Prevod

There was once a man who had an only son. One day the son said to his father, “Father, what are we to do? I cannot go on living like this. I shall go out into the world and learn a trade. You see how things are nowadays: even the humblest craftsman lives better than any peasant.” His father tried for a long time to dissuade him, saying that a trade, too, brought cares and hard work, and how could he leave his father all alone? But when the son would not be persuaded, his father at last gave him leave to go and learn a trade. So he set out into the world in search of one. On his travels he came to a river, and as he walked along its banks he met a man dressed in green. The man asked him where he was going, and he answered, “I am going out into the world to find a master who will teach me a trade.”

Then the man in green said to him, “I am a master craftsman. Come with me and learn a trade, if that is what your heart desires.” The boy eagerly accepted and went with him. As they walked along the river, the master suddenly leaped into the water and began to swim, saying to the boy, “Come after me! Jump into the water and learn to swim.” The boy protested that he dared not, for he was afraid of drowning, but the master answered, “Have no fear, just jump in.” The boy jumped into the water and began swimming alongside the master. When they reached the middle of the river, the master seized the boy by the neck and plunged with him to the bottom. He was the devil. He took the boy to his palace and handed him over to an old woman to be taught, then returned to the world above. Once he had gone and the old woman was alone with the boy, she began to tell him, “My dear boy, you think this man is a craftsman like those in the world above. He is no such craftsman, but the devil himself. He tricked me, too, and dragged me down here from that world, and I am a baptized soul. Now listen to what I am going to tell you. I shall teach you all the arts he knows, and whenever he comes he will ask you whether you have learned anything. Always tell him you have learned nothing, if you wish to escape him and return to the world above.” After some time the devil came and asked the boy, “What have you learned?” And he answered, “Nothing yet.” In this way three whole years passed, and whenever the master asked the boy what he had learned, he always answered that he had learned nothing. At last the devil asked him once more, “Have you learned anything at all?” And the boy answered, “I have learned nothing; indeed, I have forgotten even what I knew before.” Then the devil grew angry and said, “If you have learned nothing by now, you never will. Be off with you, wherever your eyes lead you and your feet carry you!” The boy, who had already thoroughly mastered the devil’s arts, at once sprang into the water and began swimming towards the bank. When he reached it, he climbed ashore and went home to his father. As soon as his father caught sight of him, he ran a long way to meet him, crying, “Where have you been, my son, for heaven’s sake?” And the son answered, “Learning a trade.” Some time passed, and a fair was held in a nearby village. Then the son said to his father, “Father, let us go to the fair.” His father answered, “But what have we to take, my boy, when we have nothing at all?” “Do not trouble yourself about that,” the son replied, and they set off for the fair. As they walked along the road, the son said to his father, “When we are close to the fair, I shall turn into a fine horse, the like of which will not be seen anywhere at the fair. Everyone there will marvel at it. My master will come to buy the horse, and whatever price you ask, he will pay. But take care not to give him the halter. As soon as you have the money, take the halter off my head and strike it against the ground.” When they came near the fair, the boy turned into a horse finer than any ever seen. The old man led the horse through the fair, and everyone crowded round him, exchanging looks of wonder, for no one dared even ask its price. Then along came the master: he had turned himself into a Turk, with a turban wound about his head and robes reaching to the ground. As soon as he arrived, he said, “I will buy that horse. Tell me, old man, what is your price?” Whatever the old man asked, the Turk at once counted out the money without a word. When the old man had received it, he took the halter off the horse and struck it against the ground. At that instant both horse and buyer vanished.

When the old man came home with the money, he found his son already there. Some time later, when another fair was held, the son again said to his father, “Let us go to the fair, Father.” This time his father raised no objections, but set off with him at once. When they were near the fair, the son said to his father, “Now I shall turn into a shop: a tent full of wares, finer and richer than any at the fair. No one will be able to afford it either, but my master will come and pay whatever price you ask. Only take care not to put the keys into his hands. When you have the money, strike the keys against the ground.” And so it happened: when he turned into a splendid shop, everyone at the fair stood marvelling at it. Then along came the master, once more in the guise of a Turk, and asked the old man, “What is your price?” Whatever price the old man named, the Turk paid it at once, and when the old man had received the money, he struck the keys against the ground. At that instant both shop and buyer vanished, but the shop turned into a dove and the Turk into a sparrowhawk, which gave chase to the dove. While they were darting this way and that, the emperor’s daughter had come out in front of the palace and was watching them. Suddenly the dove shot down onto the maiden’s hand and turned into a ring on her finger. Then the sparrowhawk alighted on the ground and turned into a man, who went to the emperor and offered to enter his service. He would serve him for three whole years and ask for nothing in the world, neither food nor drink nor clothing, if only the emperor would give him the ring on the maiden’s finger. The emperor took him into his service and promised to give it to him. So the man served, while the maiden wore the ring and grew very fond of it, for by day it was a ring, but by night a handsome young man. He told her, “When the time comes for them to take me from you, do not put me into anyone’s hands, but strike me against the ground.” When the three years were up, the emperor came to his daughter and began begging her to give him the ring. Then, as though in anger, she threw the ring to the ground. It burst, scattering tiny grains of millet, and one grain rolled beneath the emperor’s boot. The servant at once turned into a sparrow and hurriedly began pecking up the millet. When he had eaten all the other grains, he went to peck up the last one beneath the emperor’s boot, but suddenly the grain turned into a tomcat and seized the sparrow by the neck.