Očetova prisega

Besedilo

Očetova prisega

There was once an old man who had three sons and a daughter. When the time came for him to die, he called all three sons to his side and made them swear to give their sister in marriage to the first man who came to ask for her, whoever he might be. Some time after their father’s death, an old man arrived in a two-wheeled cart and asked for the girl’s hand. The two elder brothers were unwilling to give her to him at once, for he was old and poor, but the youngest insisted, reminding them of the oath they had sworn to their dying father. And so they gave her to the old man, and he took her home. After a while, the eldest brother went to visit his sister and found her living in a splendid great house, as fine as any could be. His sister was overjoyed to see him, and when he asked how she was faring, she answered, “Well—nothing could be better.” The old man was not at home when her brother arrived, but he soon returned and was delighted to see his brother-in-law. “We shall feast and make merry,” he said, “but first you must ride my horse and fetch him some grass. Cut it where the horse paws the ground, not wherever you please.” “Very well, brother-in-law, I shall,” the brother replied. Then he mounted the horse and rode away. In time he came to a silver bridge. When he saw that the whole bridge was made of silver, greed overcame him, and he dismounted and pried up a silver plank, saying, “This will help me along.” Then he cut grass wherever he pleased, without waiting for the horse to paw the ground, mounted again, and rode back. When he reached the house, he put the horse in the stable, laid the grass before him, and went indoors. The old man asked whether he had seen to the horse and whether the horse was eating, and he answered that he had, and that the horse was eating. “Good, let me see for myself,” said the old man. He went out to the stable and found that the horse had not touched the grass. The old man knew that it had not been cut where he had instructed, so he sent his brother-in-law straight back where he had come from, without entertaining him. When the brother arrived home, he did not tell the others how he had fared, but said to the middle brother, “Our brother-in-law sends his greetings and asks you to visit him too.” After a while, the middle brother went to see his sister, but he fared just as the eldest had. His brother-in-law sent him out for grass with the same instructions, but when he came to the silver bridge, he too was overcome by greed and pried up a silver plank. Nor did he cut the grass as he had been told, but wherever he pleased. When he returned to his brother-in-law’s house, he too was caught in a lie and sent home without being entertained, just like the first. Once home, he told no one how he had fared, but said to the youngest brother, “Our brother-in-law sends his greetings and asks you to visit him.” After a while, the youngest brother went as well. His sister was overjoyed to see him, but said, “Only, dear brother, do not do as our brothers did.” He did not know what they had done, and his sister would tell him no more than that. When her husband came home, he too was delighted to see his brother-in-law and said, “We shall feast and make merry, but first ride my horse and fetch him some grass. Cut it where the horse paws the ground, not wherever you please.” The young man mounted the horse and rode off to fetch the grass. When he came to the bridge, he marvelled at its beauty, but was truly sorry that the two planks were missing. When he reached the middle, he looked over on either side and saw beneath it a great cauldron of boiling water, with human heads seething inside it and eagles tearing at them from above. After crossing the bridge, he came to a village, and as he passed through it, he heard singing and merriment on every side. Amazed that the whole village should be singing and rejoicing, he asked one of the villagers, “How is it, my friend, that everyone here is so merry?” The man answered, “Why should we not be, when every year brings a good harvest and we have everything in abundance?” Beyond the village, he came upon two bitches fighting ceaselessly in the road. He tried to part them, but when he could not, he gave up and went on. In time he came to another village, and as he passed through it, he saw sorrow and weeping everywhere. He said to one of the villagers, “I passed through a village where everyone was merry. Why is everyone here so sorrowful?” The villager answered, “How could we be otherwise, when hail strikes us every year and leaves us with nothing?” Beyond that village, he came upon two rams butting each other without cease. He tried to part them, but in vain, and, finding he could not, he left them and went on. At last the horse brought him to a beautiful meadow. In the middle of it, the horse stopped and pawed the ground. The young man jumped down, cut the grass, and set off home again. When he arrived, he led the horse into the stable and laid the grass before him, and the horse began eating at once. His brother-in-law was delighted to see that he had tended the horse properly. “You are a true brother-in-law to me,” he said. “Now we shall make merry and feast.” They sat down at the table and began their supper. As they ate, the old man said, “Now tell me what you saw.” The young man answered, “Oh, brother-in-law, there is no telling all I saw. First I saw a very beautiful silver bridge, but it was marred by two missing planks. May the living God strike down whoever took them!” The old man replied, “Your brothers stole those. As they behaved, so they were treated. But tell me what else you saw.” The young man answered, “Beneath the middle of the bridge I saw a great boiling cauldron, with dead men’s heads inside it and eagles tearing at them from above.” His brother-in-law said, “Such is the eternal torment of the next world. What else did you see?” The young man went on, “I saw a village where everyone was merry.” His brother-in-law said, “Those people live as God would have them. They welcome everyone gladly and offer them hospitality, and never turn the poor away from their doors empty-handed. Tell me what else you saw.” The young man continued, “I saw two bitches fighting ceaselessly in the road.” His brother-in-law said, “Those are two women married to brothers. What else did you see?” The young man answered, “I saw another village, where everyone was unhappy.” The old man said, “There is neither justice nor harmony there, and they have no regard for God. What else did you see?” The young man answered, “I saw two rams butting each other without cease.” His brother-in-law said, “Those are brothers who do not live in peace. Tell me what else you saw.” The young man said, “I saw a beautiful meadow. I could have stayed there three days, gazing at its beauty.” His brother-in-law replied, “Such is paradise in the next world, but it is hard to reach.” After that they spent many more days feasting and making merry. At last the young man rose to go home, and his brother-in-law sent him off in fine style with a rich gift, telling him that he had known him at once for an honest man, because he had insisted that their father’s dying wish be fulfilled, and that he would be fortunate, while his brothers would be unfortunate.