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 /[le o d o r tfjej) E m peror

Petre Ispirescu

1 t happened once upon a time.

There was once an emperor. His hair was turning grey, yet he hadn’t been able
to beget a single child. He was wasting away, the poor emperor, with the wish, like
any other man, to have a son, no matter how puny, but it was all in vain.
Yet in his old age, behold, luck smiled upon him, and he begot a sweet little child,
once seen never to be forgotten. The emperor named him Aleodor. When it was
time to christen the baby, the emperor summoned East and West, North and South,
that they might share his great joy. The rejoicings went on for three days and three
nights with feasting and merry-making, to last in their memory as long as they lived.
The older the boy grew, the sharper and more skillful he became. It was not long
before the emperor felt that his end was drawing near. In his last hour, he placed
the child upon his knees and said to him:
“My dear child, God is calling me to Him, and I am about to breathe my last.
I foresee that you are going to become a cunning man. Even dead and in the grave,
my bones will rejoice of your deeds. Concerning the rule of the empire, I have
nothing to say, for skilled and cunning as you are, you’re sure to do well. One thing
alone I wish to tell you: do you see that mountain yonder? D on’t you be tempted
to hunt in those parts, for your life is at stake. That mountain lies in the lands of
Half-Man-Astride-on-Half-a-Halt-Hare, and whoever crosses his boundary does not
go unpunished.”
Having said that, he opened his mouth, took three gasps, and drew his last breath.
He left this earth as he had never existed.

5
 The emperor died and he was laid to rest. He was mourned by his family, by the
noblemen, and by his people. Having ascended his father’s throne, Aleodor, though
still a youngster, ruled the country like a grown man. Everyone was content with his
reign, and people were proud that they were blessed to live under his rule.
Aleodor would often go hunting to spend some time away from the cares of his
kingdom. He remembered his father’s words and tried to obey them to the letter.
One day, lost in his thoughts as he was, he slipped and unwittingly trod upon
the lands of that hideous man. H e’d taken some ten to twenty steps when, lo! There
the man stood before him.
N ow he did not mind that he’d crossed the boundaries of that ugly and repulsive
man, but he was furious with himself that he’d disobeyed what his father told him
on his deathbed.
The hideous creature said to him:
“AII the wicked men who encroach upon my boundaries become my slaves.”
“First you must know,” Aleodor answered, “that I have stepped upon your lands
unwittingly and unintentionally, and that I wish you no harm.”
“I thought you were brave, but I see that you intend to ask for forgiveness like
any other coward.”
“Nay, God forbid! I have told you the pure truth, and should you want a fight,
choose: ...it’s sword-fighting, mace-hurling or wrestling.”
“None of those. But in order to escape punishment, there is no other way except
to go and bring me the daughter of Emperor Verdesh.“
Aleodor somehow hesitated and made excuses. He said that the affairs of the empire
did not allow him to be away for too long, or that he did not have a guide - now this,
now that - but no! The hideous man would hear none of this. He insisted on his
bringing the daughter of Verdesh, the emperor, if Aleodor wished to be rid of the
blame of thief for trespassing his lands and wished to stay alive.
Aleodor felt guilty. He knew that, without his knowledge, he’d done wrong by
trespassing the lands of the monster. He also knew that he was better off getting
rid of this evil man and having nothing whatever in common with him. So he finally
pledged to do the job required of him.
Half-a-Man-Astride-on-Half-a-Halt-Hare well knew that once Aleodor had prom-
ised, he was sure to keep his word, like a decent man that he was. So he said:
“God bless you on your way and help you return victorious.”

7
 » -«ţr»

Aleodor went on his way. And as he walked, pondering and turning thoughts
over in his mind on how to fulfill his errand, for he had given his word, he found
himself at the border of a lake where a pike was gasping for breath on dry land.
As soon as he saw the pike, he went to pick it up and eat it to appease his hunger.
But the pike spoke:
“D o not kill me, Prince Handsome! But rather throw me into the water, for
much help shall I be to you when least you expect it.”
Aleodor listened to the pike and threw it into the water. Then the pike spoke:

9
 “Here, keep this small scale, and when you think of me, I shall always be with you.”
The young man went on his way and could not help wondering at such an occur-
rence. And lo! He came upon a raven with a broken wing.
As he wanted to shoot it, the raven spoke:
“Prince Handsome! Prince Handsome! Rather than burden your soul with me,
better mend my wing, for I shall be of much use to you.”
Aleodor, being a brave and decent young man, did as he was asked and tied the
broken wing. When he was about to leave, the raven said:
“Here, brave man, keep this small feather, and when you think of me, I shall
always be with you.”
Aleodor took the small feather and went on his way. But he had scarcely gone
some one hundred steps when he came upon a gadfly.
“Spare my life, Aleodor Your Highness, for I shall save you from death. Keep
this piece of down from my wing, and when you think of me, I shall always be
with you.”
Hearing such words, and that it had even called him by his own name, Aleodor
quickly lifted his foot and let the gadfly go on its own way.
And having covered several days’ distance, he came upon the palaces of Verdesh,
the emperor. Once he got there, he stood at the gate, hoping that someone would
come and ask him what he was after.
He stood there one day, he stood there two days, but did anyone come to enquire
what he wished? N ot at all.
On the third day, Verdesh, the emperor, summoned his servants and shouted at
them in anger.
“H ow is it possible,” he said, “to leave this man standing at my gate for three days
and for no one to enquire what he is after? Is that why you get your wages? Is that
why you eat my bread and gain experience?”
The servants did not know which way to turn or what answer to give. They
finally called Aleodor in and brought him before the emperor.
“What is you seek, young man?” asked the emperor. “And what are you waiting
for at the gates of my courts?”
“My errand, Your Highness,” he replied, “is a commission to ask for your daugh-
ter’s hand in marriage.”

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 “Very well, my boy, but we must first make an agreement, for such is the custom
at my court. You are allowed to conceal yourself wherever you wish for three days
in a row. Should my daughter find you, your head shall be cut off and placed in the
pear tree where one hundred other heads have been placed before. Should she not
find you, then you shall take her away with all regal respect.”
“I trust to God, Your Highness, that He will not let me perish. To the pear tree
we shall give something else - not a human head again. Let’s make the agreement.”
“So is this your last word?”

13
 “It sure is.”
So they made the agreement, put it down in writing, and confirmed it.
The girl joined them, and they agreed that the following day he should hide as
best he could. After having come to this agreement, he started fretting, tormenting
himself with thoughts more terrible than death. He started pondering and turning
thoughts over in his mind on how to find the best hiding place. It was his head that
was at stake, neither more nor less. He was walking deep in thought and constantly
planning, when, lo! The pike came to his mind. He took out the scale, looked at it,
and thought of its owner - and behold! The pike stood before him and said:
“What do you want from me, Prince Handsome?”
“What do I want? Alas! Let me tell you what has happened to me. Could you
advise me what to do?”
“Come, do not worry - leave it to me.”
At once, the pike lashed its tail and turned Aleodor into a sea bream and hid him
at the bottom of the sea among the other small fishes.
When the girl woke up, she took her spyglass and looked everywhere. She did
not see him. The other fellows who came to ask her hand in marriage used to hide
in the cellars, at the back of houses, behind haystacks, or in some ruined dwellings.
Aleodor had concealed himself so well that the girl was concerned lest she be beaten.
N ow it came to her mind that she look with her spyglass into the sea, and she found
him at the bottom among the other sea breams. Apparently her spyglass was magic.
“Come out, you rascal,” she said, laughing. “Why did you shrink like a dry bis-
cuit? A huge man like you turned into a small sea bream and hidden at the bottom
of the sea!”
He had no choice but to come out.
Then she said to the emperor:
“It seems to me, father, that this young man shall get the better of me. And very
charming and sweet he is, too. Were I to find his hiding place the third time too,
please spare him, father, for he is no idiot like the others. His looks make him different
than all other fellows.”
“That we shall see,” the emperor replied.
The following day, the raven came into Aleodor’s mind. It came before him
and said:
“What is it that you wish, maşter?”

15
 “I say, good brother, look what has happened to me. Could you advise me what
to do?”
“I shall try!”
And by touching him with its wing, it turned him into a young raven and thrust
him into a flock of ravens climbing above the raging wind.
As soon as the girl woke up, she took her spyglass and looked for him in every
nook. He was nowhere to be found. N o trace of him on the earth. N o trace of him
in the rivers or the seas. She was deep in thoughts.

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 About noon, what did she feel like but looking upwards? And when she saw him
in the heavenly heights among the flock of ravens, she started wagging her finger
at him, saying:
“Alas! You scoundrel, you rascal! Come down, you man, why did you turn into
such a teeny bird? You could not get rid of me, not even if you were in heaven.”
He came down, for he had no other choice. The emperor was startled at his
cleverness and listened to his daughter’s request.
Yet as the agreement had been that he should hide three times, the emperor said:
“Just for the sake of it, let us see where else he is going to hide.”
On the third day, early in the morning, he thought of the gadfly. The gadfly
arrived in a heartbeat. Having heard Aleodor’s story, the gadfly spoke:
“Leave it to me, and I wager she will not find you.”
It turned him into a louse egg and hid him right in the girl’s pigtail without her
knowing it.
As soon as the girl woke up she grabbed her spyglass and looked for him all day
long, but she never came upon him. She was quite beside herself, for she could feel
him round about her, but to set eyes on him she could not. She sought him with her
spyglass on the earth, in the heavens, and in the seas, but did not see him anywhere.
In the evening, tired of too much spying, she cried:
“Now , come and show up! I feel that you are quite close, but I cannot see you.
Y ou’ve had the better of me; yours I shall be.”
When he heard her admit to being beaten, he gently climbed down her pigtail and
showed up before her. The emperor had nothing more to say and gave his daughter’s
hand in marriage. As they were leaving, he accompanied them out of his kingdom
with servants and a great deal of pomp.
On the road, they made a halt to eat breakfast. After they had something to eat,
he laid his head in her lap and fell asleep. The emperor’s daughter kept staring at
him, and her heart melted at his beauty and his stature. She felt the urge and could
not refrain from kissing him. As Aleodor woke up, he slapped her in the face, so
that one could have heard the slap miles away. She wept and said:
“Aleodor dear, your hand is quite heavy.”
“I slapped you for the deed you have done, for I have not taken you to be mine
but for the man who sent me.”
“Alas, brother, why did you not tell me this at home? Then I might have known
what to do. But it does not matter; it’s never too late.”

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 They set out and reached Half-a-Man-Astride-on-Half-a-Halt-Hare safely.
“Now I have fulfilled my duty in good faith,” said Aleodor, and he set out to leave.
When the girl saw that hideous creature, she shuddered with disgust and did not
want to stay with him for the world.
The hideous creature tried to charm her and started flattering her with honeyed
words, but the girl said:
“Go away, Satan! O r FII send you to your mother, the Hell that bore you onto
the face of the earth!”
The ugly creature was pining away with Iove for the girl; he lay down, his belly on
the floor, and was speaking lies and frauds in order to convince the girl to marry him.
But no way! God forbid that he should come near her. For she kept him nailed
at arm’s length with piercing eyes. “Satan, fiend, and monster,” she kept calling him.
“Go away! Vanish from the face of the earth, devii! For the world should get rid
of a pest and cholera such as you!”
Fîe kept on insisting, but seeing that he was defied at all lengths, the monster burst
with spiţe at being disgraced by a double-dealer of a woman.
Then Aleodor took over the lands of Half-a-Man-Astride-on-Half-a-Halt-Hare and
took the daughter of Verdesh, the emperor, to become his wife; then he returned to
his kingdom.
When the crowds saw him returning safe and sound together with a young wife
so lovely that even the stars beamed upon her, they all greeted him joyfully.
And once again ascending the throne, they ruled and lived happily to the end of
their lives.

In the saddle then I sprung

This tale to tell to old and young.

(Traducere în limba engleză de Lucia Gorea,

ilustraţii de Done Stan)
 o)tar andj
th(ej) dlvenincp Sta r
Petre Ispirescu

y/

711 happened once upon a time.

Once upon a time there was an emperor and an empress who were unable to bear
children. They sought out all the wizards and witches, and all the old women and
astrologers, but they all felt ashamed for their skill proved vain and they did not know
how to help them. At long last, they set about fasting, praying and alms-giving. Now
it happened that one night, as the Lord saw their zeal, He appeared in the empress’s
dream and spoke thus:
“Your prayers I have heard, and you shall beget a child whose like will not be found
on the face of the earth. Your husband, the emperor, shall take his rod and line to the
brook tomorrow; and the fish he will catch, you should cook with your own hands
and both eat.”
Even before the day dawned, the empress went to wake up the emperor, saying:
“Emperor! Rise, for the day is dawning.”
“Come now”, replied the emperor, “what ails you today that you wake me up so
early? Has any foe crossed the boundaries of my kingdom?”
“Heaven forbid, nothing of that sort have I heard of, but listen to my dream.”
And she told him her dream.
As soon as the emperor heard this, he jumped out of bed, got dressed, took his
fishing rod and, gasping for breath, went to the brook. He threw in the hook; and,
soon after, he saw the cork on the line moving.
He pulled out the rod till - lo! What did he see? - A big fish made entirely of gold.
He nearly fainted with joy. But the empress when she saw it, she was even more
out of her wits.

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 The empress cooked the fish with her own hands, and they both ate it. Soon
after, she felt that she was pregnant.
The maidservant who cleared away the table saw a fish bone on the empress’s
plate, and she had a mind to suck on that bone, too, for she wanted to know how
the food cooked by the empress tasted. N o sooner had she sucked on that bone,
than she felt with child, too.
Nine months later, in the daytime, the empress gave birth to a beautiful child as
handsome as a little angel.

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 At night, the maidservant bore a child that looked exactly like the son of the
empress. The boys resembled each other so much that no one could tell them apart.
The son of the empress resembled precisely the son of the maidservant. As they
say, they were like two peas in a pod.
The royal son was named Busuiok (Basil), and the maidservant’s son was named
Siminok (Everlasting Flower - xeranthemum).
As they grew up together, they were set on to book-learning and learned as much
in one day as other children learned in a whole year. When they were playing in the
garden, the empress watched them affectionately from the window.
They grew older. They resembled each other so much that no one could tell which
one was the royal son and which one was the maidservant’s son. They were lofty
in stature, both were gifted with great looks, charming in talk, and they both were
mighty brave.
One day, they decided to go hunting. The empress fretted herself over how to
recognize her son; for, as both their clothes and faces were alike, many times she could
not tell them apart. Therefore, she thought to put a mark on her son. She called him
over; and, while pretending to be playing with his hair, she knotted two locks together,
without his knowing it.
Then the boys went off to hunt.
They romped joyously through the green meadows, frolicking like little lambs,
gathered flowers and got wet with dew, watched butterflies flying and flitting from
blossom to blossom, saw the bees pick up wax and gather honey. They enjoyed them-
selves very much. Then they went to the well, drank some water to cool themselves
off, and gazed greedily at the sky that met the earth in the distance; and they wished
they were walking off to the end of the earth to see the sky close at hand, or at least
to go to those places where the earth looks like a meat jelly.
Next they walked into the woods. When they saw the beauties of the forest, they
stood open-mouthed in awe. Consider they had not seen such things since they were
brought into the world. When the wind blew, stirring the leaves, they listened to their
rustle; and it seemed to them that the empress was passing by, drawing her silken train
behind her. Then they sat on the fresh grass in the shade of a large tree. Here, they
began to reflect and to advise each other on how to start hunting.
Neither more nor less, they wanted to hunt nothing but wild beasts.
They did not notice the birds which flied around them and then perched on the
boughs of the trees. They felt sorry to hurt them.

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 For they enjoyed listening to their twitter. It seemed that the birds did not notice
them either, and fearlessly sang as if they were going to split their throats. And the
nightingales trilled only from their craws, that their songs might be the sweeter.
As they were sitting on the grass advising each other, the em peror’s son felt a kind
of tiredness, such that he could hold out no longer and put his head in Siminok s
lap, asking him to stroke his hair until he fell asleep.
While he was stroking his hair, Siminok stopped and said:
“What is this on your head, Brother Busuiok?”

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 “What should it be? How do I know? Why are you asking me, Brother Siminok?”
“Well, I see,” said Siminok, “that two locks of your hair are knotted together.”
“H ow is that possible?” said Busuiok.
This upset Busuiok so much that he decided to go out into the wide world.
“Brother Siminok,” said Busuiok, “I am going out into the wide world, for I can’t
understand why my mother knotted my hair together when she was playing with it.”
“I say, Brother Busuiok, come to your senses and do nothing of the sort,” replied
Siminok, “for I am sure that when the empress knotted your hair, she certainly
meant no harm.”
But Busuiok stayed firm in his decision; and, when he bade farewell to Siminok,
he spoke thus:
“Here, Brother Siminok, take this handkerchief. If you ever see three drops of
blood on it, you shall know that I am dead.”
“May the Lord help you prosper, Brother Busuiok. But I beg you once more, for
the sake of my Iove, stay, and do not wander about the world.”
“That’s impossible”, replied Busuiok.
Then the two embraced each other, and Busuiok departed; Siminok remained
behind, gazing at him lovingly until he lost sight of him.
Siminok returned to the palace and told the royal parents all that had happened.
The empress’s heart was filled with grief. She wrung her hands and cried, “God for­
bid!” But she did not know what to do and at last comforted herself a little by gazing
at Siminok.
After some time, Siminok took out the prince’s handkerchief, and as he looked
at it he saw three drops of blood on it. Then he said:
“Woe is me! My brother has died. I shall go and look for him.”
After taking some provisions for the journey, he set out in search of his brother.
He passed through towns and villages, crossed meadows and forests, and went on and
on till he reached a small hut. There he met an old woman whom he asked about his
brother. The old crone said that his brother had become the son-in-law of an emperor
who reigned in those places.
Siminok arrived at that emperor’s palace. When the royal daughter saw him, she
thought that he was her husband and came running to greet him. He said to her:
“I am your husband’s brother. I have heard that he had perished, and I came to
learn something about him.”

31
 “I do not believe such a thing,” the emperor’s daughter said. “You are my hus-
band, and I have no idea why you deny it. Has my faith been put to the test, or
have I disappointed you?”
“None of this is true. But I’m telling you with a clear conscience that I am not
your husband.”
She did not want to believe this by any account.
Then he said:

33
 “May the Lord do justice. Let the sword hanging on a peg cut the one who does
not speak the truth.”
And at once, the sword sprang out and cut the girl’s finger; then she believed him
and gave him the hospitality which was his due.
The next day, he learned that Busuiok had gone hunting and had not returned
yet. He mounted then a horse, too, took with him some greyhounds, and set about
in search of his brother, following the direction he had taken. He rode on and on
until he reached a forest. There he met the Forest Witch.
As soon as Siminok saw her, he set off after her. She was running and he chased
her till the Forest Witch had no other choice but to climb up a tall tree, and there
she escaped.
Siminok dismounted and tethered his horse, made a fire, took out his provisions
and began to eat by the fire, occasionally tossing some food to the greyhounds, too.
“Woe is me! I am so cold!” said the Forest Witch, “my teeth are chattering.”
“Get down,” answered Siminok, “and warm yourself by the fire.”
“Fm afraid of your dogs,” she said.
“You needn’t be afraid of them; they’ll do you no harm.”
“If you want to do any good,” she said then, “here, take a ştrand of my hair and
tie the dogs with it.”
He threw the hair in the fire.
“Oh! H ow horribly it smells the hair I gave you and that you put in the fire,”
the Forest Witch said.
“Go away from here!” replied Siminok, “and don’t talk any more nonsense.
Here, one of the hounds shoved its tail in the fire and scorched it a little; that’s why
it smells so bad. If you are cold, get down and come and take the chill off you. If
not, hold your tongue and leave me alone. Stop bothering me!”
She believed him and came down, then joined him by the fire, and said:
“Fm hungry.”
“What shall I give you to eat? Well, have anything you wish of what I have here.”
“I shall eat you,” said the Forest Witch. “So, prepare yourself for it!”
“N o way! I shall eat you,” replied Siminok, and he set the hounds upon her to
tear her to pieces.
“Stop!” said the Forest Witch. “Call off your dogs from tearing me to pieces, and
I will give you back your brother with his horse and hounds, and all.”

35
 Siminok called off his dogs; then the Forest Witch hiccupped three times, and
out came Busuiok, with his horse and hounds. Then Siminok set the hounds upon
her, and they tore her into small pieces.
“Welcome, I’m glad to see you in good health, brother, for I have been sleeping
for so long.”
“You might have slept a great deal of time, if I had not come.”
Then he told him about the entire mess from their parting until that moment.

37
 Busuiok suspected that Siminok fell in Iove with his wife, and did not want to
believe him when he told him the simple truth. Siminok said that such a thought
had never entered his head. Busuiok became stubborn and began to be apprehensive
for his wife. Then harbouring evil thoughts, together with Siminok, he agreed to
blindfolding their eyes and the eyes of their horses, then to mount their horses and
let them take them wherever they would.
N o sooner said than done. When Busuiok heard a groan, he brought his horse to
a halt, untied his blindfold, looked around, but Siminok was nowhere in sight. It
seemed like Siminok had fallen into a well, had drowned and never came out again.
Busuiok returned home and questioned his wife and she told the same story, like
Siminok. Then to convince himself even more that she was telling the truth, he
ordered the sword to jump down from the peg and cut the one who was wrong.
The sword leaped down and cut his thumb.
He lamented, bewailed and cried bitterly that he had lost Siminok. He repented
himself for his undue haste, but all to no avail. Toii in vain, nothing could be changed.
So, in his grief and sorrow, he did not wish to live any longer without his brother.
Blindfolding himself and the horse again, he mounted it and bade it hasten to the
forest where his brother had perished. On and on the horse went and plump! thump!
He tumbled in the very same well where Siminok had fallen, and there Busuiok,
too, ended his days. And, since then, the morning star, the emperor’s son, Busuiok,
and the evening star, the maidservant’s son, Siminok, have appeared in the sky.

In the saddle then I sprung, etc.

(Traducere în limba engleză de Lucia Gorea,

ilustraţii de Done Stan)
 <^ n c f m r ^ d j c P i* p

Petre Ispirescu

J t happened once upon a time.

Once upon a time there lived an emperor who had three daughters. Since he had
to go out to battle, he called his daughters and said to them:
“My dear children, I am forced to go to war. The enemy has risen against us with
a large army. It is with such great grief that I am leaving you all. In my absence, be
good girls, behave well and look after everything in the house. You are allowed to
walk in the garden, and you may enter all the rooms in the palace except the room
at the back in the right-hand corner; you must not go into that room, for harm will
befall you.”
“Set your mind at rest, father,” they answered. “We have never disobeyed you.
Go in peace, and may God give you a glorious victory.”
As soon as everything was ready for his departure, the emperor gave them the
keys to all the rooms, reminding them once more of the advice he had given them;
then he bade farewell.
With tears in their eyes, his daughters kissed his hands and wished him victory;
then the emperor gave the eldest the keys.
When the girls found themselves alone, so sad and bored they were that they did
not know what to do. So, to pass the time, they decided to work for part of the day,
to read for part of the day and to walk in the garden for part of the day. This is what
they did, and everything went well.
N ow the devii got to them and disturbed the girls’ peace of mind.

41
 “Sisters,” said the eldest daughter, “all day long we do nothing but spin, sew and
read. We have been alone for a few days, and there is no corner of the garden left that
we have not explored. We have entered all the rooms of our father’s palace, and we
have seen how beautifully and richly they are decorated. Why should we not enter
the room that our father forbade us to enter?”
“God forbid, sister,” said the youngest. “I’m surprised at how a thought like this
could cross your mind and advise us to break our father’s command. When father
asked us not to enter that room, he surely must have known what he said and what
the reason was for saying it.”
“The sky will not fall on our heads for sure if we go in,” said the middle daughter.
“Surely, dragons and other such monsters aren’t hidden there ready to devour
us. And how will our father find out if we have entered the room or not?”
While they were talking and encouraging each other, the girls arrived in front
of that room; the eldest daughter, who was in possession of the keys, fitted the key
into the lock and, by turning it a bit, snap! The door opened.
The girls went in.
When lo and behold! What do you think they saw? The room was not decorated
at all; only in the middle there stood a table, a large table covered with an expensive
cloth, and on top of it lay a large open book.
Impatiently, the girls wanted to find out what was written in that book. The eldest
one stepped forward, and this is what she read:
“The eldest daughter of this emperor will marry a prince from the East.”
Then the middle daughter stepped forward, and by turning over the page, she
also read:
“The second daughter of this emperor will marry a prince from the West.”
The girls were laughing, rejoicing and giggling, making jokes among themselves.
But the youngest daughter refused to step forward.
The older ones did not leave her alone. Willy-nilly they dragged her up to the table,
and doubtfully she turned over the page and read:
“The youngest daughter of this emperor will marry a pig.”
If a thunderbolt from the heavens had struck her, it would not have astounded
her more than these words. She almost died of sadness, and if her sisters had not
grabbed her, she would have fallen to the ground and cut her head open.
After she came to her senses from the faint into which she had fallen in her bit-
terness, her sisters tried to comfort her, saying:

43
 “What! Why would you believe such nonsense? Have you ever heard of an
emperor’s daughter marrying a pig?”
“What a child you are!” the other one said. “Does not our father have enough of
an army to protect you, even if such a repulsive creature came to woo you?”
The emperor’s youngest daughter wanted to give in to believing what her sisters
were telling her, but her heart was heavy. Her thoughts were always on the book in
which it was written that her sisters’ luck was going to be so bright while her fate
was so bad that such a thing had never been heard of before throughout the world.
Besides, the thought that she had disobeyed her father was wearing her out.

45
 She began to waste away. And in only a few days, she had changed so much that
she was almost unrecognizable. From being rosy and merry, she was now pale, and
no one could please her any longer. She avoided playing with her sisters in the gar-
den, ceased to pick up flowers to put in her hair and never sang when they were all
together spinning or sewing.
In the meantime, their father, the emperor, won a greater victory than anyone ex-
pected, defeating and driving off the enemy. And because his thoughts were constantly
turned to his daughters, he hurried back home early. Everyone went out to greet him
with cymbals and fifes and drums, rejoicing over the emperor’s victorious return.
Even before he reached home, the emperor thanked Heaven for the victory he had
gained over his enemies who had risen against him. As soon as he entered his palace,
his daughters stepped forward to greet him. He was filled with joy when he saw that
his daughters were all well. The youngest daughter hid her sadness the best she could.
In spiţe of this, it was not long before the emperor noticed how his youngest
daughter was losing weight and was getting sadder day by day. Suddenly he felt as
if a hot iron was piercing his heart, thinking that perhaps they had disobeyed his
command. And how sure he felt about it!
To be quite certain, he called his daughters to him and ordered them to speak
the truth.
They confessed everything but avoided telling which one led them into this.
When the emperor heard all this, he lamented with bitterness, and he was nearly
overcome by grief. However, he kept his wits and tried to comfort his daughter
who was wasting away. N ow what’s done is done, and he saw that a thousand words
are worth a penny.
This matter had almost been forgotten when, one day, a prince from the East
appeared at the court of the emperor and asked for the hand of his eldest daughter.
The emperor gladly gave his consent. They had a great wedding, and after three days
of feasting and rejoicing, the newlyweds were accompanied to the frontier with much
ceremony. Shortly after, the same thing happened to the middle daughter, who was
wooed and whose hand was asked by a prince from the West.
The more the princess realized that what had been written in the book she read was
coming true, the sadder she grew. She refused to eat and would not put on fine clothes,
nor did she go out for walks; she would rather die than become the laughingstock of
the world. But the emperor would not allow her to carry on such a foul deed, and
he comforted her with kind words.

47
 Time passed, till - lo and behold! - one fine day, the emperor saw an enormous
pig entering his palace and walking up to him, he spoke thus:
“Hail to you, Emperor! May your life be as cheerful and bright as a sunrise on
a clear day!”
“I am glad to see you well, friend. But what wind has brought you here?”
“I have come a-wooing,” replied the pig.
The emperor was astonished to hear such pleasant words from a pig, and at once
he realized that something strânge was going on here. He would have happily turned
the pig’s thoughts around, as he did not wish to give him his daughter for a wife; but
when he heard that his court and all the streets were packed with pigs, who accom-
panied the wooer, he had no other choice but to give him his consent. The pig did not
rely only on mere promises but engaged in conversation and insisted that the wed-
ding should take place within a week. Only after the emperor gave his word and
consented to the wedding, the pig went away.
In the meantime, the emperor advised his daughter to submit to fate, for this was
G od’s will. Then he added:
“My dear child, the words and the wise behaviour of this pig are quite unlike those
of other beasts. N ot for all the world do I believe that he was born a pig. It must
have been witchcraft or other devilry. Obey him and do everything he wishes, for
God will not let you worry for too long.”
“If you wish me to do so, father,” the girl replied, “I will obey your command,
and FII put my full trust in God. Let it be so! Such is my fate; I can’t help it.”
In the meantime, the wedding day drew near. The ceremony took place secretly.
Then the pig and his bride got on one of his royal carriages and set out for his home.
On the way, they passed a big muddy bog. The pig ordered the carriage to stop.
He got out and started wallowing in the mire until he was completely covered in
mud from head to toe; then he got back into the carriage and asked his wife to kiss
him. What was the poor girl supposed to do? She remembered her father’s words,
and taking out her handkerchief, she gently wiped his snout and kissed him.
By the time they arrived at the pig’s dwelling, which stood in a thick forest, it
was getting dark. They rested a bit after the tiring drive, had supper and lay down
to rest. During the night, the emperor’s daughter felt that next to her was lying a
man not a pig. She was quite amazed. But she remembered her father’s words and
took courage, full of hope and trusting in God.

49
 Without the girl noticing it, at night the pig cast off his pig’s skin; and in the mor-
ning before she awoke, he put it back on.
One night passed by, then two more, and several nights passed by, but the girl
could not understand how it happened that her husband transformed into a pig
during the day and into a man at night. Clearly, he must be bewitched.
In time, she grew quite fond of him, when she felt her marriage bear fruit. But
she was quite sad, not knowing what she would give to the world in the months to
come. One fine day, she saw an old crone pass by.

51
 She, who had not seen human beings in a very long time, was longing for some-
one to talk to, so she called out to the old woman. The crone told her that she
could foretell the future, knew the healing powers of herbs and such nonsense.
“I wish you happiness, old woman! Please tell me what is the matter with my
husband? For he is a pig during the day and a man at night when he lies next to me.”
“What you are telling me now, my dear child, I have already foretold; for that’s
why I am a witch. Let me give you some healing powers of herbs and plants to
break the speli that was cast upon him.”
“Really, hand them to me, dear auntie, for I shall pay you all that you ask for,
since I cannot bear to see him like this anymore.”
“Here, take this thread, my dear child,” said the witch. “D o not let him find out
about it, for if he does it will lose its power. Get up gently while he is asleep and tie
this thread around his left foot, as tight as you can, and you will see, my dear, that
in the morning he will still be a man. I do not want any money, I shall be greatly
rewarded by knowing that you got rid of such a curse. My heart is broken, and I
truly regret it, dear child, thinking of all you have been through. I only wish I had
known it sooner, so I could have come to your aid.”
N o sooner had the old witch left than the emperor’s daughter hid the thread
very carefully. At night she got up gently, so quietly that not even the birds could
sense her, and with a beating heart she tied the thread around her husband’s foot.
Just as she was tying the knot firmly, snap! The thread broke, for it was rotten.
When her husband awoke in the morning, he said to her frightfully:
“What have you done, unhappy woman! Three more days and I would have gotten
rid of this curse, and now who knows how long I may have to wear this disgusting
pig’s skin. We shall not meet again until you have worn out three pairs of iron shoes
and have blunted a Steel staff in search for me, for I must leave now.”
As he spoke thus, he disappeared.
The poor girl, when she saw herself quite alone, began to weep and moan so loudly
that it broke one’s heart. She cursed bitterly that wicked witch. But all in vain. When
she saw that her tears and groans were useless, she got up and set out to wherever
G od’s mercy and husband’s longing should lead her.
On reaching a town, she ordered three pairs of iron shoes and a Steel staff;
then having made these preparations, she set out on her journey in the search of
her husband.

53
 On and on she wandered, over nine seas and across nine continents; she passed
through some deep forests with trees as thick as barrels, stumbling and banging
herself against fallen trees; and every time she fell to the ground, she picked herself
up and went on. The tree boughs were hitting her face, and the twigs were scratching
her hands; but she kept going on and on, and she never looked back. At last, wearied
with her journey and pregnancy, and overcome with sadness, but still hopeful in her
heart, she reached a house.
Apparently there lived the holy Moon.

55
 She knocked at the door and asked to be let in, for she needed to rest a little after
wandering so much.
The mother of the holy Moon took great pity on her for all she had suffered and
invited her in and looked after her.
Then the mother of the Moon asked her: “N ow how was it possible for a mortal
from the nether worlds to get hither and reach our house?”
Then the emperor’s daughter told her all that had happened and finished by saying:
“First, I shall always give thanks to God for guiding me to this place, and second,
I am grateful to you for not letting me and my baby perish. N ow I beg one more
favour of you; can your daughter, the holy Moon, tell me where my husband is?”
“She does not know that, my dear,” replied the mother of the holy Moon, “but
wend your way towards the East until you reach the holy Sun’s dwelling. He might
be able to help you.”
Then she gave the girl a roast chicken to eat and advised her to be very careful not
to lose any of the bones, for they would be of great use to her.
After thanking her once again for her hospitality and for her good advice, and
after throwing away the pair of shoes that were worn out, the girl put on another
pair, then tied up the bones in a bundle, took her baby in her arms and the staff in
her hand, and she set out on her journey.
On and on she went, through bare sandy plains; the roads were so hard that she
took two steps forward and she fell one step backward. But she struggled until she
passed over these plains. Then she crossed high, steep, rocky mountains, jumping
from boulder to boulder and from crag to crag. Sometimes when she reached a flat-
chested mountain, it seemed to her that she was on cloud nine. Having rested for
a little, she would go farther and farther on.
The muddy peaks covered with flints scratched her legs, her knees and elbows,
so that she was all torn and bleeding. I must say that the mountains were higher
than the clouds, and when she came across a precipice she could not jump over, she
had to crawl on her hands and knees and help herself with her staff.
At length, weary from tiredness, she reached the palace where the Sun lived.
She knocked at the door and begged to be let in. The mother of the Sun invited
her in; she was astonished to see a mortal from the nether worlds hither and wept
with pity when she heard of all she had suffered.
Then after she promised to ask her son about the girl’s husband, she hid her in
the cellar so that the Sun won’t sense the girl when returning home that night,
because he always returned home angry.

57
 The next day, the emperor’s daughter found out that she was in danger, for the
Sun had smelled a mortal from the nether worlds. But his mother soothed him with
sweet words assuring him that this was not true.
So the girl took heart when she saw how kindly she was treated and asked:
“Well, come on, how is it possible for the Sun to be angry? He who is so beau-
tiful and so kind to mortals?”
“I shall tell you why,” the Sun’s mother replied. “In the morning when he stands
at the gates of paradise, he is happy and smiles to the whole world. During the day, he
is full of disgust when he sees all the bad deeds of people, and this is why he sends his
burning, scorching heat over the world. In the evening, he is sad and angry, for he
stands at the gates of hell; this is his usual path. From there he then comes back home.”
She also said that she had asked the Sun about the girl’s husband and that he had
replied that he had no clue where her husband was, for if he dwells in a thick and
large forest, the Sun’s eyes cannot penetrate through every corner or nook. Her
only hope was to go and ask the Wind.
The mother of the Sun gave her a roast chicken to eat, advising her to take great
care of the bones.
After she had thrown away the second pair of shoes which were worn out, she
took the bundle of bones, the baby in her arms and the staff in her hand; then she
set out towards the Wind’s dwelling.
On her way, she met even greater difficulties than before, since she came upon
mountains covered with flints from which blazing flames were gushing out, unex-
plored forests and icy plains covered with snow banks. The poor woman nearly
perished. But with her perseverance and with G od’s help she surpassed all these
hardships, and she reached a cave that stood on a side of a mountain, so big that
seven palaces could fit into it.
There lived the Wind.
The fence that surrounded it had a small gate. She knocked and begged to be let
in. The mother of the Wind took pity on her and invited her in to take a rest. She
was hidden here, too, so the Wind would not notice her.
The next day, the mother of the Wind told the girl that her husband was living
in a large, thick forest, so thick that no axe had cut its way through it - that he had
built a sort of house made of logs by placing them one on top of the other and
weaving them together with twigs. There he was living alone, shunning evil men.

59
 After the mother of the Wind gave the girl a chicken to eat and told her to take
care of the bones, she advised her to set out to the Milky Way, which can be seen
across the sky at night, and to keep on going until she reached her destination.
N o sooner said than done. Having thanked the mother of the Wind with tears
in her eyes for her hospitality and for the good news, the emperor’s daughter set
out on her journey.
Poor woman, she was walking day and night,. and she neither stopped to eat nor
to rest, so great was her longing for her husband that fate had destined for her.
On and on she went until this pair of shoes wore out, too. She threw them away
and went on with bare feet. She did not heed the mud or the thorns that wounded
her feet, nor the pain she suffered when she tripped over stones.
Lastly, she reached a beautiful green meadow at the edge of a forest. She cheered
up a little in her heart when she saw the flowers and the soft grass. So she sat down
and rested for a while. Then seeing the birds sitting in pairs on the boughs of the trees
made her long for her husband, and she started weeping bitterly. And taking her
baby in her arms and the bundle of chicken bones on her shoulder, she set out on
her journey again.
She entered the forest. She did not see the soft green grass that caressed her feet,
nor did she want to listen to the birds’ loud chirping. She did not look at the flowers
hidden in the thick tree boughs, but on and on she went aimlessly in the forest. She
realized that this must be the forest where her husband lived from what the mother
of the Wind had told her.
Three days and three nights she fumbled about the forest but could not find
anything. She was so worn out with exhaustion that she dropped with fatigue and
weariness and stayed there overnight without even budging, drinking or eating.
At last, she gathered her strength, got up and thus fumbling, tried to walk leaning
upon her staff. But this was quite impossible, for her staff had become blunted due
to her many wanderings.
But for the sake of her child, whom she could not breastfeed anymore, for the
yearning of her husband, whom she was seeking faithfully, she went on as weak as
she was. She took ten more steps and in a thicket caught sight of the sort of house
that the mother of the Wind had described. She wended her way to the house and
reached it with great difficulty. The house had neither windows nor a door. It
looked like the door was up in the roof. Around the house she went in search of a
ladder. There was none.

61
* 4

What was she to do?

She thought and thought and tried to climb up, but all was in vain. She was over-
whelmed with sadness; she could not afford to lose by the length of a neck. Then
she suddenly remembered the chicken bones that she kept all the way and said to
herself, “They would not have told me to keep these bones if there had not been a
good reason for it. They may now be of good use to me.”
So she took the bones out of her bundle, and after pondering some more, grabbed
two and placed the two ends together. Miraculously, they glued tight. Then she
placed another and another and saw that these ones glued together, too.
Out of the bones, she made two long poles the height of the house. Then she
placed them against the wall, one yard from one another. She put together the other
bones and made sort of planks, placing them across the two poles as the steps of a
ladder. Piece by piece these bones got stuck together, and as soon as she finished
one step, she stood on it, then made another one till she came close to the roof. When
she was near the top of the ladder, she noticed that there were no bones left to make
the last step.
What to do? She needed the last step. She must have lost one of the bones. She
could not just stand there idly and felt rage not to get in. She then took a knife and
chopped off her pinkie, and as soon as she placed it on top, it stuck to the other
bones. She took her child in her arms and entered the house.
Here she found everything in good order. After tidying up the room a little, she
caught her breath and placed the child in a tub and put it on the bed.
When her husband came back home, he was frightened by what he saw. He
could not believe his eyes and kept staring at the ladder made of bones and at the
pinkie at the top of it. He was worried that some magic spells must be at work and
was about to turn away from the house, but then a great idea dawned upon him.
He transformed into a dove, so that no magic spells could have power over him,
then flew over and into the house without touching the ladder. Here he found a
woman taking care of a child.
He then remembered that he had left his wife pregnant, and suddenly he was
seized with such longing and Iove by realizing how much she had suffered till she
found him that he instantly changed into a man.
So much had she changed because of the sufferings and sorrows that he could
hardly recognize her.

63
 As soon as the emperor’s daughter saw him, her heart beat with fear, for she did
not recognize him.
After he told her who he was, she seemed to forget all her sufferings. He was a
very handsome man, as tall as a fir tree.
They started chatting; she told him about her adventures, and he wept with pity.
Then he told her his story:

65
 “I am the son of an emperor,” he said. “During a war between my father and
wicked, evil dragons who kept trespassing his kingdom, I happened to kill the
youngest dragon.
“It seemed like you were destined to be his bride. So his mother, who was a very
diligent witch, cast a speli upon me to wear the skin of this disgusting beast so that
I would not marry you.
“God was surely against her witchcraft, for I took you as my bride. The hag who
gave you the thread to tie around my foot was none else but her. So instead of three
days left till the speli was broken, I had to stay a pig for three more years.
“Now that you have suffered for me and I have suffered for you, let us praise the
Lord and return to our parents. Without you, I would have lived like a hermit; this
was the reason I’d chosen this wild place and built this house so that no human
being could reach me.”
And joyfully they kissed one another and promised to forget all past sufferings.
The next morning, they got up and set out to his father’s kingdom. There was
great rejoicing when all the people found out about their coming home; everyone
had tears of joy. His father and mother embraced them happily, and the feasting in
the palace went on for three days and for three nights.
Next they set out to her father’s kingdom. The emperor was out of his wits with
joy when he saw them. He listened to his daughter’s adventures then said to her:
“Haven’t I told you that I was quite sure that the creature who wooed you and
won you as his wife had not been born a pig? You see, my child, you did very well
in listening to my advice.”
As the emperor was old and had no heirs, he descended the throne and put them
in his place.
And they ruled as only those can who have been through many sufferings, or-
deals and needs.
And if they are not dead, they may even today rule in peace.

In the saddle then Isprung, and so on.

(Traducere în limba engleză de Lucia Gorea,

ilustraţii de Done Stan)