 | BULGARIAN STORIES. Sixty folk-tales from exclusively Slavonic sources |  |
BULGARIAN STORIES.
The Bulgarians do not derive their name from a Slavonic
origin, but from a small and warlike nation of horsemen,
which in a.d. 679 crossed the Danube under a chief
named Isperich, conquered the disunited Slavonic tribes that
had settled in Mœsia, and consolidated them into a powerful
realm. The conquerors melted into the conquered, and
lost their language, but gave their name to the state and
country. The Slavonic language of the people does not
appear to have been affected by that of their Ugrian conquerors,
but rather by the old Thracian language, which,
conjointly with Latin, has produced the present Roumanian.
The peculiarities of the present Bulgarian language are:
(1) the loss of case inflexions in nouns and adjectives, while
the verbal system is most complete and complex; (2) the
expression of the genitive and dative cases by prefixing the
preposition na; (3) the post-positive article, which is also
borrowed from the old Thracian language, which was akin
to the Illyrian now spoken by the present Albanians and
Epirots; (4) the loss of the infinitive mood, which is replaced
by da with the finite verb. Baron Wenceslas
Wratislaw, in describing his journey through Bulgaria in
1591, says of the people: `They use a Slavonic language,
so that we Bohemians can converse with them.'
The Bulgarian tales themselves are curious, and some of
them very beautiful, as are also the songs, to which considerable
space is devoted by Mr. Morfill in his `Slavonic Literature'
(pp. 125-144). There are old traditions as to the world
and its inhabitants, apparently of heathen origin (No. 35);
a singular fusion of the history of Abraham and Isaac with
some other, probably heathen, tradition (No. 36); a version
of `Cinderella' (No. 37), which involving as it does the
transmigration of souls, clearly exhibits an Indian origin; a
beautiful story (No. 38), the latter part of which is a variant
of the latter part of the Russian tale of `Marya Morevna'
(Ralston, p. 85), and No. 39, in the latter part of which
many people will recognise a variant of an old acquaintance.
XXXV.—THE LORD GOD AS AN OLD MAN.
In the beginning, when man began to plough, when he had
cut a furrow from one end to the other, he lifted his plough
on to his shoulder, and when he had carried it back to the
same end that he had begun from, he began again to plough
thence. The Lord, in the form of an old man, passed by
and said to him, `Not thus, my son, but when you make a
furrow, turn your plough round at the same place to which
you have cut the furrow, and plough back to the end from
which you began.' And thus the ploughman learnt to
plough aright, as people plough at this day.
Thence the Lord went away in the form of an old man,
and saw a woman who was weaving at a loom, and putting
the thread, three threads at a time, into her mouth; she bit
the thread off at one end, and began again at the same side.
The Lord said to her, `Not thus, daughter; but put the
thread hither and thither with two hands without biting the
thread off.' And she learnt to weave as people weave at
this day.
The next day the Lord again passed alongside of the
ploughman in a different guise, and asked him: `Who taught
you, my son, to plough thus?' He replied to him: `The
Lord God, in the form of an old man.' The Lord blessed
him, and said: `A day to plough and a year to eat!' Afterwards
he passed by the woman and asked her: `Who taught
you, daughter, to weave thus?' She replied: `Myself, my
very own self, quickly, quite quickly.' Then the Lord said
to her: `A year to weave, that you may carry it under the
arm!'
They say, moreover, that at that time men had command
not only over all animals, but also over inanimate things;
but later, they say, it was altered when men became wicked.
For instance, when a man had cut logs of wood and piled
them in a heap, he struck them with a stick, and they went
of themselves whither they were required to go. But a
certain woman having cut logs and struck them to make
them go, they started; but she, being tired of walking
beside them on foot, seated herself at top, and the logs
resisted. She struck them on one side, she struck them on
the other, but they didn't move any whither. Then she
unfastened her girdle, and put them on her back. On the
way God showed himself to her, and said to her: `Since
you are wicked, instead of your riding on them, let them
ride on you.'
When the Lord walked about the earth and blessed it, he
went first to a herdsman. He was lying on his back under
a tree, a pear-tree; his pitcher, in which he fetched water
for himself, stood by empty. The Lord, in the form of an
old man, asked him: `My son, is there any water in the
pitcher?' He said to him: `No.' The Lord said to him:
`Go, my son, to fetch me a little water, that the old man
may drink.' The herdsman made a sign to him with his
foot: `There is where the spring is; if you're thirsty, go,
run off as if assailed by the gadfly; then, when they began
all to run in one direction, the herdsman took his hat in
his hand and started off, and as he ran after them thought:
`How I have sinned against God!'
Then the Lord went to a shepherd. The shepherd also
had a pitcher. The Lord asked him: `My son, have you any
water?' He replied to him: `There is water, old man, but
I cannot go to fetch it myself, or the sheep will disperse.'
Then said the Lord: `Go, my son; I will watch them.'
When the shepherd went off for the water, the Lord took
the shepherd's staff, and when he had stuck it into the
ground, placed the shepherd's cloak upon it, and blessed
the sheep. They became quiet and tranquil in the shade.
During the shepherd's absence up came a wolf to obtain the
appointed tribute which he received every day from the
shepherd. The Lord gave him a lamb of little value. The
wolf, discontented, did not choose to take it, but darted
forward and seized another, which he liked. Then the
Lord took the shepherd's trumpet, and struck him on the
loins—on the spine. From this it has remained a property
of the wolf that his loins are just as weak as his neck is
strong. But he carried off the lamb which he had seized.
The Lord took two little stones, threw them after the wolf
and blessed them; they became two dogs, ran after the
wolf, and took away the lamb which the wolf had seized.
The shepherd came up bringing the Lord cold water,
and saw the sheep quiet, for they were standing in the
shade and the two dogs were frolicking round them. The
shepherd then asked the old man: `Well, old man, now
when the sheep are standing quiet, and are like blocks of
wood, how shall I drive them to pasture?' The Lord said
to him: `My son, take a copper trumpet, and blow it to
them; they will start off in the direction from which the
present day people drive their sheep to pasture blowing
trumpets.
XXXVI.—BULGARIAN HOSPITALITY.
Once upon a time, when the Lord had formed the world,
he wished to see how his people lived; he came down from
heaven first of all on the Balkan Mountains, took the form
of a man with a long white beard and white clothes; took
a staff in his hand, and went about the world in the Bulgarian
land; he travelled much, a whole day long, over
desolate mountains. In the evening he came to a village
to pass the night. He went into the first house at the end
of the village and sat down on the threshold, said nothing,
but meditated by himself. The mistress was in her house
doing some work, and did not see him. But now her husband
came from the field, from his plough, espied the old man,
was delighted, and said to him: `Old man, you are very
tired; you are a weary traveller. Come into the house;
rest yourself, if it is but a poor one. I will entertain you
with all that the Lord has given me—only say the word.'
The old man regarded him with cheerful eyes, went into the
house and sat down. The man and his wife quickly rose
up and prepared a hospitable meal according to what they
possessed, and as nicely and as handsomely as they could,
and placed it on the table. The couple ate of their homely
meal, but the old man would not; he only smelt the homely
banquet, said nothing, but watched how the two persons
enjoyed themselves, and rejoiced. They urged him, they
begged him. `Old man, why don't you eat? You will
remain hungry. Take, and taste, and try what you please.
What we have is all here before you.' The old man only
said this: `Eat you—eat; I am thinking of something'
went out to feed the child because it was crying. Then
said the old man to her husband: `Do you know what,
master, if you wish to entertain me? I cannot eat everything,
but I wish for baked human flesh. Kill your little
son, wash him nicely, and place him whole on the frying-pan
in the oven; only look out that your wife does not see you,
for she will weep.' He replied: `Is this all that you want,
old man? Why did you not tell me long before, that you
might not have sat a hungry guest in the house? Did I
not tell you that all was yours that the Lord had given me?
Indeed, I love you exceedingly, old man; my heart tells me
that you are good and worthy, and now you shall see; only
have a little patience, till I get ready that which you desire.'
The man went out of doors, and his wife had begun to do
some work, and had left her child to play by itself in the
moonlight till it fell asleep, without knowing what was about
to take place. Her husband stole the child, killed it with
all haste, put it entire in the frying-pan, and shut it up in
the oven, that its mother might not see it till it was cooked;
he then went to the old man, sat down by him and conversed
cheerfully with him. They had not talked long,
when the old man became silent, sniffed with his nose, and
said to the servant lad: `Go, look at the baked meat; it
smells nicely; perhaps it is cooked.'
The lad rose, went out, opened the oven to look at and
take out the baked meat. But what did he see? He was
amazed and frightened at the wonder; all the oven and all
the house was glittering with the brightness of the child.
The frying-pan and the child had become gold, and shone
like the sun. The child was sitting in the frying-pan like a
big boy—handsome, cheerful, bright, and well. On his
head was a crown of pearls and precious stones; on the
girdle at his waist was a sword. In his right hand he held
of ears; and all this was shining more than fire, because it
had all become gold. He returned to tell the old man what
a wonder had taken place, and to ask what was to be done;
but the old man was no longer there; he had gone out in
front of the house, and said to them: `Fare ye well, and
live as ye have done till now, honourably and contentedly.
Your good hearts will have good from field and cattle, and
blessing and peace upon your children and children's
children from the Lord. He will receive you and entertain
you in his heavenly house.' He then went away alone
under cover of the night, no one knows whither.
XXXVII.—CINDERELLA.
Once upon a time, a number of girls were assembled spinning
round a deep rift or chasm in the ground. As they spun
they chattered together and told stories to each other. Up
came a white-bearded old man, who said to them: `Girls!
as you spin and chatter, be circumspect round this rift; or,
if any of you drops her spindle into it, her mother will be
turned into a cow.' Thus saying he departed. The girls
were astonished at his words, and crowded round the rift to
look into it. Unfortunately, one of them, the most beautiful
of all, dropped her spindle into it. Towards evening, when
she went home, she espied a cow—her mother—in front of
the gate, and drove her out with the other cattle to pasture.
After some time the father of the girl married a widow, who
brought a daughter with her into the house. The second
wife had a spite at the man's first daughter, especially
because she was more beautiful and more industrious than
her own, and she allowed her neither to wash herself, nor to
comb her hair, nor to change her clothes. One day she
sent her out with the cattle, gave her a bag full of tow, and
you don't wind it into a ball, you had better not come
home at eventide—I shall kill you.' It was sad for the
poor girl, as she went after the cattle, endeavouring as well
as she could to keep them together. In the afternoon, when
the cattle lay down to chew the cud, she began to look at
the bag to see how to perform her task upon it; but when
she saw that she could not make out what to do with it, she
began to cry. When the cow which was her mother saw
her crying, she asked her why she was crying. She told her
how it was, and what it was. Then said the cow to her:
`Don't be afraid; I will help you. I will take all the tow
into my mouth, and will chew it, and yarn will come up
into my ear. You must take it and reel it into a ball, and
you will finish it in good time.' As she said, so it was.
She began to chew the tow, piece after piece; yarn came up
into her ear, and the girl wound and reeled it, and finished
the task. In the evening she departed and went to her
stepmother, who was amazed at seeing so much work completed.
The next time she gave her as much tow again.
The girl spun till noon, and then in the afternoon, when the
cattle lay down to chew the cud, the cow came up to her
and began to chew the tow; yarn came up into her ear, and
the girl wound and reeled it, and finished in good time. In
the evening she went home and delivered to her stepmother
all the tow spun and wound. She was astonished at seeing
so much work completed. The third time she gave her
still more tow, and sent her own daughter to see who helped
her. The daughter went and concealed herself apart, and
saw how it was and what it was, that the girl completed so
much work in the day; she saw how the cow took the tow
into her mouth, how yarn came up into her ear, and how
the girl wound and reeled it. She went home to tell her
mother. When she heard this from her daughter, she
every way to persuade her not to kill the cow, but could not
over-persuade her. At last, when he saw that there was no
escape, he promised to kill it on a certain day. When the
girl heard that they were going to kill the cow she began to
cry, and told the cow secretly that they were going to kill
her. She said to the girl: `Be quiet—don't cry! If they
kill me, you must not eat any of my flesh, but must collect
the bones and bury them behind the cottage. Then if need
come to you, you must go to the grave, and help will come
to you thence.' On hearing this she went away.
One day they killed the cow and boiled her flesh, brought
it into the parlour, and began to eat. The girl alone did
not eat of it, according to the instructions she had received;
but collected the bones, and then, without anybody seeing
her, took them and buried them behind the cottage, where
the cow (her mother) had ordered her so to do. The girl
was named Mary; but at length, when they had put all the
work in the cottage upon her—that is to say, to sweep, to
fetch water, to cook, to wash up the plates—she had become
dirty and begrimed with ashes and cinders from excessive
work at the fireplace; and therefore her stepmother nicknamed
her Cinderella (Pepelezka), and this remained her
name afterwards.
One Sunday her stepmother got ready to go to church
with her daughter, but, before starting, took a wooden dish of
millet, scattered it on the ground in the cottage, and said to
Cinderella: `Here you, Cinderella! if you don't pick up
this millet, and if you don't get dinner ready by the time
that I return from church, don't come before my eyes, or I
shall put you to death.' Then they went away. Poor Cinderella,
when she looked at all the millet, cried out weeping
and wailing: `I will cook, I will sweep, I will attend to
everything, but what poor girl can pick up all this millet?'
her mind what the cow had told her, to go to the grave, and
there help would be given her in trouble. Cinderella went
off to the grave. When there, what did she see? On the
grave stood an open box, filled with all manner of rich
clothes, and on the lid were two pigeons, white as snow.
They said to her: `Mary! take the clothes out, put them
on, and go to church, and we will pick up the millet and get
the dinner ready.' She put out her hands and took the upper
ones, which were of pure silk and satin, put them on, and went
to church. In the church people great and small marvelled
at her beauty and her dress, especially because no one
recognised her or knew who or what she was. Most of all
did the emperor's son marvel at her, and never took his eyes
off her. When service was ended, she stole away and ran
quickly home, undressed immediately, and put the clothes
in the box, and the box immediately vanished from sight.
She went to the fireplace, and what did she see there? The
millet picked up, dinner ready—in one word, everything
attended to! Soon afterwards, lo! her stepmother came
with her daughter from church, saw everything in proper
order, and was astounded.
Next Sunday, when she was about to go to church, taking
a larger dish of millet and scattering it on the ground, she
threatened Cinderella that she would kill her if she didn't
pick it up and get dinner ready. The stepmother went off
with her daughter to church, and Cinderella betook herself
to the grave of the cow. On the grave she found the two
pigeons and the box with the dresses in it open. They told
her to dress herself and go to church, and they would pick
up the millet and get dinner ready. Taking a dress of
pure silver, she dressed herself and went off to church.
Now everybody, small and great, marvelled at her more than
before, and the emperor's son did not take his eyes off her
multitude and got away home. There she undressed, and
put the clothes in the box, and the box disappeared from
sight. Soon afterwards, lo! her stepmother came and
looked about; the millet was picked up, dinner was ready,
and Cinderella was at the fireplace. She was astonished at
seeing so much work completed.
The third time her stepmother got ready to go to church,
and before she started, taking a dish of millet thrice as
large, and scattering it on the ground, she said to Cinderella:
`Cinderella, if you don't pick up all this millet before
we return from church, and if you don't get dinner ready, go
and hide yourself; don't come before my eyes—I shall kill
you.' Then she went off to church. After this Cinderella
went to the grave of the cow, and found there the box open
and the two pigeons upon it. They told her to dress herself
and go to church; they would pick up the millet and get
the dinner ready. Taking a dress of pure gold, she dressed
herself and went to church. There, when the people saw
her, they marvelled, but no one knew who or what she was.
The emperor's son never took his eyes off her, and planned,
when service was over, to follow her closely, to see whither
she betook herself. Service ended, she stole off amidst the
crowd, hastening to get away before her stepmother; but as
she was pushing through the crowd, she lost one of her
shoes, and the emperor's son took it up. She escaped from
among them with one shoe, undressed very quickly, put the
clothes in the box, and the box vanished. She went home
and looked in the cottage; the millet was picked up, dinner
was ready, and everything attended to. She sat down at the
fireplace, and, lo! her stepmother came and looked about the
cottage; everything was in order, the millet picked up,
dinner ready; she had nothing to find fault with her or
scold her about.
The emperor's son left the people, disguised himself, took
the shoe, and went from cottage to cottage to try it on, to
find out whose it was; and wherever he went he made inquiries,
and tried it on the foot of every girl, but it did not
fit one. For some it was too large, and for others too
small; for some too narrow, for others too broad. At last
he came to Cinderella's cottage. As soon as her stepmother
saw him, she concealed Cinderella under a trough. He
asked whether there was any girl in the house. She replied
that there was, and brought her daughter to him. He tried
the shoe on her, but it wouldn't even allow her toes to go
in. He then asked whether there wasn't another girl there,
and she told him that there wasn't. The cock had flown on
to the trough, and when she told the emperor's son that
there was no other girl there, he crowed: `Cock-a-doodledoo!
pretty girl under trough!' The stepmother shrieked
out: `Shoo! eagles have brought you!'[1]
But the emperor's
son, on hearing the cock say this, went up and took the
trough off; and there was, indeed, the girl that he had seen
in the church with those beautiful dresses, only on one foot
she had no shoe. He tried the shoe on her; it went on,
and was exactly the same as that on the other foot. Then
the emperor's son took her by the hand, conducted her to
his court, married her, and punished her stepmother for her
evil heart.
Eagles are frequently supernatural messengers in Bulgarian tales.
One might have expected, `Eagles take you!' but it is as I have given it.
XXXVIII.—THE GOLDEN APPLES AND THE NINE
PEAHENS.
There was once upon a time an emperor who had three
sons, and in his yard a golden apple-tree, which flowered
and ripened every night; but somebody robbed it, and the
emperor was utterly unable to discover who the robber was.
`I do not know whither goes the fruit from our apple-tree.'
Then the eldest son answered him: `I will go to-night to
see who takes it.' When it became dark, the eldest son did
as he had said: went out, and lay down under it. Well,
when the apples began to ripen in the course of the night,
slumber overtook him, and he fell asleep; and when he
awoke at dawn he looked—but where were the apples?
Taken away! When he saw this, he went and related all
to his father just as it really happened. The second son
said to his father: `I will go to-night to watch, that I may
see who takes it.' But he, too, watched it even as the first
one. About the time when the apples began to ripen, he
fell asleep. When he woke up in the morning, where were
the apples? Taken away! Now came the turn of the third
and youngest brother. He went out at eventide under the
apple-tree, placed a sofa there, lay down, and went to sleep.
About midnight, when the apples began to ripen, he woke up
and looked at the apple-tree. It had just begun to ripen,
and illuminated all the yard from the brightness of its fruit.
Just then up flew nine peahens, eight of which settled upon
the apple-tree, and the ninth on the ground beside his sofa,
and, as soon as she had alighted, became a damsel, who
shone with beauty like a bright sun. They conversed
together while the other eight were rifling the tree, and when
dawn came, she thanked him for the apples, and he begged
her to leave just one behind her. She gave him two—one
for himself, and one to take to his father—transformed herself
into a peahen, and flew away, followed by the other
eight. In the morning the prince rose up, and took one
apple to his father, who did not know what to do for joy,
and commended him without ceasing. The next evening
the youngest prince went out again to watch the apple-tree,
and as soon as he had gone out, lay down as before, and
brought his father an apple. This went on for a few days,
when his brothers began to envy him, because they could
not watch it, whereas he watched it successfully. They
could not make out how to discover the manner in which
he watched the apple-tree. So they sought out an old
witch, who promised them to find out how their young
brother watched the apple-tree. At the approach of evening,
when the youngest prince was about to go out to watch
the apple-tree, the accursed witch stole out and went off
before him, lay down under his sofa, and there concealed
herself. The prince came, lay down without knowing that
the old woman was under his sofa, and went to sleep as
previously. About midnight, when the prince had just woke
up, the nine peahens arrived; eight of them settled on the
tree, and the other on the ground beside his sofa, transformed
herself into a damsel, and they began to converse
together. While these were talking to each other, the
accursed old witch softly raised herself up, and cut off a
piece of the damsel's long hair. As soon as she felt this,
the damsel sprang on one side, transformed herself into a
peahen, and flew away, with the other eight behind her.
The prince, on seeing this, sprang off his sofa, and shouted:
`What is this?' He erelong espied the old woman under
the sofa, seized and hauled her from under it, and, when
morning came, ordered her to be fastened to the tails of two
horses and torn asunder. The peahens came no more to
the apple-tree, and the prince was much grieved on this
account, and wept and mourned day after day. At last he
determined to go to seek them all over the world, and went
and told his father what his intention was, and his father
endeavoured to comfort him, and said: `Stay, my son! I
will find you another damsel in my empire, such an one as
you wish for.' But in vain; he would not follow his father's
his servants, and went into the world to find the peahen.
When he had travelled a long time, he came to a lake, in
the midst of which was a rich palace, and in the palace an
aged empress, who had one daughter. The prince, on
coming to the old empress, asked her to tell him about the
nine peahens, if she knew about them; and the old woman
replied that she did, and that the nine peahens came daily
to bathe in the lake. On telling him this, she began to try
to over-persuade him with these words: `Never mind those
nine peahens, my son. I have a handsome damsel, and
abundance of wealth—it will all remain yours.' But as soon
as the prince heard where the peahens were, he would not
listen to her talk, but in the morning ordered his servant to
get the horses ready to go to the lake. Before they started
for the lake, the old woman called his servant, bribed him,
and gave him a little whistle, saying to him: `When the
time approaches for the peahens to come to the lake, do
you secretly look out, and blow the whistle behind your
master's neck; he will immediately fall asleep, and will not
see them.' The accursed servant hearkened to her, took
the whistle, and did as the old woman told him. When
they arrived at the shore of the lake, he calculated the time
when the peahens would arrive, blew the whistle behind his
master's neck, and he immediately fell as sound asleep as if
he were dead. Scarcely had he fallen asleep, when the
peahens arrived; eight of them settled on the lake, and the
ninth perched upon his horse, and began to try to awaken
him: `Arise, my birdie! arise, my lamb! arise, my dove!'
But he heard nothing, but slept on as if dead. When the
peahens had finished bathing, they all flew away, and he
awoke, and asked his servant: `What is it? Did they
come?' The servant replied: `They did come,' and told
him how eight of them settled on the lake, and the ninth on
prince heard this from his servant, he was ready to
kill himself from pain and anger. The next morning they
visited the shore of the lake again, but his accursed servant
calculated the time to blow the whistle behind his neck, and
he immediately fell asleep as if he were dead. Scarcely had
he fallen asleep, when the nine peahens arrived; eight
settled on the lake, and the ninth on his horse, and began
to try to awake him: `Arise, my birdie! arise, my lamb!
arise, my dove!' But he slept on as if he were dead, hearing
nothing. When the peahen failed to wake him, and
they were about to fly away again, the one which had been
trying to wake him turned and said to his servant: `When
your master wakes, tell him that to-morrow it will once more
be possible for him to see us, but after that, never more.'
On saying this she took flight, and the others from the lake
after her. Scarcely had they flown away, when the prince
awoke, and asked his servant: `Did they come?' He told
him: `They did come, and eight of them settled on the lake,
and the ninth on your horse, and tried to wake you, but you
slept soundly. As she departed, she told me to tell you
that you will see her here once again to-morrow, and never
more.' When the prince heard this, he was ready to kill
himself in his unhappiness, and did not know what to do
for sorrow. On the third day he got ready to go to the
lake, mounted his horse, went to the shore, and, in order
not to fall asleep, kept his horse continually in motion. But
his wicked servant, as he followed him, calculated the time,
and blew the whistle behind his neck, and he immediately
leant forward on his horse and fell asleep. As soon as he
fell asleep, the nine peahens flew up; eight settled on the
lake, and the ninth on his horse, and endeavoured to wake
him: `Arise, my birdie! arise, my lamb! arise, my dove!'
But he slept as if he were dead, and heard nothing. Then,
perched on his horse turned round, and said to his servant:
`When your master wakes up, tell him to roll the under peg
on the upper, and then he will find me.'[2] Then she flew off,
and those from the lake after her. When they had flown
away, he awoke again, and asked his servant: `Did they
come?' He replied: `They did; and the one that had
perched on your horse told me to tell you to roll the upper
peg on the under one, and then you would find her. When
the prince heard this, he drew his sword, and cut off his
servant's head. When he had done this, he started to
travel on alone. When he had travelled a long time, he
came at dusk to the cottage of a hermit, and lodged there
for the night. In the evening the prince asked the hermit:
`Grandfather, have you heard of nine golden peahens?' The
hermit answered: `Yes, my son; you are fortunate in having
come to me to ask about them. They are not far hence;
it is not more than half a day's journey to them from here.'
In the morning, when the prince departed to seek them, the
hermit came out to accompany him, and said to him: `Go
to the right, and you will find a large gate. When you enter
that gate, turn to the right, and then you will go right into
their town, and in that town is their palace. He went on
his way according to the hermit's words, and went on till he
came to that gate; then turned to the right, and descried
the town upon a hill. When he saw the town he was much
rejoiced. When he entered the town he inquired where the
palace of the nine peahens was. It was pointed out to him.
At the gate a watchman stopped him, and inquired whence
and who he was. The prince told him all, whence he was
and who he was. After this the watchman went off to
announce him to the empress. When she heard it, she ran
breathless, and stood in the form of a damsel before him,
rejoiced together, and in a day or two were wedded.
When a few days had elapsed after their marriage, the
empress departed to go on a journey, and the prince remained
alone. When she was about to start, she took out
and gave him the keys of twelve cellars, and said to him:
`Open all the cellars, but do not have any nonsense with
the twelfth.' She went away. When the prince remained
alone in the palace, he bethought himself: `What does this
mean, that I am to open all the cellars, but not to open the
twelfth? Glory to the Lord God! what can there be in it?'
He then began to open them one after the other. He came
to the twelfth, and at first would not open it; but as he
had no occupation, he began to brood and to say to himself:
`How can it be in this cellar that she told me not to open
it?' At last he opened it too, and found standing in the
midst of it a cask bound with iron hoops, and a voice out of
it was heard, saying: `I pray you, brother—I am athirst for
water—give me a cup of water.' On hearing this voice,
the prince took a cup of water, and sprinkled it on the
bung; and as soon as he had sprinkled it, one of the hoops
of the cask burst. The voice then cried: `Give me one
more cup of water; I am athirst.' He took a cup of water
and sprinkled it on the bung; and as soon as he had done
so, another hoop burst on the cask. The voice then cried:
`I am athirst; give me, brother, one more cup of water.'
The prince took another cup of water and poured it on the
bung; but as soon as he had finished pouring it, the third
hoop of the cask burst, the cask split asunder, and out of it
flew a dragon, found the empress on her way, and carried
her off. Thus it happened, and the attendants came and
told their master that a dragon had carried the empress
away. Finally he set off to seek her in the world. When
he had travelled a long time, he came to a marsh, and in
jump into the water, but was unable to do so. This little
fish, on seeing the prince, addressed itself to him: `I pray
you, brother, do a good action: throw me into the water;
I shall some time be of use to you; only take a scale from
me, and when you are in want of me, rub it between your
fingers.' On hearing this he took a scale off it, threw the
fish into the water, put the scale into a handkerchief, and
went on his way. When he had gone a little further, he
espied a fox caught in a trap. When the fox saw him, it
called out: `I pray you, brother, let me out of this trap; I
shall some day be of use to you; only take one or two hairs
from my fur, and when I am wanted for you, rub them
between your fingers.' He let it out of the trap, took one
or two hairs from it, and went on his way. Thus he proceeded
onwards, till, as he went, he came to a hill, and found
a crow caught in a trap just like the fox before. As soon as
the crow saw him, it cried out: `I pray you, be a brother to
me, traveller; let me out of this trap; I shall some day be
of use to you; only take a feather or two from me, and
when you are in want of me, rub them between your fingers.'
The prince took one or two feathers from the crow, let it
out of the trap, and then went on his way. As he went on
to find the empress, he met a man, and asked him: `I pray
you, brother, do you not know where is the palace of the
dragon emperor?' The man showed him the way, and also
told him at what time he was at home, that he might find
him. The prince thanked him, and said: `Farewell.' He
then went on, and gradually came to the palace of the dragon
emperor. On his arrival there he found his beloved, and
when she saw him and he saw her, they were both full of
joy. Now they began to plan together how to escape.
Finally they agreed to saddle their horses and take to flight.
They saddled them, mounted, and off. When they had
empress was not to be found. `Now what shall we do?'
said the dragon to his horse. `Shall we eat and drink, or
pursue them?' The horse replied to him: `Don't trouble
yourself; eat and drink.' When he had dined, the dragon
mounted his horse and galloped after them, and in course
of time overtook them, and took the empress away, but said
to the prince: `Go in safety; this time you are forgiven,
because you gave me water in the cellar; but do not come
a second time if your life is dear to you.' The poor prince
remained as if thunderstricken, then started and proceeded
a little way; but as he could not overcome his heart, he
returned to the dragon's palace. There he found the
empress weeping. When they saw each other and met,
they began to consult how to get away so as to escape.
Then said the prince to the empress: `When the dragon
comes, ask him from whom he bought that horse, and tell
me, that I may obtain such another, that we may escape.'
After saying this to her he went out, that the dragon might
not find him on his arrival. When the dragon came, the
empress began to coax him and make herself agreeable to
him, and said to him: `What a swift horse yours is! From
whom did you buy him? Tell me, I pray you.' He
answered: `Where I bought him nobody can make a purchase.
On a certain hill lives an old woman who has twelve
horses in her stable, such that you don't know which is
better than another. One of them is in the corner, and
this one looks skinny; but he is the best of all, and is
brother of mine: this one could fly to the sky. Whoever
seeks to obtain a horse from the old woman must serve her
three days. The old woman has a mare with a foal; whoever
watches the mare successfully for three days, to him
the old woman gives the choice of whichever horse he
wishes. Whoever engages himself to watch the mare, and
nights, loses his life.' On the morrow the dragon went
away, and the prince came in. The empress told him what
the dragon had said. Then the prince started off and went
to the hill where the old woman was to be found. When
he entered her house, he said to her: `Good-day, old
woman!' The old woman replied: `The Lord give you
prosperity, my son!' She said to him: `What brings you
here, my son?' He replied: `I should like to take service
with you.' The old woman said to him: `Very good, my
son. I have a mare with a foal. If you watch her successfully
for three days, I will give you one of these twelve
horses of mine to take away, whichever you choose; but if
you fail to watch her successfully, I shall take off your head.'
Then she took him into the yard. In the yard post after
post was fixed in the ground, and on each was stuck a
human head; only one remained vacant, and this cried out
continually: `Old woman, give me a head!' When the old
woman had shown him all, she said: `Know that all these
engaged to watch the mare and the foal, but were unable to
watch her successfully.' But the prince was in no wise
terrified thereby. In the afternoon he mounted the mare
and galloped uphill and downhill, and the foal galloped
after her. Thus till midnight, and then, would he nould
he, sleep crept over him, and he fell asleep. When he woke
up at dawn his arms were round a stump instead of the
mare, but he held the halter in his hand. When he perceived
this, the poor fellow became dizzy from terror, and
started off to look for her; and while he was looking for her,
came to a sheet of water, and when he came to the water,
he remembered the little fish, unfolded the handkerchief, and
took out the scale and rubbed it between his fingers. Up
sprang the little fish out of the water, and lay before him.
`What is the matter, adopted brother?' said the fish. He
I don't know where she is.' The fish said to him: `Here
she is amongst us; she has transformed herself into a fish,
and her foal into a little fish; but do you flap the halter on
the water, and call out: "Coop! coop! old woman's mare!" '
He flapped the water with the halter, and called out: `Coop!
coop! old woman's mare!' and immediately she transformed
herself again into a mare, and, pop! there she was
on the brink of the water before him! He put the halter
on her and mounted her, and trot! trot! and at the old
woman's. When he brought her in, the old woman gave
him his dinner, but led the mare into the stable, scolded
her, and said: `Among the fish, good-for-nothing rogue?'
The mare replied: `I was among the fish, but they told of
me, because they are his friends.' The old woman said
to her: `Go among the foxes.' The second day he
mounted the mare, and galloped uphill and downhill, and
the foal galloped after. Thus till midnight. When it was
about midnight sleep overcame him, and he fell asleep upon
the mare's back. At dawn, when he awoke, his arms were
round a stump, but he held the halter in his hand. When
he perceived this, he sprang off again to seek her. As he
was seeking her, it came at once into his head what the old
woman had said to the mare when she was leading it into
the stable. Then he unwrapped the fox's hairs out of the
handkerchief, rubbed them between his fingers, and the fox
immediately jumped out before him. `What is it, adopted
brother?' He replied: `The old woman's mare has run
away.' The fox said to him: `Here she is amongst us;
she has become a fox, and the foal a fox-cub. But do you
flap the ground with the halter, and call out: "Coop! coop!
old woman's mare!" ' He flapped and called, and the mare
leaped out before him. Then he caught her and put the
halter on her, mounted her, and rode to the old woman's.
dinner, led the mare off to the stable, and said: `Among the
foxes, good-for-nothing rogue?' The mare replied: `I was
among them, but they are his friends, and told of me.'
The old woman said to her: `Be among the crows.' The
third day the prince again mounted the mare, and galloped
her uphill and downhill, and the foal galloped after. Thus
till midnight. About midnight he became sleepy, and fell
asleep, and woke up at dawn; but his arms were round a
stump, and he held the halter in his hand. As soon as he
perceived this, he darted off again to seek the mare, and as
he was seeking her, it came into his head what the old woman
had said the day before when scolding the mare. He took
out the handkerchief and unwrapped the crow's feathers,
rubbed them between his fingers, and, pop! the crow was
before him. `What is it, adopted brother?' The prince
replied: `The old woman's mare has run away, and I don't
know where she is.' The crow answered: `Here she is
amongst us; she has become a crow, and the foal a young
crow. But flap the halter in the air, and cry: "Coop! coop!
old woman's mare!" ' He flapped the halter in the air, and
cried: `Coop! coop! old woman's mare!' and the mare
transformed herself from a crow into a mare, just as she had
been, and came before him. Then he put the halter on her,
and mounted her, and galloped off, the foal following behind,
to the old woman's. The old woman gave him his
dinner, caught the mare, led her into the stable, and said to
her: `Among the crows, good-for-nothing rogue?' The
mare replied: `I was among them, but they are his friends,
and told of me.' Then when the old woman came out, the
prince said to her: `Well, old woman, I have served you
honestly; now I ask you to give me that which we agreed
upon.' The old woman replied: `My son, what is agreed
upon must be given. Here are twelve horses—choose
whichever you please.' He replied: `Why shall I pick and
there is none better in my eyes.' Then the old woman
began to dissuade him: `Why chose that skinny one when
there are so many good ones?' He then insisted once for
all: `Give me the one which I ask, for such was our agreement.'
The old woman twisted, turned, and without more
ado gave him the one which he asked for. Then he
mounted it, and `Farewell, old woman!' `Good-bye, my
son!' When he took it to a wood and groomed it, it glittered
like gold. Afterwards, when he mounted it and gave
it its head, it flew, flew like a bird, and in a jiffy arrived at
the dragon's palace. As soon as he entered the courtyard,
he bade the empress to get ready for flight. She was not long
in getting ready; they both mounted the horse and set off.
They had not long started in flight when the dragon arrived
—looked about. No empress. Then he said to his horse:
`Shall we eat and drink, or shall we pursue?' `Eat or not,
drink or not, pursue or not, you won't catch him.' When
the dragon heard this, he immediately mounted his horse,
and started to pursue them. When the prince and empress
perceived that he was pursuing them, they were terrified,
and urged their horse to go quickly, but the horse answered
them: `Never fear; there's no need to hurry.' The dragon
came trot, trot, and the horse he rode called to that which
bore the prince and the empress: `Bless you, brother,
wait! for I shall break my wind from pursuing you.' The
other replied: `Whose fault is it, if you're such a fool as to
carry that spectre on your back? Buck, and throw him on
the ground, and then follow me.' When the dragon's horse
heard this, up with his head, a jump with his hind-quarters,
and bang went the dragon against a stone. The dragon
was smashed to pieces, and his horse followed the prince
and empress. Then the empress caught and mounted it,
and they arrived safe and sound in the empress's dominions,
and reigned honourably as long as they lived.
I do not understand this expression. It is afterwards inverted by
the servant. But it has no further bearing on the story.
XXXIX.—THE LANGUAGE OF ANIMALS.
A certain man had a shepherd, who served him faithfully
and honestly for many years. This shepherd, when he was
once upon a time following the sheep, heard a whistling on
the hill, and, not knowing what it was, went off to see.
When he got to the place, there was a conflagration, and in
the middle of it a serpent was squeaking. When he saw this,
he waited to see how the serpent would act, for all around it
was burning, and the fire had almost come close to it.
When the serpent saw him, it screamed: `Dear shepherd,
do a good action: take me out of this fire.' The shepherd
took pity on its words, and reached it his crook, and it
crawled out upon it. When it had crawled out, it coiled
itself round his neck. When the shepherd saw this, he was
frightened, and said: `Indeed you are a wretch! Is that
the way you are going to thank me for rescuing you? So
runs the proverb: "Do good, and find evil." ' The serpent
answered him: `Don't fear: I shall do you no harm; only
carry me to my father; my father is the emperor of the
serpents.' The shepherd begged pardon, and excused himself:
`I can't carry you to your father, because I have no
one to leave in charge of my sheep.' The serpent said to
him: `Don't fear for your sheep; nothing will happen to
them; only carry me to my father, and go quickly.' Then
there was no help for it, so he started with it over the hill.
When he came to a door, which was formed of nothing but
serpents intertwined, and went up to it, the serpent which
was coiled round his neck gave a whistle, and the serpents,
which had twined themselves into the form of a door,
immediately untwined, and made way for them to enter.
As the shepherd and the serpent entered the palace, the
serpent called to the shepherd: `Stop! let me tell you
something: when you come into my father's palace, he will
accept anything, only ask him to give you such a tongue
that you will be able to understand all animals. He will
not give you this readily, but at last grant it you he will.'
The shepherd went with it into its father's palace, and its
father, on seeing it, shed tears, and asked it: `Hey, my son,
where have you been till now?' It replied, and told him
everything in order: what had taken place, and how it had
taken place, and how the shepherd had rescued it. Then
the emperor of the serpents turned to the shepherd, and
said to him: `Come, my son, what do you wish me to give
you in recompense for rescuing my child?' The shepherd
replied to him: `Nothing else, only give me such a tongue
that I can understand all animals.' The emperor of the
serpents said to him: `That is not a proper gift for you, my
son, because, if I give you anything of the kind, you will
betray yourself in somebody's presence by boasting of it, and
then you will die immediately; ask something else.' The
shepherd replied to him: `I wish for nothing else. If you
will give it me, give it; if not, farewell!' He turned to go;
but the emperor of the serpents cried out: `Stay! Return!
If you ask this, come, that I may give it you. Open your
mouth.' The shepherd opened his mouth, and the emperor
of the serpents spat into it, and told him to spit also into his
mouth. And thus they spat thrice into each other's mouths.
When this was done, the emperor of the serpents said to the
shepherd: `Now you have the tongue which you desired;
go, and farewell! But it is not permitted you to tell anybody,
because, if you do, you will die. I am telling you the
truth.' The shepherd then departed. As he went over the
hill, he understood the conversation of the birds, and, so to
speak, of everything in the world. When he came to his
sheep, he found them correct in number, and sat down to
rest. But scarcely had he lain down, when two crows flew
in their language: `If that shepherd knew that just where
that black lamb lies a vault full of silver and gold is buried
in the ground, he would take its contents.' When he heard
this, he went and told his master, and he brought a cart,
and they broke open the door of the vault, and took out its
valuable contents. His master was a righteous man, and said
to him: `Well, my son, this is all yours; the Lord has given
it you. Go, provide a house, get married, and live comfortably.'
The shepherd took the property, went away, provided a house,
got married, and lived very comfortably. This shepherd,
after a little time, became so rich and prosperous that there
was nobody richer than he in his own or the neighbouring
villages. He had shepherds, cowherds, swineherds, grooms,
and everything on a handsome scale. Once upon a time
this shepherd ordered his wife on New Year's Eve to provide
wine, brandy, and everything requisite, and to go the next
morning to his cattle, to take the provisions to the herdsmen,
that they, too, might enjoy themselves. His wife obeyed
him, and did as her husband ordered her.
The next day they got up, got ready, and went. When
they arrived where the cattle were, the master said to his
shepherds: `Lads, assemble together, and sit down to eat
and drink your fill, and I will watch the cattle to-night.'
This was done; they assembled together, and he went out
to sleep by the cattle. In the course of the night, after
some time, the wolves began to howl and speak in their
language, and the dogs to bark and speak in theirs. The
wolves said: `Can we capture any young cattle?' The
dogs answered in their language: `Come in, that we, too,
may eat our fill of flesh.' But among the dogs there was
one old dog, who had only two teeth left. This dog spoke
and answered the wolves: `In faith, as long as these two
teeth of mine last, you shan't come near to do harm to my
called the herdsmen, and told them to kill all the dogs except
that old one. His servants began to implore him:
`Don't, master! Why? It's a sin.' But he said to them:
`Do just as I ordered you, and not otherwise.'
Then he and his wife mounted their horses and went off.
His wife rode a mare, and he a horse. As they went, the
master's horse outstripped the wife's mare, and began to say
to her in their language: `Go quicker; why do you hang
back?' The mare's reply in defence of her lagging pace
was so amusing that the man laughed out loud, turned his
head, and looked behind him with a smile. His wife observed
him smiling, whipped her mare to catch him up, and
then asked him to tell her why he smiled. He said to her:
`Well, suppose I did? Something came into my head.'
This answer did not satisfy her, but she began to worry
him to tell her why he smiled. He said this and that to
her to get out of it, but the more he said to get out of it, the
more did she worry him. At length he said to her that, if
he told her, he would die immediately. But she had no
dread of her husband's dying, and went on worrying him:
`There is no alternative, but tell me you must.' When they
got home, they dismounted from their horses, and as soon
as they had done so, her husband ordered a grave to be dug
for him. It was dug, and he lay down in it, and said to his
wife: `Did you not press me to tell you why I smiled?
Come now, that I may tell you; but I shall die immediately.'
On saying this, he gave one more look round him,
and observed that the old dog had come from the cattle.
Seeing this, he told his wife to give him a piece of bread.
She gave it him, but the dog would not even look at it, but
shed tears and wept; but the cock, seeing it, ran up and
began to peck it. The dog was angry, and said: `As if
you'd die hungry! Don't you see that our master is going
is it? I have a hundred wives. When I find a grain of
millet, I call them all to me, and finally eat it myself. If
one of them gets cross at this, I give her one or two pecks,
and she lowers her tail; but this man isn't equal to keeping
one in order.' When the man heard the cock say this, he
jumped up at once out of the grave, seized a stick, chased
his wife over hill and dale, and at last settled her completely,
so that it never entered her head any more to ask him why
he smiled.
| BULGARIAN STORIES. Sixty folk-tales from exclusively Slavonic sources | |