Once upon a time, in Armenia, there was a noted hunter, who was a
widower. He had a son by a former wife. He married another wife,
but soon was taken mortally sick. On his deathbed he said to his wife:
"Wife, I am dying, and I know that when my son grows up he will follow
my profession. Take care and do not let him go to the Black Mountains
to hunt."
After the death of the hunter, the son growing up, began to follow his
father's profession, and became a hunter. One day his stepmother said:
"Son, your father, when dying, said that after you grew up, if you
followed his profession, you should not go to the Black Mountains
to hunt."
But the lad, paying no attention to what his father had advised him,
one day took his bow and arrow, mounted his horse and hastened to the
Black Mountains to hunt. As soon as he reached them, lo, a giant made
his appearance on the back of his horse of lightning, and exclaimed:
"How now! Have you never heard my name, that you have dared to come
and hunt on my ground?" And he threw three terrible maces at the lad,
who very cleverly avoided them, hiding himself under the belly of
his horse.
Now it was his turn; he drew his bow and arrow, took aim and shot
the giant, who was nailed to the ground. He at once mounted the
giant's horse of lightning, which galloping, soon brought him to
a magnificent palace, gilded all over with gold and decorated with
precious jewels. Lo, a maiden as beautiful as the sun appeared in
the window, saying:
"Human being, the snake upon its belly and the bird with its wing
could not come here; how could you venture to come?"
"Your love brought me hither, fair creature," answered the lad,
who had already fallen in love with the charming maiden.
"But the giant will come and tear you into pieces," said the maiden,
who also had fallen in love with the lad.
"I have killed him, and there lies his carcass," answered the lad.
The door of the palace was opened, and the lad was received by the
maiden, who told him that she was the daughter of a Prince, and that
the giant had stolen her and kept her in that palace, where she had
forty beautiful handmaids serving her.
"And as you have killed the giant," she added, "I, who am a virgin,
shall be your wife, and all these maidens will serve us." And they
accepted one another as husband and wife.
Opening the treasures of the giant, they found innumerable jewels,
gold, silver, and all kinds of wealth. The lad thought such a beautiful
palace, with so many treasures worthy of a prince, and the most
beautiful wife in the world, things that he could hardly have dreamed
of, and he decided to live there, going to hunt every day as usual.