Stojša in Mladen

Besedilo

Stojša in Mladen

Once there was an emperor who had three daughters, and he kept them so closely secluded that they never went out of doors. When they were old enough to marry, their father allowed them to join the kolo dance for the first time. But scarcely had they joined hands in the circle when a whirlwind sprang up and carried all three away. The emperor was stricken with fear when he saw they had vanished, and at once sent servants in every direction to search for them. When the servants returned and said they could find them nowhere, the emperor fell ill and died of grief. He left the empress with child, and when her time came, she gave birth to a boy and named him Stojša. As Stojša grew, he became a hero whose like was seldom seen. When he was eighteen, he asked his mother, “For God’s sake, Mother, how is it that you never had any children but me?” She sighed and began to weep, but dared not tell him that she had had three daughters who had vanished, for fear that Stojša would go wandering through the world in search of them, and she would lose him too. But when he saw his mother weeping, he pressed her all the harder, begging her to tell him what was wrong. Then his mother told him everything in order: how she had had three daughters as lovely as three roses, how they had vanished, and how people had searched for them in vain in every direction. When Stojša had heard his mother’s tale, he said, “Do not weep, Mother. I shall go and look for them.” At these words his mother beat her breast. “Woe is me, poor unhappy woman! Must a mother lose her son as well?” She tried to dissuade him and begged him not to go, telling him how long ago it had all happened, and that God alone knew whether they were even alive. But he would not be dissuaded. Instead he said, “Tell me, when my father was emperor, where are the weapons he wore, and where is the horse he rode?” Seeing that Stojša would not give up his purpose, his mother told him that when his father had suffered that great sorrow, he had turned his horse out among the herd and thrown his weapons into the attic. Stojša at once found the weapons in the attic, all dusty and rusty, but he cleaned and polished them until they shone as though newly forged. Then he went to the herd and found his father’s horse, brought it home, led it into the cellars, and began to feed and groom it. Within a month the horse was as sleek and swift as a bird, and it was winged and endowed with a dragon’s power besides. When Stojša was ready to leave, he said to his mother, “Have you some token of my sisters’ that I could take with me, Mother, so that, if God grants that I find them, they will believe I am their brother?” His mother answered through her tears, “I have, my heart’s comfort: three kerchiefs they embroidered with their own hands.” She brought out the kerchiefs and gave them to him. Then he kissed his mother’s hand, mounted his horse, and rode out into the world to seek his sisters. After travelling through the world for a long time, he came one day to a great city. Outside it stood a fountain from which everyone in the city fetched water. When Stojša reached the fountain, he drank, then lay down in the shade to rest a little, covering his face with one of the three kerchiefs to keep the flies from biting him. Just then a lady came to fetch water and noticed Stojša lying in the shade beside the fountain. As soon as she saw him and the kerchief, she sighed. All the while she was drawing water she kept looking at him, and even when her vessel was full she could not tear herself away, but went on gazing at him. Stojša noticed this and asked, “What is it, good woman? Why do you look at me so? Is it so long since you have seen a man, or do you recognize something?” She answered, “Brother, I recognize the kerchief you have there. I embroidered it with my own hands.” Then Stojša rose and asked where she came from and who her family were. She told him she was an emperor’s daughter from such-and-such a city, and that there had been three sisters, but a whirlwind had carried all three away. At this Stojša made himself known at once. “I am your brother. Can you remember whether our mother was with child when the whirlwind carried you away?” She remembered at once, burst into tears, and threw her arms around his neck. “My dear brother! All three of us are in the power of dragons. There are three dragon brothers: they carried us away, and each keeps one of us in his palace.” Then they took each other by the hand and went to the dragon’s palace. There his sister welcomed him warmly and gave him food and drink. As evening drew near, she said, “Brother, the fierce, fiery dragon will soon be here, with flames pouring from him. I would shelter you, lest that fiery force scorch you. Come and hide.” But Stojša answered, “My sister, tell me what he eats for his supper.” His sister led him into another room, and there were a roast ox, an ovenful of bread, and a cask of wine. “That is his supper,” she said. At the sight of it, Stojša sat down cross-legged and ate it all to the last crumb, then sprang to his feet and said, “Ah, sister, if only there were more!” When Stojša had finished his supper, his sister said, “Now the dragon will throw his mace down in front of the house, as a sign that he is coming home.” Scarcely had she spoken when the mace came whistling over the house. Stojša rushed outside and, before it could touch the ground, caught it in his hands and hurled it back over the dragon’s head, far into the next district. When the dragon saw this, he marvelled. “What mighty force is coming from my palace?” He turned back, picked up his mace, and carried it home. When he reached the palace, the emperor’s daughter came out to meet him, and he roared at her, “Who is in your palace?” “My brother,” she replied. The dragon asked again, “And what has he come for?” “He has come to see me,” she answered. Then the dragon said angrily, “No, he has not come to see you, but to take you away.” Hearing this exchange from inside the palace, Stojša came out to face the dragon. As soon as the dragon saw him, he rushed at him, but Stojša met him, and they grappled and began to wrestle. At last Stojša threw the dragon down and pinned him beneath him. “What will you do now?” he asked. The dragon answered, “If you were beneath my knees as I am beneath yours, I would know what to do.” But Stojša said, “I shall do you no harm,” and let him go. Then the dragon took him by the hand, led him into the palace, and held a feast for a whole week. When the week was over, Stojša asked the dragon about his other two brothers-in-law, the fiery dragons. The dragon told him which way to go to find the city where the second dragon’s palace stood, and said he would hear of the third there. Then Stojša made ready for his journey, took leave of his sister and brother-in-law, and set out for the second dragon’s home. After travelling for some time, he came to a city, and outside it found a fountain from which everyone in the city fetched water. Stojša drank there, then lay down in the shade to rest a little, covering his face with one of the three kerchiefs to keep the flies from biting him. Before long a lady came to fetch water. As soon as she saw Stojša and the kerchief, she sighed. All the while she was drawing water she kept looking at him, and even when her vessel was full she could not tear herself away, but went on gazing at him. Stojša noticed this and asked, “What is it, good woman? Why do you look at me so? Is it so long since you have seen a man, or do you recognize something?” She answered, “Brother, I recognize the kerchief you have there. I embroidered it with my own hands.” Then Stojša sprang to his feet, made himself known at once as her brother, and told her how he had already visited their other sister. When she found her brother before her, she burst into tears and threw her arms around his neck. Then they took each other by the hand and went to the dragon’s palace. There his sister welcomed him warmly and gave him food and drink. As evening drew near, she said, “Brother, the fierce, fiery dragon will soon be here, with flames pouring from him. I would shelter you, lest that fiery force scorch you. Come and hide.” But Stojša answered, “My sister, tell me what he eats for his supper.” She led him into another room, and there were two roast oxen, two ovenfuls of bread, and two casks of wine. “That is his supper,” his sister told him. At the sight of it, Stojša sat down cross-legged and ate it all to the last crumb, then sprang to his feet and said, “Ah, sister, if only there were more!” When Stojša had finished his supper, his sister said, “Now the mace will fall in front of the house, thrown all the way from the second district, as a sign that the dragon is coming.” Scarcely had she spoken when the mace came whistling over the house. Stojša rushed outside and, before it could touch the ground, caught it in his hands and hurled it far into the third district. When the dragon saw this, he marvelled. “What mighty force is coming from my palace?” He turned back, picked up his mace, and carried it home. When he reached the house, the emperor’s daughter came out to meet him, and he roared at her, “Who is in your house?” “My brother,” she replied. The dragon asked again, “And what has he come for?” “He has come to see me,” she answered. Then the dragon said angrily, “He has not come to see you, but to take you away.” Hearing this exchange from inside the palace, Stojša came out to face the dragon. As soon as the dragon saw him, he rushed at him, but Stojša met him, and they grappled and began to wrestle. At last Stojša threw the dragon down and pinned him beneath him. “What will you do now?” he asked. The dragon answered, “If you were beneath my knees as I am beneath yours, I would know what to do.” But Stojša said, “I shall do you no harm,” and let him go. Then the dragon took him by the hand and led him into the palace, where they feasted for a week. When the week was over, Stojša asked the dragon about his third brother-in-law, and the dragon told him which way to go to find the city where his third brother-in-law’s palace stood. Then Stojša made ready for his journey, took leave of his sister and brother-in-law, and set out to seek the third dragon. After travelling for a long time, he came to another city, and outside it found a fountain from which everyone in the city fetched water. Stojša drank there, then lay down in the shade to rest a little, covering his face with one of the three kerchiefs to keep the flies from biting him. Before long a lady came to fetch water. As soon as she saw Stojša and the kerchief, she sighed. All the while she was drawing water she kept looking at him, and even when her vessel was full she could not tear herself away, but went on gazing at him. Stojša noticed this and asked, “What is it, good woman? Why do you look at me so? Is it so long since you have seen a man, or do you recognize something?” She answered, “Brother, I recognize the kerchief you have there. I embroidered it with my own hands.” At these words Stojša sprang to his feet, made himself known at once as her brother, and told her how he had already visited their other sisters. When she found her brother before her, she burst into tears and threw her arms around his neck. Then they took each other by the hand and went to the palace. There his sister welcomed him warmly and gave him food and drink. As evening drew near, she said, “Brother, the fierce, fiery dragon will soon be here, with flames pouring from him. I would shelter you, lest that fiery force scorch you. Come and hide.” But Stojša answered, “My sister, tell me what he eats for his supper.” She led him into another room, and there were three roast oxen, three ovenfuls of bread, and three casks of wine. “That is his supper,” his sister told him. At the sight of it, Stojša sat down cross-legged and ate it all to the last crumb, then sprang to his feet and said, “Ah, sister, if only there were more!” When Stojša had finished his supper, his sister said, “Now the mace will fall in front of the house, thrown all the way from the third district. That is the sign that the dragon is coming.” Scarcely had she spoken when the mace came whistling over the house. Stojša rushed outside and, before it could touch the ground, caught it in his hands and hurled it far into the fourth district. When the dragon saw this, he marvelled. “What mighty force is coming from my palace?” He turned back, picked up his mace, and carried it home. When he reached the palace, the emperor’s daughter came out to meet him, and he roared at her, “Who is in your palace?” “My brother,” she replied. The dragon asked again, “And what has he come for?” “He has come to see me,” she answered. Then the dragon said angrily, “He has not come to see you, but to take you away.” Hearing this exchange from inside the palace, Stojša came out to face the dragon. As soon as the dragon caught sight of him, he rushed at him, but Stojša met him, and they grappled and began to wrestle. At last Stojša threw the dragon down and pinned him to the ground. “What will you do now?” he asked. The dragon answered, “If you were beneath my knees as I am beneath yours, I would know what to do.” Then Stojša said, “I shall do you no harm,” and let him go. The dragon took him by the hand and led him into the palace, where they feasted for a week. One day they went out for a walk, and as they strolled Stojša noticed a great burrow in the courtyard, leading down into the earth. “What is that, brother-in-law?” he asked. “How can you put up with such a great pit in your palace grounds? Why do you not fill it in?” The dragon answered, “Ah, my brother-in-law, I am too ashamed even to tell you what it is. There is a dragon emperor hereabouts who often makes war on us, and the appointed day for our next battle is drawing near. Whenever we fight, he defeats all three of us, and only those who escape into this burrow survive.” Then Stojša said, “Come, brother-in-law, let us attack him while I am here to help you. Perhaps we can put an end to him.” But the dragon answered, “I dare not do so before the appointed day, not for anything.” When Stojša saw that they dared not attack, he set out alone to seek the dragon emperor. At last, after much asking, he found his way to the palace and saw a hare standing on its roof. He asked the courtiers what the hare was doing on top of the palace. They answered, “If anyone were to take that hare down, it would slaughter itself, skin itself, cut itself up, put itself on the fire, and cook itself. But no one dares do it, on pain of death.” When Stojša heard this, he flew up on his horse and took down the hare. At once the hare slaughtered itself, skinned itself, cut itself up, and set itself by the fire. Then Stojša went up to the dragon’s upper gallery and lay down in the shade. When the courtiers saw what he had done, they urged him to flee. “Run, brave fellow, wherever your eyes may lead you, before the dragon comes! You will fare badly if he finds you here.” But Stojša answered, “What do I care for your dragon? Let him come and have his fill of hare.” A little while later, the dragon arrived. The moment he came, he noticed that the hare was gone and shouted at the courtiers, “Who has done this?” They told him, “A gallant fellow came and took down the hare. There he is, up in the gallery.” Then the dragon said, “Go and tell him to leave my palace, for if I come to him, not one of his bones will remain joined to another.” The courtiers went up to Stojša in the gallery and told him what the dragon had said, but Stojša snapped at them, “Go and tell the dragon that if he begrudges me the hare, he can come out and fight me.” When they told the dragon this, he gave a shriek, with flames pouring from him, and flew up to the gallery. Stojša met him, and they began to wrestle. Stojša would not be thrown, but neither could he throw the dragon. At last Stojša said to him, “What is your name?” The dragon answered, “My name is Mladen.” Then Stojša said, “And I too am my father and mother’s youngest child.” So they released each other, became sworn brothers, and solemnly pledged to live as brothers. After some time Stojša said to the dragon, “Why wait for those dragons who hide in that burrow? Come, let us attack them before the appointed day.” The dragon emperor agreed, and the two of them set out to attack the dragons. When the three dragon brothers heard that Stojša had joined forces with the dragon emperor and become his sworn brother, and that both were now coming against them, they took fright, gathered a mighty army, and marched out to meet them. But the two fell upon the whole army, routed it, and scattered it, and only the three dragons escaped into the burrow. Then the two hurried to fetch straw, thrust it into the burrow, and set it alight, and so all three dragons perished there. After that Stojša made his three sisters ready for the journey and gathered all the treasure the three dragons had left behind. He gave their palaces and all their lands to his sworn brother, then set out with his sisters for his own empire. They reached their mother safe and sound, and she handed the empire over to him, and he ruled for the rest of his days.