102 ;
the veela Raviyoyla and, 102-
105 ; the Turkish huntsmen
and, 105-108 ; Moussa Kesse-
djiya and, 108-114 ; his death,
115-118

MARRA. Alternative, Pepel-
youga (Cinderella), 226-229

MARRIAGE. The customs obtain-
ing at Serbian, 32-40

381

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

MASS, THE HOLY. Mention of, in
Serbian ballad " The Saints
Divide the Treasures," 196

MAXIMUS TZRNOYEVITCH. See
Tzrnoyevitch

MEHMED. Turkish Grand Vizier ;
Vlah-Ali independent of, 121

METHODIUS. Cyrillos and, the so-
called Slavonic apostles who
translated the teaching of Christ
into the ancient Slav language,
2, 29

MICHAEL. King of Ledyen,
father of Princess Roksanda ;
Tsar Doushan sues for the
hand of Roksanda, i 50 ; Theo-
dor reports to the Tsar result
of his mission to King of
Ledyen, 151, 152

MICHAEL, ARCHANGEL. Death
and, 31 ; kolyivo not prepared
for, 41

MICHAYLO. Son of Stephen
Volslav ; obtains title of King
from Pope Gregory VII, 3 ;
King Bodin son of, 3

MICHEL (Serbian Mihaylo). Son
of Milosh Obrenovitch ; suc-
ceeds his father as prince of
Serbia, 10

MICHEL III, EMPEROR. Mission
of Cyrillos and Methodius to, 29

MIDDLE AGES. " Banovitch Stra-
hinya," one of the finest ballads
composed anonymously by Ser-
bian bards during the, 1 1 9

MIJATOVITCH, MADAME C. Refe-
rence to Serbian Folk-lore, by,

305

MILAN. Succeeds his cousin
Michel as prince of Serbia, 10 ;
war of 1876-8 against Turkey
by, 10 ; acknowledgment of
Serbian independence by Treaty
of Berlin during rule of, 10 ;
his abdication, n

MILAN OF TOPLITZA. General
Voutcha and, 89-94

MILITCHEVITCH. A famous Ser-
bian ethnographist relates inci-
dent re a resnik (priest) who
read prayers out of the apocry-
pha of Peroon, 22

MILITZA, TSARINA. TheZmay of
Yastrebatz and the, 129-133 ;
deceives the Zmay, 1 30 ; recog-
nizas Zmay-Despot Vook, 131;

Tsar Lazarus and the, 170-176 ;
as her nine brothers Yougo-
vitchs are to accompany Tsar
Lazarus to battle on field of
Kossovo she pleads for one
brother to be left behind with
her, 1 70 ; her brother Boshko
Yougovitch refuses to remain
behind, 171 ; succoured by
Golouban, 172 ; news of battle
brought by two ravens to, 172,
173 ; death of Lazarus and her
brothers described by Miloutin,

173. I74

MILOSH OBILITCH. The Sultan
Amourath perishes by the hand
of, 7. 175

MILOSH OBRENBEGOVITCH, Vo'i-
VODE. Ivan Tzrnoyevitch in-
vites to be the stari-svat in
connexion with his son's wed-
ding, 138-149; Maximus Tzr-
noyevitch slays, 148 ; Yovan
Obrenbegovitch brother of, 149

MILOSH OBRENOVITCH. Succeeds
in re-establishing the Belgrade
pashalik, 10 ; forced to abdi-
cate, 10 ; restored by the
Skoupshtina, 10 ; his death,
10 ; Michel son of, 10

MILOSH OF POTZERYE. A Serbian
knight ; Bogdan the Bully and,
87-89 ; General Voutcha and,
89-94 ; the veela Raviyoyla
and, 102-105

MILOSH-THE-SHEPHERD. The

mother of the two Volnovitchs
counsels them to send for, 153 ;
his meeting with his two
brothers, 1 54 ; joins the wed-
ding procession of Tsar
Doushan, 155; rides the steed
Koulash, 154, 155; his fight
for Koulash, 158, 159; he
undertakes the first test on
behalf of Tsar Doushan, in
order to win Roksanda, 160-
162 ; the second test under-
taken by, 162, 163 ; succeeds
in the third test, 1 64 ; succeeds
in the fourth test by discovering
the identity of Princess Rok-
sanda, 164-166 ; his contest
with Balatchko, 1 67-1 69 ; Bala-
tchko slain by, 168 ; discloses
his identity to Tsar Doushan,
1 68

382

Glossary & Index

MILOSH, VOIVODE. The veela
Raviyoyla wounds, 17 ; the
great Serbian hero who slays
the Turkish sultan, Amourath

I, 173

MILOUTIN. I. Dragoutin, his
brother, king of Serbia, retires
in favour of, 4 ; one of the
most remarkable descendants of
Nemanya, 5 ; Stevan Datchanski
son of, 5. II. Servant of Prince
Lazarus; relates to Tsarina
Militza death of Tsar Lazarus
and her nine brothers on field
of Kossovo, 173, 174. III.
Prince of Ressava ; Iconia
daughter of, 211-212.

MINISTER. The treacherous, in
the Serbian folk-tale " Good
Deeds Never Perish," 294

MIROTCH. Prince Marko and
Milosh of Potzerye ride across
the mountain of, 102

MISSION. Of Cyrillos and Metho-
dius to the Emperor Michel III,
29

MIYATOVICH, M. CHEDO. Per-
sonal friend of King Alexander,
ii

MOHAMMED. The vizier of
Tyoopria undertakes to make
Stephan Yakshitch love the
creed of, 179

MOHAMMEDANISM. Prince Maxi-
mus and Yovan Obrenbegovitch
embrace, 149

MOLDAVIA. Many noble Serbian
families take refuge with Chris-
tian princes of, 8

MOMCHILO. Queen Helen, sister
of the adventurous knight, 59

MOMTCHILO, VOIVODE. Vidossava
the lonely consort of, 186 ;
Yaboutchilo the steed of, 187-
191 ; King Voukashin marches
an army against, 187 ; the
strange dream of, 189; falls
into an ambuscade, 189; his
valiant fight, 190; Yevrossima
vainly attempts to rescue, 191 ;
the death of, 192 ; his castle
pillaged, 193

MONTENEGRO. Never subdued by
Turks, 8 ; belief in, that each
house has its guardian spirit,
18 ; belief in vampires in, 21,
22 ; Nicholas I Petrovitch

king of, 120; "The Marriage
of Maximus Tzrnoyevitch " the
source of the drama " The
Empress of the Balkans " by
king of, 1 34 ; Vladika Danilo
Petrovitch, uncle of the present
king of, who first assumed the
title of Prince as a hereditary
one, 184 ; few instances of
treachery in, 185

MOOR, THE. Wedding tax in-
flicted by, 82-86

MOORISH CHIEFTAIN, A. Prince
Marko and, 72-80

MORAVA. The river of, 2 ; Theo-
dore of Stalatch at, 210

MORAVIANS. Their conversion to
Christianity, 29

MOUSSA ARBANASS. See Moussa
Kessedjiya

MOUSSA KESSEDJIYA. Prince
Marko and, 108-114

MOUYO. His welfare in the Other
World described in the Serbian
popular anecdote " The Era
from the Other World," 331-

333

MRNYAVTCHEVITCH. Three
brothers who built Skadar
(Scutari), 198

MUSSULMAN FAITH. The vizier
of Tyoopria tries to convert
Stephan Yakshitch to the, 179

MYTHOLOGY. Giants (djins) in
Bulgarian, Croatian, and Sla-
vonian, we owe to the mediaeval
cycle of myths, 27, 28

MYTHS. Influence on Southern-
Slavonic peoples of Graeco-
Oriental and Christian legends
and, 14

N

NAPLES. Prince Ourosh keeps up
friendly relations with French
Court of Charles of Anjou in,
119

NATURALISM. Ousted from the
Serbians by the doctrines of
the Great Master, 29, 30

NATURE. The worship of, by
Southern-Slavonic races not
adequately studied, 14 ; has
not yet vanished fiom the
creed of the Balkans, 30

383

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

NEDELYKO, ARCHDEACON. King
Voukashin summons to the
field of Kossovo, 66, 67

"NEIMAR." Equivalent, architect
204

NEMAGNITCH. Reference to the
glorious dynasty of, 58

NEMANYA, STEPHAN. Grand
Djoupan ; created Duke of
Serbia by theByza ntine em-
peror, 4 ; Stevan second son of,
4 ; one of Youg Bogdans, sons-in-
law a direct descendant of, 120

NESTOPOLYE, YANKO OF. Milosh-
the-Shepherd's steed, Koulash,
admired by, 1 57

NEW INN. Prince Marko placed
in, to recuperate his strength for
his duel with Moussa, 1 10, 1 1 1

NICHOLAS I PETROVITCH. King
of Montenegro, an indirect
descendant out of Balshitchi;
forced by the Great Powers to
evacuate Skadar, 120 ; Serbian
bards improvise ballads to
record deeds of, 120 ; source of
inspiration of his drama "The
Empress of the Balkans," 134

NICHOLAS, ST. Power of control-
ling ocean, etc., attributed by
the Serbians to, 51 ; mention
of, in Serbian ballad "The
Saints Divide the Treasures,"
195 ; the seas with the galleys
upon them chosen by, 196

NISH. Extreme devotion to the
Saints practised at, 46

NOVAK. A famous maker of
swords, in; makes a sword
for Prince Marko, 1 1 1 , 112

Novi BAZAR. The pasha of, one
of the leaders in the assault on
Belgrade, 177-184; the vizier
of Tyoopria wishes to have
Stephan Yakshitch appointed
vizier of, 1 80 ; Stephan Yak-
shitch's life redeemed by the
vizier of, 1 80

OBRENBEGOVITCH, MEHMED-BEY.

Turkish alternative for Yovan

Obrenbegovitch, 149
OBRENOVITCH III, PRINCEMICHEL.

The Serbian legend of }' A

384

Pavilion neither in the Sky nor
on the Earth," contributed to
Vouk Stephanovitch Karad-
gitch by, 220

OBUGAGN GREB. Name borne by
the grave of Governor Obuga-
nitch, in Konavla, 27

ODYSSEY. Reference to, 54

OGNYENA MARIA (Mary the Fiery
One). Serbian peasants believe
her to be the sister of the god
Peroon (St. Elias), 15

OLD SERBIA. One of the provinces
in the Balkan territories, i

OOSSOOD. A veela who pro-
nounced the destiny of Serbian
infants, 18

OTTOMAN GENERALS. Mediaeval
history of Serbia contains many
instances of malcontents who be-
came tools in hands of , 174, 175

OTTOMAN INVASION. Ourosh and
his nobles pave the way for the, 5

OTTOMAN STATESMEN. Historical
note re the cunning efforts of,
to seduce malcontents from
their allegiance to their rightful
lords at the Courts of the
Christian princes of the Balkans,
184, 185

OUGLESHA. Inheritance of the
Empire disputed by, 65, 70

OUROSH. Younger son of Doushan
the Powerful, 5 ; Voukashin's
bad faith toward, 61 ; inheri-
tance'.of the Empire disputed by,
65-71"; Marko blessed by, 71

OUROSH, PRINCE. Belonged to
the Nemanya dynasty, 119;
Helen (a princess of the house
de Courtenay) wife of, 119;
maintained friendly relations
with the French Court of
Charles of Anjou in Naples
through his wife, 119

OUROSH THE GREAT. Dethrones
his brother Vladislav, 4 ; de-
throned by his son Dragoutin, 4

OURVINIAN MOUNTAIN. Prince
Marko's death on, 115-118

PADISHAH (Sultan). Marko fears
his foes will calumniate him to,
107 ; Vlah-Ali the rebel of the,

Glossary @f Index

123 ; Stephan Yakshitch taken
before the, 178 ; Stephan Yak-
shitch tempted to abjure the
Holy Cross by, 178

PAGANISM. The religion and the,
of the Serbians, 14-53 .' only
partially abolished from the
Balkans, 30

PALM SUNDAY. Serbian festivities
on, 52

PANTHELIAS, ST. Mention of, in
Serbian ballad "The Saints
Divide the Treasures," 195 ;
great heats chosen by, 196

PAUL. One of the brothers in the
Serbian ballad "The Step-
sisters," 206-210

." PAVILION NEITHER IN THE SKY
NOR ON THE EARTH, A." A
Serbian legend, 220-224

" PEA-HENS, THE NINE." A
Serbian folk-tale, 267-280

?' PEPELYOUGA " (Cinderella). A
Serbian legend, 226-230 ; alter-
native name of, Marra, 226—
229

PEROON. The Russian God of
Thunder, 1 5 ; name preserved
in village " Peroon," and in
plant " Peroonika," 15

PETER I, KING. Son of Alexandre
Karageorgevitch ; his glorious
rule, ii ; George Petrovitch
grandfather of, 175 ; Empire
lost by Tsar Lazarus regained
under, 176

PETER II. Archbishop of Monte-
negro, and belief in vampires,

22

PETER, ST. Mention of, in Serbian
ballad " The Saints Divide the
Treasures," 195 ; wine, wheat
and the Keys of the Heavenly
Empire chosen by, 196 ; "St.
Peter and the Sand," a Serbian
popular anecdote, 362

PETROVITCH, GEORGE. Turkish de-
signation Karageorge (' Black
George'). A gifted Serbian
who led a successful insurrec-
tion against the Turks in 1804,
9, 175 ; cruelly assassinated by
order of Milosh, 10

PETROVITCH, NICHOLAS I. See
Nicholas

PETROVITCH, PETER. The popular
Serbian poet ; reference to his

masterpiece on Gorsky Viyenatz
(" The Mountain Wreath "), 56

PETROVITCH, VLADIKA DANILO.
Uncle of present king of
Montenegro ; first assumed the
title of Prince as a hereditary
one, 184

PIRLITOR. Alternative, Piritor.
The white city opposite the
mountain Dourmitor, the wall3
of the castle of which it is said
still exist in Herzegovina, 186 ;
Vidossava punished by the
castle, 193

PISISTRATE'S EPOCH. The learned
Diascevastes of, 54

PLEIADES. Serbian equivalent,
Sedmoro Bratye (The Seven
Brothers '), 22

PODGORITZA. Captain Yovan's
five hundred men of, 139

POETRY, EPIC. The Serbian
national, 54-58

POGATCHA. The Serbian wed-
ding cake, 38

POLAZNIK. A Serbian visitor, 50

POPE, THE. Stevan Tomashevitch
fails to get help from, 8

PORETCH. The district of ; Milo
and Milosh arrive at, 105

PORPHYROGENETE, CONSTANTINE.

According to, the Serbians
adopted the Christian faith at
two different periods, 28

POTZERYE, MILOSH OF. Bogdan
the Bully and, 87-89 ; General
Voutcha and, 89-94 ; the veela
Raviyoyla and, 102-105

PREDESTINATION. Serbians be-
lieve in immortality and, 18

PRIEPOLYE. A youth from,
admires Milosh-the-Shepherd'a
steed, Koulash, 157

"PRIEST, THE, WHY DROWNED."
A Serbian popular anecdote,

364

PRILIP. Serbian belief that
Prince Marko is asleep in castle
at, 64 ; Prince Marko's appear-
ance at battle of, in November,
1912, 64 ; Archdeacon Nedelyko
bids the four tabors appeal to
Marko at, 67 ; the Sultana's
dream concerning, 74 ; Milosh
sends a messenger to, 90 ;
Marko imprisons Voutcha and
Velimir in, 93, 94

2B 385

Tales @P Legends of the Serbians

PRISREND. Theodor arrives at,
and reports to Tsar Doushan
the result of his mission, 151,
1 52 ; Tsar Doushan's return to,
1 68

PTOLEMY. Greek geographer,
describes the Serbians, i

Q

QUESTS. The, of the three sons
in the Serbian folk-tale " He
whom God helps no one
can harm," 300-305

RADO. The architect (neimar)
who builds Skadar, 200-205

RADOOL. One of the brothers in
the Serbian ballad " The Step-
sisters," 206-210

RADOSLAV. Son of Stevan, be-
comes King of Serbia ; deposed
by his brother Vladislav, 4

RADOUL-BEY. A Turkish lord,
the supposed master of Milosh-
the-Shepherd, 155

RAGUSA. Many noble Serbian
families find a safe refuge in, 8

" RAM WITH THE GOLDEN FLEECE,
THE." A Serbian folk-lore
story, 213-220

RASHKA. Name of the indepen-
dent State that Djoupan Vlas-
timir attempted to form, 2 ;
Tsar Simeon invades, to support
Djoupan Tchaslav, 2 ; over-
powered by Byzantine Empire, 3

RASTISLAV, PRINCE. Cyrillos and
jodius entrusted with a
mission to Emperor Michel III
by, 29

RAVIYOYLA, VEEL^W Prince Marko
all but slays the, 1 7 ; the story
of Prince Marko and, 102-105

RELIGION. Paganism and the, of
the Serbians, 14-53 ; natural-
ism and the Serbians, 29, 30

RELYA OF BAZAR. A Serbian
knight ; Bogdan the Bully and,

87

RENAISSANCE. The Serbian poets
of Ragusa made frequent refer-
ence during the, to nymphs and
dryads as ' Veele,' 16

"RESNIK." A proper name in
Serbia, etc., which means " the
one who is searching for truth,"
24

RESSAVA. Theodore of Stalatch
wanders by river of, and sees
Iconia, 210, 211

ROKSANDA, PRINCESS. Daughter
of King Michael of Ledyen ;
Tsar Doushan sues for hand of,
1 50 ; the four tests undertaken
by Milosh-the-Shepherd on be-
half of Tsar Doushan in order
to win, 160-166

RONCEVAL. Reference to the
French troubadour's ballad of
battle at, in comparison with
the method of elaboration em-
ployed in connexion with
" King Voukashin's Marriage,"

193, 194

ROUMANIA. Battle of Rovina in, 6
ROVINA. Marko killed in battle

of, 6
RUSSIANS. Funeral customs

among the, 26, 27

SACRIFICIAL RITES. The exact
terminology of well-known,
from translations of the Greek
legends of the Saints, 24 ;
legends of human, among Rus-
sians, Polapic Slavs, Serbians,
etc., 25

ST. ELIAS (Elijah). Serbian
peasants believe that the god
Peroon still lives in the person
of, 15 ; kolyivo not prepared
for, 41 ; mention of, in Serbian
ballad "The Saints Divide
the Treasures," 195 ; comforts
Beata Maria, 196

ST. GEORGE'S DAY. Serbian equi-
valent, Dyourdyev Dan. Strange
sorceries practised on, 33, 53

ST. JOTHJ. The princess appeals
to Prints Marko in name of,
75, 76 ; \he veela Raviyoyla
appeals to \Marko by memory
of f 104. LJBgntion of, in Serbian
ballad " The Saints Divide
the Treasures," 195 ; brother-
hood, koomhood, and the Holy
Cross chosen by, 196

386

Glossary fef Index

ST. NICHOLAS. Power of con-
trolling ocean, etc., attributed
by the Serbians to, 51 ; men-
tion of, in Serbian ballad " The
Saints Divide the Treasures,"

J95

ST. PANTHELIAS. Mention of, in
Serbian ballad " The Saints
Divide the Treasures," 195 ;
great heats chosen by, 196

ST. PETER. Mention of, in Serbian
ballad "The Saints Divide
the Treasures," 195 ; wine,
wheat, and the Keys of the
Heavenly Empire chosen by, 1 96

" SAINTS DIVIDE THE TREASURES,
THE." Serbian ballad, 195-197 ;
" The Sand and, a Serbian
popular anecdote, 362

SALONICA. The Slav apostles of,
Cyrillos and Methodius two of,
29

SAMODREZJA. White church of,
on field of Kossovo, 65 ; Marko
chased by Voukashin round
church of, 70, 71

SAND " ST. PETER AND THE." A
Serbian popular anecdote, 362

SAVA. Youngest son of Grand
Djoupan Stephan Nemanya, 4 ;
becomes first Servian arch-
bishop, 4

SCUTARI. Modern alternative for
Skadar. See Skadar. Sir John
Bowring and the token on the
walls of, confirming the story
of Goiko's wife being immured,
205

SEA. The Saints divide the
treasures of, 195-197

SERB-S. The coming of the, i ;
Prince Ourosh seeks to promote
an alliance between the French
and, 119

SERBIA. Use of the solecism
Servia in English language, i ;
one of the kingdoms in the
Balkan territories, i ; ruled by
dynasty founded by Grand
Djoupan Stephan Nemanya, 3,
4 ; Stevan assumes title of
King of, 4 ; Bulgaria a province
of. 5 ; Doushan the Powerful
Tsar of, 5 ; Knez Lazar elected
ruler of, 6 ; fresh subjugation
of, in year 1813, 9 ; Treaty of
Berlin acknowledges indepen-

dence of, 10, ii ; Princess
Roksanda's excellence un-
matched throughout, 152; the
love of a sister for her brother
is proverbial in, 170

SERBIAN-S. Galicia occupied by,
prior to their incursion into
the Balkan Peninsula, i ; de-
scribed by Ptolemy as living
on banks of Don, i ; Heraclius
cedes provinces to the, i ; an
easy prey to the Byzantines,
the Bulgars, and the Francs, 2 ;
attempt to form a State on
banks of River Morava in ninth
century, 2 ; nation hindered by
internecine strife from becom-
ing a powerful political unit, 3 ;
church, Sava obtains autonomy
of, 4 ; archbishop. Sava becomes
the first, 4 ; lands occupied by
the Turks, 6 ; struggle between
Turks and, 7 ; final defeat of,
8 ; emigration of, to Hungary,
8 ; superstitious beliefs of, and
national customs, 13-53 ',
mixed with the indigenous
population of the Balkan Penin-
sula, 13 ; the Boshnyaks con-
sidered the most typical, 13 ;
bards, the Veele glorified by, 16;
national customs of the, 31-53 ;
national epic poetry, 54-58 ;
" Banovitch Strahinya " one of
the finest ballads composed
by anonymous bards during
Middle Ages, 119; the depar-
ture of, from Ledyen, bearing
Princess Roksanda, 166 ;
" People, Why Poor," a Serbian
popular anecdote, 362

" SERVIAN POPULAR POETRY."
Sir John Bowring's, quotations
of three poems from, 198-212

SHAR. The mountain where
Mi losh - the - Shepherd tarried
with his flocks, 153

SHARATZ (Piebald). Prince
Marko's wonderful courser, 17,
57 ; story how Marko became
possessed of the wonderful
steed, 61-65 ; alternatives,
Sharin or Sharo, 62 ; Marko
rides to Kossovo, 68, 69 ; pre-
pared for fight against a Moor,
76 ; Marko rides, to Istamboul,
76, 77 ; Bedevia and, 79, 80,

387

Tales @f Legends of the Serbians

8 1 ; Marko rides, in his conflict
with the Moor to abolish his
wedding tax, 82-86 ; how
Marko escaped Bogdan the
Bully on, 87 ; Marko attacks
General Voutcha on, 91-94;
Marko flees from Moorish princes
on, 102 ; the veela Raviyoyla
overtaken by, 103, 104; Marko
pursues the Turkish Grand Vizir
on, 1 06; Marko rides forth on,
to meet Moussa, 112 ; Marko
returns triumphantly to the
Sultan at Istamboul on, 114;
Marko slays and buries, 1 1 6, 1 1 7

SHISHMAN, KING. Marko and
daughter of, 95-97

SIMEON. A Bulgarian Tsar ;
Rashka invaded by, 2

SIRMIA. I. One of the kingdoms
in the Balkan territories, i;
Dragoutin king of , 5. II. A plain
containing village of Koopinovo,
in which Zmay-Despot Vook
lived, 130.

SITNITZA. Strahinya beholds
supposed tent of Vlah-Ali from
the banks of, 122 ; Banovitch
crosses the river, 124 ; Ban
Strahinya's death by the stream-
let, 174

SKADAR or SKADRA. Modern
alternative, Scutari ; birthplace
of Prince Marko, 59 ; the
capital of Northern Albania,
where Strashimir Balshitch-
Nemanyitch reigned (1360-
1370), 119; the capital of
Zeta (the Montenegro of modern
times), 120 ; name derived
from the Italian appellation
Scodra, otherwise Scutari, 198 ;
belonged to Serbians from time
immemorial, 198 ; Serbian
ballad *' The Building of,"
198-205 ; on river Boyana, 186

SKOUPSHTINA, THE (National
Assembly). Milosh restored by,
10 ; elects King Peter I, 1 1

SLAV-S. Language, teachings of
Christ translated into, byCyril-
los and Methodius, 2 ; apostles,
Cyrillos and Methodius two of,
29 ; explanation of conquest
of Ottoman generals over
the Balkan, 175

388

SLAVA. Alternative, Krsno Ime.
The Serbian tutelary Saint-day,
40-46

SLAVONIC RACES. Paganism and
religion of, 14-53 ', influence
of Graeco-Oriental myths and
legends, Illyrian and Roman
propaganda, Christian legends
and apocryphal writings, on
the, 14 ; remains of idols of
the Sun god ' Daybog ' among
the, 1 6

SOUTHERN SLAVS. At first the
Christian faith spread only
superficially, 28 ; life of, inter-
woven with superstition, 30-53 ;
national customs of, 31-53 ;
allusion to frescoes illustrating
duel between Marko and Moussa
on tavern walls in villages of, 108

SPIRITS, GOOD AND EVIL. Serbian
belief in, 18, 22

SREDOI. A kinsman of George
Irene ; Iconia promised to, for
Irene, 211

STALATCH. A ruined fortress on
the banks of the river Morava,
210 ; Theodore of, 210

STAMBOUL. Mediaeval history of
Serbia contains many instances
of malcontents going to, and
becoming tools of Ottoman
generals, 174, 175 ; return in
triumph of the vizier of Tyoo-
pria to, 178

" STEEL, TRUE." The Serbian
folk-tale of "Bash Tchelik "
or, 247-267

STEFAN STREMATZ. The celebrated
Serbian novelist, and Slava
customs, 46

J* STEPMOTHER AND HER STEP-
DAUGHTER, THE." A Serbian
folk-tale, 235-240

" STEPSISTERS, THE." A Serbian
ballad from Sir John Bowring's
Servian Popular Poetry, 206-210

STEVAN. Second son of Grand
Djoupan Stephan Nemanya,
3,4; on abdication of his father
he assumes title of King of
Servia, 4 ; Radoslav son of, 4

STEVAN DETCHANSKI. Miloutin's
son ; by victory at Velbouzd
brings whole of Bulgaria under
his sway, 5 ; dethroned by
Doushan, 5

Glossary & Index

STEVAN TOMASHEVITCH. King of
Bosnia, 8

STOYAN AND STOYANA. Twins
whom it was attempted to
immure in the foundation of
Skadar, 198-205

STRAHINYA, BANOVITCH. Serbian
bards improvise ballads to tell
story of Nicholas I Petrovitch
just as their ancestors recorded
exploits of, 1 20 ; Vlah-Ali
attacks castle and captures
wife of, 120-128 ; slays Vlah-
Ali and returns to Kroushevatz,
128

STRASHIMIR BALSHITCH -NEMAN -
YITCH. Some Serbian historians
believe identical with Bano-
vitch Strahinya, 119; a descen-
dant of the old Proven9al
family of des Baux, 119;
reigned conjointly with two
brothers in Skadar, the capital
of Northern Albania (1360-
1370), 119

STRENGTH. The secret of Bash
Tchelik's, 266

STRHIGNA, BAN. Tsarina Militza
and death of, 173

SUBLIME PORTE. Accepts Milosh
as hereditary Prince of Serbia,
10

•-" SUITORS, THE THREE." A
Servian folk-tale, 316-322

SUN AND MOON. Serbian beliefs
regarding eclipses recall Norse
belief of a similar nature, 19

SUN-GOD. Pagan sacrifices to, in
/ Serbia, 49

SUNDAY/ Veela discountenances
fighting on, 17, 113, 114

SUPERSTITION. Christianity and,
in the Balkans, 30

" SVATI " (or svatovi). Serbian
equivalent for wedding guests,

32

SVETCHAR. The chief man of
the family in connexion with
the Slava, 40, 42

SVETOPLUK, PRINCE. Cyrillos and
Methodius entrusted with a
mission to Emperor Michel III
by, 29

SWORD. Novak makes a cele-
brated one for Prince Marko,

III, 112

TARRA. The river, 186

TASKS, THE THREE. Named in the
Serbian ballad "The Ram
with the Golden Fleece," 213-
220

TCHARDACK. A Turkish word
signifying a tower provided
with balconies, 129

TCHASLAV. The Djoupan of a
Serbian tribe; claims theRashka
State, 2 ; wrests also the terri-
tories of Zetta, Trebinye,
Neretva, and Housa, 2, 3

TCHILE. Diminutive for Yabou-
tchilo. The steed of Voivode
Momtchilo, 186-191

TEKIYE. Allusion to the church
at, 93

THEODOR. Tsar Doushan's Coun-
cillor of State ; sent to sue for
hand of Roksanda, daughter of
King Michael of Ledyen, 1 50 ;
reports result of his mission,
151,152; his inability to under-
go the fourth test in order to
win Princess Roksanda, 164,
165

THEODORE OF STALATCH. Hero in
the Serbian ballad " The Abduc-
tion of the Beautful Iconia,"
210-212 ; Dobrivoy servant of.

21 I

THRACIANS, THE. Driven by
Serbians toward Adriatic coast, i

THUNDERER, THE. Appellation
for St. Elias, 196

TIMOK. River of, crossed by
Marko and Milosh, 105

TOASTS. The Slava and, 44

TOPLITZA, MILAN OF. General
Voutcha and, 89-94

" TRADE, A, BEFORE EVERY-
THING." A Serbian popular
anecdote, 366-369

" TRADE THAT NO ONE KNOWS,
THE." A Serbian folk-tale, 340-

TRAJAN, EMPEROR. Confused in
the Balkans with the Greek
King Midas, 27 ; confused in
Serbian legends with Daedalus,
27

TRAVNIK. The city of, 179

389

Tales ^f Legends of the Serbians

TREACHERY. Vook Brankovitch's,
against Knez Lazar, 7

TREASURES, "THE SAINTS DIVIDE
THE," 195-197

TREATY OF BERLIN. The famous,
acknowledged the independence
oi Serbia during the rule of
Milan, 10, n ; mention of a
Veele ring in the, 17

"TSAR, THE MAIDEN WISER THAN
THE." Serbian folk-tale, 287-
291

TURK-S. Reference to campaigns
between Christians and, 6;
struggle between Serbians and,
7 ; final success of, 8 ; almost
driven from Europe under
glorious rule of King Peter I,
1 1 ; abhorred by the Veele, 1 7 ;
defeat of, on battlefields of
Koumanovo, Monastir, Prilip,
Prizrend, Kirk-Kilisse and Scu-
tari, 54 ; sought and attacked
by Banovitch on field of Kos-
sovo, 121-128 ; Prince Maxi-
mus and Yovan Obrenbegovitch
become, 149 ; Belgrade assailed
by a great host of, 177-184 ;
Stephan Yakshitch resists the
temptation to become a, 179-
182 ; historical note re the
cunning efforts of, to seduce
malcontents from their alle-
giance to their rightful lords
at courts of the Christian
princes of the Balkans, 184,
185

TURKISH ATROCITIES. Their cul-
mination reached in seven-
teenth century, 9

TURKISH HUNTSMEN, THE. Prince
Marko and, 105-108

TURKISH RULE. The miseries of,

8, 9

TVRTKO, BAN. Of Bosnia ;
alliance against the Turks
between Knez Lazar and, 6

" TWINS, THE GOLDEN-HAIRED."
A Serbian folk-tale, 353-361

T YOOPRIA. I. Vizier of ; one of the
leaders in the assault on Bel-
grade, 177-183 ; Stephan Yak-
shitch led as prisoner to, 178 ;
kindness of, to Stephan Yak-
shitch, 178-180 ; his return in
triumph to Stamboul, 178 ; his
wish to make Stephan Yak-

390

shitch vizier of Novi Bazar,
1 80. II. Castle of, the vizier of
Tyoopria offers to retain
Stephan Yakshitch as prisoner
in, 179.

TYOUPRILITCH, GRAND VIZIR.
Undertakes a campaign against
Moussa, 1 08 ; Moussa takes
prisoner and sends ignomi-
niously bound to Istamboul,
1 08, 109 ; advises Sultan to
send for Prince Marko, 109

TYOUPRIYA. Modern alternative
for Korea Margi, 2

•' TZECHIN." A golden coin worth
about ten shillings, 240

TZIGAN-S. Serbian equivalent for
gipsies, 36, 363 ; their main occu-
pation is stealing and selling
horses, 363

TZRNOYEVITCH, IVAN. Sails across
the Adriatic to Venice to secure
wife for his son Maximus, 134 ;
sails for Zablak, 135 ; Zdral
steed of, 135 ; invites Voivode
Milosh Obrenbegovitch to be
the stari-svat in connexion
with his son's wedding, 138-
149 ; invites Captain Yovan to
the wedding of his son, 139 ;
Krgno and Zelenko, two famous
guns of, 140

TZRNOYEVITCH, MAXIMUS. The
marriage of, 134-149; son of
Ivan Tzrnoyevitch, 134 ;
stricken with small-pox, 135 ;
Yovan in a dream sees a falling
tower strike, 139; Milosh
Obrenbegovitch slain by, 148 ;
Turkish alternative, Scander-
beg Ivanbegovitch, 149 ; Scu-
tari on river Boyana granted to,
by Sultan, 149

U

UcLESHA-VoivoDE. Second of
three brothers who built Skadar
(Scutari), 198-205

VALAHIA. Many noble Serbian
families take refuge with Chris-
tian princes of, 8

Glossary ^f Index

VAMPIRES. The belief in, universal
throughout the Balkans. 21, 22

VARADIN, FORT. Guns of, signal
General Voutcha's triumph, 89 ;
Prince Marko on the plain
before, 91, 92 ; Marko sends
Voutcha and Velimir to, 94

VASSO. The igouman (abbot) of
Mount Athos ; finds the body
of Marko and mourns his
death, 1 1 8 ; Issaya the deacon
of, 118

VASSOYE, LAND OF. Momtchilo
dreams that a cloud of fog
from, wraps itself round Dour-
mitor mountain, 189

VEELA. Marko endued with
superhuman strength by a, 17 ;
presented with Sharatz by a,
17 ; Raviyoyla a, allusion to
incident of Marko and, 17 ;
Oossood a, who pronounced the
destiny of Serbian infants, 18 ;
Raviyoyla and Marko, 102-
105 ; Marko calls for aid from
his sister-in-God the, 113, 114 ;
Marko hears the call of the, on
the top of Ourvinian mountain,
115-118

VEELE or VILE (singular, Veela
or Vila). Minor deities in
Serbian superstition identical
with the vvfj.<t>a.i and Trora^i
mentioned by the Greek his-
^ torian Procope, 16-18 ; Stephan
Yakshitch and a, 177 ; Ska-
dra's fortress and the, 198 ;
the prince and the, in the
Serbian folk-tale " The Dream
of the King's Son," 324, 325

VELBOUZD. Famous battle of, 5

VELESS. The city of ; derived
name from Russian God of
Cattle, Volos, 15

VELESSNITZA. A village on the
lower Danube ; derived name
from the Russian God of Cattle,
Volos, 15

VELIMIR. Son of General Voutcha ;
Marko and, 91-94

VENETIAN KING. The four tests
put by the, to Tsar Doushan in
order to win the Princess
Roksanda, 160-166

VENETIAN LAND. Tsar Doushan
journeys to the, 152

VENETIANS, THE. Their cunning
known from ancient times, 152,
153

VENICE. Maximus Tzrnoyevitch's
wedding and, 140, 142

VENICE, DOGE OF. Marko invites
to act as koom the, 96-100 ;
Ivan Tzrnoyevitch asks daugh-
ter of, in marriage for his son
Maximus, 134-149

VIDAL, PIERRE. A French trouba-
dour ; Donna Azalais de Baux
his patroness, 33

VIDIN, THE PASHA OF. One of
the leaders in the assault on
Belgrade, 177-184

VIDOSSAVA. The lonely consort of
Voivode Momtchilo ; letter sent
secretly to, by King Voukashin,
1 86; the treachery of, 187 ;
destroys wings of steed Yabou-
tchilo, 1 88 ; her punishment,
192, 193

VIENNA. Vouk Stephanovitch-
Karadgitch's first collection of
Serbian national poems pub-
lished at, 54

VILINDAR. Vasso the Abbot of
Mount Athos rides from the
white church of, 1 1 8 ; Prince
Marko 's body interred within
the white church of, 1 1 8

VLADIKA. Meaning in Serbian,
4 bishop,' 184

VLADISLAV. Radoslav dethroned
by, 4 ; Ourosh the Great
dethrones, 4

VLAH-ALI. A haughty chieftain
who attacks Strahinya's castle
and captures his wife, 120-128 ;
independent of the Grand Vizir
Mehmed and of Sultan Amou-
rath, 121 ; Strahinya seeks
out and attacks, 121-128 ; his
slaying by Banovitch, 128

VLASTELA (Assembly of Nobles).
Doushan the Powerful pro-
claimed Tsar of Serbia in
agreement with, 5

VLASTIMIR, DJOUPAN (Great).
Attempts to form an indepen-
dent State, 2

Vo or VOLL. Equivalent, Ox,
15. See Volos

391

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

Vo'lNOVITCH, MlLOSH, PRINCE.

Identical with Milosh-the
Shepherd, 168, 169

VO'INOVITCH, PETRASHIN. Nephew
of Tsar Doushan, 151; Doushan
swears to hang, 152 ; Milosh-
the -Shepherd brother of, 153,
154

VO'INOVITCH, VOUKASHIN. Nephew
of Tsar Doushan, 151 ; Doushan
swears to hang, 152; Milosh-
the -Shepherd brother of, 153,
154

VOISLAV, STEPHEN. Ruler of
Zetta, son of Dragomir, de-
clares his independence and
appropriates Zahoumlye (Her-
tzegovina), 3

VO'IVODE. As a title of nobility
corresponds to English ' Duke,' 7

VOIVODE, BALATCHKO THE. The
contest with Milosh-the-Shep-
herd, 167-169; Milosh slays,
1 68

VOLOS. The Russian God of
Cattle ; derivative appears in
the Serbian word vo or voll
('ox'), 15

VOOK, ZMAY-DESPOT. The Zmay
of Yastrebatz and, 130-133 ;
fear of Zmay of Yastrebatz of,
1 30 ; village of Koopinovo on
plain of Sirmia, his abode, 1 30 ;
his fight with Zmay of Yastre-
batz, 131, 132 ; the Zmay slain
by, 132 ; ruled over Sirmia,
132

VOUK STEPHANOVITCH - KARAD-
GITCH. Serbian national poet,
54, 55; takes down from
lips of Serbian bard the
ballad of " The Marriage of
King Voukashin," 193; records
the belief of the Serbian
people that no great build-
ing can be successfully erected
without immuring some human
being, 205 ; Serbian legend " A
Pavilion neither in the Sky
nor on the Earth," contributed
by Prince Michel Obrenovitch
III to, 220

VOUKASHIN, KING. Defeated by
Ourosh on banks of river
Maritza, 6 ; Prince Marko son

392

of, 59 ; Serbian ballads sing of,
60 ; the bad faith of, toward
Emperor Doushan, 61 ; dis-
putes the inheritance of the
Empire, 65-71 ; curses Marko,
71 ; the marriage of, 186-194 ;
vassal king to the Emperor
Doushan the Powerful, 1 86 ;
writes a book (letter) to Vidos-
sava and dispatches it to
Herzegovina, 1 86 ; on the
advice of Vidossava he marches
a large force to Herzegovina
against Momtchilo, 187-192 ;
his woe concerning the death of
Momtchilo, 192 ; weds Yevros-
sima ; Marko and Andrias born
to, 193 ; historical note on, 193,
194

VOUTCHA, GENERAL. Prince
Marko and, 89-94

VOUTCHE OF DYAKOVITZA. Ad-
mires the steed Koulash, 157

VOUTCHITRN, CASTLE OF. Tsar
Doushan swears to hang his
nephews, the Vomovitchs, on
the gates of the, 152 ; Tsar
Doushan's wedding procession
passes by walls of, 152 ; Milosh
takes farewell of Tsar Doushan
in order to return to, 168

VOYAGES. The three, of the good
son in the Serbian folk-tale
" Good Deeds Never Perish,"
291-299

VRZINO (or VILINO)KOLLO. Dance
rings of the Veele, 17

VUKASHIN KRALY. Eldest of
three brothers who built Skadar
(Scutari), 198-205

W

" WAGER, LYING FOR A." A

Serbian folk-tale, 283-287
WEDDING PROCESSION. The, in

the Serbian folk-tale "The

Biter Bit," 333
WEDDING TAX. Prince Marko

abolishes, 82-86
WHITSUNTIDE. Serbian festivities

during, 52
WITCH -ES (veshtitze). Female evil

spirits, who are irreconcilably

Glossary S? Index

hostile to men and children, 20,
21 ; the old, in the Serbian
folk-tale "The Bird-Maiden,"
281-283

WORSHIP. Of the sun and moon,
22; of fire and lightning, 22 ;
of animals, 22, 23 ; of snakes,
23 ; of the dragon — that of
Southern Slavs contrasted with
that of the Hellenes, 23

WRATH OF GOD, THE. Mention of,
in Serbian ballad " The Saints
Divide the Treasures," 197

YABOUTCHILO (diminutive,
Tchile). The steed of Voivode
Momtchilo, 187-191; Momtchilo
reproaches, 190

YAHORIKA. Demitrius Yakshitch
rests by river, 178

YAKSHITCH, DEMITRIUS. Brother
of Stephan Yakshitch ; the
Veela's warning to, 177 ; his re-
morse by the river Yahorika, 178

YAKSHITCH, STEPHAN. The cap-
tivity and marriage of (a ballad
of Montenegro), 177-185 ; De-
mitrius the brother of, 177 ;
the veela's warning to, 177 ;
taken prisoner and led to the
presence of the Vizier of Tyoo-
pria, 178 ; led to the presence
of the mighty Padishah, 178 ;
the Padishah tempts him to
renounce the Holy Cross, 179 ;
declines the " water of oblivion"
offered by Haykoona, 181, 182 ;
Haykoona confesses her real
love for, and enables him to
escape, 182, 183

YANISSARIES. The pasha of Novi
Bazar in the assault on Bel-
grade brings twenty thousand
fierce, 177

YANKO OF NESTOPOLYE. Admires
the steed Koulash, 1 57

YASTREBATZ, THE ZMAY OF. The
Tsarina Militza and, 129-133 ;
his fear of Zmay-Despot Vook,
1 30 ; Vook attacks and slays,
131. 132
YEDRENET. Equivalent, Adria-

nople. Prince Marko received
by the Sultan at, 107, 108

YELITZA. Sister of Paul and
Radool, in the Serbian ballad
"The Stepsisters," 207-210

YESDIMIR. The aged brother of
the^doge of ^Venice,1- 143

YEVROSSIMA (Euphrosyne). I.
Alternative name for Queen
Helen, mother of Prince Marko,
59, 67. II. Sister of Voivode
Momtchilo, 187 ; vainly at-
tempts to rescue her brother
Momtchilo, 191 ; King Vouka-
shin weds, to whom she bears
Marko and Andrias, 193 ; his-
torical note on, 193, 194

YOUG BOGDAN. Aged father-in-
law of Banovitch, 120 ; visited
by Banovitch, 120, 121 ; castle
in Kroushevatz the residence
of, 1 20 ; Strahinya returns to,
after his slaying of Vlah-Ali,
128 ; Tsarina Militza and death
of, 173

YOUGOVITCH-S. I. The nine
brothers-in-law of Strahinya ;
Strahinya urges them not to
slay their sister, 128. II. The
nine brothers of Tsarina Militza,
170-174

YOVAN, CAPTAIN. Ivan Tzrnoye-
vitch invites, to the wedding of
his son, 139-149

YOVAN OBRENBEGOVITCH. Brother
of Milosh Obrenbegovitch, 149 ;
meets Prince Maximus, 149;
Turkish alternative Mehmed-
Bey Obrenbegovitch, 149 ; plain
of Ducadyin given as fief to,
149

Yovo. Infant son of Goi'ko, 204,
205

ZABLAK. Ivan Tzrnoyevitch sails
for, 135 ; wedding attendants
invited by Ivan Tzrnoyevitch
encamp on plain of, 139; Yovan
in a dream beholds fire consume
the beautiful capital of, 139 ;
Milosh to escort Maximus' bride
to, 141, 144

393

Tales & Legends of the Serbians

" ZADROOGA." Designation of Ser-
bian family associations, 13, 14

ZAGORYE. Mountain on which
Milosh -the -Shepherd overtakes
wedding procession of Tsar
Doushan, 155

ZAGREB (Agram). Croatians had
established an episcopate at, as
early as the eleventh century, 1 4

ZAHOUMLYB (Herzegovina). Ap-
propriated by Stephen Voislav, 3

ZDRAL. Steed of Ivan Tzrnoye-
vitch, 135, 140, 142

"ZELENKO" and " KRGNO." Ivan

Tzrnoyevitch's two famous
guns, 140

ZEMLYITCH, STYEPAN. Accom-
panies the doge of Venice, who
acts as Marko's koom, 96-100

ZETA. The Montenegro of modern
times, Skadar the capital of, 1 1 9,
1 20

ZETINA. Waters of, stirred by
explosion of Ivan Tzrnoye-
vitch's guns, 140

ZMAY. The Serbian word for
dragon, 129; the, of Yastrebatz,
and the Tsarina Militza, 129

RETURN CIRCULATION DtKARTMENl

TO— ^ 202 Main Library

LOAN PERIOD 1
HOME USE

2

3

4

5

6

ALL BOOKS MAY BE RECALLED AFTER 7 DAYS

Renewals and Recharges may be made 4 days prior to the due date.

Books may be Renewed by calling 642-3405.

DUE AS STAMPED BELOW

RECEIVED BY

i.lAY 1 o iOfifi

CIRCULATION DPPIT

MftYOH99p

» ^ i**r /•>. r"*i 1 1*"*! »~> P

A ui o n'sc

MAY 2 U Wfl9

FORM NO. DD6,

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY

BERKELEY, CA 94720

®$

GENERAL LIBRARY - U.C. BERKELEY

/**

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY

ORNIA LIBRA

* '^i#

BHH

manm