A king, on suspicion of an attempt to usurp the throne, had put his
brother in chains and suspended him between heaven and earth. The King
was old, and the day of his death being near, he called his three
sons, and advised them not to leave the throne empty, lest their
uncle should usurp it and put them to death. After giving the young
Princes other important counsel, the old King died. The oldest son,
who succeeded his father on the throne, one day went fowling. The
youngest brother, whose name was Mirza, remembering their father's
advice, immediately leaped up and sat on the throne. In the evening
the oldest brother returned and began to scold Mirza, saying:
"How now, rogue! Have you a mind to usurp my throne?"
"No, your majesty," replied Mirza; "I sat on the throne lest our
uncle, finding it empty, should usurp it. But if it displeases you
I will not do it again."
On the following day the King again went fowling, and the throne
was left empty. Suddenly a loud jangling of chains was heard, and
lo! the uncle, having broken the fetters, descended from the skies
and seated himself on the empty throne. Forthwith he ordered his men
to put the three brothers to death, but his officials interceded and
begged the King not to kill his nephews, but to banish them from the
country. The King consented, and the three brothers were banished.
The lot of the three Princes was now to lead a sad, wandering life
in the dreary desert. After a long journey, they came to a ruined
mill just at the time when the sun was going down. The elder brothers
at once dismounted to spend the night in the ruined mill, but Mirza
implored them not to do so, saying:
"Brothers, when our father died he advised us that in case our uncle
usurped the throne and banished us, we must take heed not to lodge
in a ruined mill, not to camp on a green meadow, and not to resort
to the Black Mountain. Come, be advised, lest worse trouble befall."
"Hush, coward!" said the elder brothers, and they prepared to lodge
in the mill. The oldest brother said:
"Let us turn the horses out to pasture, and do you two go to bed;
I will keep watch all night."
After eating their meal the two younger brothers went to bed, while
the oldest began his watch. Mirza shut his eyes and pretended to sleep,
peeping, however, through his eyelashes to see what his oldest brother
was doing. After watching a while the latter was tired, withdrew
and went to bed. By the snoring of his brothers, Mirza understood
that they had fallen into sound sleep. He rose, girded on his magic
sword, and taking his bow and arrow, began to walk about and to keep
watch. In the middle of the night he saw, at a distance, the gleaming
of a light which drew nearer and nearer, and soon, to his terror,
he saw a horrible dragon with seven heads, on each of which was an
enormous jewel burning like a torch. It approached his brothers and
was about to devour them, when Mirza took aim and shot all its seven
heads with a single arrow. The monster stretched itself on the ground,
hissing and wheezing. The lad drew his magic sword, and cutting the
dragon to pieces put the seven jewels in his pocket. He spent the rest
of the night watching, and toward morning went to bed and pretended
to sleep. On the morrow the oldest brother awoke and nudged Mirza in
the side, saying:
"Get up, ho! have you not slept enough? I was guarding your repose
all night long."
All three rose and started upon their journey. They traveled until
they came to a green meadow, at the sight of which the two elder
brothers dismounted and began to pitch their tents to spend the night,
in spite of the entreaties of Mirza, who reminded them of the advice
of their father to avoid the green meadow.
"What a coward you are!" exclaimed the second brother. "You need
not be so much afraid; I will keep guard to-night," and dismounting,
all three pitched their tents on the green meadow. The second brother
kept watch till midnight, and then went to bed. Mirza, who was only
pretending to sleep, hearing his second brother snore soundly, got up,
girded on his magic sword, and taking his bow and arrows, began to
keep watch. Soon he saw something approaching the tents. As it drew
nearer, he could see that it was a terrible giantess, with one of her
lips reaching the skies, and the other sweeping the ground. He at once
took ambush in a neighboring trench, and aimed an arrow toward her,
saying to himself:
"If she does no harm to my brothers I will not shoot her."
The giantess arrived and was apparently surprised to find three tents,
and three horses, but only two men. However, she came to the conclusion
that the third human being had been devoured by the wild beasts. She
then approached the two sleeping lads and hung a sleep-ring on an
ear of each, saying:
"Sleep now, until I send my seven sons to devour you."
Mirza followed her until she came to a large rock, which was the gate
of an underground cave. She turned the rock over, and entering the
cave, exclaimed to her sons:
"Get up, boys! I have found a good meal for you. Go make your repast
on the two human beings, and save a portion for me." Mirza stood at
the cave's entrance with his magic sword, and cut off the head of
each giant as they came out one by one. Then he entered the cave,
and taking hold of the giantess, said:
"Ugly hag! did you dare to send your sons to devour my
brothers! Here! share the fate of your younglings." So speaking, he
cut her head off too. He came back and found his brothers snoring as
before. He took the sleep-rings from their ears, and at daybreak went
to bed and feigned sleep. In the morning the second brother jogged
Mirza, saying:
"Get up, ho! will you sleep till noon? Have a little mercy on me,
who have watched all the night."
They all rose and mounted their horses. That day they came to the
Black Mountain, where the two elder brothers desired to camp. Mirza
began again to implore them, saying:
"This time, at least, let us follow the advice of our father and not
halt on this enchanted ground; let us avoid a third disaster which
may perhaps be fatal."
"What a coward you are!" exclaimed his brothers. "What danger was
there in lodging in the mill or in camping on the green meadows? As
it is your turn to watch to-night, you grumble. Be silent! We will
camp here to-night, and you must keep watch."
They pitched their tents, and after a meal, the two elder brothers soon
went to bed. Mirza girded on his magic sword, took his bow and arrows,
and began his watch. The first part of the night was quiet. After
midnight he sat down to take a little rest, and on account of his
sleeplessness on the two previous nights, he soon fell asleep. When
he opened his eyes it was near daybreak. He rose, and to his great
dismay he found the fire was out. It was a sign that he had slept and
this would disgrace him. He could not start the fire anew because the
flint and steel were in the pockets of the other brothers. He ran
to the top of the neighboring hill, whence he saw a light gleaming
at a distance. He determined to fetch embers from that light, and
make his own fire. On the hilltop he met an old man winding a ball
of black thread, while another ball of white thread lay near him.
"Good-day to you, father!" said the lad.
"God's blessing rest upon you!" answered the old man.
"Who are you, and what are these balls?" asked Mirza.
"I am Time," answered the old man; "this black ball signifies the
night, which as you see, is near its end. As soon as it finishes, the
morning breaks. Then I will roll this white ball, which represents
the day, down the hill, and it will go on unwrapping until it is
noon. I shall then wrap it again, and finish just when it is evening."
Mirza snatched the black ball from the old man's hand, and rolling
it down the hill, unwrapped it, saying:
"Now, father, wrap it up again. I wish this night to be a little
longer, for I have much to do."
So saying, he proceeded toward the gleaming light. On arriving he
saw that it came from a cave, with a fireplace over which there was a
great cauldron with forty handles. The meat of seven oxen was cooking
in the cauldron, around which forty giants were lying asleep. The
youth approached the fireplace, seized the cauldron, put it down,
taking some embers from under, replaced it and started back on his
way. It chanced that one of the giants was watching, and saw what the
lad did. As soon as Mirza disappeared, he woke his brothers and told
them what the human being had done. All the forty were surprised,
and bit their lips upon hearing this marvelous news in regard to a
human being, who had displayed a strength surpassing the united force
of the forty brothers. At once they decided to make that human hero
their partner; so accordingly they ran after him, and overtaking him,
proposed to him to be their brother. The lad consented, and they
adopted each other as brothers, exchanging promises to go to one
another's assistance in case of need. Mirza returned to the camp,
and after starting the fire, lay down to take a morning nap. By that
time his brothers awakened, and jogged him in the side, saying:
"Get up! we have been watching this night also, and do you still
sleep?"
He did not utter a word. They all mounted their horses and went their
way until they came to the city of the King of the Black Mountain,
and camped in a meadow outside the city. In the middle of the night
as Mirza was keeping watch around the camp, he saw giants proceeding
toward the palace of the King. Coming nearer he perceived that they
were his adopted brothers each carrying a large iron nail as long as
a man is high.
"God speed!" said Mirza.
"Well met!" answered the giants; "come and help us in our enterprise
to-night, and here are three golden apples as a present for you. The
King has three daughters whom we have been hunting for seven years,
but cannot find. We have prepared these three golden apples for their
love, but we will give them to you if you help us. We have made these
iron nails to use in climbing the walls."
Mirza's anger began to boil, but he carefully concealed his feeling.
"Very well," he said, at last, "this very night you will attain your
desires, but you must obey me."
He walked at their head and the giants followed until they came to
the foot of the palace wall. He took the iron nails, and thrusting
them into the wall with his thumb, formed a row of steps by which he
could ascend to the top of the wall. He then ordered the giants to
mount, and as they went up one by one, he cut off their heads with
his magic sword, throwing their bodies into a trench on the other
side. Then cutting off the ears of each, he put them in his pocket,
and arranged their heads in a row on the top of the wall. After that
he jumped over and entered the palace. In the King's bedchamber he
saw a golden candlestick burning at the head of the King's bed, and
a silver candlestick burning at the foot. Mirza changed the places
of the candlesticks, and drank the syrup which was in the golden cup
near the King. As he was going out, he saw a dragon coiled around
the pillar ready to devour the King. At once he drew his dagger,
and stabbed the dragon, nailing it to the pillar. Next he took the
King's dagger from under his pillow and put it in his belt. Then
he entered the bedchamber of the three maidens, drank the syrup in
their golden cups and placed a golden apple on the pillow of each,
thus betrothing the oldest to his oldest brother, the middle one to
his middle brother, and the youngest to himself. He also placed on
the pillow of the youngest maiden a necklace made of the seven jewels
which he had taken by killing the seven-headed dragon in the ruined
mill. Then he came back to his tent, and at daybreak went to bed.
When morning came there was a great tumult among the people of
the city, who had seen the heads of the forty giants who had been
butchered. Informants ran to the King bearing the glad tidings that his
forty troublesome enemies had all been killed, that their bodies were
lying in the trench and their heads were on the top of the wall. The
King, who by that time had discovered what had happened in his palace,
was filled with amazement. His peers and subjects came to congratulate
him. Upon this the King sent out heralds to proclaim that the one who
did all these things, whoever he might be, must present himself. Not
only should he become the son-in-law of the King by marrying the most
beautiful of the three maidens, but the King would gladly bestow on
him any gift which he might ask. Thousands appeared before the King
claiming to be the hero, but none could prove it. No man was left in
the city who did not make his appearance before the sovereign. Then
the King bade his men call the strangers who were camping without
the walls. Mirza feigned sickness, and at first did not go. His two
brothers feared that they were to be fined for trampling upon the
King's ground, but as soon as they were told wherefore they were
called, they began to boast that they had done the heroic deed,
yet upon trial they also were turned back in shame.
"Is there no one else left?" inquired the King.
"Nobody," answered the attendant, "except a sickly boy lying in the
tent of these strangers."
"Bring him hither," ordered the King.
Mirza, seeing the King's attendant about to force him to go, rose,
and leaping on the back of his horse, made his appearance before the
King. He put before him the ears of the forty giants and told the
King how he slew them, how he changed the places of the candlesticks,
how he stabbed the dragon, and betrothed the King's daughters to his
brothers and to himself. He gave to the King the dagger, and drew out
from the pillar his own dagger which neither the King nor his peers
had been able to withdraw. The King sprang from his throne and kissed
Mirza on the forehead, exclaiming:
"May Heaven bless you, worthy hero! You are my beloved son-in-law,
and after my death my throne is yours."
His brothers bowed down before Mirza, saying:
"Pardon our harshness; hereafter you are our elder brother and we
are your subordinates."
After that there was a great wedding festival for forty days and forty
nights, and the three maidens were given in marriage to the three
brothers. At the nuptials, however, the brides said to the bridegrooms:
"We are not for you, such frail men as you are. Do you think killing
forty dwarfish giants a heroic act? Not so. We have our lover, upon
whose breast roses and lilies grow. If you are men of valor, go fight
the Roaring Giant, our lover; if you can overcome him we are yours,
but not until you do so."
On the following morning, Mirza advised his brothers to keep silent
and not reveal their secret, lest they should be the laughing-stock of
the people. He took leave of the King, saying that he had an important
work to do, and would be absent for two months. He started, and after
a long journey came to a white castle. A maiden as beautiful as the
moon was sitting in the window working with her needle. Seeing the lad,
she said to him:
"Human being, neither the snake on its belly, nor the bird with its
wing could come here! How could you venture to come?"
"Your love brought me hither, fair maiden," answered the lad.
"Here is food for you," said the maiden, letting down from the window
a basket; "eat, and go your way. This castle belongs to the White
Giant. Go away before he comes, lest he devour you."
"Who are you, fair maiden? Who has brought you hither?" inquired
the lad.
"My father is the King of India. We were three sisters, but the White
Giant, the Red Giant, and the Black Giant stole us and brought us
into this lonely country. It has been seven years since I have seen
a human being."
Mirza asked if she knew where the Roaring Giant lived.
"You must pass the lands of the Red Giant and the Black Giant before
you arrive," said the maiden.
"Farewell!" said Mirza.
"Farewell!" said the fair maiden, sighing.
Mirza continued on his way. Toward evening he saw the White Giant
returning from hunting. He detected his presence by the human smell,
and seeing Mirza, exclaimed:
"What luck! I have not tasted human flesh for a long time;" and he
assailed Mirza, to devour him.
"Halt!" exclaimed the lad, preparing his bow and arrow. "I shall
prove a hard nut for you to crack. My name is Mirza. I have so far
butchered forty-seven giants; you are the forty-eighth."
He shot his arrow, which passed through the giant's heart and nailed
him to the ground. Drawing his magic sword, he cut off his head,
and thrusting it on his sword's point took it to the white castle
and called to the maiden:
"Fair Princess, here is the head of the White Giant, whom I have
sacrificed to your love."
The maiden seeing it from the window, ran wild with joy. At once she
opened the door of the castle, saying:
"Enter, and may Heaven bless you, who came to deliver me from my
bondage!"
The lad entered, and that night lodged in the castle. On the morning,
when departing, he put on the maiden's finger a ring, saying:
"Now you are the betrothed of my oldest brother. After fighting the
other giants I will come back and carry you with me."
And he took leave of her. After a long journey he came to a black
castle with a beautiful maiden sitting in the window, who gave him
refreshment as the former had done. Leaving her, he met the Black
Giant, and killing him as he had the former one, brought his head to
the maiden. He spent the night there, and on the following morning,
putting a ring on the finger of the maiden, betrothed her to his
second brother. Another long journey brought him to a red castle. A
maiden as beautiful as the sun was sitting in the window and working
with her needle. The lad at first glance fell in love with her. She
also had fallen in love with him at first sight, and said to him:
"Human being, for Heaven's sake, beware of the Red Giant!"
"I have come on purpose to fight with him, fair creature," answered
the lad. "I have already killed the White Giant and the Black Giant
and freed your sisters."
"But the Red Giant is a sorcerer," said the maiden, "and when brought
to bay, changes himself into a mound of earth, with a hole at the
top, whence he pours out smoke and flames, and devours everyone who
ventures to go near."
He had hardly departed from the maiden, when lo! the Red Giant
appeared, brandishing his terrible mace.
"Aha!" exclaimed the Giant, seeing the lad, "a delicious morsel indeed
is this which has come to me of its own free will."
"Nay, come, let us fight," said the lad, "and see who shall be the
morsel, I or you!" and he prepared his bow and arrow.
"Dwarfish human being!" exclaimed the giant, "how can you oppose me?"
Saying this, he threw his mace at the lad, who took hold of it,
exclaiming:
"I have killed forty-nine giants, your White and Black brothers
included. Mirza is my name; do you think you will escape from my hand?"
When the giant heard that this was Mirza, the terror of the giants, he
was so frightened that he at once changed himself into a red mound with
smoke and flames shooting out from the hole in its top. Immediately the
lad jumped on the mound, drew his magic sword and thrusting it into the
smoking hole, began quickly to stir it until the heart and intestines
of the Giant were cut to pieces and were thrown out of the orifice. The
youth then jumped down, and lo! the mound fell and was ruined. Mirza
then went back to the red castle and called to the maiden.
"Fair Princess," he said, showing her his sword dyed with blood and
the pieces of the giant's heart and intestines still clinging to it,
"I have sacrificed the Red Giant to your love."
The maiden was almost wild with joy. She opened the door, and embracing
Mirza's feet, exclaimed:
"Hero! you have saved me; I owe you my life and all my being. I am
still a virgin, and though unworthy to be your wife, for Heaven's
sake accept me as your handmaid!"
"Nay, fair maiden, you are my love, you are my betrothed if you do
love me," said the lad, putting a ring on her finger.
Then the lad asked her concerning the place where lived the Roaring
Giant.
"Be advised, do not go," said the maiden. "The Roaring Giant is a cruel
tyrant; you will not come back alive; do not go. He is vulnerable only
by his own bow and arrows, and who shall give them to you that you may
shoot him with them? It is impossible. For the sake of the love you
bear to me, do not go, or take me with you that I may die with you,"
and the maiden began to sob.
"Nay, love, do not cry," said the lad, "I must go at any risk."
And he started. After a long journey he came to a magnificent castle
decorated with gold and jewels. It was the castle of the Roaring
Giant. It was toward evening when the lad arrived. At once he took the
shape of a servant, sprinkled water about the palace, swept all clean,
and hid himself behind the trees and bushes. Soon a noise like that
of thunder was heard, from the distant mountains. It was the Roaring
Giant who was coming from fowling. Every bird, every beast of the
forest hid itself on hearing the noise of the giant. Mirza's hair
stood on end, and he felt what a terrible task it was which he had
undertaken. The giant, seeing the courtyard round the palace swept
and cleaned was pleased, and soliloquized to himself:
"This must be the work of a human being; I must find him out; it
would be pleasant to have a human servant." And he exclaimed:
"Where are you, human being? Who are you? Come out from your hiding
place. I will not hurt you, but give you what you desire."
Mirza leaped out from his place of concealment, and stood before the
Roaring Giant, saying in a humble voice:
"My lord, I have lost my companions and gone astray. Heaven was kind
enough to guide me until I came to your door. Will you accept me as
your servant?"
The giant accepted him, and the lad served so diligently and devotedly
that the giant was greatly pleased, and held him in high esteem. One
day the giant and the lad entered the flower garden. Roses,
violets and other flowers of every color and perfume grew there
luxuriously. Nightingales, birds of paradise, and all kinds of birds
and beasts of the forest were there. In the middle of the orchard
a fountain gushed out its crystal waters, and formed a pond amid
overhanging verdure. It was, throughout, a paradise.
"Bring those flower pots and put them around this pond," said the
giant to the lad. "Bring here all kinds of delicious foods, which you
have prepared. Every day this week we shall have company, and we must
prepare for them."
The lad made the necessary preparations meditating to himself that
the expected guests were no doubt the three sisters, the wives of
himself and his brothers. Near the pond there was a tree on which
the giant had hung his bow and arrows. The lad took them down.
"Halloo! what are you doing?" exclaimed the giant.
"Master, I wish to take the cloth and clean them," answered the lad.
Soon the arrow fell down.
"Bring it to me," said the giant, and putting the arrow in the bow
handed it over to the lad. He took it and went backward as if to hang
it up. He had scarcely come to the tree, when he turned to the giant
and took aim at his heart.
"Alas!" exclaimed the giant.
"Nay, I have come expressly to take your life," said Mirza. "I am
Mirza. I have killed fifty giants; you are the fifty-first."
Whiz! and the arrow was flung and pierced the Roaring Giant through
the heart and nailed him to the ground. He uttered his last roar,
and then lay dead as a stone. The lad thereupon hid himself behind
a tree near the pond to see what might happen.
Soon three turtledoves came from the sky flapping their wings and
perched gently on the border of the pond. At once they dove into the
water and were changed into three maidens. The lad saw that they were
his own wife and the wives of his brothers. He kept silent and did not
stir. The maidens, putting on the human dresses which they had brought
with them, went to embrace the Roaring Giant, who they supposed was
asleep. But seeing him nailed to the ground with an arrow through his
heart and dead, they were horror-stricken. They ran back to the pond,
and undressing themselves, leaped into the water. Just at that time,
Mirza came up and stood on the brink of the pond.
"For shame!" he exclaimed. "How now! did you see your lover? Did you
enjoy the roses and the lilies growing on his breast?"
They were horror-stricken and mute, hiding their faces with their
hands. Mirza cut pieces from the skirts of their dresses, and let
them go. They were turned to turtledoves, and flew away with drooping
wings. Thereupon Mirza entering the palace of the Roaring Giant,
gathered all the riches and loaded them on forty camels. He then went
and took the three Princesses whom he had betrothed to himself and his
brothers, also the wealth of the Red, Black and White giants. Then
he drove back and came again to the city of the King of the Black
Mountain. The King hearing that Mirza had come, bringing inestimable
wealth, hastened to meet him at the city gate, all his noblemen and
peers accompanying him. As soon as they met, Mirza said to the King:
"I cannot talk with you until you convoke a meeting of all the noblemen
and wise men of your realm to try your three daughters."
"What!" said the King, "is it not a shame to bring maidens to trial?"
"Nay," said the lad, "your daughters are false, and shameless;
they must be tried and punished as an example to the womanhood of
the realm. If you do not call a meeting as I have requested, I will
leave you and go elsewhere."
Now the King loved Mirza as his very life, and could not part with
him. So he gave the order and all the peers and wise men of his realm
were summoned to a parliament. The three maidens were brought before
the court. Mirza recited his adventures, and placed before the court
the pieces which he had cut from the dresses of the maidens. On being
put in their respective places they fitted. Thus everything being
proved, the maidens could not deny it. The court gave its decision,
which the King sanctioned. Thereupon the three daughters of the King
were bound by their hair to the tails of three wild horses, which were
whipped up and carried them away to the wilderness, dashing them from
stone to stone until they were cut into pieces.
Then the King adopted the three Princesses whom Mirza had brought
with him. A wedding festival for forty days and nights was celebrated,
and the three maidens were given in marriage to the three brothers.
Three apples fell from heaven; one for me, one for the story-teller,
and one for him who entertained the company.