Folk-lore and Legends: Russian and Polish 21
One day the knight came back wearied out with his exertions on one of
his warlike excursions. He lay down upon the grass, closed his eyes, and
was soon fast asleep.
The witch seized the opportunity. Coming gently to him, she scattered
poppy seed on his eyes so that he should sleep the sounder. Then, with
an aspen branch, she struck him on the breast over his heart.
The knight’s breast at once opened, so that one could look in and see
the heart as it lay there and beat. The sorceress laughed, stretched out
her bony arm, and with her long fingers she stole away the heart so
quietly that the knight never woke.
Then the woman took a hare’s heart which she had ready, put it in the
sleeping man’s breast, and closed up the opening. Going away softly, she
hid herself in a thicket, to see the effect of her wicked work.
Before the knight was even awake he began to feel the change that the
hare’s heart was making in him. He, who had till now never known fear,
quaked and tossed himself uneasily from side to side. When he awoke he
felt as if he should be crushed by his armour. The cry of his hounds, as
it fell on his ear, filled him with terror.
Once he had loved to hear their deep baying as he followed them in
pursuit of the prey in the wild forest, but now he was filled with fear,
and fled like a timid hare. As he ran to his room the clang of his
armour, the ringing of his silver spurs, the clatter of his spear,
filled him with such terror that he threw all aside, and sank exhausted
on his bed.
Even in his sleep fear pursued him. Once he dreamed only of battles, and
of the prizes of victory, now he trembled as he dreamt. The barking of
his dogs, the voices of his soldiers as they paced the ramparts while
they watched, made him quake as he lay on his bed, and he buried his
head, like a frightened child, in his pillow.
At length there came a body of the knight’s enemies to besiege him in
his castle. The knight’s soldiers looked upon their leader, who had so
often delighted in the excitement of the camp, and in the victory. In
vain they waited for him to lead them forth. The once so brave knight,
when he heard the clash of arms, the cry of the men, and the clang of
the horses’ hoofs, fled to the topmost chamber of his castle, and from
there looked down upon the force which had come against him.
When he recollected his expeditions in the time past, his combats, his
victories, he wept bitterly, and cried out aloud—
“O Heaven! give me now courage, give me the old strength of heart and
vigour. My men have already gone to the field, and I, who used to lead
them, now, like a girl, look through the highest loophole upon my
enemies. Give me my old boldness, that I may take my arms again; make me
what I was once, and bless me with victory.”
These thoughts, as it were, awakened him from a dream. He went again
into his chamber, put on his armour, leaped upon his horse, and rode
outside the castle gate. The soldiers saw him come with joy, and sounded
the trumpets. The knight went on, but in his secret soul he was afraid,
and when his men gallantly threw themselves upon the enemy, deadly fear
came over him, and he turned and fled.
Even when he was once more in his stronghold, when the mighty walls held
him safe within them, fear did not leave him. He sprang from his horse,
fled to an innermost chamber, and there, quite unmanned, awaited
inglorious death.
His men had triumphed over the foe, and the salutations of the guards
announced their victorious return. All wondered at the flight of their
leader at such a time. They looked for him, and discovered him half dead
in a deep cellar.
The unfortunate knight did not live long. During the winter he tried to
warm his quaking limbs by the fireside of his castle. When spring came
he would open his window that he might breathe the fresh air, and one
day it chanced a swallow, that had built its nest in a hole of the roof,
struck him on the head with its wing. The blow was fatal. As if he had
been struck by lightning, the knight fell down upon the ground, and in a
short while died.
All his men mourned for their good master. They knew not what had
changed him, but about a year later, when some sorceresses were being
put to the ordeal for having kept off the rain, one of them confessed
that she had taken the knight’s heart, and put in his breast a hare’s
heart in its place. Then the men knew how it was that a man who had
formerly been so bold of heart had become so fearful. They mourned his
misfortune, and, taking the witch to his grave, there they burnt her
alive.
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PRINCE SLUGOBYL.
THERE was once upon a time a king who had an only son named Slugobyl.
The young prince was very fond of travelling, and when he was twenty
years of age he begged his father and mother so much to let him go to
see the world, that they gave him their consent, giving him as an
attendant an old servant on whose fidelity they thought they could rely.
The prince, well equipped and armed, mounted his horse, and, after
having taken a tender leave, set off to distant countries in the hope of
acquiring knowledge and returning wiser, and more fitted to rule.
As he rode along he saw a cygnet pursued by an eagle, which threatened
to overtake it every moment. The prince seized his bow, and shot so well
that the eagle, mortally wounded, fell at his feet. The cygnet seeing
this stopped in its flight, and said to the prince—
“Prince Slugobyl, it is not a poor cygnet that thanks you, but the
daughter of the Invisible Prince, who, changed into this shape, sought
refuge from the pursuit of the giant Koshchei. My father will reward you
for this good action. Remember when you have need of him, you have only
to speak these words thrice—‘Invisible Prince, come to me.’”
When it had thus spoken, the cygnet flew away, and the prince, having
watched it till it was out of sight, continued his journey. He went on
for a long time until he found himself in the midst of a plain scorched
up by the heat of the sun. Not a tree, not a bush, not even a plant, was
to be seen. No bird flew by, no insect broke the stillness with its hum.
Everything seemed as if it had been stricken with death by the sun’s
rays. The prince, after having travelled some hours on this plain, began
to feel very thirsty, so he sent his servant off to see if he could find
some spring or well at which he could alight. By good luck the servant
found a well, very deep, and containing plenty of fresh water, but there
was nothing by means of which they could draw the water up. What should
they do? At length the prince said—
“Take the cord with which we secure our horses and fasten it around you,
and then I will let you down into the well, for I am nearly dead with
thirst.”
“My prince,” answered the servant, “I am heavier than you, and you are
not so strong as I am. If I go down you will never be able to draw me up
again. It would be better for you to go down the well, and then I can
pull you up when you have drunk as much as you wish.”
The prince thought the advice good, and the servant tied the cord under
his arms, and let him down into the well. When he had drunk as much as
he wished, he got some of the water for his servant, and then he pulled
the cord as a signal for him to draw him up. Instead of doing so,
however, the servant looked down and said to him—
“Listen to me, prince. Since the day of your birth up to the present
time you have had everything you wished for, while I have undergone
great misery, and have slaved all my life. Now we will change places.
Take your choice. Will you be my servant? If not, pray Heaven to have
mercy on you, for I shall leave you to drown.”
“Stop, my good servant,” said the prince, “don’t do that, I beg you.
What good would it do you? You would never find so good a position as
you have with me, and you know that murderers meet with a dreadful fate
in the next world. Their hands are plunged in boiling pitch, their
shoulders are scourged with red-hot iron, and their necks are sawn with
wooden saws.”
“I do not care for all that,” said the servant, “but I know that I shall
drown you unless you consent.”
And he commenced to loosen the cord.
“Well then,” said the prince, “I agree to what you ask. You shall be my
prince and I will be your servant. I pledge you my word.”
“I don’t believe in words,” cried the servant, “which the wind blows
away. Swear to me that you will confirm the promise in writing.”
“I swear it,” said the prince.
The servant let down a paper and pencil, and dictated the following
words—
“I declare that I renounce my name and all my rights in favour of him
who carries this paper, and that I take him for my prince, and will
serve him.
Signed, in the well—
PRINCE SLUGOBYL.”
The servant, who was unable to read, took the paper, drew the prince up
out of the well, and then changed clothes with him. Thus disguised, the
two went on for a week, until they entered a large town and came to the
palace of the king. The false prince sent his companion to see to the
horses, while he presented himself boldly to the king, and said to him—
“I am come, sire, to ask the hand of your beautiful and wise daughter,
whose fame has spread even to my father’s court. If you consent I assure
you of our friendship, but if you refuse we shall make war with you.”
“The request and the threat are alike unseasonable,” said the king.
“Listen, prince; I am willing to show my respect for the king, your
father, by granting his request, on one condition. Our enemies, enraged
against us, have assembled a large army, and now threaten our town. If
you deliver us, my daughter is yours.”
“Very well,” replied the false prince, “I will utterly destroy the
hostile army. Let them come as near as possible to the town. I promise
you that I will acquit myself so well, that to-morrow morning you shall
find no traces of them.”
When it was evening, he called his pretended servant to him from his
lodging in the stables, and, when the prince had respectfully saluted him, said—
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